Today's Hike. A Tough Stretch With A Lot Of Literal Ups And Downs. The First Picture Is Of A View I Enjoyed

Today's hike. A tough stretch with a lot of literal ups and downs. The first picture is of a view I enjoyed while listening to Manowar. I felt very metal, walking through the German forests with the Kings of Metal album blasting through my head. It also sped me up a bit, leaving me completely exhausted when I reached the top. The next two pictures are of a plant that always reminds me of dinosaurs. I don't know why, but every time I see it, that's what pops into my head. I have this memory of either reading or someone telling me that during the time that dinosaurs were alive, these plants also existed. And then I saw a lizard! I kept snapping pictures of it, while going steadily closer to it, afraid it might run away. When I finally got this close, I started getting worried it might pounce on me and that it might be poisonous. I know pretty much nothing about lizards (salamanders?) so as ridiculous as the fear felt, I still drew away and walked on. Then there are some pictures of the trail. Someone pointed out to me that the strange square rocks in a previous post might be caused by natural erosion. So I had to look up what goes into building trails. If you want to know more, just Google it. Basically, I couldn't find any information on a rock-carving machine, but in a lot of places the trail looks like a wedge cut out of the rock in order to form a level road. And then on some dirt roads, like in the picture, the rock seems smoothed down to the level of the dirt. I have no idea how old these roads are, so it could be natural in some places and man-made in others. Or both. But one thing I figured out was the use of the metal ditches dug into the trail. They're to lead the water away from the trail, so the trail doesn't become the next river. I admit, this seems fairly obvious, but I hadn't really given it much thought beside "strange." I honestly don't think very deeply while hiking. My mind seems to clog with the exhaustion. At one point I couldn't remember how to tie my shoelaces. I really had to stop and think about it for what felt like a full minute before I could recall what goes where. As in, how to tie a knot. It was a hot day. And the last is an uplifting photo of Chanel rolling in something that's most likely very gross.

Checked into another hotel a few days ago in Germany. It was even better than the first one, mainly because the minibar was stocked with these cute, tasty, and tiny bottles of wine and chocolate. Guess what I ended up having for dinner... Also, the ashtray sign makes a bit more sense when you know that there's a balcony the size of the room connected to the room. But it's neater taken out of context. And the initial photo is Chanel eating a dental dog bone in the bed. She jumped up there the second she got it, and I think she's unsure of whether I approved or not. I just patted her on the head, and then went and had a long shower.

So today started out as one of those days that just... suck. I woke up feeling fed up with all this effing walking, with camp grounds, new people, eating readymade food from the supermarket, having to pack and unpack every day, planning my route through Google Maps, etc. I was lying in my sleepingbag, recalling with a groan that my newly washed clothes were still hanging to dry, but that it had also rained heavily that night. I got up to check on them, and found that while all were drenched, half of them had further more been blown to the ground during the night and were now both wet and dirty. My mood didn't improve. I hung everything up, ate some breakfast and passed a few hours watching tv on my phone. I called my mom to tell her that I was fed up and wanted to go home. I have to call my mom in these moments, because my dad, my boyfriend, my sister, my friends, basically anyone else would just agree with me and tell me I should go home if I didn't feel like doing it anymore. Not my mom. After listening to me whine for a while she told me to suck it up, give it a few more days at least, and buy an ice cream. Even though I told her what I thought she should do with her ice cream, I grudgingly had to agree with her. I packed up my stuff, put on my only slightly damp clothes and set off. I had the route planned out on Google maps, but after an hour the route tracks suddenly stopped. According to Google, the tracks were supposed to go on through what seemed like a forest all the way to my next destination. But in front of me was only tall grass and prickly bushes. I felt like throwing my backpack to the ground and setting it on fire, fully aware that I would be forced to go home if I did. My already foul mood flared into a thunderstorm, and I thought I was going to start screaming like a lunatic. I turned around and started walking back the way I had come, not really sure what to do next. I turned on some heavy metal to take the brunt of my aggression. One solution filled my thoughts: Hotel. I wanted my own room, my own bed, my own bathroom, my own shower. Something I hadn't had for about a month now. Through the internet I found a hotel near my intended destination and a route there with public transportation. I called to make sure they had space and placed a reservation. When I arrived I left my backpack and Chanel in the room and went to the nearest supermarket. I bought strawberries, bretzel, iced coffee, chips, candy, a sandwich, beer, cake, ice cream, a luxury dinner for Chanel, and a treat for her also. When I returned I gave an expectant Chanel her snack, and she instantly returned to the bed to sleep. I figured I'd have a quick shower. While standing in the shower and thinking about the groceries, I suddenly felt like doing something I haven't been able to in a long time: drinking beer in the shower. I went back to the room, butt naked and with water dripping everywhere, and got a beer. Back in the shower I remembered that I had an ice cream melting at the bottom of my shopping bag. I went and got that too. I thought about getting my Kindle, but was worried it would get wet. So instead I got my phone, turned on an audio book, put one of the smaller towels on the shower floor and made myself comfortable. Half an hour later I emerged slightly buzzed and with a significantly heightened mood.

Considering that it looks like the trail has been cut clean out of the rock, I’m going to insist that what I’ve been unsure of whether to call mountains or hills, are mountains.

Also, how did the rock end up looking like that? What kind of machine did this? I’ll have to remember to ask the Germans. I’m sure if I asked my parents they’d tell me that it’s a bird or lizard specific to the Rhein area that cuts the rock like that in order to lay its eggs in the cracks. They’ve always liked telling ludicrously bullshit stories when asked stupid or meaningless questions. I have to admit, I do the same sometimes.

"Dammit, Europe, more work and washingpowder staff?" Another case of my initial German translation upon reading something out of the corner of one eye.

Thunder is a lot more menacing when you're sleeping in a tent.