'Officially' on the road.
I like that , it has a certain – permanence, about it. this was now Me. Who I am, yes sir!
My future was an open road, and come what may...
There was no going back......
2 hours later.....
I went back.
My first few hours on the road, wild and free, had just left me kind of stationary, cold, and wet.
With my spirits soaring, and my nose dripping, I thought it might be a good idea to go get a hot coffee, and maybe sleep there for the night.
First lesson to self - do not start hitch hiking at 7:30, at night.
Greener than a bucket of chlorophyll, and with more enthusiasm than that a 6 week old puppy, I headed back to the grey building.
Start a fresh in the morning.
I was fully equipped with a tent, a cooking stove - and pretty much enough stuff packed into my rucksack, to start constructing a small commune. But it seemed silly not to take advantage of the immediate facilities offered.
I was officially on the road now, had to think on my feet,.....and all that.
I was quite surprised on entering the port facilities, as how busy it was. It was getting late, and there were no more ferries.
It came as no surprise, after talking to a few people at the coffee machine, that they were waiting for the morning ferries. Logical, really.
This very friendly German guy, Fritz, told me where a good place was to sleep. A friendly chap.
And where he pointed to, made perfect sense really. All the lights were knocked out, and it was nice and dark.
Getting into my sleeping bag, on that first night. I was in heaven. Albeit a slightly damp, grey, cold heaven. But heaven nonetheless.
The friendly German guy, who could tell I wasn't a seasoned traveler, (how?) recommended to me "alvayz go to sleeeep, vit one eye open, ya? und ze biggest knife you haf, in your hand. Ya?"
"Cheers, Fritz," I said. (that really was his name) Always listen to those that know more than you do, is a good rule of thumb.
At that stage, there were quite a few people that knew a lot more than I did, about this traveling lark.
I was all ears.
As we bedded down and I closed my eyes, (I'll leave one open tomorrow, Fritz is here.) I asked him what he was doing - going to England, from Germany.
"vell," He said " I haf problum vit ze politz". He said.
My one eye opened.
"Ya, they vont me to stay in there house. I don't vont to do zat," He said, laughing " I like my freedom too much," Still laughing.
Both my eyes were now fully open.
"Okay," I said, not knowing quite what the travelers etiquette is here. How to approach the subject of a crime, to a criminal on the run. Trickkkky.
(you won't this kind of find advice in the lonely planets guide).
"Why did they want to lock you up, then? " I said. (Subtle is not my middle name.)
"Ah, vos nutting, " he said, quite cheerfully.
"I had some marrivahnaa plants. Someone vonted to take zem off me. I say no, it's not possible. Zay said zay haf to.
No, I said, cannot. They try to prick me" He motioned with a stabbing action.
I got the idea.
He laughed more now. He was having a great time telling me about this, I could tell. " But I prick zem first ! Hahahahahah."
He went serious. "But zumvon called ze politz because of sound. Big sounds. I had to run avay. Ya from mine own house! Can you believe it? Bastards. Zo I am here."
"That's a bit shit," I said, not really sure what to say.
"Ya, it's life, " He said. He started laughing again.
"At least I not have to cleen up ze bodies! Zo much blood. Efery ver! Hahahahah"
With that, he turned over, and went to sleep.
I didn't.
