Today we needed to buy some phone cards to recharge our prepaid phone, look for a boat to take us to Heidelberg or Mannheim (about 20 kms away) and if the boat didn't work, get some train tickets to Heidelberg.
We had asked for the past few days for phone cards for our Ortel mobile phone. Other phone cards were everywhere but we could not find Ortel cards. We found a few locations on the Ortel website and started our search. We found one location that was not in the best area of town. Cards were procured and our mobile phone was once again operational after the Soccer ticket saga. In the mean time, the other tandem team was searching for a boat to Heidelberg. They found the information center and the friendly staff scoffed at the idea of a boat traveling to Heidelberg.
The two teams reunited and rolled on to the train station. After a very unsuccessful attempt to buy tickets using an automated machine, we found the Deutsches Bundes Bahn (German railway company) travel center and asked for assistance. Within 10 seconds, DB employee had selected my request on the automated machine and I was ready to pay. The attendant absolutely flew through the menus. So fast in fact that I could not see how to select the options I needed. Job preservation I guess.
While I did not learn the automated ticketing machine, I did learn the following bikes were not allowed on the fastest trains (IC), they are allowed on the second fastest trains (EC) but only with advance reservations and bikes were always allowed on the slowest trains (RG). Since we were booking on the day of travel it was not possible to travel on a non-stop IC train. We selected a route that required two RG trains with a connection in Darmstadt.
Getting to the track was easy since we able to put the tandems in the elevator. We were an over an hour early which was fortunate. We were able to watch our train arrive, load up and leave. It was especially useful to watch the cyclists get on an off. There are specific cars on trains that are allocated for bicycles and are marked with a picture of a bicycle on the outside. About half the rail car has fold up chairs along the wall with seat belts for the bikes.
When our train arrived, we were able to roll our bikes from the platform into the train. This was challenging competing with space from other cyclists, people with strollers and people with large bags. Once in, we were able to rest our bikes against the wall and secure them with the seat belts. We used a few of the folding seats on the other side to sit down. The first train to Darmstadt was relatively short and then we had to switch to another train to get to Heidelberg. The connecting train was leaving from another platform so we were going to have to move the bikes from one platform to another.
When we arrived we were able to eventually get our bikes off the train. It always takes two people to move a tandem in tight spaces due to the large turning radius. One person is at the front steering the bike and the other is at the back lifting the back wheel into place when a tight turn is needed. Once off the train in Darmstadt, we were confronted with a swarm of people trying to get on or off the train. We located the elevator and moved toward it. Several other bikes and strollers were in line ahead of us. As we got to the front, we realized that the tandems were too long for the elevator. The only option now was to lift the tandems up a couple of flights of stairs, across the upper floor, and down another set of stairs to the next platform. All this needed to be completed in 7 minutes which was not reduced to 5 minutes with the unsuccessful attempt with the elevator. Needless to say, we didn't make the connecting train. Overall it was not a large problem since the next train was coming in an hour.
We got onto the train to Heidelberg with a German riding a recumbent bicycle. I had a long discussion with him about touring and cycling. It was the first time on the trip that language really was not a problem. I have most of the common words well under control and of course the cycling vocabulary is very good since I use it every day when people come over to gawk at the two tandems. If the discussion wanders into politics, food, cars or another other topic, I have difficulty. It was a good feeling to know that my German was improving.
The odd time I will catch myself talking to myself in German. A sure sign that the German is starting to take hold. I have also found that my brain is, at best, a one language brain. As I start using German, I have difficulties with English words. There are those out there who would say my brain is really a 0.5 language brain since the English is weak in many places. I would not disagree.
We arrived in Heidelberg without any problems and cycled to the Youth Hostel that was relatively close. Some soccer was played, a load of laundry was completed and a beer was consumed (not all by the same person). We also made a family decision to travel to Konstanz by rail and ride from there towards Basel. We went to sleep with dreams of touring the Heidelberg castle and the old city.
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