I had a very weird experience today
The three of us spent the night in Kampen, and today I went to Julia's.
I am actually sitting on her patio at almost 11 p.m. The moon is out, the lights across the lake are a bit hazy, it is warm and the bugs might be starting to bite. There is lightning behind the mountains, but the stars are out.
But I digress.
B and D and I wandered the streets of Kampen, had a parting coffee and went our separate ways.
I went back to the hotel to get my 40 pound suitcase and my 15 pound suitcase. I had my computer and camera in bags around my neck.
I went to the train station. That was about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. The 45 pound bag and the 20 pound bag were a little difficult to pull, but I managed.
I planned to catch the 1:02 to Zwolle, where I would change and continue on to the airport. I put the 48 pound bag and the 22 pounder off to the side while I bought a ticket.
I step up to the single ticket machine, going through the various steps to buy my ticket. Insert card. Card rejected. No problem. It is still 10 minutes before the train. Go through the process, enter my card. Card rejected.
Huh.
I still have 6 minutes before the train leaves. No worries.
Take another card from my neck punch, which means I had to pull off the 5 pound camera bag and the 9 pound computer bag. Enter information. Insert Card. Rejected. Repeat process. Rejected.
I still have a couple of minutes before the train goes. Take out my third card, enter info, enter card, hit pay. Guess what? Rejected.
The train has now left.
I grab the 50 pound bag, swing the 10 pound camera bag around my neck, along with the 20 pound computer bag, and grab the 30 pound non carry on and make my way around the station, up the stairs, down the stairs, through the dust.......to find a man who tells me just to buy the ticket on the train.
I lug the 60 pound bag and the 45 pound bag along with the camera equipment up the stairs only to discover....I have to pee. Evidently, four coups of strong European coffee in me and your a pee-in pretty soon.
There's no bathroom.
The 1:37 train arrives. I wait for people to get off and a man in a blue striped shirt with a red tie is one of the last off.
I ask him if I can buy a ticket on the train and he says no. I tell him the machine will not take my cards and I have to get to the airport.
He says, "I give you my permission to ride my train to Zwolle where you can buy a ticket."
So I get on. I place the 75 pound bag and the 50 pounder on the floor in front of me. I still have the 30 pounds of neck wear. And, I still have to pee.
We get to zwolle and I drag the 80 pounder ad the 60 pounder off the train and realize something.
You need a ticket to get out of the station. Since I have no ticket, my only option is to toss my 95 pound bag over the gate, followed by the 67.5 pound bag and the 40 pounds of computer equipment before I hoist myself over......or ask someone for help.
I see the familiar blue striped shirts in an office and I step in and say, "Excuse me, but I am trying to get to the airport."
The man turns and looks at me and says, "Yes, you already told me that." We both laughed, because I did not recognize him but he looked real familiar. He then took me toward the ticket booth, used his pass to open the gate, and I bought my ticket. From a human. With a card that was not rejected.
But I still had to pee.
Lugged my 110 pounder and the 90 pounder along wit the 75 pounds of computer./camera/crap down the stairs, across the station, to the public WC which costs 70 cents to use and paid every cent willingly.
And suddenly, the bags were much lighter.
I made the right train, got to the airport, caught my plane and got here in one piece.
As I told my hero, the engineer, I love Holland.... but I can't spend my life here riding your train.
No comments:
Post a Comment