Berlin

We arrived at our hostel, Plus Berlin, at 10:00 pm, so we basically had enough time to eat dinner at the hostel bar and head off to bed. One thing that we have LOVED about staying in hostels is all of the support and socializing available to you. At the front desk there were coupons for local vendors, maps to the city, and an advertisement for a free walking tour of the city. We decided to join our hostel mates in the tour the following morning. We all went to Brandeburg Gate to meet up with the other travelers. This square was full of historical events, fancy hotels and foreign embassies. Of course our tour guide spoke about Napoleon and his armies conquering the city, but made sure to point out the window of the Hotel Adlon where Michael Jackson dangled his son, Blanket, out of.  

So much history, so much land. What had an incredible 2 (ish) days in Berlin!

The tour progressed around the corner to the concrete blocks of the Holocaust Memorial. At this point, neither of us have prepared ourselves for the unsuspected walk through this memorial. We took a deep breath and started the walk through the very emotional street block. The explanation of this monument has never been released. We were told the architect wanted to leave the meaning up to each individual. Throughout the memorial we felt disoriented and claustrophobic, and most of all we felt overwhelmed by the sadness of what this beautiful memorial represents.

Next was a stop at what our tour guide called a “surprise.” Only about half a block away from the Holocaust Museum lies what remains of the Fuhrerbunker, Adolf Hitler’s main bunker and living space during his time as Chancellor. This space was also [the surprise of it all] the spot where he was said to have committed suicide. It was an eerie out of body experience, where we honestly didn't know how to feel.

What remains of the original Berlin Wall was the next sight on our list. We ate at a nearby cafe and took photos of the Wall. This was another experience that we were unsure what to feel. It was all just so overwhelming. After completing our tour we exchanged numbers with the friends we met, and headed back to the hostel.

Our second night in Berlin consisted of Radlers (beer + Fanta) and house music. We joined a pub crawl with our new friends which started at cool local bars and ended in a club that was what seemed to be 6 different mini clubs. Different music was played in each room, but the one consistent characteristic was the lack of women out and about. Both clubs that we went to had mainly males present, which was different from what we've seen back in the states especially when you're not at a gay bar.

Since none of us felt like dancing for a bunch of staring men, we left and got falafel [priorities.] Happy and no longer hungry, we went to bed and actually got some solid, deep sleep.

The next morning we slept through breakfast, and hopped right on the S-bahr to make our way to the Brandeburg Gate for another tour. This day would end up being even more heartbreaking than the previous. We should have gotten off near Brandeburg, but we didn't. However, we hopped off and ran straight into the Berlin Dom, which was incredible. Everyone said you find the most beautiful things when you don't even try, and we most definitely did. We got to the meeting place for the tour right in time, and rode the U-Bahr 45 minutes to Oraneinburg, a city just north of Berlin. This afternoon tour would take us through the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. As soon as we stepped on the property, we could FEEL the evil that happened there. Our tour took us through the grounds and gave us insight to what life would be like in this hell of a labor camp. The first stop was Tower A, the entryway and main watch tower of  the triangle shaped property. It was no coincidence that the extermination site, Building Z, would be the final destination for some 35,000 people who would be murdered in its walls. Because, after the camp’s liberation in 1945, the Soviets took over control and didn't see use for the extermination site, the building was demolished. Now all that is left is the foundation, pipes, and 4 cremation ovens.

There are no word to describe the horrific and evil feelings we felt throughout this trip. It was absolutely depressing to have stepped foot in the terrible places we have heard so much about. Leaving the walls of the Sachsenhausen Memorial was an emotional experience that more than 35,000 of the nearly 200,000 people didn't have the opportunity to experience. And of those 200,000, most weren't leaving to ride a train back to the city to continue a European dream vacation with their best friend. They were being transferred to other camps, and were most likely killed.

Our visit to Sachsenhausen was absolutely humbling. There is so much we take for granted living in a free country. This experience also left us with all of the time in the world to reflect of the terrible history of this world and present day events alike. Our tour guide was constantly repeating to us, “we must learn from these terrible events because [the senseless crimes committed throughout WWII] is the destination where hate and judgement and racism lead.”

If we could go back in time and change anything about this leg of our adventure, we would try to stay on the west end of Berlin. The east side of the massive city is much more run down and urban than the west side. We loved our hostel [mainly because we had our own room and there was a sauna and a bar] and we were excited about the people we met, but just like Amsterdam, east Berlin just wasn't our cup of tea.

Overall, our visit to Berlin was a life-changing experience. Our first tour guide mentioned that Berlin has really only had 27 years to develop as its own city [because of all of the wars and destruction throughout the 1900’s.] This adds a certain uniqueness and potential to this city. You can just feel that the people are passionate about making the city they loved the best city they could. With the rich historical influence, this city brought a strong presence of importance and desire for progression,

Although it was impossible to remove the thought of the horrors that happened in this city from our heads, we have seen beautiful sights and met passionate people who LOVED their city. It's impossible for that love not to rub off on you.