Train Day to Munich

Today was a train day. No way around that. It was all train, all the time. I woke people up at seven, as they foolishly had not packed the night before. But these are things you learn. Actually it's really personal taste. But I prefer the extra sleep – so at seven twenty I dragged myself up, grabbed my pack, and the three of us checked out and grabbed the subway for the train station.

And then we waited. And waited. I though it would be the perfect time for some three player chess – but Nick was not enthused. He purchased the set at a gift shop last night, and I've been quite stoked to play it since then. But no – waiting for our train to display its track number was not the right time.

Our train was named Franz Kafka. I've not been on a train, or travelled a route, that has a name before. And any time I think of Kafka I am immediately drawn to the musical of The Metamorphosis. Are you unfamiliar with such a thing? Then you have not experienced the joys of the animated show Home Movies – and are also most likely equally unaware of a character named Geshy from another show – but equally as entertaining. His cry of “Candy!” in a high pitched squeal has become a rallying of sorts these last few days.

Track three.

Very well. We all got up, rushed to the train, secured our own room, spread out enough that no one else would bother us, and watched as the high school students who would also be riding in our car cliqued off into their own Harry Potteresque compartments.



Most of the journey was spent by sleeping. Nick passed time playing the Nintendo DS Wizard of Oz RPG – which, I will admit, has some of the best touch controls out there. Fantastic virtual trackball action. I passed the time by eating one of my pre-made sandwiches every two hours, on the hour. Stew – well, Stew slept too.

But after 3 sandwiches we finally arrived in Munich. Welcome to Germany: Land where singing songs from The Producers is probably not the best of ideas.

Checking into our hostel, we threw our gear in the lockers, and headed out to the HB beer hall, where for sixteen euros (my budget is different now) I grabbed one of the giant German beer – one liter of amber ale – and a large hunk of pork. The hair was still on the crackle in some point. This made it far more distressing than delicious however.

Munich to me, as of right now, is nothing more than a train station, a hostel, a shopping street, and a beer hall. And – you know – perhaps that is all Munich really is. But I'm thinking not. I have the desire to head out to the giant park and see the Chinese tower, but it really depends on the weather, and the other guys, and just how delicious the free breakfast here at the hostel is. Because as we all know, free breakfast is the best breakfast. I've heard rumours that some hostels have eggs and bacon. I don't think I believe this. I think this is a travellers fantasy, but you hear a rumour so many times and you start to believe it. Maybe, just maybe, I've landed in that mythical hostel this time. But probably not.

Ahh – it's also worth nothing that the Snorflogs have taken form. Aside from sleeping and eating on the train I designed their appearance. It distresses just how much life these creature have taken on in my mind. It's distressing in a Tolkienese way.

Well – as I said – not all that much today. Most of it was spent on the train, and that's just how it is sometimes. Tomorrow's a bright new day. A bright new, said to be terribly rainy, day. What fun!

Ah yes – there was also a Peruvian flue band, who I can only assume has assembled to save us from the giant costume wearing hamsters. It's best not to enquirer too deeply into this one.