Arrived in Germany

For now, following the 11 hour flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt, I caught a train into Heidelberg. Germany has some very nice and serene countryside. I especially like the difference in architecture. Old world, and is a good contrast to California. Heidelberg is quite a nice city. It seems that the University dominates a lot of the activity here. Interesting that when I walked through the Heidelberg train station, there was a kiosk selling hundreds of different surgical instruments out in the open. I didn’t know there were so many different types of forceps! Maybe if had better studied surgery in school then I wouldn’t have been surprised. After seeing this I really realize that this town , besides being quaint and beautiful, revolves around the University of Heidelberg which is a major medical school and public teaching hospital. (I will post pictures later.) It’s rather cool/cold and damp drizzly weather here. Although it’s not freezing. Good for me because I don’t like hot weather. I forgot to bring an umbrella so I ducked into a shop at the station and bought one.

We have reserved a two-bedroom apartment at the hospital guest house. (Germans call this three bedrooms. But actually it's just two "sleeping" rooms.) It’s 2400 Euros a month. It’s very close to the hospital. Very convenient. And since I don’t know our exact departure, I reserved it for two months. We can always cut it short. Here is the website the next time you need a place to stay while getting medical treatment at Heidelberg University Hospital:

http://www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/Guesthouse.8577.0.html?&L=en

But I can’t check in there until Wednesday Dec 2. So I had to get a hotel room for one night and found this really great little boutique hotel run by a very nice couple (the Bergers). The husband is from Indonesia and the wife is from Heidelberg. They have two very nice young children. What I really love is that the entire small hotel is 100% non-smoking! Mrs. Berger told me that no one in her family smokes and they don’t like people around them to smoke. What a breath of fresh air in Germany! If you ever come to Heidelberg, stay at this place. I recommend it. [Post transplant note: if I did not/could not stay in the University Hospital Apartment, definitely I would want to stay here. They have very nice long-stay apartment facilities relatively close to the hospital.] Here is the website:

http://www.hotelberger.de/en/start.htm

So Wednesday I will also find a cell phone shop that will sell me cell phone service while I’m here in Heidelberg. My wonderful cousin Judy will join me here on the 9th of December and then my wife, Yuko will join me on the 19th after she drops our two-and-a-half year old son, Riki, off with the in-laws in Japan. (My in-laws are wonderful people and very supportive!)