Bavarian Style

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So I am in Berlin, and as far as I can tell it seems pretty typical to a huge major city. It definately differs from the little storybook village of Prague. Everything is so modern. I definately came back from the past and emerged into the furture. It's cool though, I dont mind. When I arrived in Berlin, it took me almost two hours to get myself to the hostel, I was so lost and turned around. Their metro system is really really confusing. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that their are 10 different types of public transportation, and my directions were not the greatest to the Generator Hostel. First I got on the wrong train, going the wrong direction. I finally realized it twenty minutes later. Then I had to ride it back to where I got on. Then, when I finally got on the correct train I got off the wrong stop and walked around for fifteen minutes. I then got back on the train to get off at the right stop. I finally found it and was so relieved that I had. I got into my room, freshened up a bit and headed out to see the town. My first stop was Checkpoint Charlie, where the wall used to stand. I didn't know this but still to this day it is the seperation between the american and non american sector of the city. There was a big sign that indicates when you are leaving and entering the american sector of Berlin. Whatever that means. I walked along the reminence of the wall towards the Topography of Terror. It is the location along the wall, where the SS regime had set up their headquarters. There were pictures and desciptions of all the horrible things, the nazis did during that time. It was quite eerie to walk along and read all the stories. After that, I headed toward the Bradenburg Gate. I passed the memorial for the murdered Jews and went into their museum. That was pretty disturbing as well. I have to say I had a pretty bleak day in Berlin. Seeing all the horrible things that went on. After the gate I went towards the Parliment building, where I climbed to the top of the glass dome to see the outlook of the city. It was beautiful. I was starting to get hungry and I heard that near the section called Gundermarkt, was a whole bunch of great traditional bavarian pubs. I finally found one called McMillans and went in for a bite. I was greeted by a big statue in leiderhosen, holding a giant bierstein. I knew I was in the right spot. For dinner I had this amazing dish. They called it meat loaf, but what it was was three slices of beef topped with melted camabert cheese and a spicy beer mustard. It was accompanied by horseradish and cranberry sauce. It was delicious. I complimented it with a deliecious Hefe weissen and some potato soup. It was great. After dinner, my belly nice and full I thought about how I would get back to the hostel, being it was pretty far away. Then I made the decision, that in order to see everything in the city I could, that I would walk it. It really was a lot farther than I thought, but the walk was cool. I walked passed the huge german church, and the alexanderplatz radio tower, the museum island that has the gugenheim museum. It was late so I could not go in, but the lights had all turned on and looked pretty cool at night. I definately feel as though I got to see alot. When I got to the Alexanderplatz train station, I saw there was a little fair going on. It had live music and stands of people selling their items. I walked through to look at all the handmande items and smell the wonderful confectionaries. I almost purchased this huge bag of cotton candy, but I knew I could not eat it all and if I did, I would have surely been ill. I then made my way finally back to the hostel. I came to find out that someone had taken my bed, and I was pretty tired. These obnoxious girls were in the room, who when I asked gave me total attitude about how no one cares which bed they sleep and how everyone just sleeps wherever. I said, I am sorry but I dont know you and I am not getting into a bed that been slept it. I was pretty cranky by this point and one of them pointed out how one had not been taken. So I took it with dismay. They then proceeded to talk as loud as possible till 2 am. I was really upset because I had to be up early the next morning to catch my train to Amsterdam. I got my sweet revenge, because they came home around 5 and I got up around 6:30. I made as much noise as possible, which felt good. I could hear them huffing and puffing by the noise I was making, but I didn't care cause they kept me up till 2. It was great. I then caught my train at 830 that morning, headed to Amsterdam.

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