Leaving Mainz was a sad moment it felt like we had just arrived and yet it was time to say goodbyes. However meeting both Nina And Hans families now only extended our new found friendships with promises to catch up again soon and that this was just the beginning of our relationship with their family and not an ending.
There is so much more that we want to learn. It’s great that language isn’t a barrier ad everyone speaks English as a second language, even if the language was learnt some years ago all the family made an effort to speak with us. We felt honored and privileged to part of their lives.
Traveling across the country we a filled with thoughts of the past as well as admiring the scenery. It’s hard to believe that the people of Germany were once at war and we were enemies The country side is dotted with fields, little villages and forests that live in perfect harmony. There are bicycle lanes and people enjoying the day out in the sun.
Seven hours later and with a change to a smaller local train we arrived into Lauchhammer to catch up with with the very first couch surfers that we hosted in Australia, Karen and Rene.
Disembarking from the train they stood at the other end of the platform so happy to see us.
Being told not to look around the station was a joke as they thought this part of their village was not pleasant yet to me it showed the true raw East Germany that I wanted to see. I’m not the typical traveler who only sees the country from a tour bus or hotel window. This is the reason we love couch surfing. If gives us the luxury of meeting with locals and discovering the raw culture of a country. This is something that no five star hotel can offer.
Karen and Rene live at Karen’s parents house in a renovated barn that once housed pigs and chickens. It was to be ours for the next four nights.
Rene being a decorator and with Karen have made an awesome conversion. Being only one bedroom we had the whole place to ourselves as they moved in with Karen’s mum next door. Karen’s father would be home on Friday as he works in Hanover, a five hour journey north on the Autobarn.
We are finally in East Germany, another dream come true.
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