Berlin

Berlin is a city of tremendous ever-changing life surrounded by a tunnel of grey. On my first day there the roof of that tunnel had holes of blue. Yesterday, there were no holes. Nevertheless, the roof decided to leak. It rained as I stood in line at the Museums (all of the museums on "Museum Island" are supposed to be free on thursday nights), it rained as I ate currywurst at Hackescher Market, it rained as I stood in line to enter the Reichstag (nearly two hours - I should have gone earlier...). Fortunately, my spirits were lifted when a impromptu African choir started singing at the top of the Reichstag.

My hostel is located in the middle of Mitte. Nobody actually lives in Mitte. Some people work there, but it seems everybody plays there. The streets are lined with bars and clubs, while parks and tourist attractions abound. There is constant construction everywhere.

Berlin is a young city. Buildings that look centuries old turn out to merely decades. Most of the attractions come as a result of the cold war. Large structures such as the TV Tower were built to show off East Berlin to the West, while the remnants of the Berlin Wall offers further evidence of a split Berlin. Other attractions come from WWII. Hitlers bunker turned out to be a parking lot.

Nevertheless, Berlin is not a city stuck in the past. They are all about the present. They are the city that never sleeps. On my first night there I went on a pub crawl. I was told it is an insult to visit the nightlife capital of the world without partaking in the nightlife. I was not dissapointed and had a great time dancing the night away. It seems like the night is what Berlin is all about.

I am in Dresden now. Unlike Amsterdam, not everyone speaks English in Germany. The only people who addressed me in English were beggers in Berlin who say "speak English?" and, if you say yes, they pull out a card with their sob story written on it.

I very much agree with the mayor of Berlin when he says, "Berlin is poor, but sexy."