Random thoughts on the EC 25
Somewhere in Köln-Bonn-Koblenz-Frankfurt-Nurnburg-Vienna-Budapest

I am on my 12 hour journey to Budapest. I had tried to reserve a seat with a plug point (apparently one can request for that on the ICE – intercity express – trains on the Deutsche Bahn. I was told that I cannot reserve seats with plug point on this train, so I was naturally disappointed. However, much to my surprise: all seats (at least by the windows) have plug points. Hurrah!! Now I can catch up on emails that I have meaning to write and watch Season 2 of Desperate Housewives (Thanks again so much for the DVD gift Spencer. You are awesome!) However, I should first write the emails as once I start watching the show I won’t do anything else :)

If you are in Germany, definitely try and take a day cruise on the Rhine. I was going to do that yesterday but with lack of information and motivation I did not do it and now I regret it. The reason I think that: Well, I am on the train and this train line runs parallel to the Rhine from the Koblenz to Mainz section and I can experience the cruise sights minus the open air, sunshine, fresh cool breeze and ability to take pictures. But just in case if you are going to take my advice (or if I am back in Germany sometime, I remember what I need to do) here is the info on the best way to do the Rhine cruise if you are in the North-west region in Germany.
* Take the train to Boppard, a small town south of Koblenz.
* Catch the Köln Düsseldorfer ferry from Boppard to Bacharach
* You can get on and off the cruise at other villages in between and explore those areas.
You will get to see at least around 50 castles, churches, old city wall ruins along the banks of the river. Not to mention some vineyards.

So on the train, I meet this one guy who speaks only Hungarian and maybe 5 or 6 words of German. For some reason he wanted to sit with and talk to me. Which is fine, except that there is only so much conversation one can have with a person when you do not speak the same language. So the conversation was like:

Him: Budapest?
Me: Ja.(Yes)
Him: Ungar (Hungary)
Me: Oh you are from Hungary?
Him: (Blank look)
Him: Ungarisch (Hungarian)
Him: Ungarisch?
Me: No… English.. Deutsch.. Hindi.. French…?
Him: No, No.. Ungarisch.
Me: Ok
Him: Café?
Me: Nein, Nein, Danke. (No, really. Thank you)
Him: Wo?
Me: (raised eyebrows)
Him: Wo arbeit? (Where work)
Me: Ah! GM
Him: (Blank look)
Me: GM. General Motors
Him: (Blank look)
Me: Opel?
Him: Oh .. oh ok
Him: North something
Me: (Nod and smile)
Him: Wo?
Me: (How the heck am I to explain to him that this is my first trip and that I do not have a place to stay as yet?)
Me: Hostal
Him: Blank look
Me: Hotel
Him: Ok

By the way this conversation took place over 15 minutes. Then I excused myself and got up. Still it was a little unnerving. I just realized that for the first time I have not been able to communicate at all with someone. Usually every person I have met speaks or understands at least some form of the English, and then with Hindi, German and the French (that by now I cannot speak as my head is filled with only German) I can somehow communicate with people. However with Hungarian, it is a language unlike anything I have heard. I tried picking up a few words but I have no idea how to pronounce it. This is really going to be an interesting experience. After all the German that I have been learning to speak, I need to now try and talk Hungarian. I have to take a taxi, ask for directions, order off the menu, say I am a vegetarian .. all in Hungarian. I am going to feel like such a tourist. I hope to buy a good “Learning Hungarian” CD in Budapest. All I could find in Germany were books that were written in German about learning Hungarian.

Then I started the Desperate Housewives marathon. Oh how I love having the plug point for my laptop. I have no idea how time just flew by.