Santa Barbara - couchsurfing again

From my last posts you will know I decided to spend no time in LA, and headed straight to Santa Barbara. I was keen to be Couch Surfing again after the resort in the Cook Islands.

While in the Cooks I had been fortunate to get to know the mainly Fijian staff who were running the resort. They too of course were outsiders, though they showed me incredible hospitality, sharing food and kava in their homes.





Again and again I have been touched by the kindness of strangers. During my last few days in Rarotonga, recovering from a nasty throat infection I was was walking back from town when a guy car turned his car around to ask if I needed a lift. After spending the previous day in bed I was glad to be walking, but I knew he would be upset if I turned down the offer. While we chatted I learned he was a pastor who had recently returned from a meeting in California. I commented how strange it was that mopeds were so much cheaper to rent than bicycles. Given the choice I prefer to cycle, its so much more peaceful and you see more wildlife.

At this he turned of to his house to lend me his bicycle, asking only that I dropped it back when I left, no sermon just a good neighbor.

One might assume such hospitality was the preserve of a safe little island community, but this was not so. Through couch surfing I contacted Wes who had recently moved into a shared house after a year of motor cyling around South America.

---Rant Alert---

Lloyds TSB once again stopped my card, this has happened in almost every country I have visited, despite telling them over and over of my plans. It is generally only a quick phone call to get service again, but does cause a lot of worry. The worst is when the ATM swallowed the card after too many denials. One may have intended to pass through the town, so cannot wait till the branch opens to pick it up. Worse, is having to find an address to get a replacement sent to by an uncertain date, and somehow getting there without funds.

It is for this reason I have got into the habit of traveling with at five cards, and keep some cash in reserve. The banks are convinced such behavior is indicative of money laundering so will not allow me to open any more accounts. I have met other travelers who had the same issues with LloydsTSB. We both tried to transfer funds between our own accounts to ones that do not charge such extortionate rates to get at your own money. We both found our cards stopped,then had to wait days for the transfer to occur once it was finally sorted out, all the time collecting precious interest. Grrrr

---Rant over---

I had just finished a yin yoga class at the Santa Barbara yoga centre, and was feeling totally relaxed, and looking forward to choosing a bottle of wine and some honey to take to my couch surfing host.

He lived a little way out of town, and agreed to meet me along the road between downtown Santa Barbara and his place.I would have felt very bad if I had to borrow his phone to call the bank, and have to owe my contribution to the grocery bill before even getting to know one another. Thankfully I had enough to buy a calling card, and inbetween his calls to find out where I was, and to the call centre in South Wales, managed to get the thing working again.

My host was joined by another couchsurfer from Russia and quickly made us feel welcome. He introduced us to the pleasures of barbequed tri-tip steak, his freshy made piquant salsa and the local tramp fuel – Simpler times lager at 6 percent, and 2.99 USD for a six pack. One could imagine the advertising the product, a bum happily pissed reminiscing;- I used to have, a wife, a house and a car, now its Simpler Times...

Uni Santa Barbara, like many I have visited the university has a very open access policy, allowing me free internet access in the library. I was able to photocopy some great material for my book research and update the blog with the last seven weeks of adventures. Not easy to concentrate, as it seems hot pants never went out of fashion here, I wondered how much time the students had for lectures with all the effort they must have put into their fine physiques.

One diner nearby observed that Santa Barbara was at that sweet spot on the globe where the folks put in an great deal of effort in their appearance like those in LA, but were not completely vacuous. I was entertained by his misadventures as a ladies tennis coach in a nearby obscenely wealthy suburb nearby. This is the land of bored silicone filled trophy wives, botox mishaps, duodenal ulcers, thrombosis and erectile dysfunction...

Back at the house, We took turns in cooking, and enjoyed great conversation over wine, before crashing out on the sofa with in the large lounge shared with a lab, retriever and an old but spirited sausage dog – who was convinced he was bigger than the other two put together. Yet another great couchsurfing experience, a new friend, I really hope to return the favour should he or his housemates find themselves in Wales.

When I later sat in an organic wholefood cafe, and overheard two guys drinking herbal tea, discussing cleanses and their mens groups, I knew I was back in California for sure. These groups have become very popular here, with adverts all over for places to “be still with fellow men and discover your inner warrior”. Call me unevolved if you like, but whats wrong with the Pig and Whistle and real ale?