| Germany: Part - History, Hysterics and Horrible Travel Plans. |
| Written by Brendon Green |
| Wednesday, 24 March 2010 13:19 |
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I had a 3 point attack of GERMANY, coupled with my worst transportation bookings yet. I was also preparing to use a whole heap of war analogies, but that quickly went out the window. So too, was I expecting the German people to be polite but humourless, a negative stereotype that has somehow found its way into cliché. I have since discovered Germany is the land of shattering expectations and confounding your perspectives. My first stop was Berlin, the capital, and the city with probably the most loaded history of any city in the world in the 21st century. I am ashamed (more so now, than before) to only have a very base knowledge of even the most recent world defining events that have centred on Berlin (e.g. I knew there was a wall, and, well that’s about it). Turns out there were some epic reasons for the wall, and it’s destruction (20 years ago) really was significant. The long and heavy history of Berlin can make it humbling to visit (the Jewish memorial is a stunning use of space which has to be experienced by everyone visiting the city), but it is the fact that it’s really only been the city it is today for less than how long I have been alive that makes the biggest impression. Seeing how the young city has been developing itself into a modern and insanely creative hub of activity, neither ignoring the past nor dwelling on it, is such a positive buzz that it makes for the perfect example of hope for mankind. It made me an optimist, and that’s a miracle in itself. I could even tolerate the 10 different school trips staying in my hostel (=200 teenagers running around screaming and basically throwing their youth in everyone’s faces) because I could always go and wander through the open spaces to re-invigorate myself. Berlin is a very open and spread out city compared to most cramped main cities in Europe. It was also the coldest place I have been on my travels. Like really super cold, with snow and ice everywhere. And then I had to face the terrible (and cheapest) travel arrangements of my trip. An overnight train to Dresden (or, more exactly, an overnight 3 trains, changing every couple of hours and a 4 hour wait at a tiny station) to arrive at 6.30am. Then to put my suitcase in a locker, spend 15 hours seeing the city and take another overnight train to Cologne, again arriving at 6.30am. Oh yeah, and I totally didn’t pay extra to lie down in a booth, sleeping sitting up straight in a full compartment is the only way to go. Apparently the station I was going to stop and wait at from 1am-5am was essentially a bus-stop, uncovered with one bench and in the middle of a heavy snowfall. Luckily the ticket checker saw this and said (using German and hand gestures) that this was a really stupid thing to do, so he created an alternate travel plan for me and I got to spend only 3 hours waiting in a large station with a 24 hour McDonalds. But oh no! What’s this? An army of Ronald McDonald’s have taken over the station and are throwing cheeseburgers everywhere! And there’s a giant Grimace sitting on top of one of the trains, he’s playing a piano but no sound is coming out. The lights are flickering and the entire station seems to be shaking. Am I going to survive this onslaught? Who will fix Grimace’s piano? Why am I suddenly talking in present tense? Why is this even happening? Could it be that I have fallen asleep at the McDonalds and this is all a dream? Find out the answers to all these cliff-hangers in GERMANY PART 2. |
