What a day!

Trip Start Jun 05, 2006
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Trip End Aug 01, 2006


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Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Today we awoke at around 8 and got to the trainstation to meet with a tour group going to Dachau. Our tour guide would be a British guy by the name of Steve, who would be one of the most knowledgeable people I had ever met on the subject of WWII. Our tour of Dachau lasted about 5 hrs, and the time just flew. We learned an incredible amount, and the trip was incredible, both in the traditional and original sense. I mean, I had been to the Holocaust museum in DC, and that affected me quite a bit, but just being in the place where such atrocities ocurred brought on a whole new level of thís feeling that I can only describe as a sad, reluctant acceptance of the horrors that mankind can produce. Needless to say, the trip was well worth the money we paid for a guided tour, and we are certainly glad to have had the opportunity to see Dachau. It was such an absolutely beautiful day, though, that it provided quite a contrast to the beatings and medical experimentation we were informed went on just a half century ago, on the very gravel-strone path where we walked, birds chirping, flowers growing unpreturbed.

After that trek down the darkside of humanity, we sought a bit of solace in the Englischen Garten, this amaaaazing park to the northeast of town. Its bigger than Central Park, and it was such an absolutely beautiful day. There is a part where an artificial flow pours over a rock and all these germans come around and surf it. We watched them for like 20 minutes, and I was quite impressed. The park was incredibly full, with whole families, and a lot of people I figured would be at work on a midafternoon on a Tuesday. I always carry a frisbee in my pack, that I bought back home, and it provided for a few misadventures this afternoon. I guess when Jon threw it in this crazy stinging bush that made me swell up all over my arms, that should have been an omen or something, but we kept playing, until I just nicked the top of the book this German chick was reading as the frisbee sailed right under her and her friend's noses. They were not happy, and did not seem to understand the English word, "SOOOOOOhhhhoooooohooooossooorrrrryy!" After that we went for dinner at a beer garden where I had a couple raw fish sandwiches. I dont really recommend that. Then we went to the famous Haufbrau brew house for a delicious local beer. Now, in a few minutes, we'll be heading to the train station, for our overnight to Berlin. See you there.

Ciao for now,
Matt

ps--I forgot to mention yesterday, that while we were gone during the day, our hostel filled the common room with sod in honor of world cup. I mean every surface, under chairs, under this very computer--is sod...it's such an amazing idea. Anyway, just thought I'd share that
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