A Life in Waiting

Holy shite, I’m here. I don’t speak a lick of German and wow these bags are heavy. Hopefully by the time I post this I will have completed the saga up to here, so you will know I have WAY too much stuff for one man to carry. The airport lost and found was kind enough to hold onto my bags for me….for 4.50E per day. Just ducky. Well I am still lugging a monster duffel that should be strapped down to my imaginary motorcycle…I’ll stop bitching. But man I feel like a frikkin tourist!! Alright, that was really it.

Ok, so I did my first large blunder. Well besides thinking I lost my passport on the plane. I used up my full laptop battery life on the plane watching movies. Now there’s a brilliant idea. So after a 1/2hr attempting to understand the automated ticket dispenser (German only, at the international airport mind you) I board the train to downtown Munich. ————————-

<Interruption>

While typing this, I called Maria to tell her I was here and to help me contact my couchsurfing friend, my 10E credit ran out. Has to be close to 1E per minute. DAMN! And of course I have no internet service, a dead laptop battery and don’t want to give up my comfy seat in this coffeehouse where I’m charging my laptop battery. So even as I try to recount my tales, new tales keep popping up. Try to keep up, I’m not sure I can.

<Ok, we’re back>

I arrive at Marienplatz, the city center of Munich. Wow! Talk about out of storybook. If only I haven’t been up for 24hours straight, carrying 100lbs of crap and cranky, I might’ve really enjoyed it. (Don’t worry, I will. I’m here for a while). I wander around this beautiful center, which is very touristy and FULL of shops I come upon Vodaphone, cell phones extraordinaire. I purchase my brand new German SIM card and now I have phone service. But wait! All my numbers are on the computer. DOH! I truly am prepared, huh?

So I wander around a bit more and stumble upon Wall Street New York café. So I stroll in to the non English speaking café (irony anyone?) and order a double espresso and a wall plug. I sit down and drink my liquid energy as I look for Maria’s number. I realize that is still in my Hotmail account so I do the unspeakable, I call her cousin Tomi. Take a fast talking insurance salesman mix with aggressive car salesman, and toss in a bull in a china shop and you have Tomi. This is not meant to be insulting at all, I love the guy. But man it is impossible to get off the phone with this guy. Great intentions all around, but when you are calling long distance with only 10Euros worth of minutes…not good. So I finally get off the phone with Tomi with Maria’s cell phone number and I call. Busy. For half an hour. So I decide to type my frustrations away.

I finally get through to Maria and as I get her to log into my Couchsurfing account to contact mt CS host, I run out of minutes. @#$%&#@ Can’t order more minutes as the phone prompts are in German, and not wanting to get up as I need this battery to charge, I decide to type even more frustrations away. (Not working, by the way) Did I mention I’m on vacation? HA! I love it.

So right about now Maria is bugging out, trying to get a hold of me. I feel bad, but without this laptop I am going to be paying 30Euros in phone calls today. So at least she knows I arrived safe and sound, I’ll call her when the battery is full. At 56% right now, so not much longer. Sorry babe. Time check: 11:22am my time.

Well I guess I can discuss my flight a bit. Not an empty seat in the house, I get an aisle seat near the rear next to a mid 60s gentleman named Gene. Nice enough guy, we talk shop for most of the early part of the flight and end up watching a movie on my laptop for the rest (remember the blunder from before?). Rather uneventful, actually almost an enjoyable flight. Oh, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the twenty-something girl in the row in front of me who, while seated in her cramped middle seat, stretched her leg over her head. Like straight up in the air. I mean, above the headrest. Who does that? Besides the obvious surgery I would require, I can’t see any reason to do such a thing. Though, it was a site to see.

63%

So I must say, everyone I’ve dealt with in this city has been a pleasure. Sure it’s only been about 5 people, but still I am liking it here. A working knowledge of German would be helpful, but not necessary. Well I suppose I should settle up here and see about some internet access, and a refill card. Mental note, cell phone is for local calls ONLY. Need to see about free incoming…

Well so much for going somewhere. The thought of lugging these bags again made it hard to get up. Not to mention the fresh glass of Spaten that was offered to me. Come on, I’m in Munich! Have to have a Spaten, no? My body might say it’s before six in the morning, but the clock on the wall says ¼ to 12. Its 12 o’clock somewhere…well, close enough. Gotta love a city where a pint of Spaten is cheaper than a double espresso. If only this place had wifi access, I might never leave.

83%

I’ll finish my bier and get going. Should really get back to Maria.