Dutch gestapo and German angels


May 22  Vaals, Holland

    If I wasn't in financial difficulty a week ago, I may be now! It was enough I had to pay 30 euros for a closet, and 80 plus to put Wheels back on the road, but really got me was getting out of town, Maastritcht that is.
    In retrospect, I should never have gone into that town. I found out later I could have got everything done in Roerdon, but how was I to know?
    I went back to see the folks I thought shortchanged me. Their warmth was not so warm anymore. Guess they never thought they'd see me again. When they made like they knew not of what I spoke, I got the message. I noticed they were uncomfortable, so I hung around, drank an espresso, and made like it was all good, just to let them know.
    Then I headed for library square, where I sent out my last travelog. Oh yeah, those of you in Canada using Telus, apparently you don't exist! If you didn't get the message called "Donkey's day off" let me know.
    Anyway, I sent out the email then packed up and went looking for a coffee roaster I'd heard about. As I was circling I noticed a group of policemen and women gathered on a corner stopping traffic, I thought little of it.
    Continuing my search for the coffee roaster, I finally found it, looking more like a lace and chocolates store. I went in, got the guy to grind me some bean, then went out again, put the java in a pannier and rolled up the street.
    As I came to a corner there was a red light, so I waited. Then I saw the green walking man sign and proceeded. I was almost at the end of the next block when one of the policemen I'd noticed earlier stepped in front of me, and waved me to the side. I smiled and pulled over, thinking it was an information picket or something.
    The cop said something to me in Dutch that I didn't understand. I said, I'm sorry, but I don't understand. I speak Ainglees! Just then a rather gruff cop stepped forward and said, "I speak good English, talk to me. You ran a red light and I'm giving you a ticket. Do you leave in Maastritch?"
    "Yes," I replied, thinking he'd asked me if I was leaving Maastritch.
    He looked at me surprised. "You live here," he asked.
    "No," I replied. "I though you were asking if I was leaving."
    "Fifty euros," he said.
    "What do you mean 50 euros?" I asked.
    "Its your fine, you must pay, now," said the cop, being a total bully.
    "I don't have 50 euros," I said. "Suddenly reverting to my days in Mexico where you can buy your way out of such predicaments. "What happens if I don't have 50 euros? I asked.
    "We'll confiscate  you bike and you can buy it back at the station."
    We had it out right there on the corner, while his cronnies watched, and I had the impression any one of them would have let me go with a warning, but not this guy. I explained that I saw the walk signal and thought it meant I could go, that in Canada, that's the way it is. I also told him, that as a visitor to Canada, he'd probably get a away with a warning for such a minor infraction.
    I should have said. "Listen jerk off, I didn't meet two of my uncles because they died here in this country in the 1940s, and my Dad risked life and limb here as well. I'm sure they didn't do that so you could act like one of the guys who was oppressing you back then! But I didn't think of it.
    Instead, after a heated debate, I told him what he was doing was criminal! That I did not know I was not supposed to go, and that I was generally a good citizen who does not ride on sidewalks, signals, dismounts for pedestrians, and basically follows the rules of the road, but it wouldn't have been true because I have been known to run the odd light or try to beat a speed demon across the road.
    "If you are going to call me a criminal, I will arrest you and we can deal with it down at the office!"  he retorted.
    By this time I was nonplussed.
    "I don't feel right giving money to a policeman, can't I challenge this?"
    "No!" he said, "you pay now. If you want to challenge it you can right a letter later."
    I was pissed, but the day was past noon and I had miles to roll. Maastritcht had already cost me nearly 400 Canadian dollars, between bike repairs, short change artists, and overamped hostelling. I just reached into my money belt, peeled of one of my few remaining 50s and handed it over, he ripped off the ticket stub and told me to have a nice day.
    I gave him a lecture, told him I'd not done it deliberately, that he had bad manners, that he could have given me a break and this was bad public relations. In retrospect, I should have insisted on being arrested and taken in. It would have been some fun watching him explain to his superiors why he was arresting a foreign national for a traffic violation that was an honest mistake. But I didn't think of it, I just wanted to get out of there.
    So, 100 plus Canadian dollars down the drain, my head full of steam, and more than a little angry, I rolled out of town, careful not to run anymore green lights.
    The rest of my day was a lot nicer. My path led me through rolling farm country and up and down some fairly steep hills in a heavy wind, that was sometimes full frontal but mostly to my side, as I was travelling east. Its been days and days of heavy south winds here, and powerful rain storms. Its been ugly, ugly as that cop, who wasn't much younger than me, and should have had a job a lot higher up than a routine traffic cop. In retrospect, based partly on how his peers were reacting to him, the guy is probably some sort of hot head who gets in shit too much to be promoted.
    Anyway, the day went well and I eventually wound up where I am now, hunkered down under a tarp in a commercial campground outide the town of Vaals, on the German-Dutch border. Tomorrow, if the weather lets me, I will ride into Germany, and begin a new part of my adventure, although it is with some sadness. I'm concerned, if I experience anymore major set backs I'll have to turn and go home for sure. Heck, I'll likely have to do that anyway, and only hope what I have left holds up until my plane goes in June. And that I have the good luck to preserve enough to get me to London and the plane.
    Maybe I'll get lucky and find a way to make some dough, but it doesn't look great right now.
    I'm a little freaked out about Germany. I certainly hope the people turn out friendlier than they're said to be, and that there are some truly inexpensive places to stay.
    Anyway, a big wind has come up and is threatening to blow my tarp away. I'd best put this machine away before I lose it.


