Suddenly, the high way was closed in both directions. A crane was in danger of collapsing onto the road. That meant – on a Friday afternoon – two hours in a traffic jam. Then all vehicles were diverted onto side roads, many of which were only passable in a single lane. The route took us through lonely forest areas that were suddenly packed with cars. It was raining and slowly getting dark. As I could no longer reach my destination that day, I decided to turn back. Everything was blocked and impassable. After seven hours of searching, I pulled into a small car park and looked for a way out once more. Four other vehicles pulled up beside me, all in the same desperate situation. “I’ll never get home!” cried a girl. A local man came along, like an angel. He’d also tried all the routes I’d taken. Nothing had worked. “I can think of one last possibility – a very narrow road that isn’t marked on the map.” We followed him – in the dark, on a slippery, rainy, winding road… After more than half an hour of uncertain driving through vast forests, we reached a main road. I saw a sign for a place I recognised, which had been just before the highway was closed. The journey continued. After more than eight hours in a traffic jam, I arrived home again. Guided, grateful and happy.
