Sunday 17th February 2013 (continued)
Day 23
It is a long and steep but safe climb down the gangway. I take out my camera and take a picture of Roy as he descends. He dislikes my obsession with taking pictures and I put it away. We enjoy the descent as it shows in physical steps just how huge this ship is from upper deck to shore. It is deeper still to its hull.
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| Down the gangway at Burchardkai. |
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| Looking up from the dock. |
The shuttle bus is waiting but I really want to take pictures of this ship of ours. Roy becomes stressed so I desist. We enter the bus and it drives us to the port entry and no further. There is nothing but wasteland outside. We ask about the Seaman's Club. The driver understands this but his reply, in German, I cannot understand. He drives to a white line and barrier, points forward and says, walk "five minutes" pointing forward. We can only get out and start walking. This was also the instructions we received from Captain Darko, Milos and Joey, so they cannot all be wrong.
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| CMA CGM Thalassa at berth. |
We become anxious because of our limitations, until immediately I see a sign; Duckdalben Seaman's Club with an arrow. This is hugely reassuring and I tell Roy we have to walk slowly and calmly. We pass a huge sign “Euro Kai” with cranes also working there. As we keep walking, Roy begins to worry that it is Sunday and the club might be closed. Let's not be negative. It is surprisingly deserted. We follow the road and at the end of a small cul-de-sac, I see another sign. We follow this onwards and enter a very pleasant looking compound. It has a duck pond with wooden ducks, fake icicles and more reassuring still, a small red mini bus pulls in to the car park. Seamen are shown to the door and we realise we have arrived and it is open.
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| The Duckdalben Seaman's Mission. |
It is a hugely warm, nautically decorated entrance with lots of items on display. It is lighthearted and over-the-top. We are welcomed by a couple of men. We just need to sit and watch. The three Indian seamen who preceded us were served with reassurances. I ask for the toilet and, with a friendly wave, am shown the way.
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| Realtime map of ships' berths and Duckdalben's position. |
When I return Roy is sitting on a couch and also watching. He has asked about Internet access and it is $10 for an hour. Has he asked about the fish market? Not yet. Despite all the friendly assistance being offered, Roy becomes tense. I ask a lady if they have WiFi. Of course! I explain that I thought an online map could help find our position, the town of Hamburg and a place to go. Roy believes this market will only be open for the morning so wants to go as quickly as possible. He goes to order a taxi to the fish market. I ask if it is open. "Oh no, it is closed by 10am. It opens at 4am and is already finished.” This is disappointing. We ask if they have a tourist map we can use. Only a large one to buy €5. We decline as it is a huge fold out travel map. I ask where we can go? The man, not pretty but voluble and smiling, comes over to help. Altona is a nice older area, the original outer town now swallowed up by expanding central Hamburg. He then gives us a few sheets of paper which shows the S-bahn underground rail system, the map of central Hamburg, the method to use the S-bahn, and the address and phone number of this club, even a list of quays to show to a taxi driver. He also hands us a photo of the Landungsbrücken station for ease of identifying the direction to the town centre, after exiting the tunnel. We don't yet know what tunnel. This is for getting to town. This is exactly what we need. Our taxi arrives and we drive to Altona. Where in Altona? We are not sure and we just ask him to show us. The driver is very helpful. The trip takes us around and across the bridge which we both remember Milos had mentioned. We watch as a typical German town unfolds around us. Everyone is rugged up. It is cold! The driver tells us he will take us to Altona S-bahn station where there are older streets, shops and cafes. This sounds perfect and he drops us in the taxi rank. This fare is €25. Roy says he really likes Germany and I agree. It feels familiar and comfortable. I remember I want to buy an eraser for my Sudoku. We pass many cake bakeries and the Germans really love their cakes.
