If you see her, say hello.
Before doing some hiking in the German national park Sächsische Schweiz, we also had to hitchhike of course at least one time. So for what, we got out of Schmilka, hitchhiking towards Bad Schandau, the next village for starting the hiking through the mountains. 3 minutes waiting, an old couple stopping, and there we have our ride. Fortunately, we had some seconds for making a picture of the scenic spot. To the left, a small bus stop and the Elbe river, to the right, the national park mountains. Nothing else.
Business as usual
On the 24th of September, when hitchhiking back to Enschede, I got picked up from a truck in Rheine-Nord. According to the spot, it’s like a miracle that he stopped. No doubt, blocking the whole street for nearly a minute just to pick me up. The fearless Dutch. Anyway he’s not allowed to pick up people like me, according to his boss, but he doesn’t care anyway. The only thing he cares about are the 25 tons of vodka (!) in the back of his truck. Nice, man!
A week later, when hitching at Rheine-Kanalhafen, my starting point for going west, I already estimated a waiting time of 2, maybe 3 hours to get a ride. It was Sunday, midday, and all I experienced now on Sundays are families and retired couples, so hitchhiking? No-Go!
But, well, you got it: The second car stopped. A landrover, naughty Dutch driver, going all the way to Hengelo. Perfect. When I asked him where he just now came from, his answer was “Working, here and there”. Vaguely, I already knew it. The only business that is obviously working on Sunday mornings is the bordel at Kanalhafen.
Yesterday, I hitched once more from Enschede, this time towards Uffeln. In Oldenzaal-Zuid there was enorm traffic, and so withing a few minutes (less than the usual 7!) i was sitting in a car direction Bad Bentheim. The driver was obviously overwhelmed of talking to me about his job, something with inspection machines and stuff. He went somewhere near Haselünne, which is deep in the valley, or in this case, the evil Emsland. Well, I got off just before the border (puh, thank god!) in the more friendly Grafschaft Bentheim, where; at the same spot as usual; I get a ride after no more than 5 minutes all the way to Osnabrück. I also denied a lift just seconds before, because the driver was going north towards Leer.
Hitchhiking is difficult? Hitchhiking is dangerous? No one picks you up nowadays? - Nonsense!
As while I havn’t had even a chance to enjoy the essential thing of the hitchhiking today - waiting at on-ramps, letting the sun shine on your face (yeah, there was some sunshine!), yelling at stupid drivers - the next ride was one of the awesome ones. A man in his suit, nearly 40, maybe already 45, directly started an interesting debate about education in Germany. His wife is teacher at an basic school, so enough stuff to talk about. Even the traffic jam, which costs us nearly 30 minutes, is not annoying today. Whatever, at the Hörstel ramp, it’s another of the many bye-bye’s in your life.
I walk along the street, away from the ramp in direction Hörstel/Uffeln, when after some minutes a second car (first who stopped went to Ibbenbüren, wrong way) stopped. A colleague from Uffeln, what a coincidence.
Hitchhiking Theory - How to hitch from Hörstel ramp towards Uffeln
I experienced the way from the Hörstel ramp towars Uffeln as quite easy to hitch, maybe coincidence, who knows. As in theory it’s not. In total, the distance is 6 kilometer. First, I have to walk or hitch one ride nearly a kilometer up to the L501. Most traffic is going towards Hörstel, so someone can let me out at this crossing. Traffic is quite low towards this crossing though, because all Hörstel traffic can drive westwards just 100 meter behind the ramp into the village. Then, at the L501, Ibbenbürener Strasse, there’s enough space on the hard shoulder to stop cars. Traffic should drive 70 km/h maximum, but well we’re in Germany, so expect cars going 100 km/h. Here I could catch a ride in maybe 10 minutes, going towards Püsselbüren, Ibbenbüren or Dickenberg. Maybe Uffeln, but that’s wishfullness. So the second ride might go anyway along this road, and can let me out at the crossing Hauptstrasse/Ibbenbürener Strasse where you also find a big service station. Option now is to walk nearly 2 kilometer to the village, along korn fields, the Dickenberg (a hill) to your right. Or you can hitch. 50 meter behind the crossing, there’s a bus stop where cars can stop easily. Traffic is very very low here, so stopping along the street might not be that difficult. Or you can wait for the bus, that might appear twice a day. Don’t go further than the first corner, it’s a dangerous traffic spot. So in total, the 6 km hitching could be done thereotically in maybe 20 minutes and 3 rides, same time I would need if going by bicycle (including upwind). If you’re lucky, as I was the last two times, hitchhiking there takes no more than 5 minutes.
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