Couchsurfing Pubcrawl in San Francisco

Every year I make a pilgrimage to San Jose for the fabulous Pantheacon Convention and I usually try to take a day before or after to wander around San Francisco. Just a 1.5 hour flight from Seattle, it's a nice place to take a weekend vacation.

This year I decided to join a pub crawl organized by a few hostels near Chinatown, including the Green Tortoise, who's representative made sure we moved along at a steady clip and was a delight to talk to.
Going on 4 years now, the rock-paper-scissors themed event makes it easy to get to know people. This was honestly the most fun bar crawl I'd ever been on. If you find yourself in San Francisco on a Wednesday evening, stop by The Northstar on Green and Powell by 9pm to join in the fun. You'll be happy you did.

Mountain Biking with Couchsurfer Francisco

Oh, does my body hurt, but oh, how much fun I had last night.
Francisco invited me to the Paseo Nocturno en las Montañas that happens every Wednesday, organized by Gdl Bikers/MTB. After outfitting me with the requisite gear, we were off to La Primavera.

Couchsurfers at Centro Cultural Breton

Another week, another Thursday Couchsurfing meet-up. This one was at the fabulous Centro Cultural Breton, near the Cathedral, but hidden away on a quiet street.

 

Couchsurfing Día de Muertos Altar

The weekly Couchsurfing meetup took place at a home in the neighboring city of Zapopan. A couple of classmates and I took the 51D bus out to the suburbs to participate in the festivities.

Couchsurfing Potluck Dinner

Bernard (Bernie) responded to my Couchsurfing request to show me his city by inviting me to a Wednesday dinner at his place. Coming with the expectation of a few friends around a table, I should have known better growing up in a Mexican family where one person invites a friend, which snowballs into the dinner turning into a little party.

Sunday Wanderings with Tour Guide Karla

Karla contacted me through Couchsurfing, having posted a notice to all those in Guadalajara interested in showing me their favorite parts of the city. We met at Parque Revolucion near my hostel because she said she spends almost every Sunday there. I knew that Juarez had been shut down to car traffic for the day, but I didn't expect to see so many activities as I rounded the corner.

Saturday Night Clubbing

Most towns have a hip area where the kids come out to play, in Guadalajara, this is Chapultepec Avienda. The evening started with the ladies of my class meeting up for a dinner around 7. We walked from the hostel where two of us are staying to the land of restaurants and clubs.

Weekly Guadalajara Couchsurfing Meetup

The Guadalajaran Couchsurfing community is quite an active bunch. There are language groups that meet weekly (one for each I speak), lots of posts about road trips to Tequila or Puerto Vallarta or other destinations close by, and a weekly meet-up to just hang out at a bar in El Centro.