As it’s become more popular, CouchSurfing has changed – and not for the better. But my faith in the project was restored when I spent a week in Niš, met some wonderful people and explored the city through the eyes of the locals.

Before I landed in Belgrade, I knew nothing about Serbia that would be useful to a tourist, so my time here has been eye-opening, educational and a lot of fun. Here’s a snapshot of my first two weeks of my Balkans adventure.

When I arrived in Belgrade I thought it was ugly. It was a rash judgement, but not entirely untrue. Much of the city is in various states of disrepair, but there’s beauty to be found here. If history had been different, perhaps my photos would be of gorgeous historical buildings instead of graffiti and bomb sites.

Nine times out of ten, when someone presents you an offer you can’t refuse, it is easily turned down. But then the tenth time, it’s an invite to the World Testicle Cooking Championship in Serbia. How do you say no to that?

While walking around the Belgrade, I started to form some very uneducated opinions. I say uneducated because I really have no idea what I’m talking about. I’ll be back in Belgrade in about two weeks, and by then expect I’ll have a much more informed idea about Serbia and its capital. But I want to capture my first impressions so I can look back and see how my opinions have changed.

With engines topping 8000 horsepower, these machines leave F1 cars for dead. It sounds country, but there is nothing backwards about tractor pulling. There’s a reason it’s called the world’s most powerful motorsport.

Deep, murky and surrounded by mountains, Loch Ness is the perfect hiding place for a mythical monster. I spent a weekend camping on its banks and while I won’t be adding my name to the number of sightings of “Nessie”, I had a great few days exploring the Scottish Highlands.

Ed Fringe has opened my eyes to the fascinating world of comedy. On the recommendation of a friend I went to see Phill Jupitus. I had no idea what to expect – if someone recommends a show to me, any more detail is irrelevant. If they think it’s worth telling me about, that’s good enough for me.

I’ve attended Fringe gigs in pubs, theatres, a circus tent, the top level of a double-decker bus, a football club, an inflatable up-side-down cow udder and a yurt nicknamed The Yurt Locker. And a dormant volcano. On Monday I climbed Arthur’s Seat to see the view of Edinburgh. On Tuesday I climbed it again for a comedy gig.

Every August Edinburgh hosts the Edinburgh International Festival. The Royal Mile, usually a peaceful tourist strip lined with kilt shops and overpriced restaurants, is mayhem. It’s closed to cars and full of buskers and performers promoting their shows, either by doing small skits in the street or handing out flyers. It’s crazy and I love it.