Old and New Friends in Berlin

I continued on my couchsurfing adventure in Berlin but also stayed at a hostel for a couple of nights with a German friend who I met in Washington DC two years ago as well as at an airport when some miscommunication happened with a couchsurfing host (more on that to follow). Finding a place to sleep is always an adventure, especially when you don’t want to pay that much money. I have thoroughly enjoyed the couchsurfing concept even though this time around I had some complications that reminded me of the importance of having a cell phone that works wherever you are. (I thought I learned this lesson in France in 2008 when I lost my 14-year-old charge and incurred an expensive ticket from the train company, but I guess not. It is amazing how fast we forget about those things when slightly different situations present themselves.) All in all, though, I have been very fortunate to save money on lodging while traveling alone. Hostels are nice when you are with other people and want a central place and a sure location, but I much prefer staying with local people, even strangers, because you have an instant friend and a unique memory. I will certainly remember very well all the people I have met on this journey through couchsurfing.

I stayed with a French guy my first night in Berlin. He is an intern at Siemens and had been living in Berlin for more than four months. I thought it was so cool that he had opened up his room to share with strangers as a way to meet people and share some traveling experiences together. I missed my stop going from the airport to his place, but I was able to find another U-Bahn (the Berlin metro system) to take me to his place. He met me at the station and we walked back to his place. Even though it was late, we ended up talking for a few hours. I am continually amazed at how these couchsurfers love to talk! I got a comfortable mattress on which to sleep, and we made plans to meet up that night when my friend had arrived.

It was like a breath of fresh air to see my German friend after so much time had passed. We have maintained contact over the past two years since I last saw her in Paris and when I said that I planned to go to Berlin and hoped to see her, we were able to make the trip happen. She arranged the hostel in downtown and we stayed there for two nights. It was more like a small hotel than a hostel, but it was a nice place that served good breakfasts from which we also made our lunches. It is amazing how so much time can pass between people and yet when you see them again, it is like no time had passed. I love that phenomenon and was so blessed to see that she and I still have a lot in common and could have a great time together. I have decided that Europe is one of the best places for meeting up with friends. There are so many things you can do to relax and take your time with people, such as sit alongside a river for hours talking or strolling down one of the beautiful avenues or through lovely parks. You don’t even have to spend a lot of money if you don’t want. We contented ourselves with all of these activities and more.

Since my friend had already seen the city and since I had another three days after she left, I left the schedule up to her. I wanted to make sure that she also saw the things she wanted to see and had yet to see. My main goal was to spend time with her. It was simply a blessing that we could be in Berlin together. My friend acted like the tour guide even though she herself had only been to Berlin twice before our trip. It was fun to have someone else guide the way and wield the map. We still got lost on our first day, but it was nice to be able to say that I was not directly responsible (nor was I a help). We saw some of the main sights, but we were also content to stop and sit at a café for two hours to catch up and drink something refreshing in the atypically hot weather. (I arrived in Berlin for its first heat wave of the year. It also happened to be the hottest place in Germany a few of the days I was there. It reminded me of Asia.)

The city of Berlin is quite interesting because at first glance, there does not appear to be that many things to see. I was a little surprised that the city was so much different from other European capitals I have seen, but I suppose in a way, that is quite refreshing—to get something completely unexpected and interesting. I found that as the week went on, I continued to discover things of which I had previously been unaware. Therefore, I decided that Berlin is one of those cities that continues to unfold before you and that you can continue to return and to discover new things. After having spent a week there, I can say that I would like to return one day, but only after I have studied more about the history of the city and the significance of the wall.

