Conspermification

The Romantic Rhine (18th Sept)

Friday, September 19, 2008

Before I left for Europe, Gal Pal Huiyi bought me a "Rick Steve's Best of Europe 2008" guide book and it been of indispensable help to me ever since. It's helped me plan itineraries and prioritize where in Europe I want to go to. Last Thursday, I followed its recommendations to visit the Rhine Valley. Of course saying Rhine Valley is like saying Black Forest. Its really huge and there are many places there to visit. So unlike the people who told me to visit the Black Forest (Thanks again guys. Rrrrrreally helpful), I'll be specific and tell you that St Goars and Bacharach were the places we visited and it was beautiful.

We arrived at St Goar's finally after some more train trouble (I've been getting into a lot of those in Germany). First we missed the train, which was totally my fault which sucks. I hate it when things are my fault. Then finally we got on the train and the train was delayed. And so when we had to change trains, we had to run for it! So finally when we were aboard the train, I figured I'd want to take a picture of that moment so I'd be able to remember it. But instead, when I took my camera out, my spare battery flew out and fell into a crevice in a seat and I just simply couldn't find it.

It took me a good 20mins of crawling and digging on the train floor before I found the thing and could take this picture.

Nonetheless, we successfully arrived in St Goars where we climbed up to an old castle ruin and spent some time exploring it. In fact, it wasn't so much a castle as it was a fort but that did not detract from its appeal. It was a beautiful place with a great view of the town which housed it.

Halfway through our self-guided tour around the Burg Rheinfels, I ran into an American who was carrying the same guidebook I was holding! Introducing Bryan from Seattle!

After a lunch, we got out of St Goars to head to Bacharach and to do that, we took an hour long ferryboat ride upstream. I must say now that the ferryboat ride was some of the most fun I've ever had in Germany and will most definitely remain as one of the most memorable experiences of my exchange. The whole ride was amazingly scenic and I even ran into Bryan again and we chatted while I snapped pictures like a shutterbug supercharged with steroids and adrenaline.

Jiahui was totally unable to keep her hair in place.

You can't tell but this Castle (yes its a castle) sat on the middle of the river. Apparently back in the old days, they'd raise chains to collect tolls.

And finally we arrived in Bacharach.

Bacharach was a beautiful little town and too had its own castle which has since been converted into a student hostel. For the heck of it we decided to go up to the castle to have a look see. Turns out the hostel is from the same chain of hostel that made us death climb back in Triberg.

After climb up past lots of these, we finally arrived at a nice clearing that gave us a nice shot of Bacharach and the river.

After a little bit more climbing...

... we were finally at the hostel/castle. Can anyone tell me if they've EVER seen such a beautiful student hostel.

We each had a cup of hot Schokolade to nullify the effects of having actually worked our body during the climb up. The aim was always to put on weight and we never lost sight of that.

Jiahui hates this photo cuz her hair was totally brutalized by the wind.

The day was finally over but not before we were both stunned by the seeing for the first time in Germany, and absolutely unmanned train station which simply had a ticket machine. But in the end we were able to get our ticket.

But at when we were changing trains at Mainz, we went to buy a McDonald's wrap and we ALMOST missed the train again because the guy who was preparing our wrap was undergoing training! And with that wrap, we wrapped up our day!

(WAHAHAHAHAHAHA I can't believe I wrote that)

Things on my mind:

Oktoberfest

Soooo many backlogged post

Boobies

Gerger

Sprouting Nonsense Since 1984 {5:27 am}