Please implement
ProfilePage
::column_col2()

or create a file
"/var/rox/deployment/www.bewelcome.org-641c114/htdocs/../build/members/templates/profile.column_col2.php"

planetcruiser Meinhard Benn

About me

I am constantly travelling or living in places for a limited time, so I lost the notion of a home a few years ago. This feeling of a temporary and autonomous existence I carry with myself since then. I listen to the feeling a place gives me and let it decide when to move on.

Stepping into a bus and pay the ticket anyone can do - I prefer the harder (?) and more fun transport of hitch-hiking. :) Although, for a change I am currently on a train/bus/bicycle trip across Asia. See my travel plan.

A few years ago I stopped taking jet engine planes for environmental reasons. The air pollution and noise those things create don't make it suitable for mass transportation in the long run and I recommend overland travel to anyone that has the opportunity. If you do fly, consider donations to NGOs that are compensating for your extra carbon emissions.

To cover the few costs I have I do programming for non-profit organisations over the Internet or engage in short-term contracts with the darker side. ;) When the setting is right I also give workshops about Free Software along my travels.

I try to live healthy, calm and just by not smoking, not eating meat, not using mobile phones unless I really have to, drinking only if there is a strong reason for it ;) and walking or cycling whenever I can.

Have a look at my website benn.org for my current location and status updates.

Spoken languages

German ^{Mother Tongue}
English ^Expert
Romanian ^Beginner
Russian ^Beginner
Turkish ^Beginner

My interests

Films:: Andrew Niccol, Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro, Coen Brothers, Jean-Luc Godard, Stanley Kubrick, Leander Haußmann, Detlef Buck, Lars von Trier, Andrei Tarkovsky, Woody Allen
Organisations I belong to:: BeWelcome, Ecobytes

Travel experiences

Past trips:: A lot of hitch-hiking during the last years, I was in South-East-Asia twice, North America and all over Europe. Let me see if I remember all the countries I have been in - in order of appearance:

Germany, Czech, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, UK, Hungary, Austria, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands, Indonesia, USA, Ireland, Finland, Estonia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Greece, Spain, Ukraine, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Albania, Macedonia, Romania, Belgium, Moldova, Andorra, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Gibraltar, Lebanon, Russia, Mongolia, China, South Korea, Japan, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore.
Planned trips:: I am currently on an overland trip from Istanbul to Bali via Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Mongolia, China, South Korea and South-East-Asia. Join me along the way! :)

Belongs to the following groups

Accommodation

Max number of guests:: 3
Maximum length of stay:: A week? :) Let's see how it goes. Minimum would be two days, so we get the chance to get to know each other a little.
I Live With:: A few geckos, ants, bats and the frogs in the pond.
Please bring:: A smile, an open heart and lots of herbal tea (which for some unexplainable reason is bloody expensive here)!
I can offer my guests:: A tropical sanctuary of peace between temples, rice fields, small houses and palm trees - far away from the next road. However, if fast internet makes your pulse go up, don't come here. ;) You will have your own bedroom.
I can offer my hosts:: Serious software voodoo skillz, travel stories off the beaten tracks, activism insights and contacts.
Other information for guests:: You will stay in the lower floor of my small two storey bungalow. :) For air-con junkies: there is none. But nights are mild, because there is no concrete around that could store any heat. This is the countryside! :) See my Ubud gallery for some pictures of the place.
Public transport:: I am a bit outside of Ubud's main stretch in Penestanan, so you will need to take a taxi to come here or walk for 20 minutes. When in Penestanan, ask for the Alchemy restaurant. My place at Londo bungalows is a short walk from there, along rice fields and small houses.
Restrictions:: No smoking
Other restrictions:

Family and close friends

astralpilot

Copy & paste is king, from CS: Back a few years ago when I was living in my hometown we spent quite some time together. Sharing the same passion for Internet technology and red wine might have had to do with it. ;)
digitaljah

we met many years ago in bucharest through a common friend, then in brussels and maybe soon in china? :)
gandhiano

We went on direct actions together and we run Ecobytes together. I would call that a strong bond. :)
crumbking

we hacked the fence of the ccc summer camp 2011 together. also we are both actively working on bewelcome.
bennolin

my mum!
sniky

yvonne went to the same school as me in my home town! but because she was 1 or 2 years below me, i didn't really notice her of course. ;) it was a few years after school that we reconnected through my brother and we've been good friends since then. she recently visited me in istanbul. see you soon i hope! :)
SebastianHelms

i know this bird since aeons! we crashed several parties in my home town, cycled to bird watching reservoirs and hitch-hiked through croatia and bosnia together back in 2004. those were the days, those were the days. when's next play time?
lilykim

a close friendship developed into something even closer :)

Latest comments

Good
from saj2007 - 2013-03-23 13:15:44

We had a nice day in K.L. - lunch, sightseeing, "jalan jalan" (which means just stroll around) :)

Good
from mastermind - 2013-03-21 14:42:59

I've hosted planetcruiser 3 days on a last minute / last second request. Nice guy, hope to see him again / host him again. He is a specialist about energy saving systems :)