The Field Trip

You would never guess it considering I babysat throughout high school and college, but I don’t really like children. Ok, I take that back. I like some children (like the ones I babysat). But I hate large groups of them, especially when they are on field trips and in public places. I first encountered The Field Trip on the train from the bus stop to Hallstatt – I noticed the group of about twenty 10-12 year olds in matching orange t-shirts and hats and didn’t think much of them, until they got off the train with me at Hallstatt. By the time they overran me on the ferry, I wished the two adults with them had more control over their group. As they overtook me once again walking through town, I was annoyed but figured I wouldn’t see them again. I was wrong.

I walked to the ticket office of the funicular of the salt mine tour, and lo and behold, it was The Field Trip! I was one of the first ones on the small funicular, and after waiting for about five minutes the four other adults and I already on the tram were bombarded by running and screaming children. Most of them entered the lower level of the funicular (whew), but then one child decided to come up to my level, and before I knew it, they all wanted to follow their friend and about 15 of them were surrounding me. I was pushed into a corner and had to deal with their moving and shuffling the entire way up. I noticed they didn’t start walking to the mine immediately after getting off the tram, so I thought maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t be going to the mine the same time I was. I was wrong again. They got there about 5 minutes before the tour started, and took over the dressing room. I wanted to wait until the next tour, but decided an hour sitting in a little café with nothing to do would be worse than going on the tour with The Field Trip. It turns out they were pretty well behaved and I was pleasantly surprised….I just learned to hold back and let The Field Trip go first at all times. After the tour, they headed down the mountain towards the funicular and I held back before going down as well. I entered the terrace of the restaurant, ready for a nice, relaxing lunch, turned the corner and yet again…THE FIELD TRIP! I about died. I literally could not get away from them. They probably thought I was a pedophile. The last I saw of the The Field Trip was later that afternoon, as I was sitting on the balcony of my hotel and I saw them board the ferry to return to the train station.