Berlin is surprisingly a cheap city. Food and transport are inexpensive, so it was easy to stay on a budget. Our first night, my friend and I met up with my couchsurfing host, which ended up being a really fun thing. He was really funny and we had a good time talking about our three cultures and speaking in English, which they asked me to correct for them. I always love being the teacher, so this was a fun opportunity for me. We ordered pizza and beer; well, I had a radler, which is half beer and half sprite. I simply do not like regular beer unless I force myself to drink it when it is the cheapest thing to order at a bar or something. The evening was so pleasant reclining by the Spree on lounge chairs and enjoying the breeze that whirled around us. It was a lovely way to end the day. The only disappointing thing happened when we discovered that the train had stopped 15 minutes before we entered the station. We were so confused because we had been informed that the trains ran until 2 or 3 am, but in reality they stopped at 12:30 am. It was an adventure to try to find our way back to the hostel. Thankfully, we were not more than a mile from it. Beginning to end, my trip to Berlin was full of surprises.

The next day, we decided to go to Potsdam, which was historically used as the resting place of the kings of Prussia and is now the capital of Brandenburg, I think. My friend had never been and I was up for anything, so we took the S-Bahn, which is kind of like the “El” in Chicago because it is elevated and compliments the U-Bahn routes that go throughout the city. With two types of trains plus buses and trams, Berlin is really convenient for tourists. The weather was hot, but we both enjoyed ourselves immensely in the main park of the city called Sanssouci—also the name of the primary castle in the park, meaning “without worry or care.” The town is full of historic buildings in a relatively concentrated area, so it is nice for a day of sightseeing. We made our way through the park then through the downtown area where we appreciated the lovely buildings and churches.

After a full day of walking around, we finally stopped for our lunch at a place called Friendship Island. I thought it was quite appropriate for two people who have forged a friendship across country lines to have lunch on an island named for the bond that can break down all stereotypes. Really, though, we had a good time poking fun at the name of the island and joked that now we really felt like friends because we were sitting on the Friendship Island. If we had been in doubt before, that island surely confirmed our position! It was in actuality a lovely spot to have a picnic: alongside the water, under the shade of a big tree, eating cheese and bread and drinking mild red wine. Oh, how we shared so many things and caught up on all the topics one feels she should share on the Friendship Island. Good memories :)

That night we decided to get together again with my French host from Wednesday night. Since he was more familiar with Berlin than either of us, we asked him to recommend a good place for the evening. The funny thing was that he chose the very area we had wanted to explore. So, it was perfect, well almost. When I called him to ask where we should meet, I thought he told me “Hauptbahnhof” which is the main train station of Berlin. What he had really said was “Ostbahnhof” which is also a large train station, but in the eastern part. Here we were running all around the train station trying to find him when finally he asked me to spell the name of the station where we were. After about 45 minutes of being completely confused why we couldn’t find this guy, we jumped onto another train and got to him only an hour or so later. I felt really bad, but it did not ruin the night.

We grabbed some beers and falafel/kebap, which are about the cheapest and best food you can get in the city, like buying a taco or something in the US, and we started the evening. It was so much fun to be with people from my favorite countries in Europe and to watch them communicate in English. Looking at their expressions of confusion and watching us all just laugh when we could not be understood was like a balm to my heart. Why? Sometimes I think that people and their differences make it so difficult for there to be unity and love across country lines and across demarcations of a meta-physical sort. But then I encounter people who completely reverse any stereotype that might exist and I am reminded that it is always possible to love others if you keep your head and heart straight and lay judgments aside.

We went to a club I would never have visited had I been alone. It was a heavy metal club with a weird mix of 80’s and 90’s pop favorites. I know, a unique combination. Well, I head banged with the rest of them and thought about a decade I don’t really remember because I was too young, and I enjoyed myself. Although none of us was particularly impressed with the club, we amused ourselves until 4:30 am when we left and headed to the river. I took one look at the Spree River and knew that I wanted to jump in. I have always wanted to plunge into the river that flows through whatever European city you want to name, but I have never done it, until that morning. The Frenchie and I plunged in and swam around one of the most polluted rivers have ever touched, but I did not care. It was simply a crazy thing to do and I fully enjoyed myself without regard to hygiene. My German friend, however, could not be persuaded to overcome the filth and take the plunge. It was a fun end to a really fun evening.

