Our First German Adventure

Ten days ago our sponsor picked us up at the Ramstein Airport, drove us to the Guest Quarters in Heidelberg and dropped us off. Without a car (we have appts Wednesday for drivers licenses, then need a car ...) all we've seen is the bus ride from one part of the base here to the other part. So Saturday we woke up to snow on the ground and freezing temps. Civilized people would have settled in next to the radiator and made hot chocolate. But the Troils decided to layer up and head out.

We took the bus to the other part of base, walked to the main train/bus station, bought tickets for a tour, took another bus to the start of the tour, which included touring the castle in the coldest weather we've ever experienced, then walked around downtown after the tour before heading back to the main station to take a public bus back to our part of base.

Here's where the actual adventure starts. We board our bus, number 717 that has a stop about a ten minute walk from one of the gates to Patrick Henry Village. Eric and Vance sit in the front and Emily and I find empty seats about half way back. A short bit into the ride we come upon an accident at a major intersection and are sent on a Detour. The driver doesn't follow the rest of the cars since there is now a traffic jam on the detour rode. He heads out into the darkness.

There is only darkness everywhere, and though the electronic sign for the next stop says Grasweg (our stop), I don't think we're near it. I mention to Emily that we've gotten off route and I don't know how long this will take or even where we're going. A German Grandma across the aisle has been watching us whenever we talk to one another and now she asks where we're going. Then she says "Oh, we're not headed near there. Do you know enough German to ask the driver what to do?" "No (I know about 6 words and if I made a sentence of them it would say "Please push tomato exit one-way-street.").

So she gathers her bags, while the bus is still moving, and goes up to ask the driver. He tells her he will try. She is very concerned and tells me we are getting further and further away. Now, none of the Germans on the bus know when they are getting to their stops either, but a woman up front has overheard Grandma asking questions about Patrick Henry Village and begins questioning the driver about getting us there too. Then someone else overhears and offers some comments.

Eventually (he's been driving around for a while by now, seemingly randomly and has made no stops) the driver pulls over on the side of the autobahn in complete darkness (the area all around Patrick Henry Village is fields), no light anywhere to be seen. I tell the Grandma I will pray she gets home soon, and the driver lets us out while several people tell us it is a 10 or 15 minute walk.

I don't even know which way to go, but Eric says we passed the exit to PHV,so we head back. Because of the snow I can see a path along the edge,so we begin to follow that, but it turns into a field, so we keep following the autobhn, 2 feet from the edge. It is so dark that Emily and I almost walk into a pole and then an exit sign. You know that phrase about how if you don't laugh, you'll cry? I thought the scene was hilarious, but Emily was crying. I felt terrible for her. We finally made it back to the gate at PHV (still on the opposite end of base from our building, but thrilled to be under streetlights on sidewalks)

So, thanks to a busload of Germans who didn't know when they were getting home themselves, and a 15 minue walk down the side of a dark autobahn, we made it home! God Bless them.I know you thought you'd read about the beauty of the castle, but any tourist can tell you that. How many American families end up hiking down the dark countryside autobahn in the snow aided by a busload of German strangers?

We're going to do alright here.