Last Day in Germany
Heidelberg and Buende
16.08.2008
Today we woke up early and did a tour of the Heidelberg castle. It was really cool.
We also drove by the US army hospital where I was born. I did not take any pictures, however, because Andre was worried we would get arrested. I asked the guard if I could take a picture of the sign, but he said no. When he heard my story, he volunteered to help us get permission, but I didn't want to be a bother. It was cool enough just being able to go to place where I was born.
Next, we hit the road to Andre's hometown, Buende. His parents are a really sweet German couple who had a delicious schnitzel and cold beer ready when we arrived. Their town reminds me a lot of Ada, particularly Conservation. There are lot of woods and farms (Andre's neighbors even have rams). We took Andre's dog for a walk through the woods, which reminded me a lot of Seidman Park (they even had a Winding-Brook style creek and bridge!). It was a nice break from the noisy city.
The culture shock has been hard to get used to. For example, people are so trusting here. All the hotels that we've stayed in have not asked us for a deposit or any identification for that matter (One nice hotel owner said it was because we looked ´like good people, and "he knew good people when he saw them." Quite different from China. And not having to worry about being ripped off has taken getting used too - I find myself wanting to bargin for everything!
Heidelberg:
Rothenberg:
Cologne:
The Rhine:
Erik, I remember seeing all those things when I came to visit on the occasion of your birth. I'd love to see how your natal birthchart lines up with the date and time you visited the hospital again.
20.08.2008 by Terry Liu