Berlin Day 2

I didn't do much, but I'm still exhausted. It's funny that with this trip I'm posting more on facebook, which feels a little unnatural, but it gives my mom a chance to study my bad selfies and say, "Kif, you look tired, can you rest a day?" My body reluctantly agreed with her at about 7:00 this evening.

Berlin is still stunning, artistic, and a little gritty. Today, I had 3 errands. First, find the hostel for today. Second, buy a new helmet. And third, figure out what's happening with my phone. I also bought a "power bank" for my phone since I get stressed out when I'm without power.

I went to the largest bike store I've ever seen called Stadler's today.

It's a massive store with a track around where you can ride inside. I found a helmet. People won't recognize me in Cleveland without my yellow helmet.

That's all boring. I did check a few more Berlin things off my list like the Brandenburg Gate and Bebelplaza where the Nazi party burned books books in 1933 in front of a university. No currywurst yet, I'm just not feeling it really. It does remind me of Casi everytime I see it, which is nice. I was on my bike a lot today riding around the city. Today, I took time to study German and just relax. It's exciting but brain draining to be immersed in a different language. 

Ich bin ein Berliner.

Tomorrow, I'm going to rewind my trip back to Fürstenberg and will bike into Berlin. I'll wake up Monday and will go to Potsdam and Wittenberg, and then later in the week will go to Dresden.

I am itching to get on the road again.

Gute nacht. 

Berlin Day 1

I had a beautiful day in Berlin, Germany. Das Leben ist schön hiere. I am staying in an apartment of other cyclists that do these crazy long trips in unknown lands, and they were great to meet. Their place is comfortable and quiet too--tonight they are in Rostock for a getaway weekend. They told me about a bike path that goes along the Danube River from Vienna to Belgrade, and they're doing that trek in a week for 3 weeks. In Germany, they get 6 weeks off a year. You can even save it up and take off a few months if you'd like. It all sounds incredible. They have been helpful and gracious utterly and completely. 

I am staying here for one more night and then I have a hostel reserved for 2 more nights. Tomorrow, I'm thinking of taking the train to Fürstenberg to finish the leg where I cheated and took the train. I hate that part of my personality, but I like to finish things.

Berlin is a mix of old and new architecture.

It seems to really blend well together. There is a real creative spirit to the city present in its street musicians, public art, and architecture. People seem to have their own style.

There are lots of bicycles, and this is the first city I've been to where people are intentionally working on their fitness in exercise clothes. I see muscular men and women: this is the first time in Europe I've seen a gym.

Germany, too, has the cycling mail carriers. Come on, United States. This should be my next career.

Today was the the anticipated day that I found my first pay toilette too.

Not bad. 

I spent some time trying to learn about the Berlin Wall, and I still feel a little unclear about how Berlin was initially split into 4 different zones. The stories of families that were split between the east and west were shocking. I remember the wall coming down--it may have been one of the first world events I remember truly.

Some of the escape stories called to mind border crossings of Mexicans to the United States to see loved ones.

Germany stiil remembers the United States air dropping food and coal for 11 months in the Berlin Airlift. They've made this area into a park now.

The night air was cool and lush, and it felt  like I was swimming instead if pedaling. People were hanging out in Lustgarten after dusk. A violinist and a pianist played some lovely classical music outside of the cathedral. It was one of the most relaxing moments of the trip thus far. On the way home, there were some random fireworks. It's the beauty of being on a bicycle sometimes--you can hear what's happening around you and can easily pull aside to live it.

Rostock to Berlin

Honestly, I was little apprehensive to leave Rostock. I felt like I still had errands. I had to buy a new helmet. In the days previous, I got only coffee at a Chinese Restaurant with a new friend from the ferry because they were closing. I left my helmet there--I ran back up and and the door was shut with the lights out. I tried all types of knocks: the polite knock, the key knock, the banging knock, but no answer.

I thought I would go back, but it just seemed far away and I wasn't sure where it was exactly. Then a few days later, I looked at helmets, but none seemed to fit and they only carries this one German brand. I had trouble communicating. I'm planning to get one in Berlin.

It has been a beautiful ride down to Berlin, but it took me longer than I anticipated because the signage is confusing, the roads are dirt sometimes, and the terrain has some rollers.

I relied on a mix of GPS and these signs. My cell was working hard. At times, I took the strategy of just getting to the next city. Müritz was really out there, and I tried my best to conserve cell power by not taking pictures.

I stayed overnight near Waren. I had trouble finding a place. There was one campground, but they had a number to call. I left a message in broken German, and they called when I was onto the next place. I did end up finding another campground on the lake just as the sun was setting.

I've had to speak in German more than I'd like, but people can understand me in the simple ways I need. I've always tried to be patient with people who don't speak English, but this further deepens what it's like. Because for some people to talk to others in this broken matter, it means they really desire to do something, sometimes desperately.

On Thursday night, I had a host waiting for me in Berlin through Warm Showers, a cycling website. They called and wanted me to get there a little sooner than the rate I was moving. She advised that I ride to Fürstenberg and take a train to Berlin. 

