i am a tourist.
frankfurt
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i just woke up from a fourteen hour sleep.
it is now wednesday at noon. on monday night i got on a big airplane (with an upstairs even) and flew to frankfurt. the flight left new york at 9:30 pm and arrived in frankfurt at 10:50am. i can never sleep on airplanes. apparently even after two benedryl. bethany schooled me that the ingredient in benedryl is the same ingredient that makes you fall asleep in tylenol pm. that shit didn't work. i arrived in frankfurt completely out of sorts.
i was treated nicely and efficiently by the customs officials (just like every other country sans america). i took a train from the airport to the main train station which went through a lovely forest whose floor was covered in fallen leaves. the first place i saw once i got off the train was a starbucks. strangely enough, this made me happy. i would not need to start my crash course in german in this state of mind. i drank some coffee and wandered. for a long time.
my first impression once i left the station was that i was in an eastern european country. it was dirty and empty and cold. lot's of drunks, porno shops, and places to by knives. i actually had a moment where all i could do was wonder what the fuck i was doing here. sleep deprivation can be rough.
i eventually found the river which was gorgeous. i watched it as i drank my coffee. i started skateboarding around. playing the left right game. i had plenty of time to kill before meeting the people i was staying with so i found a cafe and had some tea.
i kept wandering and finding new and interesting places. slowly erasing my first impressions. the people i am couchsurfing with (couchsurfing is kind of a global community of travellers who share their home with you for free of charge just for the experience and culture and whatever - more about it here) lived in a great part of town. i head up the berger strasse towards their house. it started raining, but for some reason it did not bother me. eventually i met them and dropped off my ever heavying bag and we went to a cozy bar to eat and drink.
applewine is my new favourite drink.
we were home and in bed by 10pm and i was damn glad about that.