मीट

MEAT - 18/4/08


As I write this I'm currently sat on the truck next my new friend Neil. He's reading Name of the Rose and occasionally yawning along with everyone else as we're all a bit tired. Last night we went to a German beer hall in Cologne and ate some fantastic wurst, along with copious amounts of fresh beer called kolsch which has to be served in small glasses to “maintain maximum taste.” It is very tasty, although I can't help feeling it means they can charge a lot of money for relatively little beer. Still the bar itself was a great: it felt like we were underground, and the moustacheoed waiters were zooming about with typical German efficiency carting sausage and beers under the soft warm lights. We sat at a long table and giggled and burped our way through the excellent food. Andrew, one of our intrepid number, is the first of our band to have a story of renown: he ate enough pork knuckle to kill a man. Whilst C may be a meat-marathon quaffer, it seems Andrew may be a competitive meat-sprinter.


Yesterday morning I got up at 5:00AM (voluntarily I might add) in order to catch the sun rising over Cologne and to get some pictures of the giant bridge over the river. Clad in black and hood up I shivered up the steps and across the bridge in the dark, scaring early cyclists: I said “Morgen” to one who sped up in fear of mugging. (Black hoodie may have been a mistake.) As the light came colouring the dark east with light blue and ochre a delicte mist grew on the river. Boats appeared through this, their early morning crews shipping sand, stones and steel to the construction yards in Cologne. (Cologne is a fast-growing city with, it seems, more buildings being built than standing.)


I took several pictures of the bridge, walked around for two hours, then returned to the tent for an hours sleep. An early morning shoot and walk is definitely worth it, but a habit maybe best reserved for the warmer places of the earth.


We were camping in the shadow of the bridge on the banks of the Rhine and that first Cologne night were treated to a glorious sunset as we dined on gorgeous stir fry. The food has been excellent and we sit out on very comfy chairs to dine on two courses every night. If I thought the food might be a problem that thought is now firmly removed from my mind: I think we're going to eat exceptionally well, (although it hasn't been my cooking group's turn to cook yet- hopefully we won't let everyone down.)


Cologne was a good stop for us to do. We've had two days to explore, but it only dawned on me that I'd been here before when we climbed the enormous spire to the top of the Dom. A giant bell sits in a complex system of beams, reminding me of being a child smaller and wanting to ring it. Was this a German exchange memory from Calder High? Had I been there on a Junior Band Brass Band tour, maybe to Austria? Either way the memory of rain-soaked children and a poor view from the top spire remained. Luckily this time the sunshine remained glorious, a wide unspoiled view of Cologne not marred by the sounds of drills and building that floated up to that high height. The ornate top spire is barred in to avoid accidents or suicides and the sun cast shadows across the graffiti that crawled over every inch. These teenage hieroglyphics are almost a monument themselves, decades of adolescent love are declared alongside political statements (“Fuck the church and the government”) and the surreal (“I am Batman.”)


The winding stair leaves your legs wobbling as you emerge into the sunlight, the Dom looming over you like some dark Gothic spectre. These wobblings are best cured by beer, currywurst, and conversation, plenty of which were in evidence that afternoon.

The whole trip seems to be camping in luxury: Pete, the main organiser of the trip, told me that everything from the food, to the chairs, to the design of the truck, has been done “with comfort in mind.” He and his team have done an amazing job, it already feels like “home.” Right now I'm relaxing on a comfy coach seat, the well-stocked fridge behind me, the library located on two shelves on the right and left of the cab ahead of me, and with everyone else just relaxing, snoozing, or chilling out with the bus games like travel chess and connect 4. (Championships have already sprung up and this will no doubt result in future hilarity as leaderboards get created.)

The sun just came out over the German countryside revealing white houses with wooden roofs, leaf-covered sidings, and bare trees awaiting the spring. It must be cold: I have to wipe condensation from the glass to see the scenery.

I now have a proper sleeping bag. Pete has leant me a spare which is very toasty and warm. The last two nights have passed without testicle-freezing, apart from the mornings when we all emerge panting and shivering into the frozen dewy air. We all huddle around the hot tea and the toast with eager mouths, swapping banter and smiling. This will change as we speed our way through Europe, and after Praag we will head south for the warmer climbs. In less than a month we'll be well into Turkey so all warm clothing, and thick sleeping bags, will be packed away for another 5 months; this will only emerge again if and when we hit Tibet.

Everyone on this trip seem great and a sense of camaraderie has already sprung up. Going out for a group meal was a good thing for us to do as most nights several people are cooking and cleaning for everyone else, resulting in separation. Duties have been assigned to groups with specific tasks which are performed at different times. Normally when the truck rolls up to a campsite its a flurry of activity as people climb onto the roof to throw down tents, the rucksacks are unpacked from the storage at the back, the cooking tent is set up, water bowls are filled for washing, and so on. We've got it down to about 15 to 20 minutes for everything, including the two-man tents we all share, are set up. Its takes a little longer to pack everything up, (I'm not timing my showers properly in order to help!) but hopefully this will get sorted.


Battery out in laptop. Sunshine persists and we are winding through mountains. Petrol stop and leg stretch awaits.

Apologies, these entries are enormous!