Although Sweden isn't the most central place in Europe to be based, it's still in Europe - and that means (in Australian terms) everything else in Europe is close!
While the weather was still good, we decided it was time to pop into Germany. The original plan was to fly to Berlin, hang out, then take a bus to Hamburg on the way to Amsterdam. Unfortunately due to time constraints, we had to ditch Hamburg - after all Candice still had class in Sweden to get back to!
Because we had booked an "enviromentally unethical" cheap flight with Ryanair, we had to travel all the way back to Skavsta airport - the bus and train ride there cost more than our flight!!
As luck would have it, one of my (Nat's) best friends from back when I lived in Sabah, Pascal just happened to be in Berlin. A fellow Eurasian, Pascal is half-German and his mum actually comes from Berlin - so this meant that we pretty much had a local tour guide with us!
Pascal and I (Nat) pose with a train inspector on the S-bahn train from the airport
I think this is the U-bahn
After checking into the amazing Generator hostel in East Berlin, Pascal gave us a quick night tour of Berlin. Used to navigating ourselves around a new city, this time we left it all up to Pascal - which means we don't even remember the names of some of these places! Pascal's passable basic German meant we didn't even have to stumble around in English.
The beer in Berlin is cheap and can be bought anywhere - suprisingly people even drink on the train!
Chowing down on kebabs - Berlin-style
Berlin street food: Currywurst (curried sausage) and chips with mayo!!
Berlin is an amazing city of around 3.5 million. It doesn't strictly have a city centre and the sights spread far and wide. The city's tumultous past 80 years or so have made it a living museum of several wars that have shaped our world. We couldn't wait to start exploring!
View of East Berlin from our hostel
Nothing beats a free city walking tour, and just like London and Edinburgh, Berlin has one too. New Europe Tours (http://www.neweuropetours.eu/) is the company that conducts the tours, at the end of the day you choose whether to tip your guide - that's it!
Amazingly, it was still technically summer down here in Germany! I actually wore shorts. What a contrast to Sweden!
The Brandenburg Gate
The prestigious Hotel Adlon, where in 2002 Michael Jackson dangled his baby from a window
The Berlin Wall (which came down in 1989) is still marked by this double cobblestone line that runs right through the city (even on roads)
Officially called the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Halocaust Memorial cost 27 million Euros to build
Candice at the memorial
The Germans have done nothing to cover up their past - they believe every generation should be reminded of the atrocities that were committed so that it should never happen again. Determined to make sure that Hitler be afforded no respect, they refuse to build any memorial or glorify anything from the days of Nazi rule.
The site of Hitler's bunker where he committed suicide with his mistress Eva Braun in 1945. Now nothing more than a car-park
After World War II, Germany was carved up between the USSR, USA, Britain and France. Berlin was split in half between the allies and the Soviets. There was no place on earth like Berlin during the cold war - it was literally where Soviet East and Democratic West converged into one place, staring each other in the face. Berlin was important, for if it fell the whole block could fall. That's exactly what happened.
Part of a wall mural, showing the ideal utopian communist state (at the former East German government complex in East Berlin). The reality was quite different.
Remnants of the Berlin Wall. Ironically, the wall is now protected by a fence.
Berliner Dom, the largest church in the city
Pigs in Berlin
The Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park
These mobile hotdog-selling dudes are everywhere! Only 1 Euro.
A building that looks like a German helmet
On our final night in Berlin, Pascal took us to have dinner with two of his aunts. Ironically, they are from his Malaysian side and not his German side - two Kadazan ladies who married Germans and moved to Berlin years and years ago. In typical Kadazan style, they cooked up a storm - and it was great for me to practice my Kadazan again. They are fluent in English, German, Kadazan and Malay!
The Berlin Zoo is the most visited zoo in Europe and one of the most popular wordwide. With almost 1,400 different species and around 14,000 animals, apparently it has the most comprehensive collection in the world. During WWII, the zoo somehow bore the brunt of many bomb attacks and only 91 of the then 12,000 animals survived. We thought we'd check it out - we've only posted a handfull of the numerous photos we took there.
A sleeping rhino
Pigs
Pandas
The kangaroos reminded us of home!
As is my custom, I had to check out German McDonalds. Arguably the best specialty burger out of any McDonalds that I have visited so far, the McRib (pork rib burger) certainly did not fail to impress. Good luck trying to find that in Malaysia!
The best PIG burger ever!
After only a few days in Berlin, we sadly bid it goodbye and caught a Eurolines bus across the country into the Netherlands (stopping briefly in Hannover). Rest assured, we will be back.
Wir lieben Deutschland!!
For more photos of our time in Berlin, visit http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54433&l=debb2&id=681501850 and http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54441&l=00072&id=681501850
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