7/11 Weekend Roam

Last night in Frankfurt, and we are moving on to Heidelberg. Though I had been to the Main River yesterday, I still set up my mind to pay it a visit since the weekend market will be taking place by the riverside.

Started my walk at about 8 am, but was nowhere around my destination after a hour's effort. I checked the Google map suspiciously onoy to discover that I had wasted the last hour heading toward the opposite direction, no wonder people were getting less and less in the streets.

I adjusted my route and finally made it to Main, crossed the bridge and entered the weekend market. It was marvelous and really long. People were squeezing like sardines turning the market into a hot sweaty oven. What's interesting about the market is thst it is indeed a flea market, selling almost everything from antiques, China, bikes, clothes and electronics to a bunch of creepy dolls.

I spent some time looking for cool stuff admist all the goods but eventually gave up due to the crowd. I spent some more time by the riverside before crossing the bridge back. I tried to reach all the cathedrals, museums within sight despite the big hole on my shoes' soles, which is getting bigger and bigger.

I even discovered a street full of Chinese restaurants, agencies and inns, there were a group of Korean Summer School students, some Chinese religious people and groups of old Chinese tourists making really loud noises.

After the Chinese street was followed by groups of hippies gathering right outside pubs, sex toy shops and hotels that say sex inn. None of the above has open yet, but there were so many people outside drinking, in the middle of the day.

I decided to head toward the Rewe supermarket to get some lunch and that's when I found myself in a street full of black people! Seriously, black venders, customers, bypassers... it was pretty amazing. At last I made it to the suoermarket and bought a bottle of fresh grapefruit juice, a bottle of lime, some yogurt, gauda cheese and some bread. Sound delicious!

As I carried all the goods back to my hotel lobby and decided to open my appetite, I met the guy who checked in for me two days ago, and he seemed to remember me. His name is Darius and he chatted me about my stay in Frankfurt. At last he invited me to go have dinner and maybe visit the pub at night with him and a couple of backpacker frienda. I said yes and retired to my room.

At 7:30sharp, we gathered at the front door of the hotel and set off to eat. All of Darius' backpacker friends are from Germany, what a shocker. Though they are from different cities. There were 7 of them, 3 girls and 4 boys. Their English speaking weren't eapecially good expect for a girl named Jenna and Darius of course.

I had a salami package at the restaurant and we sat and chat until it was almost 11pm. They were reallh interested in me and kept asking me questions like: how's Taiwan? what do you think about Germany? what do you feel are the differences of these people? Where else have you traveled, etc. It feels good when you have enough good stories and experiences to tell and share.

At last we marched toward the pub street and drank ourselves through six of them. It was already two thirty in the morning by the time the grouo decided that it was done. The other two girls, Wonda and Heather were puking, and all the other boys kept making funny noises and seemed to have a hard time standing straight. Darius and I were pretty much fine, for I only had mostly beer and cocktails while the others were crazily downing shots after shots.

It would have cost a lot to drink through these pubs tonight, but luckily I only had to pay my own drinks in the first pub for one of the boys, Sir Max announced that the tab would be on him starting from the second round. And that's when all of the people went nuts and gulps down alcohol like water.

We tried to get everyone back to the hotel in one piece, however, a few of the boys collapsed and couldn't even take care of themselves. The three girls were already sound asleep, leaving it pretty much Darius and I and to carry them on our backs.

I was in charge of Jenna, pure German with long blonde hair, 170 cms tall; she has a small face but her body from the neck down are a little bit too chbby. I almost crashed to the ground after she got on to my back == Fortunately all of us made it back and stuffed into the elevator.

And that's when one of the folks decided to puke, and the smell really drew out all of the vomiting action from the others and these guys were basically puking on one another in this tiny elevator. I crossed my finger to not get spat on, and Darius got all of them out on the sixth floor. "what a night bro, good night" He said and waved before the door closed. I was reallg lucky to have the room to mgself while the miserable guy still has to take care of his friends.

Guess it's time to hit the shower and go to bed!