The Good, The Bad and Deutsche Bahn

Rostock, Tallink Ferry

As if it had been a bad omen my train from Bonn was late. Only a bit. So, no worries.
Then, after a while I noticed a strange droning and vibrating coming from beneath our floor at high speeds. Apparently, I hadn't been the only one to notice because somewhere, I think Duisburg, they started checking the wheels making grave faces. Then they announced they had to reduce speed. Not good news on a train that was late 8 minutes at the time and me having a 30-minute window to conntect in Hamburg. We fell further behind. So, I asked. In Bremen we were whooping 65 minutes late. They advised me to change to the train to Hamburg an hour later - it had by now caught up with us. And, guess what, it was also late! And now I had a mere 8-minute window to connect in Hamburg. In short, we only made it because the conntecting train waited for us. Phew!
I arrived in Rostock one and a half hours late. And it really wasn't my fault! The shuttle bus to the ferry terminal had long gone. Only option now was a taxi.
To save Deutsche Bahn's honour at least a bit: they did pay for the taxi in the end.
I've got to say, considering that Germany is supposedly the country with the best infrastructure of the ones I'll visit, this is a poor performance. Even the cab driver said so. On the other hand, if this is any indication and it can only get worse I'm seriously worried. I can visualise myself having to get off the train in the middle of Siberia - to push!
On the upside: I did have my first pleasant travel encounter - a girl called Susanne. She was going to Bremen. A very nice, charming girl, training peadagogue for disabled children by profession. Very sunny mind set, laughs and smiles a lot. I told her about my trip and listened to her talk about her studies in Oldenburg, the recent death of her grandmother (here the conversation almost turned philosophical) and her boyfriend who went climbing in Nepal (who she worries about a lot). She said, I wasn't the only crazy guy around. "Let me give you a hug, backpacking globetrotter", she said as we parted on the platform in Bremen.
And then there was the old lady we shared the compartment with for a while. A regular in New York City where her son is married. His wife can't be arsed to learn German (why am I not surprised?). I did enjoy talking to her about New York and what a cool place it is.
So, despite difficulties I think this is a good start.