BEA'S YEAR ABROAD

Since I’m COMMITTED to posting once a week here I am. This is just a general overview of certain trips and things that stuck out to me.

The beach

I’m not the biggest fan of beaches but I was excited to travel outside of Hamburg and see the North sea. One of the best parts was the fact I got to go on a long distance European train for the first time. I’m officially in love; I don’t think I can ever go back to Amtrak. I stared out the window and contemplated how the endless fields outside my window would soon be my reality. The beach was actually the opening of the Elbe river into the North sea. We could see the ocean but there were no waves and the water never got deeper than your chest. Because there wasn’t much you could do in the water I spent most of the three hours walking with people along the shore and sunbathing. It was literally the perfect day. It was partly cloudy with a cool breeze that kept the temperature at an exquisite 70°(or I guess 21° for me now). It was so relaxing I could understand how people feel rejuvenated after the beach. There was also no one there and I now know why people seek out secluded beaches.

The mud flats

Officially called the Wadden Sea, the mud flats we visited are the largest unbroken mud flats in the world. Going in, I had no idea what to expect. The counselors like to keep us guessing about the places we’re going. I only knew that we were going on a mud walk (whatever that means). I wore clothes I didn’t care about ruining and got on another long distance train. Watching the endless fields and windmills was almost scary because of how they’re getting closer everyday. I almost feel like those fields are slowly growing until they’ll reach me and I’m surrounded on all sides. When we reached the coastal town of Cuxhaven I was expecting us to trudge into the woods behind the town and begin a very marshy hike. Instead, we walked toward what looked like the ocean. In actuality, it was miles of mud plains with the ocean meeting the edge far away. We took off our socks and shoes and stepped onto the mud. It’s hard to describe the feeling of digested sand under your feet, because that’s what it was,* I think. It was solid under my feet but soft enough to sink into. I walked around with Kiyora and contemplated existence while looking for crabs. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it, standing there surrounded by endless miles of ocean and mud flats made me feel like I was at the edge of the world. Almost like the cities and forests had fallen away and I was on the outskirts of the Earth.

The blind museum (Dialog im Dunkeln)

I didn’t even know something like this existed even though it’s a very simple premise. A blind guide takes a small group through a series of rooms and bridges in total darkness. I had no idea what to expect again and I was very nervous beforehand. It’s not the dark that scares me but the loss of control. Our group of eight campers and one counselor were given white canes and nothing else. We had to leave our phones and take off any item that could emit light. Walking into the first room of total darkness was so alarming that I started to cry quietly. Every so often we lose one of our senses, we wake up to a quiet house, we have a cold and lose our sense of smell. But its never completely gone for an extended period of time. We walk down a pitch black hallway and flick the light switch on, our cold goes away so gradually we don’t even realize our sense of smell has come back. But completely losing my sight with no idea how long I would be without it had me mentally free falling. It’s almost like the mind can’t accept it, gray shapes and patterns swirled in my view despite the fact there was so color anywhere. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face but the gray blobs would converge into a picture of a very disjointed hand because my mind knew it was there and was trying to see it. The guide directed us through a series of room with different settings. We had to cross a bridge, find the fridge in a cabin, and walk across the street. The street and bridge were actually terrifying, especially because there was actual water underneath the bridge and I could hear the sounds of cars nearby. The exhibit took about an hour in total. I appreciate my sight and empathize with blind people so much more now (which I realize is the point of the exhibit). Another interesting part was how the people in my group reacted. One girl was crying quietly and freaking out the whole time while others were calm and almost falling asleep from the freedom of no one looking at them. Wouldn’t recommend if you’re afraid of the dark

The boat

This was actually the first trip we went on as a group. It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed being on the water again. We went up the Elbe river of Hamburg and actually sailed through the shipyards where they load the cargo ships and build yachts. I learned a ton about the history of Hamburg. Like how Hamburg used to be a working class city of fisherman and boat builders until China blew them out of the water (pun haha), and now they mostly build high class yachts and transport goods from northern Germany to other parts of the world. We were lucky enough see one of the loaded cargo ships pull out of ship yard and start the voyage towards the North sea. It’s hard to convey the sheer size of one of cargo ships. All other boats on the Elbe had to move to the side to make way for the width of that one ship. It got me thinking about the global economy and maritime travel. Thinking about the fact that Hamburg’s shipyard can’t hope to compete with some of China’s is such a baffling realization. Especially seeing the size and learning that they are running 24/7 nearly everyday of the year.

*We had a guide but he talked really quietly with a heavy German accent. I think this is what he said and the fact that there was worm shit everywhere justifies my answer. I tried to find a conclusive answer online but there’s not much online. Take this worm shit digested sand mud flats thing with a huge grain of salt.