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| Tempting German pastries. |
We enjoy the stroll along the central mall. The S bahn has shops inside the station but we're happy to walk a while. We see many people obviously out on their day off, carrying breads or cakes, flowers or just enjoying a morning out. Everyone is dressed warmly and sensibly. We pass a group of 'high' youth, loud and quarrelsome. We steer clear. Most people also look but stay away. We arrive at a bronze statue of an archway, an older woman sits slumped facing one way whilst a young eager woman stands seeming to urge herself forward. It is a poignant expression of age. We turn here and stroll along a different road. I spot a newsagents and we go inside for an eraser. Further along there is a cafe with chairs draped with warm blankets outside. We sit down and Roy orders a cappuccino for me and a beer for him. It is 10:30am. We just watch the passing parade. This is a lovely place to sit and the warm blanket is toasty. We are happy to just people watch. Roy has had a friendly chat to the waitress and she is happy to chat in English. We sit for a long while just enjoying the space.
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| Coffee shop and people watching. |
We decided to find a place to eat. We return slowly to the S-bahn area. The noisy, unpleasant vagrants are laughing and then we smell acrid smoke. It is a public bin that is alight in the mall. There is a police car there already. Next a full size fire truck comes to the scene. This is overkill and since there is no real danger, apart from the toxic fumes, people stop to watch. Children are fascinated and parents enjoy showing their little ones a fire engine, the men in uniform, the large rubber hose that is extended and the fire is doused. There was no threat so it is all a bit of a laugh.
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| Crowd entertained by firemen. |
We stroll on. The clothing stores all advertise in English. We window shop.
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| Gift shopping for sweets. |
I am now getting quite sore and tight. Roy apologises as he'd forgotten. We stroll into the station and he asks for a chemist. An apothecary. It is Sunday and they are all closed. Maybe at the Rossman store just outside. We wander around this store and I choose After Dinner Mints and stroop waffles. I also find an eraser. We are hungry and look for a restaurant. We see a sign for pizza but stop at a large, pleasant looking, well filled establishment. Very clean with kebab cones and wood fired oven. We take a seat. There is a bench for me under a huge TV showing winter Euro Sport. We are very impressed by the size of the servings. I choose a vegetarian pizza called pide while Roy orders a full meat meal. I lie down while we wait. It is very comfortable. To wash my hands, the directions takes me through a series of cavern like passages with stuffed birds and nooks of pretend nests, also there is bird song playing. There is another huge restaurant on the other side. I find my way back and relax. We are served and I find myself facing a family sized pizza with rolled over edges. It is delicious. Roy has a monstrous meal. There is a chop, a smoked mince meat sausage shaped twist, some chicken shredded kebab and also a full chicken kebab such as we saw in the window. This is served on two types of rice, a small pizza, a dollop of thickened yoghurt and salad. We are amazed at the quantity and I take a picture. Then we eat. Naturally I cannot hope to finish my meal. We watch as all the other patrons do, even the children. No alcohol is served so Roy has iced tea. We see this is called Koz Uraf, an Anatolische Specialty. As there is also no pork on offer this is presumably a Muslim restaurant. It is excellent food, there are hardly any empty tables. I eat with relish and it is so delicious. Roy also is eating like a starved man. All his flavours are enjoyed and I taste some of his, too. Where in Perth my pizza would have cost $25, this costs just €5. Roy's meal enough for three persons is just €13. He has also ordered extra bread, a thick soft Lebanese bread the total bill is under €20. I wrap my other half pide into a napkin to take on board for a snack. I lie down again afterwards to ease my tender back. It helps. Roy asks for the bill. He decides to return to the station just across the street to buy an English newspaper. It is Sunday so he gets the Daily Mail and the Telegraph. I stop at the Information desk to ask about the train to Landungsbrücken. :::: This is easy, two levels down onto platform 1. We are not ready to go back yet. Roy is keen to sit somewhere warm and despite the walk we return to the small bar/cafe. We go inside and we relax. I order hot chocolate and lie down on the couch. It is comfortable, I remove my boots and we just read and settle for a few hours. I read the Sunday supplement, full of puzzles. It is necessary to just stop. At about 3pm we are ready to return to the Seaman's Club. We stroll, sitting occasionally, and get back to Altona station. We descend to platform and soon a train transfers us to Landungsbrücken station and we rise to street level. I was extremely nervous but Roy is blasé. We have arrived at the people's harbor as opposed to the commercial container quays. We are amazed at the beautiful harbour architecture with old buildings and wonderful towers.
