Couchsurfing India antara Situs Jodoh dan Travelling

Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved

By William Jennings Bryan

Hello World!

Jakarta, 10 Maret 2016

Sebelum berbagi pengalaman backpacker ke INDIA, ada satu pengalaman menarik mengenai persiapan ke India. Jadi sebelum ke India aku sudah mencari host untuk menemanin selama berada di India karena bersama orang lokal tentu lebih menarik mengingat mereka tahu betul seluk beluk wisata India. Untuk itu aku mencari host dari Couchsurfing. Bagi yang belum tahu apa itu Couchsurfing, adalah sebuah situs buat travelling. Dua bulan sebelum keberangkatan ke India, aku sudah membuat request penginapan. Eeh siapa sangka aku jadi “ARTIS” dalam sekejab. Banyak sekali yang mengirim pesan kepadaku, bahkan aku request penginapan di Kolkata yang menawarkan malah sampai Ke Nepal dan Bangladesh.

Kocak banget dah!

Terus aku bingung ya ini situs Couchsurfing India situs buat pejalan atau situs cari jodoh! Bahkan ada beberapa pesan yang membuatku senyum sendiri. Dari ratusan pesan yang aku terima dari Cs (Couchsurfing) yang lucu luar biasa diantaranya:

1. “How are you? I wish you come to nepal?”

2. “Hello Winny,
Good day from Bangladesh. Saw you are visiting Kolkata. I’d like to welcome you to visit Bangladesh. Very easy & cheap to travel from Kolkata. You can travel by Bus. If you are interested I can host you in Bangladesh. Looking forward to meet new people from around the world. “

3. “Hi this is ***. I am from kolkata. I am working in a multi national company. And I am looking forward to make new friends. And all your requirements will be fulfilled. Once you make a visit. My phone no. Is ***. Feel free to contact me”

4. “My dear
I want to you visit my place, khajuraho is a peaceful, small place of india.
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh, India. About 175 kilometres (109 mi) southeast of Jhansi, they are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.[1][2] The temples are famous for theirnagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.[3]
Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 1050 CE by the Chandela dynasty.[4] Historical records note that the Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by 12th century, spread over 20 square kilometers. Of these, only about 20 temples have survived, spread over 6 square kilometers.[2] Of the various surviving temples, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressiveness of ancient Indian art.[5]
The Khajuraho group of temples were built together but were dedicated to two religions namely Hinduism and Jainism – suggesting a tradition of acceptance and respect for diverse religious views among Hindus and Jains.[6]Do want to visit khajuraho, so please contact to me, its my pleasure.
Your friend
Royal host”

5. “Hi this is ** from jaipur,rajasthan..i am a fitness manager love to meet different culture people. I love to share my culture and traditions nd delicious food.. with my beautiful visitors .thankx to cs to give me this opportunity to tell about my culture and host and meet with beautiful people around this world…i dnt hav any reference. .but i am very simple and fun loving guy and party animal. with beautiful heart. .i hav my own car we go to agra nd pushkar nd show beatiful ghats temple and all beautiful places ..I am sure u like my company..in my company you will be safe and and enjoyed alot..we will rock nd make your tour wonderful.I will show you best part of jaipur.and if you want i will pick you from station nd drop you..its my pleasure to to help u.god bless. .take care

6. “Hi….You wanna host like me”

7. “Hey Winny, Is your India trip happening ? I would love to join you if interested :)”

8. “Hi Winny

Saw your message . I am**, an MBA working as a manager in a financial MNC in London. I am back home in Calcutta(KOlkata) for the next month and would love to show you around the city when you come. I have used CS myself and had wonderful experiences with new people in several countries, and want to extend the same welcome to visitors in my city 🙂 Please let me know if you would like to know more”

9. Hi Winny,

Was just seeing your request for hosts in Kolkata. Well I can only hosts guests in Mumbai so by any chance while catching flight or something if you planning to stay in Mumbai, do let me know. My house is fully loaded with all the electronic stuff – TV, Refrigerator, Air-condition, Microwave e.t.c. I stay alone and I am into business. So guests can have a comfortable home like stay and enjoy themselves with full freedom. let me know if you would like to stay at my place…My Number – +**

10. hey i am also travelling to agra already booked luxury hotel and would like tohost and show around. an can treat u as long as u will stay

11. Hi my name is ** and I am from Jaipur, Rajasthan and I would like to host you and I have a separate room for you, it’s very clean and big and you can stay there. I will show you my city by my car. Hope you like my city it’s full of fun and many historical place as well as you can enjoy local. It’s my contact in which I use whatsapp **

12. Hey Winny,

I see you’re travelling in India and I’d like to invite you to surf under my roof in Bombay (Mumbai). I live in a studio apartment in central Mumbai close to the sea, next to the city’s best restaurants, cafes, great night-life, old Portuguese churches, street stalls and a whole lot to see and do, merely minutes away. If you do choose to come here, I hope you enjoy your time in my city, no matter where you decide to stay. Have a happy journey!

