Precarious Travel Tales #2

We pick up where I am sleeping across the Hungarian border in a train carriage with a dubious lock…

It is the early hours of the morning when we reach the Hungarian border control. I am awoken by two burly, border guards grunting at me to pass them my backpack which I am using as a pillow!

The next thing I know, my limited amount of clothing is strewn about the carriage… I begin to string some colourful language together… I get the idea that even if they don’t speak English they know this is unacceptable language as they begin to empty all of my Estee Lauder face powder all over the floor, followed by other lotions and potions. This was followed by more expletives! As they leave I see the sleazy conductor loitering and looking smug, and I cannot but wonder if this is payback for my rejections???

My journey through western Europe to London (to see The Cure) and back down to East Germany was non-eventful. Unless you want to know that a night time Channel crossing is more nauseating, and induces more up-chucking than a daytime one :(

Apart from ending up near some military place, where I shouldn’t have been in East Berlin in the dark, all precarious situations seemed to be momentarily averted…

My mum was born in a little village, Trinum right as the war ended, before Germany was separated. I wanted to go there (as you do). I arrived by train at the nearest station, which was about 10 km away (I think) and headed for the bus stop. The bus would be another hour or so, I decided to walk. As I was walking, the travel books suggesting hitch hiking being relatively safe in Eastern Europe, was competing with the NEVER.EVER.HITCH. HIKE instilled into me since forever…

I decided to hitch hike, and within a few seconds of making my decision a car stopped, and I was delivered safely at my destination which consisted of not very much. The house my mother was born in was now a Christian Community/sect???

I was in two minds about hitch hiking back to the train station town, but my mind was made up when a car pulled over in front of me offering a lift. Boris and Andre, were huge. They were Russian and we communicated in the minimal German they spoke and the minimal German I spoke, and in charades!

We arrived back in the train station town but not at the train station, in the Sunday afternoon, deserted town square. Boris or Andre (I have no idea which but let’s say it was Andre) got out of the car. I went to get out… the central locking went on! At that moment I felt the blood drain from my face, I remembered why I should not hitch hike, I thought about being raped and murdered, I thought about my family and friends having absolutely no idea where in the world I was… I thought I was dead!

Boris continued to attempt small talk, mostly about the music on the radio.

I was planning how I would escape!

After a long while, Andre returned handing me a kebab, and off we continued down the hill to the train station, where I was hugged and wished well… I was never happier to get back on a train in all my life!

I have had many adventures since then. I like to think I am more travel-wise now but unfortunately I still make the odd few stupid decisions and still find myself in some precarious situations… just not so many in the same trip :)

I would love to hear about some of your adventures now, and I know there are at least a couple of you out there with a good travel story :)