We asked the taxis but they couldn't get us there in time so we were forced to use public transportation. We made it about 2 stops on the metro and then the metro stopped. Buses stopped. The only transportation running was taxis and trains. In the midst of this Brenna is near fainting so we decided that it was already too late and we would just take our time getting to the station.
We finally arrive and the ticket operator informs us that we will need to ask the train conductor if we can get on the next train or else we would have to travel to the airport to buy new international train tickets. Luckily the conductor lets us aboard and we are only 2 hours behind in our journey. Wow... lucky. But the crazy journey does not stop there!
We are about 2 hours into our 6 hour train ride and then the conductor comes over the intercom and informs us that there is a train accident and we must get on the tracks immediately. And there would be around a 2 hour delay. The first thought that comes to my mind is are we on some sort of Final Destination senario? Did I just cheat death? Is death going to follow me? What are the chances that I could meet Ali Lalter?
We are delayed in some Eastern Dutch city for a few hours until we hope aboard our train and continue our journey to Berlin. We finally arrive a few hours later and what should have been a 6 hour train ride turned into a 12+ hour ordeal with death close behind.
We slept well that night and the next day we were set to go on a Free Walking Tour. Well actually it was about a 4 hour tour around the city to visit some awesome monuments and sites. Our tour guide was a young english fellow who was getting his History Doctorate at Humbolt University which is not in Northern California as I previously thought.
So what is the first thing we do when we get to Berlin's most historic plaza?
...We Ice Jonny!
The free tour was awesome (actually it's not free but you tip like ten bucks when you're done). We had an awesome tour guide who was English and pretty funny. It was about 3 hours long and we traveled in the most historical part of the city. 90% of the city was destroyed during WWII so only a few historical buildings actually remain. So it is actually the most American looking city we were in. Everything is new and from the 1970s or earlier. But there were still a few monuments and buildings, the coolest ones are from the imperial age in my opinion.
Berlin is such an interesting city. A very large portion of it was under Soviet control until the fall of the Berlin wall. And yes, it is actually true and well known that he was there the night of the collapse and did sing and was well liked. I mean I know I'm love history, but I found everything to be so interesting and so cool.
All traffic lights in East Berlin are different from West Berlin. They all have a guy with a hat on but in every other part of the city it is the same one as every other traffic guy in America.
We actually like the tour so much that the next day we went on another tour. We went to a concentration camp about 45 minutes outside of Berlin. Our tour guide was not as like able as the day before but it was still a great experience. This tour costed 12 euros to go on. It was a totally new experience. It was a concentration camp at one time that held every minority group the Nazi's were after... good thing Brad Pitt was around.
Not sure why they are smiling before going into a concentration camp... pshh! Americans
The camps name was Sachzenhausen and was primarily a labor camp for the Nazi's. It wasn't strictly a death camp like Auschwitz but there was a death section of the camp that did kill thousands during its operation. Once it was shut down when the Soviets came to Germany after the war, they used it as a military training center for many years. So only just recently has the old camp been open for tourism. They are just starting to get facilities and put money into the memorial, so in a few years time I think it will be an even better.
We all were craving Authentic german food and really wanted to go to a huge Beer House and drink some oversized beer. It was so good, wieners and schnitelzs and sauerkraut and potatoes and beer. I love German food! Best dinner decision up to this point of our trip.
The hostel we stayed in Berlin was.... interesting. We stayed in the GENERATOR HOSTEL. And our first impression of the place was on the subway. Brenna is chatting it up with some old people on the Metro... typical Brenna. And they end up getting off at the same stop as us. Now I'm in the back of the group and just see us following some old people so I assume that they are just showing us the way. Turns out they are staying at our hostel, which isn't to weird as I write this but I literally havent seen anyone above the age of 25 in a hostel yet.
(This is just a preview to thee interesting Eastern European Hostels we stay at, just wait for more posts).
But the old people weren't the crazy part. It was the massive amounts of 16 year olds that were drinking and chain smoking all around the hostel. Like crazy amounts. All German teenagers that were on a class trip to Berlin or something. Sounds like no class trip that I've ever been on. But it was so weird seeing all the teenagers drinking, I mean I am going to school to learn how to teach this age group. I don't want to drink with them!
The way the rooms got spit up was actually pretty funny. We were supposed to be in a room with each other but we ended up having to get split up in a group of three and a group of four. So the guys and girls split up. The girls were put in a room with 3 to possibly 4 Italians. They were all 18 and named Leonardo, Lapo, Fabio and some other name haha. And they absolutely loved the girls. It was hilarious because the girls just ate it up. Their little Italian Stallions ;)
We ended up with these two girls from San Diego. They were super fun girls with great senses of humor. Like the girl who called Nick- Gay, twice within just the first two hours of meeting him... haha purrfect! But they were heading to Prague next as well and we decided that we had to meet up to celebrate the Fourth of July as real Americans.
Our time in Berlin was short but it was a great experience. I learned so much of history from different perspective than an American version and everyone enjoyed themselves. I could definetely live in Berlin. It is actually a pretty young city and is pretty cheap place that is affordible to right near the fun and historical parts. It is not a very historically Bravarian city like Munich is but it offers something different. Its hard to explain but I know the next time I come to Germany it will not be for three days in one city. I would spend like 2 weeks in a few different cities. So much to see and do and try. I want to go to Octoberfest so if you are reading this and wanna make plans to go with me next September, lets start planning!
Off to Prague, Czech ya later!
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