Writhe and Shine

From Writhe’s journal:

I just stepped off the train going toward Hamburg – but I’ll get off in Mannheim – next to Heidelberg – actually, I’m going to check the schedule. Nope, no trains to Heidelberg…
So I get off the train in Basel and buy a cheap map of the city. Check a brochure I got at Youth Hostels in Geneva. Hop on a tram and get out at the Kunst Museum – walk down a large hill through an old church cemetery – all overgrown to the Youth Hostel which has a rainbow wind sock proudly displayed. I go in and get a bed. They gave me these weird keys which didn’t have teeth but conical divots in the side. One for the room, one for a locker. I drop my shit in the locker, dropped off my “sleeping bag” and went walking around before everything closed. I read that the most happening part of town was the part I was in, but it didn’t seem too cool. I stopped into a very crowded music store (CDs and records, not people) and listened to a small box of goth CDs. None of them were any good. Left for the Youth Hostel to catch dinner. I thought I was going to be early, but my watch had caught on something earlier and stopped without me knowing. I got there almost in time for dinner, but after waiting in line for about 5 minutes I decided to eat in town. I read about a couple of places that were recommended in the Let’s Go guide. I walked around some more and felt a little lost. I ended up at some hole-in-the-wall place to eat… but I guess I was afraid to go in so I walked back to the Youth Hostel. I was starving. I almost missed dinner. I ate some pasta and a cup of fruit. I went back to my bed and rested until around 10pm then left to go find one the “fabulous” bars. Got extremely lost, very pissed off at myself and very tired. Got back to the Hostel and ate some cereal and water while watching a section of the news and an American movie dubbed in German. Went to bed around 12:30. In the morning I checked out, dropped off some mail at the post office and hopped on another train. Now some guy with two very small children decided to sit next to me on the crowded train and I have to put up with them.

I later find out that Germans are fanatical about where they sit on the train. Assigned seating and all. I was in someone’s seat even though half the train was empty.