Into Bavaria

Friday, April 1^st

So last night after sending my blog, some of the guys and I went out for one final night in the Altstadt to enjoy a few rounds. Why not? It was our last night together and we were about to set off to the next stage of our journey. It was time to celebrate! Well, I’m not sure how “celebrate” turned into, “let’s get carried away night”, but when I woke up this morning, I had a pounding headache and my arm hurt pretty badly. When I finally gained some bearing on where I was at, I realized that I couldn’t remember much of last night. Worse still, I had some sort of marking on my arm. Oh no.

Okay… a tattoo is pretty big deal. So, it’s probably a good thing I didn’t one. It’s probably also a good thing that I just made up that entire story. And if that is the first time you’ve been fooled today, then shame on all your friends for not being good kidders! I personally know that I’m a terrible liar!

We checked out of the hostel at around 9:00 am this morning. I repacked that monstrous backpack and hauled it across to the train station where most of us heading southeast boarded the ICE 27. ICE stands for Inter-City-Express. This is the fast train. I had to take two going from Cologne to Munich; there was a train switch in Wurzburg. I have always been impressed with how we can lift a plane weighing thousands of tons into the air; I am now equally impressed with how we can send a VERY long train weighing perhaps 7 times that of an airplane down a set of steel rails at nearly 300 km/hr without so much as a single bump in the ride. The ride was smooth as silk. I was, however, a little apprehensive when thinking that the comfort on a train would compare to that of a plane. Well, I rode 2^nd class, and let me tell you… it made 1^st class in a plane look like coach. We had giant overhead compartments and space behind our seats for luggage. We had seats reserved, but since all the seats were not necessarily filled, we could move about cabins. Some were designated quiet zones (for sleep), and some were made with large tables build between them. We could easily play cards or work on our computers. Giant glass windows lined either side of the train, so the view was incredible as well. The return trip down the Rhine River was just as gorgeous as the trip up it. I’ll miss seeing that river for a while. It was probably my favorite part of the Rhineland.

I’ll give some testimony here as to why Germans are incredibly friendly. On my first train, I was using my German dictionary when the lady next to me asked if she could borrow it for something she was working on. After starting some conversation, I came to find she was earning her PhD and was traveling to Canada and Washington to study some Indian tribes. We had a great conversation before she departed at the Frankfurt central station. My second story comes after boarding our second train. My reserved seat was in a quiet cabin, where I ended up with a group of gregarious German women (and their one male companion) heading to Munich for vacation. They were all friends with children in the same kindergarten class. They had left their husbands looking after the kids for the weekend, and were on their way to having a good time for the free weekend. They immediately asked my name, wrote it on a paper cup, and poured a beer for me out of the mini keg they had brought onto the train with them! Not kidding this time! They were VERY funny, as they kept shushing each other since we were in the “quiet” cabin. So much for that! They spoke a little English, but we tried our best to carry a dialog in German. They spoke very quickly, so it was hard to understand every word, but it was an enjoyable and quick trip. One of the women thought the English translation of Munich was Morocco, so that had me quit puzzled for some time. They thought it was absolutely hysterical. They wouldn’t let me leave the train before trying some of their homemade schnapps either. My friends from the Cincinnati Germania society were not kidding when they said the Germans would be very welcoming! Gotta love the hospitality!

We finally arrived in Munich at 4:05pm today. FINALLY HERE!! Altogether the train ride was around six hours, but it went very quick and was enjoyable. It reminded me of my family’s RV trip in 2006. It was comfortable, and the sights were incredible. Seriously… castles, city walls, steep-pitched roofs, town churches, and terraces in all the valleys. These are everywhere. I expected this might be in Germany, but to see it is something else. I certainly look forward to more travel as we enter spring.

So anyway, Micah and I left the station in search of our home for the weekend. We chose a Catholic Youth Hostel just a few blocks from the Hauptbahnhof. Check-in was simple and the accommodations aren’t too bad either. The big difference is the communal showers and bathrooms. It’s a testament to how not all hostels are the same. Our third roommate is from New Zealand is on some sightseeing adventure, so that’s pretty cool too. That’s the closest to an Australian I’ve been yet! After dropping of our bags, Micah and I set out to do a little exploring in the central district. Munich is HUGE. I will definitely be taking the entire next five months to see as much as I can. Things don’t quiet feel as small and cozy as they did in Cologne, but the history and size of the buildings and markets are just as magnificent. At the end of our walk, we encountered an expansive farmers market. Butchers, fruit, vegetables, olives… wheels of cheese the size of… well, car wheels!

Before heading back to our hostel for the night, we had to sit in one of the beer gardens. It was far too nice out (perhaps around 60 degrees… light clouds), to pass up. And what’s more, who would travel six hours to Munich and not have at least one beer. The beer was dark and in more traditional sized glass. The Hacker-Pschorr was quiet delicious.

Tomorrow will likely consist of a trip up to the BMW district to scope out where we need to go on Monday morning. Later in the day, we may do a little more exploring. The real work starts on Monday! Until then!