Reisetagebuch des Reisenden (Traveller’s Diary)

I saw the Freddie Mercury movie on my flight from Mumbai to Munchen and was under the impression that Bohemia was part of Germany and so wanted to name the blog Bohemian Rhapsody….maybe in history a large part of Europe was at times part of Germany or Greater Germany. But Googled to find that now it is an integral part of the Czech Republic and only Bavaria is Germany and Munich or Munchen is its capital. This is why I strongly believe that children should be taught Geography in school or they should go out and see the world as a traveller and write their diaries. For us who didn’t take school seriously and hadn’t travelled enough, often work takes you to newer lands and I planned to make the most of such an opportunity during my short stay at Germany which included Munich, Hamburg, Dusseldorf and finally Berlin where I am off to now. So here are some interesting snippets none of which are interconnected. I call them the Seven Golden Rules for Travellers.

Alstadt Lake, Hamburg

Matters of Heart

My wife had done the complete study and chalked out the entire itinerary based on books downloaded on the Kindle to exploring various websites, hotel booking sites and Trip Advisor feedbacks. And a true Virgo misses nothing and checks and cross checks every detail before preparing schedules. The Munich plan was ready in my hand starting from Marineplatz to Residenz but I had another ‘kida’ or virus in my head…coming to the city and not seeing the Holy Land would be such a disgrace. So the first thing I did after dismounting the plane was to rush to the Allianz Arena which is the ground for the famous Bayern Munich football team which has delighted the world over several decades. I could only see the wonderful stadium from the outside for that evening Bayern Munich were to play arch rivals Dortmund Borussia Dortmund. Later, however, during my visit to Miniatur Wunderland at Hamburg, I got my peep inside the stadium even if it was an artist’s impression. So Rule No.1 for travellers, plan well to the last point and time but never let go of where your heart wants to go. That’s what makes you truly happy.

Ebony & Ivory

Coming from a land where temperature of 40 degrees Celsius is quite normal at this time of the year and then seeing the television screen of the aircraft showing the outside temperature at 1 degree…that’s called a ‘warm welcome’.“Don’t buy anything for us but buy yourself a nice jacket. You will need it there.” No points for guessing whose famous lines I just quoted and so before seeing any historical site, walked into a mall. There were many smart and fancy jackets on display but the initial shock for the traveller is not the jet lag and time zone difference but the exchange-lag as I call it…Euro 200 is equal to how much Rupees…OMG! Since Her Majesty’s Orders were to be obeyed, I continued my search and after going through many a jacket, selected one, wore it and it was pretty loose so called for the storekeeper to find one my size. The man looked at me and said, “Our sizes start with XXL and you are too small to fit into them.” Gave him a foolish grin and walked out not in shame but totally amused…felt like Gulliver in the Land of Giants. Rule No. 2 is adjust to the land you are going to, accept reality, put your ego aside and enjoy the land of giants as much as the land of pygmies.

Oh, What a Wine Day!

Fifty five years is a long time not to have sipped some alcohol. So many chances have I got from youth to almost old age and every time I put it aside with a polite no. Debu, my friend of old, who often travels to Germany, said I must have beer in the land of its origin. My wife and daughter begged of me, “it will be cold there so a drink or two will keep you warm.” So on my flight to Munich when the lady offered the drink, I smiled and asked for some Sparkling Water and no more. But on the next flight I took from Munich to Hamburg, with a lot of confidence which a seasoned drinker would have, I said, “Red Wine, please!”  Tasted it and drank the glassful but still didn’t understand ‘what’s so great about it!’ And then at the big boat party at Hamburg, white wine went down my gullet. The taboo, the fear, the undoable was done. So Rule 3, when travelling, be brave and do the unthinkable…it is more fun that way.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

If going to the football ground at Munich was a must, coming to Hamburg and seeing the place where Beatles first played and became successful was a Must Must! When young I would collect every piece of news that would be printed in the newspapers and a weekly tabloid called Sun. When John Lennon died, I cried. So it was a fitting tribute to stand with the Fab Four at the Beatles Platz and sing…Hey Jude, don’t make it bad, Take a sad song and make it better…Wow…what a feeling with Paul’s guitar in hand. Rule No. 4 is in a new strange land no one knows you so you can act funny  when you wish to like strumming a guitar and even singing aloud…it is ok if the strangers just smile at you and walk past.

Bachke Rehna re Baba, Bachke Rehna Re

The Beatles Platz is at Reeperbhan which is also the red light district of Hamburg. It was quite a sight to see the places with huge posters inviting you inside. I kept walking the street, enjoying the sight and stopping by wherever such shops were there to take a picture or two. Just then an old man, should be seventy-five plus, in a smart dress, walked upto me and showed me a card to say the girls inside were from Manchester in UK, Moscow in Russia…you name the spot on the globe and he had them inside and pretty cheap too. I felt like, “Main aisi waisi ladki nahin hoon, mujhe bhagwaan ke liye chod do,” and had to almost push him aside to save not my virginity, which was long lost, but to make sure ‘No means No’. But a visit to an Erotic Boutique was hmmmm….amazing stuff they have to re-write Kamasutra. So Rule No. 5 is while Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara it is wiser to stay within limits. Enjoy responsibly.

Rosogolla belongs to Me

Does Hamburg have anything to do with Hamburger? There are different versions and some say it originated in this port town of Germany. Others believe the Yankees have a patent of the food which in India we re-create as Alu Tikki Burger, Cheese Paneer Burger and even Chole Burger…Mumbaikars take pride in saying their Vada Pav is the local burger. The Germans may either die of disgrace or do an unstoppable laughter seeing such stuff being made of their specialty. I am sure Hamburg and Hamburger are linked as is Frankfurt with Frankfurter and Vienna with Wiener Schnitzel. Some of my German friends were happy to find an Indian who had no problem with anything served on his platter…beef burger, pork knuckle, ham sandwiches…So the Rule No.6 says that you must eat the food of the land you visit and not carry Khakhra, Thepla, Haldiram and MTR packets. Veggies too can find their bites almost everywhere. Bongs please do not just look for Dada-Boudir Hotel for maach bhaat, just enjoy the mashed potatoes instead.

 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Hamburg is a port town and River Elbe allows even the biggest of ships to come inside. The city has more bridges than Venice and Amsterdam put together. You can view almost every kind of ship from containerships to fire fighters, tugs and barges all-round the day including the huge gantry cranes that work non-stop to make this Europe’s 4^th largest port and 18^th in the world in terms of traffic handled. The city also has one of its kind Maritime Museum which is a must go.  I explored most of the city on foot and sometimes in cabs. Talking to the cab drivers can give you wonderful insights that you would otherwise not come to know of like Hamburg Airport is closed between 11pm and 6am. There are no flights operating because the airport is within the city limits and the inhabitants would not like to get disturbed while sleeping after ‘a hard day’s night’. This is called truly a Welfare State…not just giving free doles and waiver of loans. So Rule No. 7 is to talk to the local inhabitants especially cab drivers and you will explore the city better to find what a regular traveller will miss.

As I travel from Dusseldorf to Berlin, you enjoy the weekend as I shall be back soon to tell you some more about the wonderful country called Germany. During this trip went to the Corporate Office of ERGO at Dusseldorf. The original company was called Victoria and they had a very apt tag line….Go Out And Talk To The World!

So next time someone tells you, ”Get Lost”, take the advice literally for it is time to discover the beautiful world.

SS