From a Town in Northern Germany

So. I am in Germany, and it. is. awesome. I'm staying for a few days in a small town in the north, and have alreadz enjoyed good beer, sunshine and lots more walking. But let's back up a little bit here and finish talking about Amsterdam:

- My last few days in Amsterdam were quite nice. The bar at the hostel I stayed at was wicked, as one of my Australian roommate described it. I met some good people there - lots of Australians who travel for a year or more, some guys from the US who had been in India for a month and were stopping in Amsterdam on their way home (can you imagine going from India to Amsterdam?), and someone who simply travels for a living and makes money through his travel blog. Good times. But I'm telling you, people go to Amsterdam to party. I met a person from London who said he's been to Amsterdam once or twice, but he's never really seen the city. How is that possible, I asked? Two words: Smoking room. Our hostel had a separate area where you could enjoy your purchases from the coffee shops in the area. Turns out that's all some people need on a vacation.

- I also treated myself to one nice Dutch meal in an actual restaurant - white fish with mustard sauce, risotto, salad and a beer. It was delicious and felt like quite the luxury. That is, until I saw a mouse run across the floor.

- I took an overnight bus to Hamburg. Never again. 11:15 p.m. to 7 a.m. Completely full bus. Did not get a window seat. Did not sleep. It was terrible.

- Arrived in Hamburg bright and early (and feeling like I had been hit by the bus that took me there). Found my way to the train station and successfully bought a train ticket to Lübeck, found the right track and got on the right train. I'm telling you, getting from point a to point b successfully feels like a huge accomplishment.

- Reached Lübeck about 45 minutes later, and after a little confusion, found Bernd (his only description was that he is 6 foot 3 with gray hair). Bernd and his wife, Suzie, are friends of friends and are letting me stay with them for a few days. I reached their house dirty, hungry and tired after my night of travel, and they so kindly fed me and offered their shower and guest room.

More about Germany later. All I can say right now is that I am eating and drinking well. The beer is good, and the food is hearty - bread and meat and cheese. I haven't seen a vegetable for days, or fruit for even longer. Good thing I like walking.