Somehow it seems fitting that the last city on our European world tour would be the capitol of the largest country -- Berlin, Germany. Besides, having spent time in the western cities of Germany and having missed Octoberfest 2003 -- We wanted to see a bit more of Germany before moving on. That, and it stood right between Prague and our flight to Egypt from Amsterdam. So, if nothing else, it was a logical place to stop for a few days.

We stayed at an excellent independant hostel (www.eastener-hostel.de) The owner, Matthias was an exceptional host, leaving home made cake for the guests and providing excellent information about Berlin! If you are planning a trip, be sure to book early as there are only 18 beds -- giving the place a nice cozy feel!

The time of our arrival was actually quite late as our train from Prague was delayed due to snow on the tracks. So, after droping our bags at the hostel, our first effort was to find dinner. Being a huge modern city, Berlin has every kind of cuisine you could ask for... (We even saw Egyptian!) but, of course, we had to opt for German. I had the traditional sausage, boiled potatoes and saurkraut while Mark opted for a stew like version of the "teamsters" goulash. Both were actually good considering it was German food. Enough said.

While eating our dinner, an artshow next door ended and a huge number of people came pouring into the pub -- a few of whom sat down at our table and introduced themselves. They were nice enough, despite their mid-80s appearance. (Not that there is anything wrong with 80's attire... it's just that we don't understand German fashion!!) While providing advice on what to see and do in Berlin, they redrew our map more than Eastern Europe had been redrawn in the '90s. Large sections were scribbled out, streets were blackened and little "x"es were planced on almost every major intersection. This left the map virtually unreadable.

These kind folks also provided a bit of advice on the Berlin nightlife scene. Techno, the legendary center piece of the Berlin Club scene, is - according to this group - on it's way out. Instead, they pointed us in the direction of two  clubs that they frequented... "White Trash" and "Bastard." (Yep.. those are the real names. And no, we didn't choose to visit either although we passed by the converted Chinese Restaurant that houses "White Trash" while we were out exploring later that evening.)

After a good night's sleep and locating a new map, we were out to see Berlin. The city is massive and although the public transportation system is incredible (A higher standard than most European cities, which really says a lot!) time limited us to seeing just a small section.

The remnants of the Berlin wall and the Brandenburg gate are required photo stops but while wandering in the area, we found a watch tower and some other "divided Berlin" artifacts that weren't on our map. We also spent quite a few hours in the checkpoint charlie museum. It's a bit disorganized, hodge podge, and expensive... but interesting none the less.

We both enjoyed Berlin and could've stayed longer... but Africa beckons and we'll be heading to Amsterdam airport via train tomorrow in order to catch our flight to Cairo.

Next Entry: January 15, 2004