amkomst

so i am in a capital on the east coast of an island with a history of fishing and where they speak with a funny accent - how is this not st. johns?

the plan for the day was to get over the jet lag as soon as possible. the way that i accomplish this is to head to the hotel, dump my things then walk myself silly until i cannot stand any more than fall into a coma until the next day.

the flight was as good as it could be in seats made for someone half my size. but if i have to fly i like leaving the country as there are still the amenities that one is used to in fact more than i am used to as i had my choice of films - chose - breakfast at tiffany’s and manhatten.

i was lulled into a sense of security as i raced through customs and immigration - another nice thing about not being in the states paranoia is gone. this isn’t a culture of fear the “nothing to declare” option was an open door to the country.

problems started when the train wouldn’t take my bank card - but would take dollars (?). then i should really check the next time i pick a budget hotel. the room is the size of a closet -with the showers and toilets down the hall. it gets worse. i have to pay for wifi internet access.

i just assumed.

so in a mild panic i head back over to the station to ring the bank card company in the states. that problem solved - well not really - i then scope out the area to find a place with free internet access. but how do yo do this without the internet?

i wander in a daze for a bit than back to the station.

calm down a bit when i see a post office and post cards. i buy a dozen afterall isn’t this what people did before blogging. i notice other traits, people don’t have phones glued to their ears -although i have seen a few on the phone while biking. technology seems to know its place here as i pass cafés and see few people on a laptop, while there is a internet station at the station only a few people use it.

i reckon it is too dark for ziquinho so i take out the digital and wander the streets in vesterbro. it is great to be out of the midwestern grid as coming to a corner means a real decision, streets curve, they are at angles, one could readily get lost.

i am also glad that the fear i had entering the station proper isn’t holding up. the first thing i saw was a macdonald’s, at the airport there was a starbucks and leaving the station, vesterbro at least is mostly local well except for the hotels and the 7 eleven. a zig zag trying not to walk on the main streets until dark. when i thought that i would dine and being in denmark i chose indus - an indian restaurant not far from the hotel.

strangest thing during the evening wander. it seemed that on just about corner along istegade there was a lone woman saying something to the men passing. i couldn’t tell what it was being half deaf and they being so far the only ones actually speaking danish. then i twigged. passing the sex shops, the costume shops, the “toy” stores, they were that added accessory. the hotel is in the red light district.