An Ode to the Deutsche Bahn...

According to the timetable, there is a direct connection to Waren an der Müritz every two hours - in theory. However, numerous WhatsApp messages from our friends who had already set off for Waren in the early afternoon did not bode well. The route from Berlin to Oranienburg was interrupted due to the planned disposal of a 500kg aerial bomb from World War II, which is known in technical jargon as 'munition disposal.' However, the bridging concept, first S-Bahn, then bus, and then regular train, did not make sense to anyone, especially since the 'replacement connections' were apparently not coordinated at all. So their scheduled 2-hour trip lasted 5 hours! We had made much better choices and opted for the 6 p.m. IC, which only takes 1 hour and 35 minutes for the journey. Since the bomb had apparently been rendered harmless, nothing seemed to stand in the way of a short and painless journey. The fact that the IC arrived on time and even had enough comfortable seats caused a wave of absolute contentment, and as we passed Oranienburg without stopping soon after our punctual departure from Berlin, our feelings of happiness threatened to overwhelm us. But not for very long! When the train suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere, the other track of the double track abruptly ended in a construction site, and we were now standing on the - supposedly passable - track for no apparent reason, a first evil suspicion arose. Everything else was just grotesque. After about 10 minutes of aimless standing, the first announcement over the loudspeaker informed us that the overhead line in front of us was damaged. It was not possible to say what would happen next, but it was likely that the train would return to Berlin... In the next announcement, it was stated that the train was now disconnected from the power supply and therefore the air conditioning no longer worked. For this reason, the doors would be opened, but it was forbidden to leave the train. The third announcement, after about 30 minutes of silence, then informed us that a diesel locomotive was being brought to pull the train back, but it could not be said how long it would take, but it was likely to be several hours, but nothing specific could be said. The train attendants were completely overwhelmed and beyond even superficial courtesy, while the passengers remained somewhat calm, but with considerable sarcasm. In short, a train that was well occupied at 7 p.m. in the middle of nowhere, with no reliable information and above all absolutely no plan. Then we saw the first passengers who had escaped from the clutches of DB and unlawfully left the train to make their way on foot to the nearest village. A look at Google Maps (yes, the good old smartphone) revealed that it was only just over a kilometer away. Since our luggage was portable, the weather was good, and we were simply fed up with the whole situation, we also defied the official orders and made the leap to freedom, or rather the approximately 1 meter lower gravel bed. And as we took one last look back at the stranded train after a while, a caravan of people of all ages and baggage had set off on the long march to a hopefully better world. People like you and me, who just wanted to take a quick trip to Rostock with the Deutsche Bahn.

But what we learned from the exclusively local fellow travelers was a wave of solidarity. Already on the train, a man who had just arranged to be picked up with his girlfriend offered to take us to Neustrelitz. After all, it was on the way, and one must help each other. And that's what happened, and from there, we planned to take a taxi to Waren, which was still about 40 km away. However, we didn't even make it to the station building. As soon as we got off, another man approached us and asked if we had also been in the stranded train and where we were going. "Waren? Oh, I'll take you with me!" He was waiting for his wife, who was also on the train and had been taken to Neustrelitz by other people. In the end, they not only took us to Waren but also to the doorstep of the hotel, which was about 5 km from the city center... Awesome people!

So, after 10 p.m. and a 4-hour odyssey, we actually reached our destination. Of course, the kitchen was already closed, and there was not even a packet of chips or something at the hotel bar.

I have heard a lot of complaints about the train from German friends, and until now, I thought it was probably exaggerated. Now we know better - it's even worse!