A Life in Waiting

Hello all!  Wow can you believe it’s been almost a full month of me not posting on here.  Well rest assured, I am fine.  I have actually had the most full month of my life that I literally did not have the time to write about it.  So I do apologize for this.  In the next week or so, I am going to do my best to recap the past adventures.  From Carnival in Cologne, to one night in Paris, to the amazing city of Bordeaux, the Spanish Basque country… Oh there’s lots to talk about.

As I am not using a GPS for this trip, I have been using a mixture of Google maps and a European mapping software on my computer for my directions.  So after I find the route I want to travel, I handwrite the directions in large print and place it in my tank bag, which has an enclosed map pocket on top for viewing while riding.  The directions so far have been working quite well, my biggest stumbling block is the lack of street signs in some areas, or the occasion mismarked directional sign.  Following my written instructions, I navigate the bike through the streets of Munich and head out on the Autobahn towards Cologne.

I once thought that the Autobahn was some magical stretch of highway where Germans paid a fee and rode on the only highway in the western world that had no speed limits.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  The Autobahn is all the A roads in Germany, or otherwise known as an Autostrada.  And on each of these roads there are sections where you can go as fast as desired.  Pretty unbelievable. 

So I head out on the A8 towards Cologne, where the speed limit is 120KPH, or 75MPH.  A nice comfortable pace as everyone pretty well follows the set limit on the road.  After a few miles, the speed limit signs that were every 500 meters or so disappear.  At this point, all the cars around just take off.  And I’m not just referring to the sports cars, everything from vans to station wagons to well you get the picture.  But as fast as everyone is driving, there are no cars that are reckless.  All cars keep to the right except to pass and not one car attempts to pass another on the right side.  It’s all very orderly.  But very, very cool!  It’s a crazy feeling getting passed by a car when you’re doing 200KPH.  (Don’t worry mom, it was only for a moment just so I can say I did). 

Once the excitement of the Autobahn wore off, I settled in with the middle paced vehicles who were hanging around 90-95MPH or about 150KPH.  It was a comfortable pace, and one that helped speed up the process of getting to Cologne for the brief times that you could drive that fast.  Whenever the Autobahn neared a town, the limits came back to 120KPH and sometimes ever 80KPH and during all of the construction (there was a lot) it went as low as 60KPH (~40MPH).  So the moments of limitless driving helped keep the overall average speed to where it would’ve been sans construction.

The overall trip from Munich to Cologne is 360miles (580km).  It’s approximately a five hour trek, not including any breaks for food or fuel.  Well about 150kms into the ride, it starts to rain.  Now mind you, it’s about +1C outside (34F).  So I’m already a bit chilled, but the rain just makes it ten times worse.  Now as I originally never planned on riding much in cold weather, I never bought proper winter riding clothes and I figured it was an expense that wasn’t needed.  I still think I’m correct in not buying them, but I wasn’t so convinced during that rain storm.  Fortunately I did at least have my skiing pants which did help in some of the wind protection, but as it turns out, are not completely waterproof. 

The rain does not let up at all during the ride to Cologne.  400+ KMs in the freezing cold rain.  I ended up giving myself 100mile goals to complete before stopping for fuel and a 15minute hot chocolate break.  You would be surprised how many weird looks you get riding a motorcycle through Germany in January, not to mention the rain. 

I was aiming to arrive at the Arche (the gathering place where over 40 different Couchsurfers were to spend the next 6 days partying for Carnival) around 17.00 (5pm) that evening.  But with my late start and the unexpected rain (I did check the weather before leaving, and not one word of rain) I ended up arriving a bit after 19.00.  So as the organizer of the Arche gathering was running late as well, I had no warm place to wait for his arrival.  I wander the streets for a moment, trying to keep moving in the hopes of warming up as I run into another Couchsurfer in waiting.  Carlos from Brazil, the other wandering Couchsurfer, tells me of the pub where we are all to wait for Ulf, the organizer.  We head over and meet up with the other 6 or 7 Couchsurfers awaiting Ulf’s arrival. 

