Berlin

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  Berlin, Germany
Friday, March 14, 2008

So....after a failed first start from Chami's we set out again the next day, parting ways with Chami at his door and headed to south Bremen.

After a short walk, and two buses later we arrived at our destination...a motorway rest stop although lacking everything but a toilet (still, that does attract a certain type of driver(s)!).  After an hour or perhaps alittle more we got our first lift out of Bremen, although only as far as the next big autohof (motorway service station) where lifts would be more plentiful.

Indeed, within the next 20mins or so (and a cup of coffe) our 2nd ride of the day pulled up.  With a small car, who's mess could be carbon dated back to last year, Benny arrived! (Just a side note, this mess was not a bad thing at all, and infact brought back memorys of my brothers car at times :0 )

anyway, after burying ourselves under the bags, we shooted up the autobahn to the following service station and jumped out (or rather fell).

Within 5mins Christ, in a spot of bother bumped into Paz.  His car had run out petrol down the road, and was filling up a jerrycan at the station.  He offered to drop us off at a place he recomended for hitching once his car was filled again.  So we set out with Christopher walking to the car about 1k away (I guess?).  During this walk I picked up two discarded russian CDs which must have been thrown from a car, in working order, not a scratch on them, and a little case for them! (I was expecting some dodgy Techno but mildly suprised when it turned out to be....umm...soft rocky type thing folky too I guess)

Christopher dropped us off at a petrol station nearby, just off the main autobahn, and we waited of a lift, and waited and waited and waited....

Infact we waited untill one of the workers finshed her shift and then decided to drop us off at the next station on the autobahn (we did'nt realise it was only 1km away of we would have walked!).  Although all this waiting was not a bad thing at all!  We know that if we are held up at place, or the lifts are not very frequent then it is mearly the universe setting somthing great for us ahead! ).

After a few failed requests and a 5 euro donation for coffee (we did'nt ask nor expecting!) we found Alfred.  He was driving back from Köln and offered to drop us off near the city limits of Hamburg at yet another service station!  We made camp for the night there and settled down.

the day was made up of loads of small lifts short distances but at the end we were happy to have traveled and had a good spot for the next days hitching ahead.

The following morning we awoke with the aid of the last of my instant coffee, and started the days hitching.  After a string of near lifts, Michael pulled up to the station.  He was traveling to Lübeck, north east of Hamburg but was happy to take us to the autohof just before the A24 autobahn to Berlin.  He had been to Japan twice before and was happy to speak to us about his experiences there and his (and mine) love of asian cinema!  We had hoped to be dropped off at the station just before the A24, atlhough as it turned out, there was none!  Luckly for us Michael was happy to take a small diversion down the A24 to the next autohof with a petrol station, still with time to make his appointment in Lübeck.

We hung around the station for a time, trying our luck with the odd driver untill our 2nd Michael arrived.  Driving from Hamburg to Berlin dirctly and at speed :)

We spoke to Michael, an east German who told us stories of his life so far, including quite a frightful tale of escaping to the west, via the west German embassy in Prague.  Only to experience German reunification two weeks later!  Not a bad thing at all of course, but im sure if he had known he might not have had to spend two days in an east german prison!

Through the course of the journey  we got to know Michael, an avid insect lover from a young age, working in the same field. We also saw the first rainbow of our journey while riding in his car! (we have a small bet of 5 pence between us, Paz thinks 11 rainbows, Cimi is going for 20 and I went for the middle and picked 15)  As we sped down the autobahn Berlin bound, Michael kindly offered us the key to his flat in north Berlin!

He was on his way to change clothes and was leaving right away for Poland to go horse riding for the weekend!  But was happy to show us around his flat first, and give us the keys before he left us! (sounds unbelivable eh?)  Anyway, im writing this now sitting on his PC about to leave for central Berlin, and our next experiences our waiting!  so....Ciao for now, Berlin awaits!

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