Arriving at 6 am, we slept for two hours; then went down to breakfast before putting together our things and checking out. Surprisingly, neither of us was tired, which is fantastic phenomenon of feeling rested after a night out but needing to crash the following night when you realize no energy remains. We took a train to the Wannsee, which is a famous lake near Potsdam and was the perfect place to spend the afternoon on a very hot day. My friend wanted to see the Glienicke Bridge, which played an interesting role in the separation of East and West. This is where the Soviet Union and the United States confronted one another face to face kind of like the situation at the DMZ of North and South Korea: you are always looking into the eyes of your enemies. Three times during the Cold War, these opposing sides returned spies that had been captured, so it was appropriately given the name the "Bridge of Spies." In fact, it had been closed down until the wall was torn down and both sides reunited.

We walked from the bridge over to this exclusive island. My friend was under the impression that this island had a great beach, so she invited me to come with her to swim from this lovely spot. Come to find out, the island is nothing more than a nature conservatory with a big white castle. Disappointed, we only stayed long enough to have a picturesque picnic on the lawn near the castle. It was funny because we did not know whether we really had the authorization to sit on that lawn (all week we had been yelled at for sitting where people are not allowed to sit) so we ate our lunch peacefully and right as we were getting ready to pack up, this police officer on a bike came up and told us we were not allowed to sit there. Now, you would think that if you pay to be on an island, you would be able to sit wherever you pleased, but this is not true. We had a good laugh about our rebellious lunch! From the lake, we walked over to the actual lake and beach spot, which were free to the public and consequently quite busy, but we back took a nice swim and enjoyed our final moments. It was so hot that the water felt great. We were really able to maximize our time together during our three days of being in one another’s company. Planning accordingly for getting her to the train on time, we took the train and U-Bahn back to our hostel, took showers and got to the train staton with enough time to buy her some food for her journey.

It is always sad to say goodbye to someone, but we plan to see one another again in September when we gather to celebrate the wedding of a mutual friend we met in DC. I would not have traded those days with her for any amount of time traveling around Asia. From my time in Spain and my time in Berlin, I realized, as I knew I would, that keeping good friendships alive is worth more than any potential adventure one could have in the great unknown.

After my friend left, I had made plans to stay with that first host with whom I had been having a really good time. I did not count on the fact, however, that when you are using payphones the likelihood that you actually get in contact with a busy person is quite low. I called him twice before 6 pm and several times after 10 pm when he was supposed to be done with the theater. Come to find out, the times at which I had called him before 6 pm, he had left his cell phone at home at did not retrieve it until maybe 30 minutes after I stopped calling. Then, he was unable to turn it back on after the theater. I was so confused and a little disappointed, but I cheered myself up with the prospect of another adventure. I was not about to pay for a hostel just for a few hours (at that point, it was 11:30 pm), so I went to the airport, which is always a safe alternative when you have no other place to lay your head. It worked out marvelously and I slept like a baby because I was so tired from the night before.

Waking up to people trying to take luggage carts from the line behind me, I got up from my little corridor and cleaned myself up to a presentable state. (If airports had showers, I don’t think I would ever both getting a room anywhere!) I had breakfast there and finished a blog entry before calling my next host who was very kind and accommodating. He had an even smaller room than my last host—perfect for one student—and I was really surprised to discover that he was so willing to just loan out the space. He had even purchased a nine-euro cot for his guests to stay on. (This was fantastic! I actually slept quite well on it.) Again, I am amazed at how so many people can be so generous with the little that they have. It is really inspiring.
Once the basic introductions were out of the way, I left him to his studies, which he is finishing up for the year. It would have been nice to wander around Berlin with him, but it was also nice to have some time to myself, to take time to sleep in the parks, write in my journal, sightsee at my own pace and go wherever the wind blows me.