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| Hamburg harbour clock tower. |
We watch from the bridge crossing as ferries zoom on the water. It is like a bus stop on water. We are not quite sure where to go but the paper from the Club shows the direction to the river tunnel. We feel ready, and rested, so wander to a huge beautiful domed building and enter.
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| Looking out of tunnel entrance before descending. |
We descend with others by lift to a tunnel. It is spectacular and we walk with others, also tourists to the other side. It is old, tiled, beautiful and we go slowly.
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| Fully tiled and decorated tunnel. |
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| A slow stroll takes us under the Elbe River. |
We ascend to street level. It is on the harbour/port side but there is nothing there. It is like a deserted area. We walk around part of the building to a dead end. We ask a young couple on skateboards for directions and they have mobile GPS. The address of the Duckdalben Club is a long way away. Not walking distance. We don't know what to do and they cannot help further. We walk all around the old structure of the tunnel exit. Roy is certain there is something more here and it does seem strange to have no tourist outlet with so many tourists walking this tunnel. He is right and eventually we discover an embankment overlooking the river, with a fast food coffee caravan. Many people are watching the view. We ask at the van and the lady phones the Seaman's Club for a bus pickup. This is such excellent service and we are amazed at the help given.
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| South bank of Elbe with excellent seaman service. |
A man with his beagle is asked to walk us to the designated bus stop. He's an old ships' broker and lives right on the river bank in sight of this wonderful River Elbe. He is happy to help and we chat about his dog and its knee operation. We sit at the bus stop and soon the bus comes. The driver is pleasant, chats and is a volunteer, two days a week to drive, pickup and deliver seaman to various points and collect them from ships. He gives immediately to us a slip of paper with one hour free internet for us each, for the club then drives first to another quay to collect two Indian seamen, then receives another call to collect four others. Everybody says which ship, where they are from and how long on board. It is easygoing and supportive. Again free internet is offered with password. We arrive at Duckdalben and walk inside. It is a welcome refuge. At the corner table are our own Captain Darko, Zoran, Dario as well as two new men. This is our new Captain and the Chief Engineer. We are all introduced and we sit at the next table. Roy offers to buy a round but it is declined for now. I am so amazed at the friendliness of this club. This time we are more warmly helped. We drink and watch as I lie down in comfort. Roy goes outside with the other smokers and he is gone most of the time. I don't use the internet this time as I just want to rest. I drink lemonade and just watch. I wander around to check the many items on display. The original man who tried to sell us the map of Hamburg, is overly friendly and helpful. I believe he did not realize, on our first meeting, that we had come from the container ship. We are shown his old town area, given tips and shown around. It is a bit over-the-top but probably with Roy being told €10 per hour internet, €5 map and a taxi ordered they are embarrassed that we were treated so differently from these other seamen in need of guidance, just like us. It is good that we returned. The new Captain chats in a very friendly and open manner. He offers to show us a river ferry access to Landungsbrücken on his office map. Roy's instinct was correct about coming back for a drink here. A motherly lady is also serving and is welcoming. A couple of girls are there, visiting with just one, not so friendly, female accompanying a man. Vido puts two beers on the table for Roy and me. We see Sammy and Gary also visit briefly. I am quite tired but Roy is connecting with these men; now at the end of their journey and contract. They leave at 5am tomorrow. We leave them to walk home, then we take a volunteer's mini bus to the ship's port entrance. We are taken to the gang way by shuttle. I still try to take pictures but we are tired and need to go up.
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| Back on board and rest. |
It is slow and finally we are welcomed home with smiles and warmth. We head up the lift to our cabin. It is good to return after such a long and eventful day. I am amazed. We undress and I unpack the backpack because tomorrow we will be going back out again. We lie down and Roy is asleep within minutes. He had quite a few beers and of course is tired, too. I write my diary to catch up on the events of the day and it takes till midnight. Though physically exhausted my mind is still alert. I meditate to sleep. The unloading and loading of containers goes on. ::::
For YouTube video of Hamburg visit click this link:
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