So I am in a much better mood now then yesterday as today I actually did something!! It was a long day though but totally worth it. People are right- Berlin is an amazing city.
Hm, I woke up this morning to the sound of people moving. Over night my room had completely
filled up and now, we were 8. There were two old people bumping around in their underwear looking for towels and clothes and had no sense of quiet. At all. This was at 8am so I lay in bed only to then realise the guy in the bed perpendicular to mine was listening to really loud music on his iPod and that the other guy on the top bunk above him was snorring. I dislike sharing a room with one person, let alone 7. Anyway, at 9, I got up and had a shower then went downstairs and had some form of breakfast and then by 10.15 I was waiting to start the free walking tour the hostel offers.10.20...10.25...no one. There were 2 girls also standing around but I was far to shy to talk to them and see if they were doing the tour too so I just rolled my eyes becuase no one rocked up and then decided to go find the tour myself (you see, its
not the hostel who runs it, its just they take you to the meeting point of it). I grabbed a map and then jumped on the trains making it up as I went along. Amazingly, I found it straight away. It began just under the famous gate Brandenburg and there were people with signs, so it wasn't that hard really. I stood in line oly to notice the two girls from before had just arrive, with a guide who must've been running late. This time, I wanted to double check everything so I asked them if I was in the right spot. They ended up helping me and they became my buddies for the day.So, rather than bore you with the details of ALL of the tour I'll just do a checklist of things I saw in Berlin then go in to details if I have something to add.
Brandenburg Gate
Holocaust Memorial
The Reichstag
Above Hitlers Bunker in which he commited suicide. Theres a carpark there now.
The Nazi Book Burning Memorial
Checkpoint Charlie
Postdamer Platz
SS Headquaters
The Wall
Museum Island which includes the church in the above pic.
I think thats it... I dont remember OH! The same hotel where Micheal Jackson dangled his child.
Really, its hard to explain Berlins sights. Its really remarkable and changes so quickly. I think the Holocaust Memorial was just bizarre. Its just a huge amount of grey blocks which you can get lost in like a maze. Checkpoint Charlie was kinda stupid, I mean, I get what it was for and how important it is but the site now is quite retarded and a bit of an anticlimax. The whole Hitlers suicide place is quite amusing because well, its the ugliest carpark I have ever seen and theres just a sign that shows you where the bunker is. You cant go in there or get close but you can stand on top of it and not even realise it.
The buildings in Berlin are so nice too. So old looking even though they have been destroyed completely. Its mindboggling. Berlin is mindboggling.
I learnt SO much today as well. I mean, I had a brief history on Berlin and Germany in y head but holy shit. Its quite amazing. Its interesting how the Germans decide to remember somethings how they do and forget others completely. Its...amazing. At the end of the tour we heard the full story of why and how the wall got destroyed and that in itself is just such a story. One guys lack of knowledge accidently changed all of Germany completely.
Anyway, after the tour finished I was invited to go to a fleamarket with the 2 girls who I should
mention were named Emma and Lauren and where from London. So we caught a train where we meet Nate, an American who was on the tour with us and wa going to the Fleamarket too. He was really cool and the 4 of us chatted for ages until sadly, he got lost in the fleamarket which was massive and full of people. It was quite phenomenal. The now three of us did find a beach bar and had a beer in the sand then we made our way to the Sony Centre, famous for its modern design and shopping area. There, we watched a play on TV while having another beer from the WORST Australian bar ever. I say worst because of the service, not because of their Australian take-off. That wasn't half bad. Anyway, by this time it was 8 and they had a play to go to so agreeing to meet tomorrow and see what each others plans are, we said fairwell and I was alone again. I toured the city some more looking into more detail at some of the sites I had previously seen and looking in souvenir shops just to see what I could buy. I'll go back. At 10, I made it back to the hostel, had tea and then came and typed this blog. Good times.
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