Getting to the train--Vienna

After deciding we were pros at the Austrian metro, we didn't think we had to worry about leaving too much time to get to the train station by 6:58 pm. We even stopped for another ice cream, served up by a very kind man who helped us pick out several different flavors to make up one scoop. We then went on down to the metro and back to the hotel. We got our bags from the front desk, and I double checked with the receptionist to make sure I was taking the right metro to the train. She said yes, just make sure that on your transfer you look for train S 8, 80, or 60 so that you end up at the train station and not the airport. Confident that I could switch over to the blue line on my own, we headed off.

We got off of U2 at the correct stop and started to look for the best way to get to the blue line. Then I noticed that the blue line wasn't numbered like the other metros--because it wasn't a metro line! So the race started to find where the metropolitan railroad was. My mom got caught at the light, but told me to go ahead and check it out, and that she would catch up. So I set off, finally finding the symbol I was supposed to follow, only to have it disappear.

I ran back outside trying to find my mom and eventually saw her. I sent her in to buy a streudle while I looked for the train (we had to try one--we were in Austria!). Then I ended up following her in to ask the cashier how to find the correct train. She pointed to the monitor outside, and I rushed to see if a train was going there. Nothing. Not 8. Not 80. Not 60. But then I took another look at the map, and noticed that S9 looked like it might go there. Just then my mom said, "Hey, this one says Sudbahnhof. I think it goes there!" This one left at 6:40, so we kept looking, knowing we would probably not make it if we tried that. Then S9 platform 3 popped up leaving at 6:25--in 4 minutes! We rushed up to the platform and got on the train that would take us to the train station.

I sighed in relief and checked the schedule above the doors to see how many stops until hours. When my mom heard my sigh, she said, "We're not there yet girl!" In three stops, a man by us stood up, so my mom showed him our tickets and he said he was on our train and would show us the way. We followed him a short ways to the station, and then he directed us to go up and to the right. When we checked the monitor, we realized we should have gone a different way. A very nice man saw me looking confused, and asked in German if he could help me. I slowly said, "Yes," in English, and he started speaking in English and told us which platform to go to. We thanked him and headed back a different way.

We saw our train at the tracks with a few minutes to spare. We sat in the first wagon we came to that said seats 65 and 66. How big and roomy, and even a plug for a laptop! we thought. We sat here for probably 30 minutes, tasting our streudle and Austrian chocolate, until a man came along to check tickets. He informed us we were in first class, but that our tickets were 2nd class tickets. He pointed out the way to go and sent us on our way.

I came to the first door. It said it was automatic, but I couldn't get it to open for the life of me. Finally it did, and we went through. The next door was the one that went to where the wagon connected with the next one. I got the first one opened and was standing over the hitch of the train. I couldn't get the next door open and the first one started to close on my large bag. Just before I turned and noticed this, I had the thought, what if the floor opens up when the door closes and I fall through? Needless to say, I freaked out when the doors closed on my bag and my arm and I couldn't get it open! I was trying to get my arm out and avoid being trapped while a hundred thoughts of death and falling flashed through my mind. Finally the doors popped back open and I got the set in front of me to open as well. "Sorry, I may have overreacted there. I thought I was going to die."

We then set off through about 4 wagons, one of which I will call the hell wagon because it was at least 110 degrees in there!! Hoping that our wagon wouldn't be this hot, we moved forward. When we finally got to our wagon and coupe, it was air conditioned! Some students from Arizona had taken our spot, but got up and moved when they saw us come in.

We ended up in the 6-seat-er coupe with a woman from the Czech Republic named Irina. She speaks some Russian, so we chatted for a bit in both Russian and English. So fun!

We have decided to try and avoid other similar adventures when getting to the next country, but are pretty sure we will have an exciting story just about every time we have to up and move.