Pitstop 1 - Berlin
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The jouurney of our 4.5wks Easter trip begins in Berlin, Germany (Pitstop number 1). We started out with 6 pple altogether - Hazel, Ben, Yisi, Derek, Jinyang and myself :)
I would say this Easter trip began way before we even stepped into the plane. It all started w all the planning, bookings, printing of hostel maps and realising that German trains are on strike!!! haha...Germany is dominated by this train company called 'DB Bahn'. I think part of the subsidiary train co (the U-Bahn) is on strike. Luckily, it didnt affect us because the S-Bahn is up and running :)
Talk about war history, I think no other place in the world can beat the country of Germany. (except, maybe... China) No wonder it's a dreamland for history students. In these 3 days in Berlin, I've learnt so much about its history and had so much emotions for this city. From Kings to revolutions, Hitler, Nazi, WWI & II, communists, suppression, spies, holocausts, Jews... All wrapped up into story of one city. It's A-mazing.
walking under the tracks of closed down U-Bahn due to strikes
Grabbing breakfast :)
One thing you'll realise when u reach Berlin, is the amount of graffiti one can see. It's practically EVERYWHERE. on trains, subways, walls of buildings (which u can never understand how those pple can reach those places). Nice ones, ugly ones, illegible ones. haha...
This is an example of a nice one :)
Oh yeah, always look out for free tours :) Stumbled upon this brochure for Free Walking Tours (they run based on tips). First stop was Butenburger Square.
Brandenburg Gate
The Quadriga - which Napolean stoled and after Germans beat the French, put it back on Brandenburg Gate.
The hotel which Michael Jackson dangled the baby boy out of the window. (rmbr tht incident??)
A statue in Brandenburg gate
Reichstag - Parliament House
Our guide with the Jewish memorial in the background.
This memorial for Jewish Holocaust victims was designed such tht they look like tombstones, yet they aren't. When you walk through, these stones will gradually tower above, and everywhere you look when u're inside, it's the same. Supposed to make one feel the fear, lost and loneliness of the Jews when they were deported.
The spot where Hitler committed suicide.
Large overhead pipes to drain swamp water away from a construction site. Berlin's a marshy swampland.
Builing scarred with shells and bullet holes from WWII.
More graffiti
Communist propaganda drawings on what used to be SS(Nazi army) HQ. Now the building is the tax office.
Berlin Wall as viewed from East Berlin - thus the bare walls
The trabi-Safari. When the communists barred everything that demonstrates democracy, they came up with their own brand of cars called the Trabi-Safari. Made up of cardboard and plastic, and runs on mixture of oil and gas. Max speed 60-70mph. Now, any tourists can rent any one of these to go about Berlin.
The West Berlin wall
BOO!
Charlie Checkpoint - the famous checkpoint on West Berlin side where many East Berliners tried to bypass.
think this is a theatre.. haha
Opera house
TV tower and the Dom on museum island
In the Neue Wache - commemorates victims of war and tyranny
Over to museum island... the Berliner Dom
Camwhoring on museum island :D
Hazel and I sharing a tub for shower.. hee
Perverted Ben =_="
oops! naked butt
Love these series of statues :)
Hm.. let me identify those shoes - pointing at the TV tower, that's me. anti-cw: Derek, Jinyang, Yisi :)
Neue Wache
Germany flag :: Berlin flag
Berlin Bears!
See any difference in both traffic lights? haha.. the one in front is called 'Ample Man'. Can only be found in East Berlin :)
Reichstag + Camwhore
There's a glass dome which is open to the public which is directly over the parliament house. Whenever politicians are having parliamentary sessions, all they need to do is to look up, and remind themselves that it's the people of the country that have the say, not dictatorship.
Yisi
Derek and his funny poses :P
Architecture within the dome...
Memorial for all the victims who tried to escape from East to West Berlin.
