Berlin!

So there's been something of a gap in my blog posts. I keep meaning to write another entry but get intimidated by the fact that I'm so far behind. Then that time gap just keeps increasing and I become stuck in a never-ending cycle that never leads to the publishing of another post. So on this fine Sunday night I need something to do while I procrastinate from homework and decided I should break the cycle.

It is now my second month in Germany and its hard to believe the time has gone by so fast. Classes have started and its kind of nice to be getting back into the school routine even if it does mean a lot less free time. Registering for my classes has been a real pain. The German registration system is basically different for each and every course and then crafting a schedule that includes courses I can hopefully accredit to my major has not been fun at all. But I finally found 5 courses for a total of 16.5 credits that may just work for me. The courses thus far have been interesting though as I am enrolled in a few master's courses it is clear that they will be very challenging this semester.

Jumping back a few weeks before school started I made a little trip to the capital city of Berlin with a few of the other international students. On Sunday the 1st of October I woke up early and met two students from Mexico, one from Brazil, and one from Belgium in the Cologne Hauptbahnhof. Our plan was to rent a car from the Avis office there and drive that to Berlin. I was definitely excited about the prospect of visiting the German capital and about driving on the world-famous Autobahn for a second time, though I was also a little nervous about the latter. Due to the confusing and complicated political system this world perpetrates, only myself and Roberto from Mexico were legally able to drive a car in Germany it was up to both of us to drive for the duration of the 5 hour journey.

Roberto volunteered to take the first shift and I allowed him. He seemed nervous at first but once we got on the Autobahn he relaxed a bit and ended up driving the entire way there, despite my offer to assist. We arrived in Berlin at around 3 pm, quickly checked into our hostel and departed to see the city. Our first stop was a portion of the Berlin Wall that was fairly close to our hostel. We walked for about 15 minutes before coming to a small segment that was all that remained of this portion of the once ultra-divisional wall.

Unsere kleine Mercedez A Klasse

Our group by the Berlin Wall.

After that we walked another half an hour to the Jewish History Museum that all sources said was a must-see. The museum was huge and had a very interesting and unique design. We walked through the twisting exhibits and stopped inside quite and small "reflection rooms" that had been designed by Jewish artists. One such room was covered with a hundred tiny gold disks with faces cut into them. Our favorite site however was a large maze built of pillars of stone that stood in the exact center of the museum. It was outdoors, with the floor slanted downhill. The pillars however were slanted in the other direction and the effect was very strange. Sensations of vertigo overcame you as you walked through the maze and more than once you were forced to reorient yourself.

In the Jewish History Museum garden maze

After two hours we were beginning to grow tired from the long drive this morning and the stagnant museum. We left and took a tram back to our hostel, changing in Alexander Platz were a mini-Oktoberfest was taking place. We kept it in mind as a possible point to return to that evening. We stopped at our hostel and rested and changed clothes before venturing back out to find a club. We stopped by one that had been recommended to me but discovered it did not open for another two hours. So we decided to walk back to the mini-Oktoberfest we had seen earlier. 

This turned out to be a very good decision and we spent the rest of the night there, talking and laughing. At around 2 am I returned to the hostel with Lorraine from Brazil and Roberto from Mexico. The other two boys remained at the Oktoberfest.

The next day we awoke much too early. I showered and dressed quickly, returning to our room to find the two boys who had stayed out later last night (Jeremy and Ricardo) were still asleep. We decided to leave them there and meet them later once they had regained consciousness. Our thought was to walk along the famous road Unter den Linden until it reached the Brandenburg Gate so we took a tram to Alexander Platz and then a bus down Unter den Linden. We got off before we had expected to though in order to see the giant Berliner Dom. It was beautiful and the area around it was really amazing. We lingered for a time in the park just in front of the Dom before continuing on foot. 

