Since I’d arrived at the campground on Thursday after Reception closed, I left shortly after 9:00 a.m. Friday since I had to wait until Reception opened in order to pay for my site, such as it was. Found a tick crawling on me, but at least this time I didn’t have to deal with tick removal.
Having traveled much further north, I had only rolling hills all the way to Erding and Linda. I arrived by noon. We registered me at the hotel and spa/waterpark Therme Erding / Galaxy Erding.
Priority one for me was addressing the issue of bicycle boxes. Leaving Linda at the spa, I took a train into Munich with the plan of finding a place to stay for the night, while also making reservations somewhere for Monday and Tuesday night, and leaving the boxes there. Boxes which I still needed to acquire. On the train ride in to Munich I emailed a number of bicycle stores.
The first bicycle store I visited, near the train station, said they would have two boxes at 5:00 p.m. I walked to the nearby hostel to confirm I’d have a place to put them. They did not. Revising my plan, I walked back to the bicycle store. They agreed to make the boxes available on Monday. You might think I’d be done there, but you’d be wrong. I look back at my trip to Rome with Rob, where Rob had called a bicycle shop in advance and arranged boxes. And when we arrived in Rome, the process did not go as smoothly as we would have preferred. Given that packing the bicycles in boxes is a core component of getting home, I prefer a wide margin for safety. All in all I visited 13 bicycle shops Friday. By the time I finished, I had two bicycle shops agreeing to provide boxes on Monday. Another m said I could check back with them on Monday and they might have boxes (that being what has to be one of the largest bicycle stores in the world – the store took up as much space as half a Walmart). During my various visits, I received email from one of the previously corresponded stores, to say they sold boxes; I could pick up two boxes on Monday for 30 euro. The last shop I visited on the way back to the train station suggested I could get a box directly from the airport. I called airport information and learned that they sold boxes for 30 euro. I made reservations at the hostel near two of the bike shops with boxes and the train to the airport. I hopes that works out to be enough margin. I took a train back to Linda in Erding.
We spent Friday evening descending from great heights at great speeds, with the occasional crazy river or thermal bath thrown in. Saturday was more of the same, although the park had longer lines than the day before.
And one more exciting activity. Late Friday I received multiple emails from Lowe’s regarding my recent purchases in Kernersville and High Point – somewhat surprising since I’m roughly 7268 km from there. A case of identity theft, someone conpromised one of my accounts. Someone placed an order for pickup in High Point and picked up on Thursday. The second order in Kernersville had not yet been picked up.
My first call was to Kernersville PD. While I was told I would need to file a police report with Durham PD, they sent an officer to Lowes to investigate. My call to Durham PD was less successful. While I could call Durham PD, Google Voice would drop the incoming call from the investigating officer – a requirement to start the investigation. I asked about them calling my German phone number; they said they have not had a lot of success at calling out of country. I gave them the phone number anyway, and did not receive a call back, so that answers that until I get home.
While in my heart I knew what the outcome would be, I called my credit card company. They canceled my card. Linda and I left the US with five credit cards. Linda lost one of hers. She didn’t know the PIN for another one. The PIN on one of mine didn’t work. And now one of mine has been canceled. Five cards. Only one now able to withdraw cash. Good thing we both have some cash, and little time left in Europe. The time remaining we will spend in Munich, a large city.