Day 132 - Tuesday, July 29, 2008 - A tour of Frankfurt

Day 132 - Germany Chapter 2

So X, my new couch-surfing friend drove me around her area. First to this tower thing that you can go up on and see all of the city, known as Rhein Mein in the German state of Hessen (Same state where Frankfurt is in). We went to view some historical sights, some of which are over 1000 years old. These Germans preserve everything it seem. After looking around at some architecture and gardens and stuff, she treated me to a very big ice cream at an Italian restaurant. She speaks maybe 4 languages, German, English, Italian and I think Spanish or French. We then went back to her house where we got ready and she dropped me back to the airport. Of course it was via this crazy speeding highway but hey it's very convenient and she said actually there are not many accidents on them even though people fly on them...

I am now heading for the state of "SAXONY" where Leipzig is located... I learnt that this is where the "English" people came from originally (ANGLO SAXON). So the people from England are originally from Saxony... and many of the people in America are originally from England. So if you didn't know, German and English were once ago one language known as "GERMANIC" so many of their words sound just like ours and some are still the same like hotel, sports and a few others... But you can also hear the similarity in many like "good is goot" and "God is Gott" ... there are also a couple other languages that derive from the Germanic Language...

So I got to the airport and X then checked me in and showed me where to go... I then went on the flight to Leipzig which took only 45 minutes (Thank God it wasn't cancelled, actually 3% of their flights were cancelled).

The flight left about 10 pm (German time) I then had to walk to the train station with my heavy suitcases and ask people where is the train station that takes me to the "Novotel Hotel"... At least these people speak English better than most of the Japanese people I know. When I got to the train station, a train had just left and the next one will be there in 1 hour... I also had to learn how to use the German automatic train ticket thing, but someone showed me how to... It was now 12 midnight and if I miss this train, the next one will be 3 am ... "NOOOO BOSSS" ... The train came and I had to get the ticket and put it in the machine for it to stamp the date on it... The train took only about 20 mins to get to the hotel... I asked a guy for directions to the hotel and he said, " as soon as you get of the train, take a left turn" ... I did that and ended up at a closed door and a man high up on this crane thing staring at me as if to say "I wonder if this guy mad or something" ... Some security people then came to my rescue and showed me where the hotel was...

I saw the hotel and was heading for a place that said "Information for tourist", Only to hear a Jamaican accented voice saying "WRONG WAY MY YUTE"... There I was greeted by 2 friends from Bethel Baptist Church - Half Way Tree, Jamaica ... The hotel people then gave me my room key and I was greeted by some other friends... Told them a couple stories then went to bed... So I have been travelling from Sunday, July 27 and got to my final destination on Wednesday, July 30 in the Morning...