The Berliner Dom

The buildings lining Unter den Linden were all gorgeous and we passed so many museums it was unbelievable. Many of the buildings were styled after Roman architecture and one section of the road was guarded by statues of Athena accompanying her favorite Greek heroes. At the end of the road was the Brandenburg Gate. the platz in front of the Gate was packed with people and a huge concert stage had been erected behind it, probably in preparation of the celebration of der Tag der Deutschen Einheit (Day of German Unity) that was the following day. 

After viewing the gate we walked to the main governmental building, the Bundesrat. We wanted to go inside and take a tour but the woman at the information desk kindly told us that you had to make an appointment at least four days in advance and that there was nothing they could do. So we walked back toward the gate and around to the Jewish Memorial. The memorial was huge! It was a maze similar to the one in the Jewish Museum but much larger. It was comprised of 2711 coffin-like stone squares and quite a sight. After wandering through the monument we headed to Postdamer Platz, a trendy and fashionable neighborhood that hosted the massive Sony Center. We ate lunch there and I had my first full German Apple Strudel. Amaaazing!

The Jewish Memorial

Postdamer Platz tram stop

After Postdamer Platz we walked to Checkpoint Charlie, the checkpoint in the Berlin Wall were important dignitaries and officials and crossed from east to west and vise versa. The checkpoint was cool to see but consisted only of one guard station. Right across the street stood a McDonalds so the effect was ruined somewhat. As the day light was winding down we took a train back toward the Dom and met the other two travelers in an ancient civilization history museum. The museum was housed some very cool artifacts but was kind of small and tedious (a tone not helped by the fact that all of the artifact labels were in German and thus took three times as long to read). We left right as the museum was closing and headed back to the hostel. 

We rested there for an hour or two and then went out to the Brandenburg Gate again. We sat outside the Bundesrat for a time, talking and enjoying the cool night air. After an hour or two we headed back to the mini-Oktoberfest and sat outside a raucous club resembling a cabana house in the beach chairs that had been placed there. Around 2 am we headed back to the hostel as our daily train ticket was about to expire, ready for a good night's sleep.

The next day was der Tag der Deutschen Einheit. We got up early again and split into two groups. The boys had seen the inside of the Berliner Dom yesterday and Roberto, Lorraine and I wanted to see it. So we headed for the Dom while the guys headed for Checkpoint Charlie, which they had missed yesterday. The inside of the Dom was as beautiful as the outside. We went up to the top for 4 euro and got a great view of the entire city. We then climbed back down and headed back along Unter den Linden. When we reached the Brandenburg Gate a festival much like Oktoberfest was in motion. The road was packed with people and carts of merchandise and food. We walked along the festival for a time before deciding to head back to the hostel and meet the other two.

We got back around 2 pm and loaded up the car. I said I would drive home since Roberto had driven on the way here and we took off. We hit traffic about an hour outside the city, which greatly lengthened our return journey. Around 8 pm Roberto said he would take over again and drove the remainder of the way home. When we got back to Cologne we were all tired and worn but flushed from the glow of a successful weekend.

Oktoberfest Round 2!

The next morning (Saturday the 25th of September) we awoke around noon. We had planned to get up at 8 am to visit the tents again but our bodies had disagreed with us and the alarms that blared throughout the morning were effectively ignored. When we finally did struggle out of bed we dressed and readied ourselves quickly before eating a brunch of Doener at a local shop and boarding the train back to Munich and the Oktoberfest. When we got there the streets were even more crowded than they were last night. We decided to take a walk around the entirety of the festival to get a feel for exactly how large it was. Just walking through the crowd was a laborious task. We had to struggle to keep our little six-person group together was we waded through the surging crowd.

We walked for a few hours around the carnival-like portion of the festival, looking at all the rides and attractions offered. After a time we decided to go back to the tents and see if it was possible to enter one. On the way we met one of James' high school friends who was studying in Vienna and walked around to the back of the beer tents in an attempt to get in. The lines were just as long as they were last night and much slower. After a time we managed to get into one of the tents (the Hipodrome) but each and every table was either taken or reserved. After circulating the tent we decided to try our luck at the other tents.