We all introduce ourselves and begin the Carnival celebration right then and there.  It is at this moment I realize that I am heading into one long and crazy week and it couldn’t be with a better group of people.  As it turned out the few of us that arrived early became a quite tight knit group that spent a lot of good times together the next few days.  I was not prepared…

So I arrive in Munich on the 28^th of January and head back into the city center.  It’s amazing how familiar I feel in this city already.  I stop off in Marienplatz , get my German SIM card for my cellphone working again (I forgot the unlocking code) and make the necessary phone calls to let everyone know I arrived safely.  I hop on the tram and head off to Klaus’s apartment (I actually remember how to get there).  He cooks me another unexpected dinner and we catch up on what we’ve been doing over the past months since we saw each other last.

Tuesday I get up early and navigate my way through the Munich underground to reach the BMW dealership where my bike has been waiting patiently for me over the past two months.  One thing I notice while on my way to get the bike is how important living in Helsinki was for me.  It really got me comfortable in being overseas and dealing with people when English is not their foreign tongue.  I can travel most types of public transportation with ease and driving on the European streets feels like being home.  Such a difference from when I was last here in Munich.  I actually saw the city this time.  It almost felt like a filter has been lifted and I can see the real city now.  Hard to explain, but I felt strangely more confident.

I arrive at the dealership and pick up my bike that I had called ahead to get it ready.  I pull out of the complex and attempt to find my way back to Klaus’s flat.  Well what should have been a simple 5 mile journey, I arrive 20 miles later.  Good start, I thinks.

Now even though my storage fees at the dealership included a bike checkup, I take the next few hours to go over my bike and make sure all is ok.  Plus I take the time to organize all tools and bike related things on the bike.  That evening Klaus and I head into a trendy part of the city to meet a friend of his for some cheap food and a Weis beer.  I spent the night afterwards planning my route to Cologne and writing up directions to follow.  After a hearty breakfast and a thank you to Klaus, I head out to load up the bike and head out.  As usual I get a later start than desired, and well… You’ll hear all about that I’m sure.

Ok, so my last days in Helsinki were filled with many emotions, and things I really should be talking about, but as I have put it off for so long I have to breeze through it.  The Thursday after meeting up with Phil I organized a rather successful get together of a bunch of Couchsurfing Finns to sort of say goodbye to everyone.  Not only did a lot of the friends I had already met show up, a bunch of new friends were made.  I have to say almost everyone I’ve met in Helsinki has been amazing.  All people I cannot wait to get together with again once I return in the summer. 

Friday Maria and I met an old friend Pasi out for another entertaining evening.  Great evening and it ended up finishing in a rather large gay bar in downtown Helsinki.  My first experience in one, and must say it was a definitely an experience.  Lot of great people drinking, partying and having fun but with a good mix of what you would expect in the stereotypical gay bar.  I have to say I am a bit disappointed that in the whole time I was there I didn’t get hit on.  I’m just going to assume everyone thought I was spoken for with the company I was in.  If you want more information, you’ll have to ask me one day as I have plenty of stories. 

We ended the weekend with a nice family dinner with Maria and family along with her good friend Annette.  It was a bit sad to say to everyone, but I was pleased to get so much encouragement and wished much luck on my upcoming journeys. 

Monday the 28^th I flew out of Helsinki and landed in Munich early evening.  Met up with my good friend Klaus who was kind enough to take me back in, and here is where I will begin my German adventure.

I really hate to blow by a full week of Finland, especially when there was so much I wanted to discuss.  Hopefully I will find some down time to go back and finish, but I doubt it.  That’s not really my MO.  Procrastinate first, forget later.  Not a great motto, but seems to fit.  So make sure you ask me next time you see me about eating hamburgers with a knife and fork.