I think Berlin is a city not only for sightseeing, it's a city where you can actually feel for the people both past and present because of the rich history. For the people who fought hard for revolution, for the innocent victims of atrocities carried out by Nazis... and finally the liberation of iron-fist of east Berlin. It's all these political transitions, grandeur of buildings & monuments, emotions and freedom that makes Berlin a really beautiful place. :)
I would say this Easter trip began way before we even stepped into the plane. It all started w all the planning, bookings, printing of hostel maps and realising that German trains are on strike!!! haha...Germany is dominated by this train company called 'DB Bahn'. I think part of the subsidiary train co (the U-Bahn) is on strike. Luckily, it didnt affect us because the S-Bahn is up and running :)
Talk about war history, I think no other place in the world can beat the country of Germany. (except, maybe... China) No wonder it's a dreamland for history students. In these 3 days in Berlin, I've learnt so much about its history and had so much emotions for this city. From Kings to revolutions, Hitler, Nazi, WWI & II, communists, suppression, spies, holocausts, Jews... All wrapped up into story of one city. It's A-mazing.
walking under the tracks of closed down U-Bahn due to strikes
Grabbing breakfast :)
One thing you'll realise when u reach Berlin, is the amount of graffiti one can see. It's practically EVERYWHERE. on trains, subways, walls of buildings (which u can never understand how those pple can reach those places). Nice ones, ugly ones, illegible ones. haha...
This is an example of a nice one :)
Oh yeah, always look out for free tours :) Stumbled upon this brochure for Free Walking Tours (they run based on tips). First stop was Butenburger Square.
Brandenburg Gate
The Quadriga - which Napolean stoled and after Germans beat the French, put it back on Brandenburg Gate.
The hotel which Michael Jackson dangled the baby boy out of the window. (rmbr tht incident??)
A statue in Brandenburg gate
Reichstag - Parliament House
Our guide with the Jewish memorial in the background.
This memorial for Jewish Holocaust victims was designed such tht they look like tombstones, yet they aren't. When you walk through, these stones will gradually tower above, and everywhere you look when u're inside, it's the same. Supposed to make one feel the fear, lost and loneliness of the Jews when they were deported.
The spot where Hitler committed suicide.
Large overhead pipes to drain swamp water away from a construction site. Berlin's a marshy swampland.
Builing scarred with shells and bullet holes from WWII.
More graffiti
Communist propaganda drawings on what used to be SS(Nazi army) HQ. Now the building is the tax office.
Berlin Wall as viewed from East Berlin - thus the bare walls
The trabi-Safari. When the communists barred everything that demonstrates democracy, they came up with their own brand of cars called the Trabi-Safari. Made up of cardboard and plastic, and runs on mixture of oil and gas. Max speed 60-70mph. Now, any tourists can rent any one of these to go about Berlin.
The West Berlin wall
BOO!
Charlie Checkpoint - the famous checkpoint on West Berlin side where many East Berliners tried to bypass.
think this is a theatre.. haha
Opera house
TV tower and the Dom on museum island
In the Neue Wache - commemorates victims of war and tyranny
Over to museum island... the Berliner Dom
Camwhoring on museum island :D
Hazel and I sharing a tub for shower.. hee
Perverted Ben =_="
oops! naked butt
Love these series of statues :)
Hm.. let me identify those shoes - pointing at the TV tower, that's me. anti-cw: Derek, Jinyang, Yisi :)Neue Wache
Germany flag :: Berlin flag
Berlin Bears!
See any difference in both traffic lights? haha.. the one in front is called 'Ample Man'. Can only be found in East Berlin :)
Reichstag + Camwhore
There's a glass dome which is open to the public which is directly over the parliament house. Whenever politicians are having parliamentary sessions, all they need to do is to look up, and remind themselves that it's the people of the country that have the say, not dictatorship.
Yisi
Derek and his funny poses :P
Architecture within the dome...
Memorial for all the victims who tried to escape from East to West Berlin.
I think Berlin is a city not only for sightseeing, it's a city where you can actually feel for the people both past and present because of the rich history. For the people who fought hard for revolution, for the innocent victims of atrocities carried out by Nazis... and finally the liberation of iron-fist of east Berlin. It's all these political transitions, grandeur of buildings & monuments, emotions and freedom that makes Berlin a really beautiful place. :)