The crowded and colorful Hipdrome tent.

Outside on the street we walked past a multitude of people whom it seemed Oktoberfest had thoroughly beaten. Dozens of people were passed out on a grassy hill behind the tents and dozens more were slumped over fences or against trees. Some were in even more amusing positions.

The main entrance to Oktoberfest.

These guys had a little too much fun.

We continued walking around the festival for what seemed like a long time before we finally reached the conclusion that we weren't getting into any tents today. On Saturday it seemed each table in each tent was previously reserved and we were out of luck. We werent' too discouraged however. Some of our companions had seen a beer garden just outside Oktoberfest and we were sure we could just as easily entertain ourselves there.

We were right. The beer garden was alive and thriving. We first seated ourselves next to German political science students who were anxious to talk about political struggles in both the US and Germany. I enjoyed the conversation but soon moved to another table were two brothers and their respective daughters were enjoying each other's company over a few steins. We talked to them for a while and it turns out they owned a company in Cologne and offered to give us a tour of their facilities some time. We thanked them and marveled over the ability of the daughters to drink so openly with their fathers.

By midnight the beer garden was closing down and we had lost several members of our party. Figuring they had gone back to the hostel the remainder of us met some French students who had driven up from Cologne for the festival. We soon parted from them however and took a late-night, walking tour of Munich. It was a very nice night and there were plenty of sights to see even in the darkness. Finally we made it back to the Hauptbahnhof and boarded our train around 4 am. By the time we finally collapsed into our beds it was 6 am.

I woke an hour and a half after that, showered, dressed, and rode the train back to Munich with two members of our party. One had to catch a flight and the other was meeting a friend in the city. I said goodbye to them and went off on my own to explore. My first stop was Marienplatz, essentially the town square. I walked around the area, looking at the historic buildings and the huge churches. I found one that allowed you to climb to an observation deck for 1 euro and went up to the top. The view was stunning. You could essentially see the whole of Munich from that vantage point. It was quite impressive.

Me in front of the Neuesrathaus (new city hall).

A view of Marienplatz from the top of the church.

Cathedral of St. Mary

After a fun afternoon of site seeing I met up with the boys again and traveled to the Dachau concentration camp which was a 25 minute train ride away. The site had the exact opposite effect that Oktoberfest had. Everyone was silent and sober as we walked around the large, mostly open grounds. Only one prisoner barracks remained but the gas chambers and crematorium were also intact. We spent the better part of two hours at the camp before finally heading back to Munich.

The gate to the camp. "Arbeit Macht Frei"
Translation: Work makes one free.

The memorial sculpture at Dachau.

By the time we made it back to Munich it was nearly time to catch our 7:30 train back to Cologne. We stopped very briefly at the Englischergarten (English Gardens) for dinner. The gardens were very peaceful and it was a fine day to enjoy them. The food was also excellent and I regretted that we didnt' have more time to stay and enjoy the scene. After our food and beer were consumed we took the street car back to the central train station and boarded our train bound for home. All-in-all, I would call it a great weekend.

Oktoberfest!

So I know I haven't written for a while and I think its high time for an update! These past two weeks have been jammed full of awesome goings-on. I was fortunate enough to be able to experience two extremely important German events; the Oktoberfest in Munich and the Tag der Deutschen Einheit (Day of German Unity) in Berlin.

I was actually very lucky to be able to take part in the Oktoberfest. The other Americans studying at the University of Cologne had booked a hostel in the nearby city of Augsburg months in advance. However, one of their roommates had dropped and they asked me if I wanted to accompany them to Munich. Of course I said yes! I purchased my ticket the next day and packed the day after! On Friday the 23rd of September I woke at 5 am, and hurriedly readied myself. By 6:30 am I was on a tram bound for the Hauptbahnhof to catch a train to Munich that left at 7:15. I arrived on the platform ten minutes before the train arrived, boarded, and settled in for the 4 hour journey.

