A Collision In Copenhagen

Nej nej nej!” a group of Danes exclaim as our boat drifts toward their boat in the Copenhagen harbor. As soon as the white and black boats collide, nervous laughter fills the air. It feels like a slow-motion scene out of a movie until I realize that our boat is actually moving that slow, and no damage will be done. We offer a sheepish apology to the other boaters and continue to inch out of the canal and towards the open water. 

We rented a GoBoat for the same reason many others do: to take in the views of the city from a new vantage point with crackers, wine, and no other tourists. However, after the first 10 minutes, I began to question how safe it was to allow a group of eight college students with no sailing licenses to steer a boat on a busy waterway. Caroline, our designated driver, had her hands tightly gripping the wheel. No one dared say a word, fearing a second incident.

My new friend and captain, Caroline, steering our boat. May 2023

Three days earlier, we had all arrived in Copenhagen and met each other for the first time. Each of us had come here alone to study abroad. The excitement of being in a new place made it easy to form friendships with others who also wanted to explore the city. So when one of the girls mentioned renting a GoBoat, we all immediately were interested. The water was beautiful here, and in my few short days, I had already been dreaming of floating peacefully along the canals, enjoying the breeze. However, my dreams had not included a boat full of silent girls worrying about what would happen if we came face-to-face with one of the enormous ferries offering Sight-Seeing Cruises. 

As Caroline becomes more comfortable with maneuvering the boat, we begin to calm down and enjoy the ride. We opened the wine and started to munch on some of the crackers we brought with us–a perfect combination of salty and sweet. We sit next to each other, laughing about discoveries we’ve made in this new country and telling each other about where we live and go to college. A soft breeze ripples through the air, blessing us with some relief from the late afternoon sun. 

Inner City Bridge. May 2023

Above us, bikes speed to and from Nyhavn across the Inner City Bridge–a 180-meter bridge only for pedestrians and cyclists. I quickly discovered that being aware of cyclists at all times is key to survival in this city. Case in point: The first day here, I was so focused on following my phone’s direction and staying out of the cars’ way that I walked right into the bike path. This is single-handedly the easiest way to infuriate the locals. I would choose our boating incident over coming face-to-face with a cyclist any day.

Turquoise waves gently lap against the boat as we make our way down the water. I see kids of all ages jumping into the water from the wooden man-made cliff while passing Island Brygge Harbor Bath, and I make a mental note to check that out the following day. Everything we pass intrigues me as we travel under the city’s multiple bridges.

Island Brygge in the distance. May 2023

Sadly, our time on the boat comes to an end, and we return to the dock. Caroline docks the boat like a pro, and a satisfied smile washes over her face. We dispose of the empty wine bottle and tray of crackers and congregate out on the sidewalk, staying clear of the bike path. 

After our adventure, we’re all ready to sit down and have dinner on solid land. Taking the worker’s advice who helped us dock, we decide to check out Reffen, an area with endless food stalls, ranging from Nepalese to Kurdish street food. Reffen sits directly on the harbor, and locals and tourists alike recline in chairs by the edge of the water. Some have blueberry mojitos in hand while others sit peacefully, enjoying the lively atmosphere. 

I return to our table with a vegan bowl from the plant-based stand Burgers and Bowls, and our group’s table becomes a smorgasbord of all different types of foods. All around me are new people from different backgrounds, but I feel more content than I have in a while. I may not know this city too well yet, but I can’t wait to discover all it has to offer with my new travel buddies. There may be some bumps along the road, or boats in the way, but I have an inkling Copenhagen will make it worth it. 

July 14, 2023