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Monday, October 27, 2008 - Location: On-ramp Rheine-Kanalhafen
Weather situation: predominantly sunny, 12 °C
Start - 10.20 h
Traffic is notably low. Only few cars going up on the highway, approximately 10 to 15 in the first hour, most of them trucks that cannot stop properly on the ramp without blocking the whole street. Fortunately, the sun is shining and there’s only a softly blowing breeze.
Waiting - 11.15 h
Slowly I’m getting nervous. The few drivers that passed by only had scornful looks for me, everybody seems to be stressed today. Only two (or three) people show me with their forefinger down that they get off the next ramp - which is Rheine-Nord, perfect for me - but before they can understand my gestures of “Wait, stop, me too!!!”, they already passed by.
Hm, something is going on here - 11.40 h
For a second, I think about hitchhiking back to Hörstel for using a train. What else can I do? Few options come to my mind: Hitchhiking on the other side backwards towards the Hörstel ramp, then try it there, maybe a bit more traffic. Option 2: The train, option 3: Via Rheine. Which seems to cost a lot of time, I would need a lot of time to walk through town to get to a spot which leads me to the Rheine-Nord ramp, which - along the highway - is only a few minutes away. Or going via Neuenkirchen via the countryside. This could cost me 3, maybe 4 hours. I don’t know the roads, don’t have a map with me, only have an idea on which cities I could pass. And the road to Neuenkirchen is at the complete opposite side of Rheine. No way. Option 4: Waiting. The old rule must come true: Someone will stop for sure at one time, just have to wait for him.
Enough!! - 12.00 h
Traffic is so unbelievable low today, that it comes to my mind like a bolt from the blue: The roadworks along the A30! Of course, traffic jams since days there, so everybody is taking the country roads. After waiting such a long time, I get some food, have a rest, and stop my real hitchhiking trip for today. I just take position 10m behind the ramp along the road towards Rheine. Seconds later, I’m already sitting in a car going to the outskirts of Rheine. He’s a local from Rheine, driving around for his job.
Damn, the bus - 12.09 h
He let’s me out nearly at the beginning of town, and by walking I might need for sure 40 minutes to the other side of town, if not more. I just missed the bus a minute ago, so I start walking, until the next bus appears.
New horizons, new roads - they’re not far! - 12.50 h
Finally, I reach the road towards Neuenkirchen. I’m at the other side of town, found a good bus bay to stand on, just behind a traffic light. A lot of traffic, I expect a slow waiting time already and start enjoying the colorful hills in the background - yellow, red, brown and green - for the first time in my life I start to like this season - it’s autumn, bloody hell!
Here we go, my Turkish friend - 12.53 h
As forespoken, I get a ride quickly. Only towards Neuenkirchen, 9km, but hey. It’s a Turkish guy who just bought some stuff for his restaurant. Next time in town, I might buy a döner, for sure! 
Nice village, school finishes - 13.15 h
I walk nearly 15 minutes to the other side of town, trying to hitch along while walking, but nobody stops. Many children passing by, school just finished in Neuenkirchen. When I find the road towards Ochtrup and nearly reaches the end of town, a car stops. Another Turkish guy in a hurry picks me up. He has to reach Schüttorf in 45 minutes, he doesn’t want to be late for work. There was an accident near Emsdetten, so he’s already late, he says. I try to calm him down, saying that he will be there in less than 15 minutes if he keeps up that speed, but he’s too much in trouble with himself to listen to me. He let’s me out at a crossing in the middle of nowhere, to the left the way goes towards Schüttorf, I’ve to take the road further on towards Ochtrup. See the image below for some illustration.
What, a woman stops! - 13.35 h
There’s few traffic on the road here, from time to time a car with retired people passes by, not more. Weather is still stable, but behind me I already recognize a bunch of very dark clouds. It’s still some 25 kilometer towards Gronau. I enjoy the countryside, never been here - but lived nearby for many years. A lot of times I wonder how people often wants to travel long ways to discover new things, when they are just around the corner. I decide to travel more around my homeland, it’s a good alternative for boring weekends 
After some minutes, a woman stops for me, bringing me all the way to Ochtrup, complaining about the bad train/bus connection between her city and Rheine, and that she understands that people hitch instead. She’s so kind to bring me the the city center, so this time I don’t have to walk that much through town.
Good spot, sudden rain - 14.00 h
Some time later, I found myself a good bus bay at the end of town, some 10km before Gronau. The rain is starting now, and I decide to go the last meter to Enschede by the train starting in Gronau. But of course, first I need a ride before I get wet. Gesagt, getan, and an old man stops for me. I first felt uncomfortable in his car, the smoke of cigarettes everywhere, little dollies in the car, he himself speaking a bit confused. But luckily I wasn’t right with the first impression, and so the last kilometers we’ve a nice conversation about Enschede and it’s neighbourhoods. He brings me all the way to the train station, so I don’t get wet this time.
Well, the train ride was free for me (uhm…), and minutes later I arrived happily in Enschede. 2,5 hours trip from my home-ramp towards Gronau, taking the country roads. 46 kilometers in total, could be done in one hour by car, but hey, then I couldn’t have met nice people and would have had no time to enjoy the countryside
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