About halfway through a Canadian sat down beside me and started talking excitedly about Oktoberfest. It was clear that he was not exactly in the best condition to be going. He had lost most of his luggage at the last stop and had no idea where the person he was staying with lived and lacked contact information for her. He also seemed woefully unprepared for all that Oktoberfest encompassed so I did my best to fill him in on what exactly would go down.

We arrived at the Hauptbahnhof in Munich at about 11:30 am. I grabbed my small, over-the-shoulder bag that held all I would hopefully need for the weekend and took a little walk around the city, acquainting myself with the area around the Haupbahnhof. I then returned to the station, had lunch at a Burger King, and sat down to wait for Chris and James to arrive. It turned out that their train was two hours late so I sat for about three hours before it finally pulled in. I greeted them cheerfully and we set off to meet the three others who would be sharing the hostel with us. We meet the first very fortunately a few train stations away. We met the other two American students at the airport with surprisingly little trouble then hopped back on the train to the Hauptbahnhof were another train waited to take us to our hostel in Augsburg.

After checking into our hostel and depositing our luggage we boarded the train once again to go back to the Oktoberfest celebration. Within an hour we had entered Theresienwiese, the massive park where festival takes place. Hundreds of people were crammed into the wide streets and massive Bierzelten (beer tents) had been erected along the dirt road. The atmosphere was overwhelmingly cheerful and our sense were assaulted by a barrage of sights, sounds, and smells. After walking along the streets for a time, taking pictures and marveling at the enormity of it all, we decided to try and enter a tent. We scoped out a few before landing on one of the most popular, the Hofbrauhaus tent.

The Theresienwiese Strassenbahn stop.

We shouldered our way into the crowd waiting outside and stood in the cool night air for what must have been 20 minutes. Occasionally the bouncers at the entrance would raise a line of rope and allow 2 or 3 people to enter the tent. At around the 20 minute mark (we were prepared to wait an hour at least) the bouncers raised the entire rope and the crowd surged forward excitedly, each struggling to be the first to enter the tent. Inside our small group reformed and Chris excitedly exclaimed that they had been offered a table. We walked a few feet into the massive beer tent and forced our way onto a crowded bench near the entrance. No one was sitting and everyone was standing on the benches of the table so we shouldered our way into the mass of humanity bestriding the table.

The noise in the hall was immense. On a raised stage a band was playing a mix of older American music and traditional German melodies. Everyone in the tent was shouting and yelling and singing along. As our first round arrive we quickly made friends with our neighbors. One was a gigantic. loud Australian who enjoyed smashing his beer stein into those of the people he was toasting. It was clear he had consumed quite a lot of the golden brown liquid. On our other side was a quiet and serious German who held a doctorate in history. His name was Ollie and he was soon the most interesting man at the table. Soon the Australian man was replaced by a group of younger Germans with whom I chatted for a time.

The Oktoberfest grounds.

Der Bierzelt des Hofbrauhaus

James, Ryan, and I inside the beer tent.

After about two hours of merry-making inside the tent we were ushered from the table as the beer tent was closing. The tents at Oktoberfest surprisingly closed around 11 pm. This was probably due to some safety concerns but it was still disappointing to have to leave so soon. On the other hand, the beer in the tent was super-strong and most of us had about reached our limited. We walked outside into the crowd and were promptly separated by the swarm of people leaving the fair grounds. There was nothing that I could do except force my way back to the train stop and catch a ride back to the Hauptbahnhof. I found the train departing for Augsburg at its platform when I arrived, hoping against hope that the others would find the train as well.

As I was about to board I received a call from James who showed up with one of our other friends at the platform. Relieved that at least some of us had survived I boarded with them. I sat down once aboard as James and our friend went in search of a bathroom when a miracle occurred. First one of our other companions, than another, and then the final one walked aboard the train and past my seat. Despite all odds and some slightly altered states, we had all made it aboard the same train. I was very relieved and spent an surprisingly enjoyable ride back to Augsburg were we collapsed into our bunks.