Talking around Berlin
Walking around Berlin. What you see here in this picture may look like a remains of a bombed war zone, or something. Seems fitting for Berlin, right? Well its not a boming, they are actually tearing down a building. That deconstruction that you see there is actually quite important. It is actually history happening. I saw it with my eyes. I will get back to it later on in the post.
Walking around Berlin. Its not a very appealing city really. The word Berlin actually translates to "Swamp City" In Slovik, which was the language of Germany before it was Germany, back when it was ruled as Prussia. Berlin got its name because it was built on a swamp.
This here is the most prestigious hotel in Berlin, everyone famous has stayed here from, Tom Cruise to Barack Obama. One night here on the top floor will cost you over 12000 euros. You might be wondering why i decided to take a picture of this extremely expensive hotel. Well another person who has stayed here and actually caused quite the ruckus in this hotel was the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. Although i am a bit of a fan, that is not the reason why i took this picture. THIS hotel was the hotel that he decided to hold his baby child out the window and over the balcony to show everyone how crazy and messed up he really is, remember that? Yeah, i couldnt resist taking a picture of this place!
This is the Holocaust memorial in Berlin. The next couple pictures are walking through it. It was actually quite an uncomfortable expiriance. It wasnt pleasant at all. And that is its purpose. They built it so that looking at it and walking through it, it will never be a pleasant thing, because it is not. It is a reminder of a very horrible time in the worlds history that took place in Berlin.
I went in with a group of people and before we went in i looked at it and thought it wouldnt be that big of a deal, really, like just walking through a narrow hallway, iv done that pleanty of times. But this was different. The monument was built to sink down into a bit of a hole and inside it is really kind of wavey and hilly. The colums you see, at the begining are short but the further you walk in the begin to tower over you and they arent all built going straigh up, some of them are slanted and tilted and leaning into you. It is very clausterphobic.
Like i said, i went in with a pretty large group of people. But the second you get in you are all alone. I even went in following someone, but after the first turn i lost them. You see strangers pass through real quick but just as fast as they enter your sight they leave. So you are literally walking around alone in this, what seems to be an easy walk through a hallway, but its not. From out side the monument you can see the other side of it quite easily. But as you can see in this picture it looks like the end of this is almost miles away. I started feeling really anxious like it was taking me forever to get out and that everyone was waiting for me on the other side. But when i got out thats how everyone was feeling. You walk in and about halfway you really feel the need to get out of there.
Here is one of the two bits that are left of the Berlin Wall. Directly on the other side of this was actually the SS headquarters, but when they destroyed that they decided to leave it as a ruin and not to build on top of it. So this is what the east side of the wall looked like, bare with very little graffiti.
This is a war memorial. It is a statue of a woman holding her dead son in her arms. On the right side of her is the burial of an unknown holocaust victim and on the left side of her is the burial of an unknown german soldier from world war I. Through out the different stages of Berlin it was known as the memorial for all sorts of terribal events (according to the goverment that ruled at the time). But now it is known as just a war memorial, in general, not really relative to any specific war, just all war victims and people effected by wars.
This buidling here, looks old like most monuments and buildings in Europe, but it is only a mere 100 years old. It was built in 1905. You can also see the TV tower in the background. Which you can actually see in a bunch of other pictures that iv taken, but thats the reason why it was built. So you can see it from basically all points of Berlin. It has turned into a symbol of Communism here in Berlin. It was built by the government of East Berlin during the division, the reason why they built it was to show West Berlin that they had the technology and man power to build such a thing, really, thats the only reason why it was constructed, was to boast to West Berlin and to show that East Berlin was better. When really it was not, and to me it has become a very annoying and kind of a disgusting symbol that just ruins every picture i take in Berlin.
Alright, back to this little tid bit. This is history in the making right here, what was here BEFORE this building was here (That they are now tearing down) was a beutiful palace. Well the government of East Berlin decided they didnt like the palace so they tore it down and put up their House of Pariliment. What you see in this picture is the destruction of the East Germany House of Parliment. Which to all people who live in Berlin and espcially to those who had to suffer through the wars and divisions of Germany and Berlin, THIS is a great scene. It is yet another symbolic moment that is happening all through out Berlin right now showing the rise of the People, taking over the government and demanding change, and getting what they want and need. It is the rise of the People and the fall of Communism.
This here is second piece of the Berlin Wall that is left, this is the larger piece. It is called the East Side Gallery, which is an open air gallery displaying the art and graffiti of the west side of the Berlin Wall.
I had to do it...
Another thing i did today was i went and saw the New Year. A band from Texas. I saw that they were playing in Berlin a while ago and i have been debating wheather i should go or not. I went, and i am very happy that i did go. The New Year is a band that you listen to and wouldnt think they would be a great live band, or...well you would think they would be a bit boreing to see live. But they pulled it off actually. They're preformance was awesome i thought actually. They definatly blew me away. I got to the show a bit late, two other bands played. One of which was a preformance by the drummer of the New Year, Chris Browkaw. But i missed them and got there right before the New Year played. But thats alright, i was eating an awesome vegan burrito. I'll finish this story at the end of the pictures...
The first night i was herein Berlin i walked around looking for food and i was just about to give up and just go to a kabab stand and just get some cheap falaful. But then i walked past this burrito shop, called Dolores. Burritos always sound good to me, always. And next to sushi, a good burrito is one food that i have missed a bunch since iv gotten over here to europe. I had good sushi in Lisbon and well here in Berlin i found the perfect burrito shop. They have HUGE burritos and they use organic products and they have a ton of vegan options and they are set up like a fast food place, so i get my awesome burrito quick and cheap! I have eatn there now three nights in a row, every night iv been in Berlin i have eat'n at Dolores. Tomarrow i leave Berlin and i will miss Dolores....it will be a said departure for me, not only because i will be leaving behind quite possibly the best burrito shop in the world, but also i could probably stay here in Berlin for another week and still not even learn half of what id like to learn about Berlin. The city looks like crap, but the history and people who live here are both tragically beutiful. The history is a sad and deep history. The people who live here in Berlin have gone through alot, they have been forcibly seperated from family and friends by war and horrible, inhuman, governmental practices. They have certainly learned the hard way the importance of working together as a massive force to rise up and show that the government is not here for the people but the people are here for the government. The people of Berlin have learned the importance of human interaction and they are some of the nicest people i have ever met. This is one thing that i am learning along the way in my travels, the importance of human interaction, and Berlin is definatly a city that has taught me alot on that subject, even in the short time that i have been here. But i must leave tomarrow to Roßwein, Germany to go to a show. Verse and Ceremony. Im pumped. Two good shows two nights in a row....im always down for that!
There are canals everywhere, they are in alot of my pictures and every picture with a canal in it, just know, the canal is a different canal everytime.
Hey Betsy, look at this! This one has a spoiler though...i know...but its SO close!