May 23 Simmerath, Germany

    Well, here I am hunkered down under the same tarp, but in a different country.
    This morning I climbed a long hill and with no further ado was in another country. There were no customs, no guards, and no markers that I saw.  One minute I was in Holland and the next I was in Germany, and the only difference was, all the signs changed, the familiar Nederlands trail markers disappeared, and I was once again lost.
    I don't know what it is over here, but I can't seem to tell north from south or east from west, and it doesn't matter where the sun is because, for the mostpart, its not been very visible for days. When it does come out it seems to be high in the sky, so I have difficulty knowing what its track is.
    Today was a better one where people go. I was visited for breakfast by a fellow riding a recumbant, heading north into the Nederlands. We talked, but he couldn't offer me much information because he's never cycled Germany. Still, it was good to have company, although we spent most of our time trying to explain what we were saying.
    Had a pleasant enough ride up over the hill and down into Achen, Germany, or Akken, depending on whether you're Dutch or German. Near Achen I got caught in a rain storm and pulled over near a church to wait it out. I was studying my Dutch map, hoping I'd find Germany on it, when a woman about 40 came along and asked if I needed help. In the end she gave me a local map, and a book of maps of Germany. At one point while we were there I had half a dozen perfectly friendly German women trying to help me find my way along.
    Thinking back, it was rather foolish of me to wander into Germany without so much as a map, a basic briefing of how to ask if people speak English, no phrase book, and basically no idea what to do except head south east, if I could find either east or south.
    Turned out I was turned around, and was heading back towards Holland. With the help of this gracious woman and her cohorts I soon headed out sort of in the right direction, but it wasn't so nice. Much of the route was along side busy thoroughfares, or down side streets that had no lane. The only familiar signs were red cycle signs, but they named places I could not find on the maps, and led to far less appealing locations than did the Duttch signs.
    It rained off and on all day, which made my business of climbing some rather steep hills in traffic that much more of a hassle. I did manage to get off on some country lanes, but there I was either exposed to weather, or faced with steep inclines. So, it was not so easy physically, but as I said earlier, the people were a pleasant surprise.
    Stopped at a grocery in a little town and bought some real heavy German bread. I've been waiting to find some of that the whole trip. While I was there the rain came again and I discovered a vent on the side of the place emitting warm air, so I just stood there  on the edge of the rain, getting warm.
    Having some difficulty with Wheels. Since the wheel change its not been going into low gear. I'll have to take some minutes in the morning and try adjusting things. I tried adjusting the front derailer to no avail. But I noticed some slippage in the rear, so maybe I'll check to make sure that's all lined up properly, that is if I'm not hurried by more rain in the morning. Just can't bring myself to fix the bike when its raining like hell.
    Made another wrong turn middway through the afternoon and wound up climbing a long 8 per cent hill I did not need to climb. At the top of it I found some confusing cycle route signs so I followed the ones I wasn't supposed to until I came to a bench, where I sat down, and started studying my maps, to no avail.
    After a while an older couple came along and the guy was able to show me where I was and where I'd made the wrong turn. I thanked him and his wife, who was in a hurry to see the doctor, but still took the time to assist me.
