The lenient life in the country side

Since the end of the course, I've been hanging around the centre, helping out with whatever I can (I've managed to stay away from the dishwashing so far), meditated a lot and gotten organized again. Something of a route is forming, but there's still a lot of researching to do. I wish there was a buddhist centre directory in map form... So I make one myself. Google maps is a godsend. If I believed in one. =)

Immenstadt

Festival it is (12-24 aug)! 2 weeks of good friends, good food, good athmosphere and above all, meditation. 4500 people in a big tent, with a wild danish Lama, with a fantastic view over the Alpensee, is all you need for bliss. Need I say more? Let the pictures do the talking. Oh. I didn't take that many. Guess I was occupied with other things... Making juice, e.g.

A few measly km's...

Didn't do much more in Munich, besides going to the Deutsches Museum: What a place! There really is something for everyone there. A technical museum with the budget of the MIR space station. My musical friends would love the piano section of the place (among other things, the development of the hammer hitting the strings in pianos), my steam power interested friend would have a whole building to enjoy, etc etc. People aren't lying when they say they can spend several days at that place...

So. The road awaited. Getting out of Munich wasn't that bad, actually. Think I only biked 5 km wrong... One thing I quickly discovered, was that you can't trust the German bike-signs. They will certainly lead you astray. When I wanted to go to Böbing, I took the mountainbike-route. Not very effective, as to which the picture below testifies.

First night I stayed at a camping ground, which was expensive and overcrowded. After a good nights rest I went on, and the next night I spent at a tourist stable. Quite nice, actually, I had 4 horses as *neigh*bours. (sorry to the pun sensitive people out there). An expensive breakfast in the morning, and I was off again.

It was really very nice to ride along the foothills to the alps. When I got tired in the up hills, I simply took a rest and enjoyed the view. Don't think I ever stopped in the downhills... =)

See the pictures in my picasa album.

After 2 nights and 3 days of cozy cycling, I finally found the first signposts to Immenstadt, and suddenly I was there. Rejoice!

The packing... The packing...

I started off on wednesday 30th with easy stuff to pack. A visit to Namsos in the weekend filled up my much needed quota of family prime time, before I continued packing on Monday. Didn't finish until 1 am wednesday. Slept 3 hours, took the plane in the morning, and Here I Am, in Germany! Yehaa! After some orientation in newly bought maps and guidebooks (not plural, though), I started off. At the highway. Heading for Munich. I just stared at the road, trying to find an opening, as a cab stops behind me, and the driver tells me to get in. He gives me a free ride half the way! Here I've brougth a bike 1/8 of the distance across the world, and I get a free ride! He probably pitied me. Or my parents: Guess it would be boring to hear that I'd been killed in traffic the first day, the first hour even. Well, I got off at some nice side way to the interstate, and happily trodded away (If that is a word). Passed through Englisher Park:

My other pictures show nekkid people taking a bath. Just so you know. =)

Well, after getting a rather nice dorm room and eating some undescribable though yummy Turkish dish, here I am at some internet cafe. Don't expect this kind of updating regime in the future... =)

Write you later!