Monday, April 11, 2011

Trip home yesterday:
Realized at 12:45 that my train was at 1:16 and not 3:16 and was frustrated by military time and got crabby about everything.
Ran (as much as one can run on the metro) back to my hostel and discovered that there was also a train at 3:16.
Started feeling outrageously sick as I left for said train. Almost threw up in Prague metro.
Caught train. Fell asleep for an hour (I forgot to preface I only got three hours of sleep the night before and it was very cold, unpleasant sleep). Couple in the comparment with me kept kissing. My stomach kept making angry noises. I think the absinthe burned a hole in it.
Got to Budweis. Luckily caught my train that was leaving in three minutes. A Chinese guy that lives in Linz was in my compartment and we talked a little.
Got on a bus in Summerau. The bus drove right through Freistadt. I'm pretty sure if I had asked the driver to stop in Freistadt he would've, but I didn't because the OBB website said it was supposed to stop in Freistadt and I don't know how these things work. I've noticed the trains are very easy for foreigners to use, but the buses are much more difficult and they often don't announce stops and just expect people to know where to get off.
Got to Linz a little past eight. Ate two knoblauch strangerls. I'm pretty sure I am spelling that wrong, but basically they are like garlicy breadsticks.
Caught the 27 bus to Chemiepark. I have never been to Chemiepark before, but many buses go there including the only bus to Freistadt after 7:45 on Sundays. From what I can gather Chemiepark is a heavily guarded office area that must have something to do with chemicals. I had an hour and a half wait for my bus so I walked around a little bit and there was nothing, literally nothing. Only office buildings.
Sat inside the bus station for a million hours. A bunch of men showed up with a crate of beer and drank while they waited for their buses and kept looking at me and I was worried I was going to get raped and die, but no one actually talked to me or came near me so it was fine.
Finally at 9:58 my bus came, but it wasn't the normal OBB Postbus so it was very confusing, but the driver charged me the under 21 price and it was much faster than the normal OBB bus so I can't complain too much.
Got off the bus and walked the 10 minutes home. Arrived home at 11:00 completely exhausted. Collapsed into bed.
This was one of the most difficult traveling experiences I've had. Who knew getting to Prague and coming back were so difficult?

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