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- To Europe by hitch-hiking ?! Yeah.. Sounds like in a basin to America.. (reaction of one guy) |
HITCH-HIKING AROUND EUROPE Starring: Mohammed ”Moha” and ”Julia” – me 5th August. Helsinki – Viking Line ferry We got in into ferry for free– Moha had the magic ticket ;). Usual tickets were sold out a week before. As experienced seafarers we straight went to search for a place to sleep. Found 2 empty cabins in lower floor (without doors though) and settled down. Then explored the ferry for the interesting actions (found retro-disco with jumping oldies, techno-disco with also jumping schoolboys), had a dinner from food taken with us, sat in a café. As come back, found our stuff still at its place, and 2 new neighbors. 2 Finnish girls were also going by hitch to Europe. Went to bed early – needed to sleep well before the road. 6th August. Stockholm - Helsingborg – Denmark In the morning we were in Stockholm. Well, this city was known already. Plod our way to railway station, then by commuter train till the exit of the city. Hitched short distances 10-50 km. Near one of the small towns found out, that commuter trains go till here as well. Damn. Last driver took us couple of hundreds km till Helsingborg, from where after 20min drive on a small ferry we got to Denmark, to a small town named Helsingor (couldn’t they create any different names). It was about 11pm already, so with the help of the map we found some park near the beach, and settled down to sleep. In the night lights of Sweden were shining from another side of the sea. 7th August. Helsingor - Copenhagen - lawn In the morning had some snack – tuna with white bread. Go! Quickly reached Copenhagen. Walked around, visited Museum of Erotica and went to Christiania. Note: Christiania is a part of city on the island where hippies are living. Police don’t go there. And has there no business. It’s a small free country with cheerful people, camps and bicycles. There I ate the tastiest chocolate cake ever.
Came to Koby by commuter train – this time we made sure it was the last possible station. From there we long time (and to wrong direction) were walking to the rout. Turned towards the sea, swam there for a while. White sand, like on a palm island, ice-cold crystal clean water and pink medusas in it. Ate some wild plums and blackberries. Went to search for the highway again. Found at last, and got a ride in a well-conditioned fast car. Went by a world’s second biggest bridge. Bridge was the first, but in couple of years Japanese built 3m longer one. Got stuck in 80 km from German border, couldn’t get away from the crossing. So had to sleep on a lawn. 8th August. Lawn - Flensburg – farm Couldn’t move away from that point. From the morning sun was heating like hell, cars wont stop. Moha got pissed off and went by walking to the railway station 5km away. We agreed to meet at the station of Flensburg, a german town near the border. I got a ride in 15 min by a track, which managed to stop on a narrow road and closed it completely.
I came to station 1 h before Moha. He got a ride till station and nicely got a train, also met by the way a russian-speaking German (or Germany-living Russian). Then Moha went to see the town around and I was sitting at the station and devouring ice-cream. Ok, we go. For long time were trying to catch the crossing to Hannover. All the time were passing by, two times saw a overpass above the heads but there were nowhere to stop. At last we asked driver to drop us right on the highway couple of kilometers from crossing. What we had to do.. went by the border of the road. Cars with unlimited speed flying by. We almost made it till the crossover when heard a siren behind… polizei. Moving their heads – don’t walk on autobahn. Put us in the car. We explained the situation and they brought us on the next gas station on the way, and let us go. From the gas station we went with local farmer, who was growing blueberry. Visited his farm by the way, and stayed there. Hospitable farmer feed us with excellent german food and gave the wagon for sleeping. Farmer had an international team working on a plantations – Estonians, Latvians, Turkish, Poles etc. With the last ones we were drinking beer all night. They have quite same swear words as Russians. 9th August. Farm – little towns - Munich. Early in the morning people went to work and we got a ride back to the big road. Long time were going through small towns, from where was hard to get away. Then gave up and got a train ticket to Munich. On this ticket 5 persons can go anywhere in Germany during one day. Though had to make 6 changes with waiting at the stations. Though had chance to look around the country. In the train were resting and sleeping… Arrived to Munich, about 1am, I wanted to go to sleep, but Moha suggested to go clubbing. Ok, im always for the action, put our bags in the lockers and went to ask locals about where can we find some attractions. Locals were showing far away and to opposite directions. We found a club occasionally. Had a nice dance, though was very crowded. Then, in the morning, were searching for some park, found, and settled down to sleep under the tree (our sleeping bags were at the lockers). Some ants started to bite me and I moved up the tree to sleep there, and Moha – to the nearest bench. He was waiting when I fall.
10th August. Munich - Garmich - Innsbruck Woke up and went for excursion around by tram.
When we saw people in underwear and swimming suites, we guessed that there’s water somewhere near (hurray!) Got out, and indeed – there was a fast river (Isar) going through the city. 8-10 meters wide, with cool clean water. People were jumping into the river and drawn by the stream, then climb the bank to get out and go back. We had to swim in Moha’s shorts in turn (left my swimming suite in backpack). When we got tired from changing, I started to swim in clothes. Almost lost my jeans while climbing out. Smiling Germans were pointing at me (unusual after Finland where nobody cares what u do).
After nice swimming, got out of the city and went to the south. Soon after Munich blue mountains showed up above the horizon. Alps!!! I was going in the car eyes stick to window. Car went circling along a serpentine. Went till small town Garmich, near the border of Austria. Cozy 2-3 floor hotels in flowers, walls of the houses painted with pictures, lanterns, and above the tile roofs – mountains covered with forest. We thought that even if we couldn’t drive from here before the darkness, would be cool to stay. For a case got some food on the gas station nearby. But got a ride almost immediately. Driver, jolly old hippie, drove us over the border. He was going to Innsbruck, which was a bit off the way, but we went with him. City is situated in the valley of Inn river and is surrounded by mountains. When got over the pass, we saw its lights down there. Driver was briskly speeding down the serpentine, we just were grabbing car handles. Arrived and were searching for a place to sleep quite for a long. Everything in city built over and fenced in on a limited space between the mountains. Settled down on a lawn near the park wall, in the bush (in the park itself it was prohibited even to walk on the grass). Place was restless – somebody was walking around all the time. Just got our stuff settled – some guy came. And went away. And came back. Came into our bush and started to touch me in sleeping bag. On our questions “what do u need?” replied soberly and politely in English, which saved him from my slap – I got surprised. Then he said “Aha! U are gonna sleep here!” and left. “yeah.. dulls they are everywhere..” we thought, and prepared to sleep again. Another guy came. Moha got pissed off and went to clear the situation. He got some indecent offer and we found out that this park – is a meeting place for gays. We took our stuff and went to sleep near the river on the benches.
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