Lost in Germany

Germany wrapped up my last country for the first phase of my trip.  The second phase includes what I understand to be an incredibly intense course to get my Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate in Prague.  So, before I start class tomorrow and run out of free time, I'll knock this one out tonight.

I planned to visit Rothenburg for my last stop.  Apparently, there's a big difference between Rothenbuerg and Rothenburg.  Guess which one I went to?  Bingo.  Right around nightfall and the middle of nowhere, I realized my mistake.  I asked one of the two people on the train if there was a hotel or inn somewhere.  He barely spoke English, but managed to convey that there was one a few stops down in a little town called Selbitz.  He showed me the stop and showed me the way to an inn.  The inn was picturesque with a little restaurant, and it only cost a little more than a hostel.  As a bonus, because I warned the hostel in Rothenburg I might not make it, they didn't charge me for the missed night.  It actually turned out kinda perfect.  While it was probably the most scared I've been on my trip, it was on my bucket list to find a tiny little town no one has heard of.  After I checked in, got some pizza, and chilled in bed, everything seemed better.  I woke up the next morning and explored the village and got some really good pictures :)  Around noon, I caught a train to my original intended destination.

The inn I stayed at

I stayed in a youth hostel in Rothenburg.  Typically, this means ages 18-35.  In this case, however, they meant any age, but mostly elementary school-aged German children.  It was really loud.  The first night I wandered around the shops and took the Night Watchman tour.  He explained how Rothenburg was a very prosperous city, but hit an economic slump and couldn't upgrade the city.  Turns out, all they had to do was wait 200 years to become known as a charming medieval city and tourists started pouring in. During WW11, Nazis occupied the city, but an American general refrained from destroying the city because he had grown up with stories from his mother about her visit to Rothenburg.

I woke up with the beginnings of a cold Thursday morning (still haven't gotten over it in fact) so I forced myself to stay in bed half the day.  I ran some errands and explored the city some more and visited the torture museum.  I was soon worn out, my energy sapped by this stupid cold!  I turned in early and left for Prague the next day.

Torture museum:  Masks intended for public humiliation

Onto the next adventure!