This is part of the third section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

Coming from  Denmark or read our previous visit to Germany
 

9/9/98 Across the border into Germany, down to Hamburg and to stay the night at Jan-Bernd and Anke’s place near Walsrode. They are planning a two year plus world tour on two GS 1100’s (they already own) starting in June 1999. They have been planning the trip for quite a while and will be very organized on departure. Sometimes it's a great way to help save and keep motivated while preparing for a trip, and planning can be as good as the trip itself. But they won't find as good food anywhere travelling as Anke prepared for us for dinner.

10/9/98 There was much discussion on where we had travelled and were going next and where Jan and Anke were planning their trip along with items necessary and desirable for a long overland motorcycle trip. Germany has an immense range of equipment, tools, gear and gadgets for motorcycles not easily available in Australia. It would be incredibly tempting to buy all the modern high tech gadgetry that would make you totally independent and slowly isolate yourselves from the people you are visiting. (Satellite telephone, GPS, computers, etc). Take the minimum and interact with the locals for repairs and services and watch how innovative they are. We visited the Serengeti  Park, Africa in North Germany (plus animals from other continents). The wide range of animals, some we have seen others we hope to see in the wild, make me realize we have stayed long enough in Europe and it's time to get back to the wilds of the world. Most motorcycle travellers, being Europeans, don't travel their own area first, choosing to head south and travel their home area in stages later, but for us Australians, Europe is so far away we usually only get only one chance, but it's soon time to move on.

11/9/98 Jan had arranged yesterday for us to be interviewed by the local newspaper outside a famous open air farm museum near his parents house a couple of hours towards the Netherlands. The interview went fine and the reporter arranged free admission to the museum including coffee. This new barter seems an interesting concept. The reporter gets the story, the museum the publicity and we get the free entry. No-one loses. The museum showed the inside workings of many of the enormous farms and farm buildings that we have been seeing dotted around northern Germany. We stayed the night at Jan's parents house, an old farmhouse itself, traditionally furnished with antiques but warm from friendly people living there.

12/9/98 Off to Anke's parents place, still heading towards the Netherlands. A quick lunch and headed out into more heavy rain after having spent three days with a couple of great families.
 

Move with us to Netherlands or go to our next visit to Germany
 

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