davebuxton

Last night I planned out the next few days of my trip. I had originally intended to go to Innsbruck however I had limited choice with accommodation and cost, looked into Prague but discovered a constant element of theft in the comments for the hostels I looked at. So after I next looked Berlin - found an awesome looking hostel with big rooms (want to meet more people) at a great price. Nice morning train to Berlin takes 6 hours! Game on.

Up with my alarm and packed up my stuff. Said goodbye to my awesome apartment and made my way to the Station. My 9:15 train left sharp and it's is of good quality (buffet, wifi, headrests, digital display showing next stop and how fast we're going!). Forced to move carriages at one point due to arrival of students. Now about to go and hunt some down a coffee or two.

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The remainder of my trip was reasonable uneventful. With new town we passed through the scenery changed. From traditional German houses framed in rolling meadows with broken fences and horses grazing nearby. To towering concrete structures of flats, apartments & businesses.

I dozed for an hour or so & then had a rather expensive train sandwich. I arrived at Berlin's central station at 3:30pm. Once again it seem more like a shopping complex than a station. Examining a map I discovered a very clever system. Trains from far and wide arrived at the lowest level there are then two floors if shops & restaurants, the top flor is for the subway trains that travel across Berlin.

I waited 20 minutes for my train to Berlin zoological garden which was the closest stop to my hostel. Thankfully this was only a 5 minute journey as the train was cramped & hot.

The Aletto Kudamm Hotel & Hostel is just a outside the station. I had discovered it through a phone app less than 24 hours before. And €23 a night worked into my budget. What happened next I am still trying to recover from. The Aletto is a recently refurbished apartment block it's 6 floors of modern rooms. In the basement area is the hostel with rooms for 8-10 people. This is not your standard hostel. Key card locked doors. Full shower rooms, laundry, dinning area, fully working kitchen with dishwasher and two overs. This is better than most hotels I've stayed in let alone any other hostel!!! With a roof top bar and informations boards on every floor advertising a different part of Berlin this place is designed to make you want to explore.

I found my dorm - eventually - meet Win from Norway, nice kid, young but travelling to explore. Also a Canadian guy who's name I can't remember - he's travelling for 5 weeks and had just left Israel!!!

I ventured onto the streets to explore. By this point it was 32'C and very humid. I looked into prizes for the zoo and just tried to get my bearings. It seems this area is aimed at the tourists visiting the zoo lots of malls, & shopping complexes. Restaurants and darkest food areas. A beautiful air conditioned Apple Store & a clothes store called Camp David?

*I'm amazed at the amount I've times I seen people giving the Nazi salute whilst walking the streets. It seems to be a general gesture towards friends or to get the attention of someone like hailing a taxi or even attracting a police officer (madness!). I'm wondering now if the general feeling towards past events is starting to ease. Even the hotel bar has a rolling news feed that is interested frequently with black and white Nazi propaganda footage?*

I found some good and made my way back to the hostel to find somewhere cool to eat.

Entering the eating area was like entering a feeding frenzy. Three groups were gathered all in the process of eating or preparing their own food. A small family was in the seating area, a group of young German men at the large table and four Australian guys around the ovens cooking pasta. I sat off to the side eating my food and just observing - you can learn a lot by just watching people.

The two large parties soon left and I spoke with the Australians who were traveling around Europe for three months. They had arranged to meet up with different friends along the way and it all sounded like a very exciting trip. I really like their relaxed attitude towards life..

"I feel asleep whilst waiting for the tube to open in London & when I woke up my phone wallet and watch we're gone...you know shit happens!!"

This is the sort of thing that would leave me hyperventilating and question every decision I had made up until that point but this guy seemed unfazed. I spoke about friends who has costed Australia, trying to remember locations - what I did know impressed them and we chatted for half an or so. They were leaving the following morning for Paris. I wished them well and went for a drink.

*at some point during my time eating and discussing be mugged in London I must of stood or sat in a strange way as I seem to have injured my back? I'm not sure if it's an accumulation of the walking I've done over the past few days mixed with carrying a large bag either way the lower left side of my back is very uncomfortable and I'm finding it difficult to move in certain ways - ah travelling!!!*

I enjoyed a large beer and researched Berlin & it's surrounding areas. I think I'll head to the zoo tomorrow and then maybe seen The Wall & check point Charlie on Monday. Still not certain of my next destination. The more I think about Paris the more I want to go there. More research is required.