2014-02-23 49 8

Location

The hashpoint lies on the parking area of a shopping center in Mannheim. Across the street are the formerly American occupied Taylor Barracks.

Participants

Plans

Thomcat visits Frankfurt this weekend and he wants to meet some German geohashers. This place is near Frankfurt, it is easy to reach from there and in the graticules around there live a lot of active geohashers.

Because he hasn't made plans until now, the time of the meeting is unknown. I can be at 8:31 at the station Käfertal-Wald of the regional tram 5 or at the hash at 9a.m. The hash is 2.2 km away from the tram stop. Another way to go there is by the tram 7 to the stop Vogelstang.

DODO will come by bike. But it's a 30 KM ride and I certainly won't be there before eleven (Ok, half past ten if I really hurry). Any time later until 4 p.m. will be fine for me. I'll have a look here before I leave home tomorrow.

Hopefully it's not too late tonight. Likely arrival times at Käfertal Wald are 10:33 and 12:03 - my preference would be for the former. --Thomcat (talk) 16:26, 22 February 2014 (EST)

GeorgDerReisende will be at the station Käfertal Wald at 10:30.

Revised comment - I will also arrive at 10:30; if we hear DODO is on the way, we will wait for him to arrive. --Thomcat (talk) 23:02, 22 February 2014 (EST)

Further information - I depart Frankfurt Hbf at 9:06 from platform 12. --Thomcat (talk) 00:33, 23 February 2014 (EST)

Mampfred, LadyBB and EmmJay will try to be there at 10:30, probably going straight to the hash. Not entirely sure if we'll go though, will decide in the morning.

Excellent, I look forward to meeting you! --Thomcat (talk) 23:02, 22 February 2014 (EST)

DODO: OK, I start at 9 and try to hurry. cu

Expedition

DODO

previous next

Friday afternoon 15:32 MEZ, oh well, lets see, what the weekend may bring. Saturday looks close, but Dossenheim is pretty inconvenient from Rheinau by car. Sunday looks close also, but "the parking area of a shopping center"? And the way leads through Mannheims and Ludwigshafens industrial areas, not inviting at all. But then Thomcat wanted to come and Georg made an announcement and things become more and more interesting. So after breakfast and sending girlfriend to work I had a look again: we will meet at 10:30! Oh, it's a quarter to nine, lets hurry. Change clothes, cleaning teeth, load Data to device and saddle the bike. The way to the hash was quite usual, unless I met an iron cow. I waslucky not to ride my iron bull, it would likely have gone crazy. When I reached the hashpoint, Mampfred, LadyBB and EmmJay were already waiting and were surprised to find me, as Thomcat and Georg would be waiting for me at the station. But with their experience and advanced technical facilities (including Thomcats mobilenumber) they solved the situation and short time later the last two arrived. We had some excellent cake LadyBB had prepared, Thomcat made several photos and then we decided to have a coffee together. So Georg led us to the next Mc Donald (all shops visible from the hashpoint were closed on sunday). Fortunately he decided to circle around the nearby barracks northwards, and so I suddenly see the possibility to try a tron achievement. The weather was extraordinary well and so we could enjoy our coffee outside. We played some straw-games (I hope, Georg made some photos of that) and finally diffused. On the way home it paid out that I lived in Mannheim for several years. So I knew how to reach the bridge without crossing my way, and I knew where to find the best icecream in town (especially when served with a Weizenbier).

Fun fact: Statistically I met one geohasher on every hash I attempted yet

I hope the other participants add all the social pictures

GeorgDerReisende

After visiting 2014-02-22 50 8 I left Butzbach in the evening of Saturday and started to hitchhike to Mannheim, with changes of cars at the service stations of Wetterau, Gräfenhausen and Lorsch I needed three hours. I asked for an internet café and found it behind the quarter Vogelstang. Then I bought a pizza nearby and walked into the forest of Käfertal, where I spent the night in a shelter.