It was a fantastic day for making a large tourist circuit around Berlin, which is full of history that is much recent than say Paris and much, much more recent than Rome :) Remnants from the wall that used to divide the city were a stark reminded of that recent history and seeing the various pictures on display at random points throughout the city declared the absurdity of what once occurred. It was fascinating to come face to face with something that happened in my lifetime. (The wall fell on November 10, 1989, three years after I was born.) How different Berlin would be if that wall were still erected.

My final day in Berlin was also very special. My host and I left early because he had class and I wanted to get a move on with the day. A girl from North Central and I had arranged to meet one another at Noon to spend the day catching up and seeing the places I had yet to see. It was such an amazing thing that we were able to see one another. She graduated a year a head of me and had been living in Bonn, Germany for the past two years as a teacher at the international school in that town. It just so happened that she planned to be in Berlin at exactly the same time as me, so it was really a blessing to get together. Thinking of how we had tried yet never quite succeeded to get together in Naperville, it was really hilarious that we were finally making something happen in Germany! You just never know these days!

We started at the Eastside Gallery, which is where the longest remnant of the wall is displayed with varied murals from artists depicting scenes of peace, life, politics, understanding, cultural diversity, and everything in between. We wandered from one end to the other and I had to marvel at the distinctiveness of this piece of art that used to divide a nation. Finding a falafel place, we stopped for lunch and tried to cool down from the glaring sun beating down on us outside. We walked around a little after lunch but decided to stop for a couple of hours in the shade of a tree near the Spree River. I thought I was used to the heat, but I think I have now acclimated to European heat, which is less intense—so I thought—than Asian heat. The heat we experienced in Berlin, however, was much stronger than elsewhere I had been in Europe.

While sitting and talking, my friend’s boyfriend showed up, which was great because he is a native East Berliner, and I was able to ask him a bunch of questions about the transformation of the city and what he had experienced as a child. Since he is only a little older than us, he was five when the wall came down, but he told us that one of his most vivid childhood memories is when he went to the Bradenburger Tor (Gate) and saw hundreds of people pounding on the wall with hammers, chipping it away piece by piece! How incredible that must have been and what freedom people must have felt. I expressed how amazing is the desire for freedom and that once you have a taste of freedom after being oppressed, you are like an addict trying to get more and will risk anything to secure it. It is from only a spark that a conflagration is produced. That is how the breakdown of East Germany occurred. People felt the possibility of freedom and they were no longer content in their oppression, so they rebelled with a new fervor that the communist government could not longer subdue. How incredible!

Our last stop before dinner and some beers was a modern memorial to the Jews who had suffered during WWII. The monument is unlike I have ever seen because it takes up a whole city square and is a composition of concrete blocks. These blocks create the effect of a wave and once you enter the waves, you can easily get lost like in a maze, which engenders a sense of fear or uncertainty. The monument is quite unique, standing apart from the other memorials that I have seen. While reading a little information on the breakdown of the wall, I read a comment about how artists are the ones that have preserved the emotions behind this moment in history, and I really agree with that. The fact that one can go to a monument like this in our modern era and feel lost and lonely, like many of the Jews felt 60 + years ago, is something to be admired. Hopefully, by presenting the consequences through art—an approachable and widely appreciated medium—people today will not perpetuate the same atrocities of those in the past. Can we learn from art? I surely learned a few things that have left some lasting impressions.

Like I said before, Berlin is a pretty cheap city, but what is nice is that the even cheaper food and drinks are found in the alternative areas, which are always far more interesting to me than the posh and guarded areas of the downtown districts. We went to Ostkreuz, which is really in East Berlin, and there was definitely a change although most of the city has been renovated and you cannot really distinguish between the West and the East anymore. It was my last night and I had my first Berliner Weisse, which is pilsner with raspberry flavoring, and does not taste at all like beer, which is perfect for me. It was a lovely evening and we had a lovely time just sitting at the café with our drinks and our food and taking our time to make some final memories before we parted ways. What a perfect day for our unexpected but much appreciated get together. Hopefully, she and I will also meet again in September. There is always another time. At least I like to think so!