Bahkan ada yang niat banget deh nulisnya di Cs

Hi My Dear Friend

Welcome to the world where we treat Foreigners as Stars.

Date of Temple festival is on 19th February 2016

You are welcomed to my native place with lighted lamps by my family and my relatives. Foreigners who are not famous in their country can be stars and famous in my place. So please come.
If you want to see the festival book the return ticket after seeing my family temple festival. We can accommodate 15 to 25 foreigners . We will provide free accommodation and free food also. You dont have to worry about anything. You will enjoy this heaven in GODS OWN COUNTRY.
If you are interested in seeing my family temple festival you can come to my village. My native place is in Village about 130km south from Cochin, its hilly area. You can see ancient traditional culture of Kerala temple festival. You can stay in my village for 3 days before the temple festival starts so that you can take part in preparation of our temple festival like painting the temple, cleaning , buying large quantities of vegetables from market which we will come along with you in the market and plucking vegetables from our vegetable farm, inviting people in our area and you can come with us to invite people from other villages in our vehicles by giving invitation card.
Then you can see our Kerala food are made. You can decorate the temple with flowers lot of thing are there for u to do. u can see huge quantities of flowers which we are going to decorate around 100KG of flowers will be there

One week before the temple festival starts there will be cleaning temple presmis there will be grasses and if anyone interested they can cut the grass and clean the premises and clean the temple walls and surroundings and help other workers who are with us. Cleaning the streams near the temple and my mumm will cook food for you , but you have to help her in cutting vegetables and help in preparing the food for breakfast lunch dinner and for snacks also.

On the day of temple festival you have to get up early by 6 a.m to see the temple rituals. The main temple priest which we call him Thantri. He is head of all priest in Kerala. So he will be coming to our temple early morning start preparation for rituals which is going to conduct in our temple. Its very long rituals starting from early morning till and end by 12.30 in thenoon. There will be rituals especially for Women its very sacred ritual the name of the ritual is called Pongala . According to Hindu Culture Pongala is a special ritual or pooja for womens.
Pongala means its special ritual only women are allowed to take part in the temple. Men are not allowed. Pongala is a special offering or prayer to goddess for enlightening womens life, bringing prosperity to their life, having good future in their life, having good health and wealth and removing obstacles in their life and removing their sadness and disease which they are suffering. Once pongala is done by women in the temple their curse which is being in their body will get rid off and bring prosperity to their life. So for every women in Kerala Pongala is very important rituals in their life.
So on the day of the festival all the foreigners are provided with Kerala traditional dress. Women are given saree and men are wearing dhoti and shirt. Hope you have seen the pictures of the foreigners in traditional kerala dress. When the ritual starts at 6 a.m in the morning the Pongala will start by 8:30 am where women are to bring the pot and bricks and they have to take water in the pot and boil it with wood which we provide to you then some rice are given some sugar given and it is allowed to boil for half an hour there will be people to guide u so don’t worry about that. Once it boiled the priest will come from the temple inside and he will giving blessing to u after that you have to eat the sweet dish which u made in the pot and u have to give to other friends. This ritual will over by 10 a.m starting from 8 a.m onwards. After this only you are provided with breakfast.
So for breakfast you have to serve people who came to visit the temple festival. So there will be around 200 people in the morning for the ritual and for the breakfast. After that there will be another ritual in the snake temple near the main temple itself. Offering and prayer and rituals are conducted in the snake temple. We are not allowed to enter into snake temple only priest are allowed inside the snake temple but we can see the rituals conducted in the snake temple. At that time there will be drummers for the rituals and prayers will be done. After that there will be another ritual in the temple. If you want to know anything about Hindu culture and ancient you can ask the priest in our temple.
So by 12:30 pm we will take one banana leaf and put rice and there will be 30 dishes along with rice and we keep that food in front of the temple for the rituals after getting permission from the priest only we will announce for the lunch. So lunch will start by 1 p.m and there will b e around 300 to 400 people for the lunch so you all have to serve food for the 400 people. There will be different varities of dishes for the lunch around 30 dishes will be there. Seating capcacity will be around 80 to 100 seat depending upon the arrangement of the seat at that time and the space provided. so there will be 5 to 6 section for lunch. You all foreigners are allowed to eat last because you are given importance in serving the lunch to all the people who come for the festival. So you people are the servers for the lunch. So serving 30 dishes is not easy task in between people will ask the dishes again so you have to serve them again without wasting any time. You are needed when people ask for extra dishes, rice and water and sweets. We provide the lunch in big banana leaf which u have seen in the photo. Once one session of lunch is over you must clean the table and take the waste and put in dust bin. We are provided with paper roll which is rolled on the table so after people finish the food u have to take and put in dust bin and clean the table and put the new one to start next session to serve the lunch. After every one had lunch last session will be you foreigners to have lunch. At that time local people will serve food for you all. For this lunch u must eat till u get stomach full by tasting all the 30 dishes.
After you finish the lunch you are given free time to take rest. Then by 5 p.m u have to get ready for procession which we have to take idol of goddess to another temple which is 3km away and we are going by walk there will be 100 people for the procession drummers will be there and some music will be played. When we reach other temple by 6:30 p.m there some prayers will be there from there we are given plate with rice and half coconut inside there will be oil and thread to lighten the lamp in the coconut which u have seen in the photo. By coming back both side of the road is ligtend with lights lamps and all the houses are decorated with lights and each house we are stopped where they given offering to the goddess. So lighting the lamp u have to come back to our temple and we will reach by 8.30 pm. After reaching the temple again the last ritual will be in the temple. After by 9p.m all the ritual will get over and then dinner will served. Same like afternoon lunch dinner you people have to serve. For dinner there will be plates only. So it will be easier for u serve standing at one place itself all the people will stand in queueu but in lunch u will be running every where when people ask for extra dish and for serving so for dinner u can stand at one place people will be in queue for the food..so you are lucky that time.
After dinner then there will be program like sometimes music like bollywood songs or sometimes there will be dance or drama. It depend upon how my family members decide. There will be family meeting before the temple festival to decide which program for the temple festival so my mumm dad uncle and aunt will decide that time only. The meeting will only on 1st week of January 2016. So the program will over by 1 a.m or by 2 a.m at early morning after that u can go to sleep and wake up late.. so the temple festival is only for one day because its very expensive. In india only few have family temple. Rest all temples are run by Temple Board which is owned by Soceity so they have huge fund. Since our is small temple because its family temple we have few people so its big expensive in running temple festival so we keep our financial limit in running the temple festival. Usually temple festival expenses will come to 400000 Indian Rupees. It comes to about 6000 euros .
So please go through the photos in my facebook in the albhum my native home.

