Copenhagen Elephant Parade

Excitement abounded while exploring Copenhagen, Denmark, and the island on which it is located with my German friend, Melanie, whom I met in Washington, D.C. (You may remember her from my trip in July 2010 to Berlin.) I enjoyed the city immensely, after a couple of hours of frustration following my arrival when I realized one, I had reserved the wrong hostel; two, American credit cards are not accepted anywhere because they do not possess the gold chip reader; and three, getting lost in a city where cyclists are ubiquitous, seemingly coming from every direction, can be quite dangerous. Overcoming these initial challenges, I was prepared to go forth to generate some mental and photographic souvenirs.

Attracting over three million tourists each year, Copenhagen has a vibrant collection of neighborhoods and inhabitants. On bicycle and by foot, we traversed the funky student area of Norrebro, the classy area of Fredicksberg, the former slaughterhouse and red light district of Vesterbro, the historical center, the controversial commune of Christiana, and intersecting modern, gentrified harbor and old canals of Christianshaven. In addition to the exquisite Danish architecture, avant-garde street art, alternative public sculptures, and fascinating graffiti that greeted us all over this fabulous city, a parade of 102 painted fiberglass elephants added to the overall charm. As a means to decorate the city and contribute to a philanthropic effort to save Asian elephants, well known and up incoming Danish artists displayed their artistic renditions in various locales. What fun we had posing with these statuesque caricatures!

On a more adventurous note, we decided to take our rented bicycles on a journey through the Danish countryside of Zealand, which is the name of the island containing Copenhagen, from the center of the city to the very tip of the coastline to Gilleleje and back again. We anticipated a route of about 60 miles and surmised it would take us the better part of the day with scenic stops along the way. Never did we expect that we would cycle 170 kilometers (about 106 miles) of which we traveled 70 km (about 45 miles) in the dark of night without any light to guide us. We had planned to take the train back from Hillerod, the halfway point, but the price of the ticket was too costly for our strict budget, which we were determined to keep. Our only option was to return by bicycle.

I suppose the low point was the moment at which I turned onto a busy highway, on which it is illegal and particularly dangerous for bicycles to ride. Thankfully I stopped after a half mile when it dawned on me that I had made an incorrect turn. Melanie had tried to call after me to stop, but the noise from the cars and my audible prayers for safety masked her voice. We walked our bicycles back to the roundabout where we were able to follow a much smaller, calmer and more manageable road for cycles. The reflection of the white lines guided us back to Hillerod and onto Copenhagen. With exhausted arms, strained necks, and tender bottoms, we gingerly found our way back to the hostel, arriving back with the clubbers at 3 am. Always a story to tell! Praise Jesus he kept us safe from harm. We were certainly blessed.

Tip #4 for Traveling on 25 Dollars a Day: Ensure that your traveling companions are committed to the same budget as you. It is important to have financial continuity with your partner or group of friends. Financial consensus is as important as route consensus, so plan accordingly. Staying within your budget can be fun when all are in agreement. Strategize when to picnic or go out for a meal, when to go out for a drink or make some instant coffee and revel about the day, when to go shopping for souvenirs or take photos of the surrounding scenery.