Captivating Tales of a Pirate in Berlin

The plank awaited me. I stood on the edge of a river with a canal boat just meters away; a wooden slat provided the only way to cross. My hands, full of bags, reflected my inability to pack and frantic rush to catch that morning’s train.
“How did I end up here?” I thought. Oktoberfest might have been the best time of my life, but it did not come cheap, particularly after spending a week’s wages on a dirndl, which still hangs proudly on display in my bedroom. Desperately low funds meant Berlin would be my final port of call across Europe.
At eight euros a night, I couldn’t say no to “das Swimming Hostel.” When I arrived in Berlin, I took the tram to Potsdam, a small city on the western outskirts. At the stop, all I could see was a deserted construction site. I called the hostel to check I was in the right place and they assured me I would find them if I went through the site towards the river.
A few minutes later, I saw the canal boat Kamina floating on the river. A gaunt lanky man with a stretched shaggy beard stood on the deck of the boat. Half expecting him to yell “ahoy,” Captain Thomas gave me a spirited wave and told me to walk the plank to get on board.
I wondered, “Are these old men going to murder me? No-one knows I’m here right now.” As I had no money to go elsewhere, I walked the plank. At the very least, I knew it would make a good story.
Work was still being done on the boat as they were “fixing her up,” but immediately I was welcomed to the rustic atmosphere and incredible hospitality of the folk on board.
The chef, who I still refer to as ‘my pirate friend,’ rowed me in and out of the city with his wooden boat each day. As one of the warmest people I have ever met, each boat trip became the most exciting part of my day. He would reveal his fascinating life to me - including the stories of his time as a real pirate! As a taxi driver, when the Berlin Wall was up, he smuggled saxophones in the bonnet of his vehicle between the East and West. I was in Berlin on the 20th anniversary of the Wall coming down and, as emotional as the ceremonies were, it was hearing the nostalgia in this pirate’s words which gave me any sort of understanding of the impact the Wall had on the people.
The ‘pirates’ spent the four days cooking fantastic meals, playing endless board games and filling me in on the enchanting stories which had led them to living on a boat. I only wish I had encountered that plank earlier in my trip so I could have stayed for longer.