Exploring Berlin

It took place on May 30th.

After going through the last night of delays and frights, I've decided to sleep for just five hours. After all, sleeping during the vacations was a waste of time. As soon as I woke up, I had a shower and went down the stairs for the hostel's breakfast. I was almost late for it, but the staff of the Baxpax Downtown Hostel was very nice and allowed me to have one last round off the buffet. It costs six euros, which I believe is a fair price, considering it is "all you can eat", and you have the comfort of eating without leaving the hostel.

While I was eating I have schedule online my visit to the Reichtag Building, the German Parliament which has a glass dome with a panoramic view of the city. After I have finished eating I was ready to start my adventure, right? Well, not so fast. The problem is that with last night's experience of getting lost, I was afraid of not getting along without internet (the curse of the century). With the hostel's WiFi I have text some friends through whatsapp with more experience on travelling, and ask them if would they recommended me a sim card, or something like that. But then I talked to the hostel's staff and they told me I could have a free map in the reception. Walking with a paper map feel like so Indiana Jones to me, but that's what I needed to do to the Berlin Wall Memorial.

In the streets of Berlin everything looks vintage and beautiful. I took pictures from the architecture of the common buildings to the sports cars. With a map in a hand, and a camera on the other, it was looking like the stereotype of tourist. But I wasn't worried about it, because I was proud of being walking on my own and getting to the Memorial.

The Memorial is made of an outdoor exhibition among the ruin of the original wall, and a indoor gallery with videos and testimonials from civilians. As soon as I get there, a summer rain starts to fall, quick but intense. I even had a small umbrella, but it was weak and it will not hold on in the wind for too long. So I ran para to entrance of the gallery, where there was other people hiding as well. It is funny how somethings always happen for a reason in our life... My misfortune was that some of the museums, including this one, are closed on Mondays. On the other hand, luckily I get to know Anders and Kaelan, from London, with whom I have continued my adventure in Berlin.

When the rain called a truce we where able the see the rest of the outdoor exhibition. There are histories of how people tried to get to the other side of the wall. Some of them made it by running through underground tunnels, sometimes simply jumping, or using a stair. But many other are killed in this process. Also there was the ruins of the Reconciliation Church, which was divided by the wall, and became a symbol of the division of the city. After the fall of the wall, the church was also demolished duo to the image associated to it.

Since the museum was closed, we have learnt some stories that happened there, and decided to return on the next day to see the indoor gallery. Among our conversations they taught me how to use the Google Maps offline for my location. For my surprise the GPS of the cellphone works independently of the internet and it's possible to download the map by simply zooming it in the desired location. With that I was also able to use Trip Advisor offline to find restaurants.

And talking about restaurants at this time I was already starting to feel hungry. Anders and Kaelan took me to try a giant kebab close to the Hackerscher Markt for only 4 euros. I had already "programmed" my brain to eat all kinds of food in this trip, without being picky. Then I simply asked to make me one with everything. The result was so tasty that even after returning from the trip I have decided to reproduce the kebab in a Brazilian version.

It is important to emphasize that eating with 4 euros is very cheap in Germany. What you should not do it converting the exchange rate all the time. The economy in Europe in based in euro, and not your local currency. As they say in Brazil: "One who converts don't have fun".

Next we went to a grocery store to buy beers, and I had another cultural shock... I already knew that in Europe there are many good beers with low prices, but seeing a Erdinger that I'm used to pay R$30 at Brazil, for sale at 1 euro left me speechless, and charmed by the life in Berlin. Without thinking twice we always bought 2 bottles: one for drinking and another spare for later.

We were walking now towards the Reichtag Building, where coincidentally our visits schedules were the same. In our way we have some time for sitting and relaxing in the Museum Island, a square with five huge museums e a beautiful cathedral. There was live music in the place and people are relaxing in the grass, working out, among other things. A very pleasant place. The culture all over Europe is treated with prestige, and all the museums looks like real palaces.

We also have been through other amazing places like the Humboldt University, and it's monument to the books burned during Nazi regime. The French and Germany chapels almost identical, e other beautiful sigh seeing until finally getting to the Parliament. Curiously all the parliaments I've visited had a Greek architecture as a reference to the origins of the democracy in the old Greece. In case you schedule your visit in the same day as I did, just make sure to have the confirmation of your reservations saved in your phone, because possibly your name will not be in the list.

The glass dome is spectacular. Taking a look on it from the outside is a sideshow. But inside it there is the story of Berlin with historical pictures of the main events that already happened in the parliament, with explanatory texts. Also there is a free audio guide for climbing the spiral ramp inside the dome. While having a 360º vision of the passionate Berlin, we learn about all the obstacles that the city has been through, and how it raises itself again to perseverance for over dark periods of history.

Our journey through the city's history continue at the Checkpoint Charlie, an old crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War. At the time it was heavily guarded with one tank in each side targeting one another. Today it became a touristic attraction where you can have your passport stamped like back in the day. It the streets around it there was also different pictures and galleries with historical pictures as well. Then we crossed to the East Berlin towards the Kreuzberg neighborhood and it famous nightlife. During this crossing I have made a important discovery to all backpackers: the big fast food chains (like McDonald's, Burger King, Star Bucks and etc.) have free WiFi, free toilet, and sockets to charge your phone. It is pretty common in Europe a elder person being responsible for the maintenance of the toilet, and charging you for it. But when you are having a new beer each corner, enjoying free toilets is a salvation. 

Getting to the other side of the city was pretty noticeable how it really looks like a completely different place. From the architecture of the buildings, parks and streets, everything seems to have it own personality. Kreuzberg is one of the busy areas of the city, but unfortunately on a Monday even the recommended clubs were empty. So we keep with our sacred "beer walk", knowing different bars and hot points of the city. At the end I tasted the traditional Currywurst from Berlin. The sandwich (if we can call it that way) is tasty and cheap, costing averagely two euros, but is not a unforgettable gastronomic experience, just a small bread with a big pork sausage and mustard.

And then I was already a little higher by walking through the beer heaven. We took a train back to the our hostels neighborhood and I said goodbye to my friends. My hostel was very busy at that time of the night in the bar, and the games room. Then I stopped for a while to talk to some people, and among they I met a German guy from Hamburg. He was just passing through Berlin for a couple of days, and gave me lots of tips of what to do in Berlin, as well as he's hometown. The most recommended place, however, was not in Berlin at all, but in Potsdam, a small city around Berlin, connected to it by the S-bahn train system. I like to see how some of things simply are too much coincidence. Then smiling, I replied to this German guy: "I've going there tomorrow morning with some friends"!

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