Hamburg - Oops

Tuesday, we checked out, grabbed a few pastries at a grocery store, metroed to the train station, shared coffees, and then got on the train for Copenhagen, through Hamburg. Well, over and hour or so later, and expecting to have already arrived at Hamburg, Vee asked some girls sitting near us if they were heading to Hamburg, and they explained that the train was not going to Hamburg. Apparently, at the last minute, and when we were already on board, they changed the platform for our train. So instead of Copenhagen through Hamburg, we were heading for a small town in the most northeastern part of Germany, totally in the opposite direction of Hamburg. We took the train all the way to the end, and then get right back on another one headed in the opposite direction, to finally arrive at Hamburg. We wrote off going to Copenhagen since we would not be able to connect and get there before midnight. Luckily, I was able to reach my sister via the cell phone, and with her and Dad's help, I got ahold of the hotel in Copenhagen, and got approval to reschedule our reservations for the next two nights, instead of tonight and the next. Finally, we arrived in Hamburg. We got a map, and headed out in search of a hotel. The direction we chose first was the heart of the Red Light district...ooooops!!! We found an Internet Cafe and tried to make arrangements there via the Internet, but didn't feel comfortable entering credit card info online there. We called a hotel, but they were full. We walked to the area of the city on the other side of the train station in hopes of finding something there. Thanks to the Lonely Planet book, we found out about another area of the city that is supposed to be popular and with a number of recommended places for lodging. We took the metro there, and had some difficulty getting acquainted. A gentleman carrying a newly purchased 6-pack of Becks beer asked us if we needed some help. He pointed us in the right direction and we ended up at the Schenzensteirn guest-house where they had one double room available. This is the first place that required cash payment up front, and an additional $10 deposit for the room key. The room was equally, distinct. We unloaded our things, locked everything as we always do, and headed out to explore the area. I can't go into much detail here, but I guess it would be fair to say that this area of Hamburg could be described as a bit "bohemian". We chose a corner pub/restaurant for dinner, and had a magnificently delcious, simple, inexpensive meal. Afterwards, we walked around some more. It was quite a memorable trip. Then back to the hotel for the night.

Wednesday, the 3rd of May, would be another full day of travel. We checked out, metroed back to the train station, encountered some more interesting characters and walked around the central part of the city. The weather was warm, the sky was blue, and the sun was shining bright. We got some coffees and pastries, and took some pics of the city. Then we went to the train station, got our reservations, waited in the lounge, and then got onto the CORRECT train to Copenhagen. The coolest part of the trip was when we realized that the train had actually been driven right onto a ferry boat, and that we were actually floating across the water, to Denmark. I got out of the train and explored the ship some, and took some video. After a few more hours, we arrived in Copenhagen. The hotel was real close to the train station, and upon check-in, they provided us with a map, we dumped our bags, and headed out to find something for dinner. The guy at the front desk recommended a pub just a few blocks away, and we had a tastey dinner, but it was WAY expensive. I could hardly believe how much it cost to eat in Copenhagen. Stuffed, we came back to our room, and went to bed.