MEETING BERLIN

Standing on the side of a highway in Amsterdam in the dead of night. We were tired, weary-eyed and extremely grateful when we saw the bus pull over on the side to let us aboard. Making our way to the back of the bus, I gazed out of the rear window while street lights blurred into streams of colour, passing beside empty fields where the only illumination was that of the millions of twinkling stars in the sky.

The driver spoke softly over the intercom in German, Dutch and finally English. He advised us that policemen would be boarding the bus when we crossed into Germany, and that if we had any drugs with us to please flush them down the toilet. I chuckled at his nonchalant approach and continued my widow gazing.

Before I realised my eyes had drifted closed, I was awoken by two boisterous policemen inspecting passports of passengers. It was 2am but they were full of energy, playfuly smacking the head of the boy three rows in-front who was still deep in his slumber.

I slept a broken sleep for the remainder of our journey, only waking to watch the city of hamburg flash by. It as 9am and raining when we arrived in Berlin. Making our way to the budget hotel feels like a blur, and that first day was spent cozied up in bed watching dubbed ‘How I met your mother’ on our tiny television.

Overnight buses are hardcore and I definitely did not feel like exploring a new city on arrival. Day two was our first official day in Germany. We moved into our Airbnb studio sublet, unpacked our things and discovered a lovely little cafe on our street where you can get a delicious breakfast for barely $5. We spent the next few days getting to know our new neighbourghood, Prenzlauer Berg. A beautiful suburb filled with parks, markets, cool bars and cheap eats. We bought our groceries from the local budget supermarket and cooked curries in our cozy apartment after long days of walking.

At first Berlin confused me. We caught a train to the centre of the map, what I assumed to be the ‘city centre’, only to be greeted by deserted streets, government buildings and sombre memorials. Where are all the people? Shops? Tourists? After a few hours of wandering and no groundbreaking discoveries we headed back to the apartment feeling a little defeated. It was only later, after talking with a friend from home who is living in Berlin, that we discovered just how huge the city really was! Berlin is a collection of small villages merged into one gigantic city. And that you need to get out into each Kiez (neighbourhood),  there is really not too much to see around Alexanderplatz (the centre).

Berlin is complex and layered. After calling the city home for three weeks my mind still can’t quite comprehend it. For a city that bares the scars of some of the darkest history the world has ever seen, it has a rebellious spirit which is infectious. A city of artists, anarchists, expats and passionate locals. Where work is optional and a sunny day should not be spent anywhere but your local park. It’s gritty, grimy and lively. Berlin is an abandoned playground, adopted by dreamers whom have patched its scars with street art murals and a strong sense of community.

I came to Berlin for these weeks to learn the secrets of this city and say I’ve lived like a local, but it would take several lifetimes just to scratch the surface. It’s a city you can’t understand unless you’ve walked the streets, visited the monuments, gazed upon the political murals, felt the spirit and heard the stories.

I met with old friends and new ones, explored abandoned buildings, ate delicious foods at ridiculously cheap prices, drank kaffe-kola at sunset and took way too many photographs. I have several blogposts planned to tell our story from Berlin, there is just too much to show you all. ❤