New York - Zurich - Dusseldorf
May 8 - 9
I know, not as catchy as One Night in Bangkok - but really, what is? And the lack of sleep has limited my creativity a bit.
Anyway... just when you were wondering (okay, that may be a reach) if the days of me embarrassing myself as crew on a far-off yacht had come to an end, I've packed up my trusted red duffel and set off for some more shenanigans on the sea. And yes, you're right. There is no sea in Dusseldorf - but Air Berlin thought it would be a good place for me to spend the night.
This year brings a change of venue. The seclusion and crocodile hunting of the 'Fly in the Andamans and karaoke and motorcycle mishaps of Time in the Philippines have been replaced by Ionaian Greece... and for the first time in three years, an immunization and malaria pill free odyssey. (Yup, see what I did there?) But back to malaria for a second. In all likelihood I would have been back aboard Time somewhere in the Pacific had it not been for a pesky mosquito that got a hold of Simon (last year's captain) and nailed him with a brutal case. Then again, there's never really a good case of malaria, is there? After a nightmarish time in an Indonesian hospital - and I use the word hospital somewhat hesitantly considering Simon was being treated for malaria and there were no screens in the windows - he and Amanda are taking a break from the sailing life and have settled in, of all places, Papua New Guinea for a few years.
My search for a new boat led me to Francis and Ericka's Awake.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't instantly drawn in by one paragraph in particular on their blog:
"Frantisek comes from the Czech Republic (next to Germany, below Poland, above Austria), a sea-less country with the best beer there is. Traveling means the world to him, after spending some time in States, exploring Europe by car, a year in New Zealand, living 3 years in England, he decided (after drinking too much red wine) to buy a sailing boat. Having no previous experience whatsoever he is now fully competent to sail, repair, cook and smile at the same time in all kinds of weather."
Captain from a sea-less country? No previous experience? Questionable decision making after too much red wine? Yup, this is the boat for me.
Thankfully I can tell you their English is exponentially better than my Czech, which at this point is limited to Petr (Cech) and Jaromir Jagr with a touch of Tomas Rosicky thrown in for good measure. But who knows, in a month my vocabulary may stretch beyond a trio of athletes.
More on Awake when I join them on Friday but for now I can tell you this: the source of so much entertainment on the 'Fly and crazy Norman's boat in the Caribbean: the search for showers... it's back. Yes, after being spoiled by Time's super-power watermaker and its glorious daily showers, fresh water will again be at a premium on my watermaker-less new home. On the bright side, I won't be sharing my cabin with the anchor. On the not so bright side, I won't actually have a cabin. It's back to a berth in the salon for me. And oh yeah, we also have a dog!
But first the stop in Dusseldorf, and its Old Town, Altstadt - which a very timely American Airlines magazine article informs me is also known as the World's Longest Bar "thanks to its 300 drink establishments crammed into a half-square-mile of cobblestone space."
Good thing Francis isn't here. He could end up buying a plane or something!
One Night in... Dusseldorf
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
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