    After some intense study of the maps and area I decided to make my way south, to here, which turned out to be a good idea,  for several reasons. One wasn't the long highway hill I had to climb middway through. One was the route took me along a fairly level track through a thick forest that had shelters here and there along it. It was raining off and on so I got to make good use of the shelters. It was also interesting riding through a thick forest in Germany, not sure where I was going, and having a sense that I would find my way through it.  I found it hard to believe that peaceful stretch of land, just a generation ago, was deadly ground.
    At the end of the forest came the highway hill, yuk.
    Then, at the top of the hill I had to make a mad dash across the highway to continue into the town where I planned to go. I managed it by the skin of my hairy ass, missed by centimeters by some speedo in a little white car.
    Once off the highway I found myself on a steep downhill through some farms. There was a bench middway down and as I reached it the sun came out. I took a mental health break and sat down, enjoying the first warm sun of the day.
    However, dallying these days means getting caught in the next cloudburst, so I plunged down into the deep valley, through the small city, and up the other side, where I came upon a bicycle sign leading me left and, to my delight, right up there beside it was a sign for a campground!
    Almost missed the campground. Well, I found it okay but there were no signs and no obvious office, so I rode on until I ran into a kid who told me I'd already found it. So I went back and stood in the drive until some locals showed me where to find the camp office. I went there, rang the bell, got no reply, and was about to leave, when a young fellow in a hot car spun into the drive. He turned out to be the owner, or he and his sister own it. I have no idea what became of their parents.
    Anyway, for seven fifty, which is a hell of a lot better than 30 euros, I got a patch on the ground, and had no sooner set up when another cloud burst came along and drenched the world. Lucky for me, I'd just managed to get the roof up, and stow my things beneath it when the sky opened up.
    Also lucky for me, the sky let up long enough, just long enough, for me to cook dinner. I was just about to eat when the sky opened up again. It has done so every hour to hour and half all day. It rains for a half hour, dries up, and goes at it again.
    I've done some more research tonight and will slowly head toward Koblenz on the Rhine. I'm sticking with the south easterly track, but may move a little more east tomorrow to combat the southerly winds, which are chilling and hard.
    I want to get down near the rail lines so I can hop a train if this inclement weather keeps up. If it does keep raining I'm likely spend some more dough and just train my way down south a ways and see if I can escape it. If it gets real lousy I'll go all the way to Baden Baden, which isn't too far from where my friend Angela lives.
    For tonight I've tarped both me and wheels, The ground is quite wet and the sky, which has cleared, has allowed what heat was on the land to escape. Sunset was a mixed bag of greys and reds. I expect it means more of the same tomorrow.
    All in all it wasn't a bad day. I did enjoy being lost in Germany, but I've yet to figure out the cycling lanes, and am sure there are better ones to be found. Once I'm on the Rhine it should be relatively easy, but getting there could be another adventure all together.
    I'm a chilly willy tonight. Need to get out of my wet clothers, put some dry sleeper stuff on and catch an early night. Its dark out, there's a slight red tinge to the north western sky. I'm hopeful too!


