Munich and the U Bahn experience
Trip Start
May 03, 2005
1
5
21
Trip End
Mar 18, 2005
Munich, Germany
Friday, May 6, 2005
What can I say, the stories start. Instead of purchasing a tour, we are trying to take the train to Dachau today on our own. We find the ticket machine but still can't figure out how to buy a ticket from the machine. It is easy to figure out there are several areas that explain things and based on what is explained you are supposed to make a decision and then based on that decision you put euro's in and buy a ticket. Well, this is all well and good if you have any idea how to read German. Not having that skill I was able to practice my "Dianne is dumber than dirt" look on an inanimate object. (Usually I use that with a live person). It wasn't nearly as successful with a machine. It didn't start speaking English
1 Ticket Machine
. Anyway, while we started laughing at our ineptitude, a Japanese couple appeared and tried to buy a ticket. I am happy to say, that the "Dumber than dirt" look is universal! They also started laughing. Can you believe that they looked at us for help!!! They were apparently worse off than us. Anyway, we had a problem. They didn't speak English or German, we didn't speak Japanese or German and we were trying to figure this out together. We were laughing so hard there were tears in our eyes. Judy and I gave up and decided the solution would be to go get a cup of coffee.
While at the Hilton, I decided to check with the Concierge to find out how to buy tickets. He started explaining the machine to me, all the parts and process. Here, my Dumber than Dirt looked work. After taking time to explain everything, he asked if I would just like to purchase the tickets they sell at the concierge desk. I said YES!!!
We now know how to buy a train ticket in Munich. Stand in front of the ticket machine, laugh a lot and go to the Hilton to have someone sell you a ticket!
2 Actual Ticket
We made the trip to Dachau without a problem. The public transportation is really great. We even got off at the correct stop, found the correct bus to the concentration camp, and once again got off at the correct stop!
The day was appropriately dreary. The camp wasn't a fun thing to see, but an experience that should be had by more people. We spent hours walking around. It almost seemed too sterile to have been the site of such tragedy and horrors. Then we saw the stories and pictures in the museum. That hit home and brought the pieces together.
We made it back to the bus stop, got on the correct bus, got on the correct train and got off downtown to walk around and have dinner. Will wonders never cease?!
Comments
U Bahn
An instruction book is needed