It was really easy to take the train, and they had a car for my bike. While I was on the train, I was able to charge my phone so that I could use it to find their address. All for 10 euros. Success.

Even so, I have some remorse about not biking the whole way. I may take the train back to ride the leg from there to Berlin tomorrow.

My hosts are very nice and accommodating. I slept better there than I had for days. I dreamt that I was living during wartime, probably a side effect of walking around somewhere that has been affected by so much. I saw the Berlin Wall on the way to their apartment.

I'm going to spend some time at some museums today getting a little more familiar with the history of this place. I'll probably be here for 3 days altogether, with a few nights in a hostel.

I have met a lot of kind people. It makes it easier and fun.

Tschüs.

Rostock, Day 2

It seriously has taken so much time to complete what should be the simplest tasks without my mobile phone. Today, my task was to get my cell working, stock up on some things, and work on feeling healthy for the next leg of my trip.

This morgen, I chatted with Nathalie and Tasia at breakfast who were young women from Germany who were looking for an apartment becausw they attend the university here soon. They gave me some German lessons and talked a little bit about German and Danish culture. After practicing a few phrases, I left to get my SIM karte for my handy phone.

I also had a tip that I might find a card at Reve, a grocery store here.

I started by wandering around a little bit to see if the store was close--no luck. I then went to Neuer Markt and asked a few people there. Wo ist Reve? Some replied in English, some not. I did manage to find Reve, but the card said it was a micro card--I didn't know if it fit my phone, and I had already bought the wrong thing already.

I started going to cell phone stores. Nobody spoke English, but I was able to communicate roughly. One lady told me I had a nano sized card instead of a micro, which was so helpful. She indicated in some sort of German jibberish that she couldn't help me. 

The next cell store was a similar experience except he bent some rules to make a sell. In Germany supposedly, you need to have a German address to have a prepaid card--it's law maybe? He made up an address for me and we installed the card. There was no service. He pointed and indicated that I'd have to wait a few hours. I felt doubtful that it would work.

I went on an English tour of the city with tour guide Nick, and I was the only one that showed up. He made nothing of it and we went on the tour. He explained the city gates and wall that were built in the 1200s to protect the city from invaders.

He also talked to me about eastern and western Germany. Rostock is a part of former East Germany. Most people over 30 do not speak English--they learned Russian in school instead sometimes. Berlin was also the only city split in half. These are things maybe I should have known. He talked about the bombings of World War II and how 40% of the city was fire bombed. Of the people who do speak English, they have some family connection to the war. I guess many of the East German cities have shrank, but the university has grown and buoys the town.

We wrapped up the tour, and my cell wasn't working. It was asking for a pin I couldn't find. Was it in the garbage at the store? Would the same man still be there, or would I have to struggle to tell my story again?

He was there though, and he found the pin for me. I restarted me phone and voila, it worked. 

I went to the post office and mailed my laptop and power cables to my parents. I stood in the line 3 times to send the package: getting a box, packing the box, and mailing it finally. I sent it mostly to lighten my bike, and because I did't have a way to charge it. I found myself just worrying about it.

This evening I spent talking to D. who is in Rostock to interview for school. She accompanied me to the bookstore (closed) and then we walked to the harbor.

She was so idealistic, smart, and passionate. I hope she gets what she wants. She pointed out that I can not pronounce ich. At all. Is it hopeless? I guess I just won't talk about myself if I can't say I. We had fun talking about the different items in the grocery store. "Do you have this or this?" A delight. 

I head to Müritz Nationalpark tomorrow. Think good thoughts for me.

Other things from today:

P.S. I am feeling much more better today probably thanks most to the American Dressing. 

Nykøbing Falster, Denmark to Rostock, Germany

I didn't have a good night or god nat as they say in Danish. Maybe it was something I ate, but I was vomitting last night and this morning at the camp. No, I wasn't drinking even though the people at the front desk were having beer as they waited on people. It's very different to see that, but not that big of a deal really. I never saw a visibly drunk person in the streets of Denmark, even though they could walk and drink down the street. 

Anyways, I managed to pack up my stuff and get on my bike while ignoring nausea to get on the road while it wasn't raining. The campground was close to an Aldi, so I stopped there for some "orange sports drink," hoping that it had electrolytes. It seemed to help, and I took my time as a pedaled the last part of Denmark. 

I planned to stop in Rostock for the night instead of forging ahead anticipating that I might have to navigate some challenges with being in a new country. 

Gedser, Denmark is a charming little town that celebrated being the southern most port of Denmark and even Scandinavia. I was in the Miami of Scandinavia! 

The ticket from Gedser to Rostock was 50 DKK ($10) and the trip took about 1.5 hours. I didn't have to buy the ticket ahead of time. There were other bicycle tourists there and signs everywhere indicating that bicycles were welcome on the ship. 

 I don't have many pictures to show, but the port of Rostock was the opposite of everything I had experienced in Denmark. I pedaled off the ferry, and it looked like I had to pedal through a landing strip of an airport.