May 25 Bergen Germany

    Under a rather prickly fir tree of some sort, it seems like a cedar or what we call a monkey tree, but shorter and wider.
    Got here about 10 pm last night after a 110 K day! It was a lovely day and a gorgeous ride. I latched onto the idea there was an actual cycle route to the Rhine River, the Wegerhauser Route I think its called. I stuck to it all day, travelling through many small towns, villages and cities starting with Simmerath, Roetgren, Rohren, Schleiden, Germund, Mecremich, Bad Munsterifel, Kircheim, Rhienback. Eventually I passed a town called Mackenheim and, tho' I'd been watching for signs of a hostel or campground, I found none. Near dark, which followed a majestic sunset, I began to look for a place to rough it. I checked one but it seemed too low and to close to a village, so I plodded on finding myself in total darkness.
    At a turn in the trail a car went slowly past me. A half a K later I drove by the house I'd seen the car pull into and spotted the occupants still unloading it. I asked if they spoke English. It was a mother and her teenage son, Alex. I asked about camping. They were about to send me to a nearby churchyard then remembered there was a function there in the morning, so they invited me to set up in their spacious well-groomed yard. Alex put me onto the tree.
    While I was getting set up Alex came out and offered me a "real good German beer". I explained my alergy. Then his sister offered me tea. Once set up I went in the house, which is reminiscent of a Spanish Hacienda, was given water for tea, fed eggs and toast, and engaged in a lengthy conversation about every thing from the Nazi influence on the German consciousness, to why I was doing what I was doing, to being kind to strangers who stand at your door. It was delightful. I met Mom and three kids, Dad had already gone to bed. They were my German Angels.
    About midnight I managed to got to bed as well. All day long I'd had a sense if i just kept going I'd wind up safe and sound. It worked! And I managed to put myself withing 20 K of the Rhine.
    It has rained much of the night. I was awakened this morning by a procession of Catholics singing and walking their horses to be blessed at the churchyard where I almost slept last night. I'm a little relieved I didn't end up there. They'd have probably mistaken me for someone important.


May 26 Bad Zalzig Germany

    Sheets of rain have swallowed the earth!
    I did nearly 80 K yesterday, in wind and rain and more wind and more rain, first up and down long hills from Bergen, to a wonderful lookout over the Rhine Valley, then down into the valley itself just a little north of Remegan, where there is no bridge across the Rhine, and south to Koblenz, where I paid 7.50 euro and set up in a typical German campground where there or no picnic tables, no actual campsites, just separate spaces where everyone sets up according to whim, and is charged according to the size of their tent. I asked how much I'd pay if I used no tent, but that seemed to seriously confuse the proprietors, who were already quite confused just by the look of me, all crazed and covered in mud and rain.
    I had a dry night beneath my tarp but foolishly tried to be a good hygenist and washed out my rain pants and socks and such, and though I had them hanging under the tarp, the torrents of rain managed to keep them from getting dry. So this morning it was pack up time, and I was packing up damp, and dressing that way too.
    Then I tried to fix Wheels!
    I've been having difficulty with the front shifter since the wheel got replaced. I tightened the gear line where I should probably have loosened it, and wound up with only 16 of my 24 gears, which ain't so bad on the flats but is murder in the hills. By time I was done making that mess I was too miffed to attempt to fix it back, so I just left it and rode on into the rain.
    Rain, rain, rain. Wet drenching down to the bone and into every craw and crevice reversing the flow from the pores of my skin, making it crawl beneath my half wet wool sweater and layers of poly, in dirty damp socks with road wash and wind in my face, until I was just too ugly to bear and decided hell, my budget is already blown, and if I stay out in this I'll lose more than my money, I may lose my computer and my sanity, and besides, I'm sick and tired of eight days of rain that were really seven, but one was so nice I overworked every muscle in my body, and damn it, I'm getting a room!
    So here I am, in a room. In the cheapest Gasthaus I could find. My stuff is hanging from every hanging place in the room, CNN is on the TV, and the rain is in sheets down the narrow valley walls, casting a spooky aura as I look out across the river at the tops of the hills crowned by castles.
    The 35 euro fee includes breakfast. Wish it included dinner too.
    I'm culture shocked, rain soaked, absolutely stinky, until I took a shower, and quite glad I got the hell off the road. If I'd grown any wetter or uglier I'd have. .  . I don't know, and I don't want to know.
    Tomorrow, rain or shine, I will ride some more. However, if the rain keeps up, I can't afford Gasthaus', so I'll put myself on a train. I'll take that train as far as I can through the night, or to Karlshue, or Baden Baden.
    If its sunny, or anything less than all-out inundating liquid, then I'll keep riding and camping. I'll let you know what happens soon.
Return to Travelog Main Page
Return to Will the Poet's Homepage
Check out Will's Most Recent Poetry Page
Check out Will's Recent Poetry Page
Check out Will's Most Recent Poetry Page
Check out Will's Nearly Recent Poetry Page
Check out Will's Almost Nearly Recent Poetry Page
Check out Will's Not Nearly Recent Poetry Page
Check out Will's Almost Ancient Poetry Page
Check out Will's Original Poetry Page
Write to Will
All material contained herein is copyright by Will Webster.
All Rights Reserved.