Berlin by Day

Oh wow, I'm just hyped up on blog entries lately.

Now that I have Carnivale entries under my belt, it's time to resort back to my little weekly updates on the beautiful cities I get to visit!

The weekend after Egypt and Rome, I was very undecisive about where I wanted to go. A large group of students were heading to Berlin and another group were staying home, and I was very divided. For some reason, the images of Berlin I had concocted in my mind were composed mostly of a stern society, gray, cold, and haunted by a violent Nazi past. However, I felt rejuvenated after our Carnivale and felt that traveling with a new group of people would be a lot of fun. I was right.

Berlin was totally different than I expected. It is a city with one of the most dramatic histories in the world, from a German state capital to World War 2 to the Berlin Wall, it is impossible to ignore the past that has created such a dynamic city. But, beyond this often traumatic past, Berlin has risen up as an economic and cultural capital. It is completely immersed in an open and Bohemian atmosphere. It is full of life and expressive people, with one of the most lively night lifes we have seen thus far.

We got into Berlin pretty late on Friday night after a long train ride. I had a phone interview that night at 9:30 pm so I was unable to take part in the "festivities" on the train ride there. I was, however, able to capture memorable moments on camera and enjoy with a sing-a-long of Dankeshein.

We all arrived to our hostel and proceeded to take advantage of the wild night life that Berlin has to offer. The first bar we haunted was called "White Trash, Fast Food." Talk about homesick... When we walked in I was awed almost right away. It was not a trashy bar, but rather a more of a goth style. Head banger music, barbed wire around the bar, glow lamps in the shape of skulls and, of course, Christmas lights. The topper of the night was a woman wearing a bright red belt around her torso and matching red heels. Oh, yup, that was it. She was nude except that. Walking around the bar. I've never seen the boys' eyes pop out of their heads so much. The bar was much worth it though for the delicious late night nachos (two plates) that the group inhaled.

Berlin was one of the largest groups I had traveled with, with almost 40 MUDEC students making the trek to the historical city. It was quite the show trying to usher the group to the hostel and have us all check in at once. Knowing that this group was a taddddd bit too big to tour the city with, my three roommates for the weekend, Ally, Sophie, and Taylor, and I, decided to venture out on our own. We went hunting for a good breakfast and found the most amazing place. We each had eggs and bacon and yogurt for the first time in months. And inhaled it. Ah, I'm getting hungry thinking about it! You don't realize how much you miss certain things when you're abroad. After inhaling such a meal, we made our way to start our day tour of Berlin!

Our first stop was by the Monument to Murdered Jews located by the Brandenburg Gate. The monument is composed of a series of steal blocks, reminiscent of large coffins, placed in a square park. They vary in height and the sidewalk criss crossing through them rise up and down, with the center of the monument having the tallest blocks and lowest sidewalk. It is very erie to walk through, almost as if there is no way out but you always think this path will have a close end. They large blocks tend to tower above you and you can't escape the cold since the sun doesn't shine on all the path. The four of us meandered the monument deep in thought.

We also visited the museum that was located beneath the memorial. I was awed by the amount of security that was enacted for us to entertain the museum. Each one of us had to enter at a time and only 10 were allowed in the room at a time. All metals had to be removed, bags scanned, and people had to go through metal detectors and scanned by those wand things. I think it was honestly more intense than the airport security I've been going through. The museum was much more modern and dark. It focused on individual stories instead of just the number, with rooms dedicated to letters and postcards that had been recovered, entire families that had been wiped out, and the oral telling of individuals who were killed. It was a very solemn experience and touching. I think we were each deeply affected. I was surprised it wasn't much larger, however. We also learned, in line with the security, that all the blocks located above ground were made so all graffiti could be washed off.

After the museum, we wandered the Brandenburg Gate then to the Reichstag. We decided to wait in line for the chance to climb to the top of the parliament building for a view of the city. Despite the long wait, it was totally well worth it. The top of the Reichstag, after being completely destroyed in World War Two like most of the city, was rebuilt with incredible modern architecture of all glass, steel, and mirrors. You round your way up the dome and see a stunning view of the German sunset. There was also a large mirrored figure in the center that climbed to the top, which added an entirely new dimension. We took a break at the cafe at the top as well before figuring out our next move.

I'll keep the night hours for my next entry!