Night train to Berlin.... Basically one of the most uncomfortable night sleeps yet! Sleeping in a chair would be fine if the man behind us didn't have such an annoying laugh. Gotta love it when you pay double the price of the last night train and get a seat instead of a bunk. Let the adventure begin!
Our first stop in Berlin was Sachenhausen: Old Nazi concentration camp turned Soviet special camp. Definitely a sobering experience. The conditions in which these people lived made my skin crawl and my heart ache.
Basic layout of the camp interior. There was a lot of open space where the captives would work during the day on different assignments. The buildings still left included the prison, barracks, and kitchen.
Watchtowers surrounded the camp, and so did a tall stone fence, electric wire fence, and rolls of barbed wire.
After the concentration camp, we ate some DELICIOUS curry, but failed to document because we inhaled it with such ferocity...
Then we moved on to the city of Berlin. So much history. But not the glorious or proud history we have encountered on our travels. Berlin has a hard, painful, and dramatic past. One riddled with death, sorrow, and fallen greatness. And yet the streets were alive with German pride! It could have been due to the fact that Germany had just beaten Brazil and would be playing Argentina in 2 days...
Berlin Wall. Such a dark time... West and East sides constantly at odds. Us vs the Soviets. The wall memorial contained not only facts, but histories and memoirs to those that had successfully crossed or who had died trying to cross the wall during its existence from 1961-1989. The Berlin Wall history brought us to a historical point, Checkpoint Charlie, the most well-known Berlin Wall crossing point. It is now a symbol of the Cold War and quite the tourist attraction.
Here there was still a US checkpoint stationed in which you could pay to get your passport stamped... Behind us is the famous border crossing sign.
A riot broke loose at Checkpoint Charlie, where people stopped traffic and began chanting and handing out information on the poor immigration laws in the Germany and much of Europe. We curiously watched for the police to arrive and saw the protestors scatter at the first sound of sirens. I can still here their chants, "We are here, and we will fight. Freedom of movement is everybody's right!" Definitely a cultural experience there...
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews
Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor): the former city gate, now a symbol of German unity and basically a "must see" in Berlin.
The entire street behind was ready for the World Cup! A giant big screen, tons of shops and promotional areas lined the streets that were probably packed full a few nights before. We Americans really have no idea how big this is...
Traveling Wisdom:
When traveling with a Eurail pass, night trains can save you when you want to go somewhere-ANYWHERE-and not waste daylight. You only need pay the reservation fee, which varies greatly depending on the company.
Sleeping in a seat on a night train yields little sleep, while a cot allows for a good night's rest. But sometimes you do what you've got to do!
Street Asian food can be cheap and delicious. Don't be afraid of the diamond in the rough!
Sometimes street rallies can be informative or entertaining. I mean these guys had chants, banners, and smoke! ;)
Cities are more than their past histories. They are constantly evolving.
Ps I have showed our changes and future plans on an updated itinerary page!
You left before the world cup I suppose. I can't imagine the insanity after Germany won.
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