On Sunday morning I walked to the tram station Käfertal Wald and waited there for Thomcat and DODO. Thomcat arrived with the tram at 10:33. Then we waited for DODO, but with the help of the internet we got the information, that he went to the hash directly. So Thomcat and I walked to the hash alone and found there LadyBB, Mampfred and EmmJay and we got a warm welcome.

After finding the hash I was so overwhelmed by the situation that I forgot to take the usual photos of the surrounding or writing a mark. I got a wonderful cake from LadyBB. After the wish of all for something to drink I guided the group to the next McDonalds. After another talk we decided to go. Thomcat walked to the tram station and I got a lift by Mampfred to the service station Pfungstadt, where I started to hitchhike to Dortmund for 2014-02-23 51 7.

Mampfred, LadyBB and EmmJay

Not that we have much to add. As usual we got going way too late on sunday so we went straight to the hash and skipped meeting the rest at the train station. We got there first and found a huge parking area more or less deserted. Not totally deserted though, there was a transporter slowly circling the lot ... Albanians from Back to the future anyone?

Anyway, EmmJay started playing with his toy bike and soon traded up to the car/cart hybrid you can see in the pictures below. Soon after DODO arrived and we gave Thomcat a quick call to tell them not to wait at the train station (not knowing that that would cost him money while his data plan for Europe is free. Jealous I am.)

When we finally met up we had some cake w/o coffee and later some coffee w/o cake at a McDonalds nearby. From there we went our separate ways.

Nice meeting you guys, especially Thomcat as he had the longest journey of us all. Let's keep the middle of germany as active as it is now :D

Thomcat

Did a bit of chat on the IRC and couldn't get too many interested in this geohash. Glad that a posting on the wiki had a different response. Yes, this geohash is not in a forest or near a ruined castle - but it was a chance to meetup, and that is always worth it. Turns out this was the 200th expedition in Mannheim, which is only slightly ahead of Seattle in the overall standings.

On my way! -- Thomcat (talk) @49.9938,8.6553 09:17, 23 February 2014 (CET)

Took the train from Frankfurt Messe to the main station, where I cached my luggage in a locker. No guarantee that a locker in Mannheim or other stop on the way would be of appropriate size, and the trip back through Frankfurt was roughly the same length as continuing directly east from Mannheim.

Played around with the (still new) phone on the way, snapping pics and trying different modes. It is very good to be riding a train instead of driving a car while doing this :) Exited the train at the right location and almost didn't get onto the tram leading to Kafertal Wald - I should have researched which way it would be going. As it was, it headed slightly north and then looped around to the desired stop.

Perfect weather for a geohash! On the local to Kaferta Wald. -- Thomcat (talk) @49.5376,8.5897 10:25, 23 February 2014 (CET)

Arrived to GeorgDerReisende snapping my photo - geohashing is a bit like celebrity in that respect. We conversed briefly and waited for DODO, reported to be arriving at 15 minutes until the hour.

Arrived - now we wait for DODO. -- Thomcat (talk) @49.5184,8.5381 10:38, 23 February 2014 (CET)

We're there and waiting. Got cake :) - Mampfred (talk) 04:47, 23 February 2014 (EST)

A brief call informed our group that DODO had arrived at the hashpoint. Either we misunderstood his intentions or he changed them. Technology saves the geohashers! We then walked around the north end of the former Taylor base. Reaching the shopping complex, we opted for the north route around, and I snapped a pic for facebook of a familiar sign - also alerting the rest of the group that we were nearby.

Toys R Us! -- Thomcat (talk) @49.5201,8.5540 11:13, 23 February 2014 (CET)

We arrived and hands were shaken. We compared stories, consumed cake, and smiled at the youngest geohasher in the group. Many photos were taken, hoping that some would come out (The two best group shots are below). After that, we left for coffee as has been detailed above.

Once done, we split our separate ways. I headed back to the tram stop solo, arriving with minutes to spare before the next tram continuing east. This led me towards Mannheim where I saw a ferris wheel (carnival at carneval?) and other pretty sights. At the Hauptbahnhof I confirmed my plans and arrival in Nuremberg, then grabbed a quick bite for the long train ride.

I greatly enjoyed my expedition to Germany (and the straw game!) and look forward to my next visit.