 It wasn't clear which way I was to go, and I didn't want to do anything too illegal so soon in the country. I was yelled at twice until someone let me through a back gate since where I was supposed to go was closed. Oops. Nobody wanted to see my passport. Rostock is very industrial with huge cranes that move ships and a nuclear power plant on the shore. People like cars, and bike lanes were here and there. Traffic seemed overwhelming compared to where I had been, even though it wasn't too bad. Denmark really insulated me from being with traffic, and the planning for bikes was so thoughtful. It was maybe a 15 kilometer trip to Rostock center. 

I pedaled around randomly until I found a coffee and pastry shop where I asked the energetic clerk questions. 

She was so nice to tolerate me and my English. She showed me where I could charge my cell and gave me directions to a grocery store where I later bought a SIMS card that didn't fit my phone. It should be mentioned that my cell wasn't working in Rostock because I had a Danish SIMS card--I discovered once I was in Germany that I had no service, which meant no maps, which meant I either needed to get a different SIMS card or ask others how to get the hotel. I showed the address to the woman at the shop, and she discussed it in German with another customer. It was on a small street that nobody seemed to know it immediately. She said, Hmm, how do I say in English?. I felt bad and decided to figure it out on my own. She was in a frenzy flitting around the shop, and I felt guilty making her pause for me since she was the only one there, and she closed in an hour. In Denmark, everybody spoke some scant English. Here in Germany, I haven't had that experience yet. I've had a lot of German people speak at me even after telling them that I don't speak German. The lady at the grocery store. The lady at the pharmacy. I went to a bike shop after riding around randomly some more to ask for directions and the guy there didn't speak English, although he patiently looked at the address on my piece of paper, got out his paper map, and gave me directions by pointing to the map and outside the door. He also pointed out a major landmark, Neuer Markt, which I used later in asking locals to get closer to the hostel. I asked an Algerian man who pointed me in the right direction--I saw him again and when I mentioned français when he said he didn't speak English, he said, Mangez-vous avec moi? I pretended not to understand. Another couple I asked about Neuer Markt could not even understand what I was saying. I repeated Neuer Markt with them 10 times before I left. NOY-er Marked. She did mention Rathaus, which I saw later and was helpful. At least I could provide entertainment for them. The pronunciation helped me along the way too. My script was in broken German. 

 Hello, I don't speak German. 

 Do you speak English? 

(Nein)

 Neuer Markt? (I point all around) 

(They point)

 Thanks!

 Neuer Markt was a long pedestrian mall with stores like T.K. Maxx. 

 There was a bookstore where I was able to find a map and a book for English-German phrases. The clerk there said yes to Sprechen sie deutsch. She and a customer laughed in a kind way when I said I needed an English-German book. From there, I was able to find the hostel with the map in hand. 

It's fairly comfortable, and I've decided to stay one more day in Rostock. I still need to get the SIMS card and figure out a good way to make it to Berlin. I also want to feel completely 100% before I start touring again. It actually looks like an interesting town in the city center, and I wouldn't mind exploring it a little more.

Rødvig to Nykøbing Falster

This is my last full day in Denmark if all goes well. Goodbye, krones. Hello, euros. I was more focused on getting from A to B today. 

I had an impromptu Danish lesson with a man from Odense. We practiced Jeg vil gerne ... I would like. In Danish, they use 'hi' and 'hello' and "good day" and they sound really similar. It's not always a good initial accessor of what language a person speaks. I ask people, " Taler du engelsk?" it tells me so much about how to approach the situation. I kind of enjoy when we both have to rely on the shared knowledge of baby words from each other's languages and wild gestures. I always enjoy when I can almost have an entire transaction in another language. Today, I used what little I knew in Danish to help clarify to situations. 

Everyday I have to ask someone if they speak Danish, and then I call my Danish cell company that has a recording of how many krones are left on my SIMS card. It's another entertaining game I play. I have a One Mobile or Telenor DK card. So far, I don't seem to be using too much of it by posting photos, using Google Maps, and chatting with people. It has been a relief that for $30 I have had a solution to stay connected. 

German is a little more familiar, but only by a few words compared to Danish now. I'm looking forward to trying.

My next challenge is to find a place to stay in Germany tomorrow night. It's 23 kilometers to Gedser, Denmark where I can catch the ferry to Rostock, Germany.

Most of my trip has took place so far on Denmark Cycle Route 9. This is Eurovelo 7. There is no mention of Eurovelo route anywhere, but the route is generally well-marked with signs like this.

I was able to turn off my phone for long stretches to conserve power. It was nice.

Of the notable things of today, these things happened:

I saw my first fjord today.

I saw my first fjord and found fjord parkering. (Look, you can understand Danish.)

I cycled through Præsto. So many towns have a similar look.

I crossed Storstrømmen and thus crossed over to another island of Denmark called Falster. This bridge was, I think, nearly 4 kilometers long.

I also found something not so majestic in Denmark too. Ha.

It wasn't me, I "din fart" even though you clocked me at 60.

Everyone is doing Labor Day tomorrow--it will be strange to be here, even though it's no major holiday it's one of those memorable ones where we lament the passing of summer. It definitely feels like fall here, and they have the apples to prove it.