BERLIN!

Something's gotta be said about Germans and the impeccable way they run things. As soon as you walk off the plane, you can tell that there is structure and organization in everything they do. That is something I admire about the Germans.

Berlin is a very interesting city. It doesn't have the quaint canals or Bohemian architecture that you often associate with being "European", but it's rich history gives the city a unique vibe that takes you back in history. You can see the Russian influence in some of the buildings in East Berlin, and although they may not be very visually appealing (a very no frill, block form and simple style), you can imagine what it must have been like living there at that time during the Russian occupation.

We took the public bus from the airport to the city center, passing many of the main attractions including the Reichstag, Alexanderplatz, Unter den Linden and Fernsehturm. We then got a quick bite to eat and tried to get our barrings straight before making our way through the freezing cold to our hostel. Funny enough we started talking with the guy at the front desk who was very impressed by Dad's German. Turns out that he went to the same school that Dad taught at years ago when he spent six months in Germany teaching English.

Tonight the staff at EastSeven Hostel made us a free vegetarian dinner! It was a great opportunity for Dad and I to meet some other travelers staying with us for the week. We got to talking with this mother and daughter visiting from Australia, Lynn and Sophie. Lynn grew up in a town just outside of Woywoy, where Aunt Rika now lives. It's cool how you can be so far away from home and still meet people that you share common ground with.

The most interesting part of the night, for me, was when the main keeper of the hostel, Terry, came and sat with us. Youth hostels often carry a good number of youths (go figure), so I think it was refreshing for him to have Dad and Lynn there to converse with. Terry is a Brit in his late seventies and moved to Berlin in '57 with the Royal Army. He stayed until '64 when he was then transferred to different locations for the next twenty or so years. In '88 he got transferred back to Berlin and worked for the Secret Service spying on the East Berliners for the Allied Forces. During that time he made quite a few friends on the East that he still has to this day. Another interesting thing he talked about was his family. His daughter had converted to Islam and he told us how his son-in-law has officially been declared dead in Iraq because Saddam Hussein and his men were on the lookout for him. Crazy!

Tomorrow we’re going on a day tour, led by Terry himself. His eccentricity and sarcastic personality will make for a very interesting day, I’m sure.

Love you all!
xxx
Alexis