Its only temple in Kerala where foreigners are allowed inside the temple and take part in activities of the temple. So if u want to see everything you must come 3 days before the temple festival starts. You must inform us and the date of arrival.
Foreigners are stars in our village. You are given special privilege in our village everyone will come and take your photos and they all like to talk with you so you will be the STAR IN MY VILLAGE. You wont get such homely atmosphere anywhere in India and you can learn deep and detail regarding Hindu culture and everything even food and way of life in Kerala. Even about the marriage also its very different from your country. You wont get such kind of treatment anywhere. So come to my village and experience the ancient traditional temple festival of Kerala and experience our culture. So dont miss it . My family welcome u all. You all will be safe with my family. Every year there will be foreigners in my village for the festival and for other time just to see the village. If you cant come during festival time also I can show my village also. And there is 3 lovely dogs waiting to welcome you. Hope u saw in my profile photo in my facebook. You can come to my village by 17th of February and u can leave by 21st or 22nd of February.
If you are coming any other days apart from February I can show the places around the city and in Kerala. I can take you to Munnar and other hill station and to my native village. I have my own car to take you for outing and show the inside places of kerala and so that u can come in to deep touch with kerala culture. There are many places in Kerala where u have to see. I can take you to Munnar, Ramakalmedu, Thekkaday, Athiranpally Water fall and backwaters and beaches near to cochin and old palaces in Kerala. Just search these names in google and u will get to see the pictures. I hope you will come and enjoy the places here in Kerala. I am waiting for your reply. If you are coming please come on Friday so thatSaturday and Sunday I am free to take you for outing because Monday to Friday I have to go for work. From Friday toSunday night I can be free and take u for outing.

this is my number**
i am there in whats app and in viber

my facebook link please click and add me and see the pictures

Jadi menurutku Cs yang fungsinya untuk dunia travelling dan membantu bagi traveller yang hendak trip ke India malah menjadi situs jodoh, agak berubah dari fungsinya memang tapi aku rasa menarik, kenapa tidak? Muka pas-pasanku mendadak jadi artis hahahha 😀

Ps: Jika ingin mencari host dari CS terutama di India pilih host yang memiliki banyak referensi dan hati-hati dengan CS Jaipur karena kebanyakan itu tourguide jika tidak ingin kena tipu maka tanyakan dulu. Pengalamanku di India, dari 3 teman yang kami kunjungi, 2 orang sangat baik terutama dari Kolkata dan 1 dari Jaipur yang memiliki 12 referensi ternyata berakhir dengan menipu kami. Walau demikian tidak semua orang India tukang tipu karena banyak juga orang India yang menolong kami di jalan tanpa pamrih, semua tergantung Individunya bukan?

Salam

Winny