Rat-Town

A couple of years back, I made a business trip to the historical (ehem more like "legendary") town of Hamelin, north of Germany. Hamelin is pronounced Hameln by the Germans, so I didn't realize at first that it was the same town, where the legendary Pied Piper lived.........

Not that it matters to me, I hate rats. I think the Bangsar folks should symphatize with the good people of Hamelin. (For you ppl who are unfamiliar: Bangsar is an urban housing estate in Kuala Lumpur, well known for its rat problem. The area is noted to be one of the most expensive and posh neighbourhoods in the district and well frequented by the expatriate community....as well as the rats)

Anyway, the town's pretty scary......looks like the folks there ought to demand reimbursement from the so-called rat catcher aka Pied Piper. Cause the rats didn't seem to have left at all !!!
There were rats everywhere !!

There were rats playing football.....

...Andy Warhol rats
















Can you spot the gay rat amongst the straight rats (hint: what's a gay rat's favourite color ?)
















....glittering rat waiting at the entrance to the breakfast buffet















......never knew that Mickey Mouse had a cousin....."Ricky the big fat Rat"















Hell, they even have a house for rats ! (Just kidding, it's the local city hall)















Long after the rats have taken over the town by storm, the Rat catcher aka Pied Piper has since retired and works as a bouncer by night.
















.....the river, where the rats drowned















....for those of you who can't resist the temptation to gamble,

here's what the local Lotto outlet would have looked like a 100 years ago....
















....local hangout for rats....the rat bar















The modern Pied Piper has discovered a new way to kill rats.........come
my little sweet ratsies, come follow me to....















.....McDonalds !!! The fastest way to kill rats....stuff their arteries with Trans fat



















What McDonalds would have looked like 100 years ago....















Unlike its other rat infested sister city, Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur, Hamelin is NOT very happening in comparison.
To give you a broad idea, here's what the Bangsar crowd would look like after 7 p.m.
















....in comparison a deserted night life in Hamelin after 7 p.m.
Can you spot any signs of life in the pictures below?
Even the restaurants are closed after 8 p.m. The rats come out only after 10 p.m.
















And here's what the town looks like at 9a.m. in the morning....
Looks like the rats have eaten all the tourists....
















...magnificent architecture though....
















I'm just glad to have survived Rat Town, as I like to call Hamelin.
In three words: quaint, cute and lonely. It leaves a ratty taste in my mouth.

So, if you ever happen to be in Northern Germany, and you encounter this sign at the highway exit.......















........just drive off as fast as you can.....and call the exterminator because the Pied Piper's out of business.