Hallo, Berlin!
Thanks to a really cheap flight and the help of my cousin and her wife, I booked a flight to Berlin a couple weeks ago! My flight was just about three hours long, and I arrived in Berlin at 12pm. Navigating the airport was easy, I can do that even in an airport where I don't know the language. The tricky part started after I got out of the airport.
My intention was to go all out and take public transportation when I arrived. Really dive into Germany. But, after getting lost and incredibly frustrated, I decided to take a taxi for the sake of my sanity. Thankfully, the taxi driver I approached spoke a little English.
I arrived at the Three Little Pigs Hostel and discovered I couldn't check in until 3pm. So, I decided to kill a few hours exploring. I knew the Topography of Terror was close to my hostel, so I decided to go check it out. It was an emotional experience, but one that needed to be had.
The Topography of Terror is a museum that details Hitler's rise to power and the horrific events of the holocaust as a result. There is an outdoor museum of sorts right next to the last remaining two hundred meters of the Berlin wall. The museum is an extension of the Topography of Terror exhibit inside the building.
I didn't go inside the museum because the outdoor portion was emotional enough for me at the moment. The Holocaust is difficult for me to fathom any time, but there's something about actually being in the country where it all took place that made it feel even more real to me. I saw many photos of Hitler that I'd never seen before. He didn't LOOK evil. He just looked like another politician, and that's how he tricked the German people. That's terrifying to me.
The last stretch of the exhibit was stories of many people who stood in Hitler's way and were murdered for it. Or took their own lives for fear of their mistreatment in a Nazi prison. With each brief overview was a photo of the person. It was really difficult for me to look at each of them. While I didn't read every story, I made sure to look at each face. I wanted to acknowledge each and every person in the exhibit.
The little bit of wall left standing that used to divide East and West Berlin was quite interesting. It's difficult to imagine what that world was like. People were building tunnels under the wall to smuggle people into West Berlin as recently as the mid 1980s. That was only 30 years ago..
After my historic introduction to Berlin, it was time for lunch and something a little more light hearted. I wanted to try currywurst on my first day, and where better to have my first currywurst than at the Currywurst museum?
The Currywurst museum was a lot of fun. It's very interactive; you can sniff different spices that are used in the sauce and listen to currywurst songs playing from ketchup bottles. There's also a sausage couch and giant French fries.
The museum has a snack shop of course so that you can try Berlin's famous dish. With my entry came a free half portion of currywurst, but since I hadn't eaten lunch, I asked for a full portion as well. I'm definitely a fan. It was delicious!
Near the museum is Checkpoint Charlie, an old US checkpoint between East and West Berlin. It has been kept historically accurate, so it provides a tiny glimpse at the past. It was neat to see.
My first day in Berlin was very busy, but it was a success. I had fun and saw a lot. Coming to Berlin made me realize how comfortable I am with Spanish. I keep having to stop myself from speaking in Spanish. I've gotten pretty used to that!
My intention was to go all out and take public transportation when I arrived. Really dive into Germany. But, after getting lost and incredibly frustrated, I decided to take a taxi for the sake of my sanity. Thankfully, the taxi driver I approached spoke a little English.
I arrived at the Three Little Pigs Hostel and discovered I couldn't check in until 3pm. So, I decided to kill a few hours exploring. I knew the Topography of Terror was close to my hostel, so I decided to go check it out. It was an emotional experience, but one that needed to be had.
The Topography of Terror is a museum that details Hitler's rise to power and the horrific events of the holocaust as a result. There is an outdoor museum of sorts right next to the last remaining two hundred meters of the Berlin wall. The museum is an extension of the Topography of Terror exhibit inside the building.
I didn't go inside the museum because the outdoor portion was emotional enough for me at the moment. The Holocaust is difficult for me to fathom any time, but there's something about actually being in the country where it all took place that made it feel even more real to me. I saw many photos of Hitler that I'd never seen before. He didn't LOOK evil. He just looked like another politician, and that's how he tricked the German people. That's terrifying to me.
The last stretch of the exhibit was stories of many people who stood in Hitler's way and were murdered for it. Or took their own lives for fear of their mistreatment in a Nazi prison. With each brief overview was a photo of the person. It was really difficult for me to look at each of them. While I didn't read every story, I made sure to look at each face. I wanted to acknowledge each and every person in the exhibit.
The little bit of wall left standing that used to divide East and West Berlin was quite interesting. It's difficult to imagine what that world was like. People were building tunnels under the wall to smuggle people into West Berlin as recently as the mid 1980s. That was only 30 years ago..
After my historic introduction to Berlin, it was time for lunch and something a little more light hearted. I wanted to try currywurst on my first day, and where better to have my first currywurst than at the Currywurst museum?
The Currywurst museum was a lot of fun. It's very interactive; you can sniff different spices that are used in the sauce and listen to currywurst songs playing from ketchup bottles. There's also a sausage couch and giant French fries.
The museum has a snack shop of course so that you can try Berlin's famous dish. With my entry came a free half portion of currywurst, but since I hadn't eaten lunch, I asked for a full portion as well. I'm definitely a fan. It was delicious!
Near the museum is Checkpoint Charlie, an old US checkpoint between East and West Berlin. It has been kept historically accurate, so it provides a tiny glimpse at the past. It was neat to see.
My first day in Berlin was very busy, but it was a success. I had fun and saw a lot. Coming to Berlin made me realize how comfortable I am with Spanish. I keep having to stop myself from speaking in Spanish. I've gotten pretty used to that!
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