Around The World: Berlin

One of the interesting place that we passed by from Prague to Berlin, Volkswagen factory. Ha Ha.

Us conquering the coach again. :P

We arrived in Berlin, Hauptbahnhof Station at around 3.20pm. From there we took the commuter train to Alexanderplatz. Then, we need to change the train to Senefelder Platz.

Boy! The train change is quite confusing! There is a few times where we need to walk back and forth to confirm if we are on the right track. But once we reach Senefelder Platz, the hostel is very nearby. Yea!

Nice room too!

Everytime we got a room with double decker, there will be a small calibration on who sleeps on top. Hehe...very small discussions ...Less than 10seconds. We are civilised people. :P

Since it is getting late, we don’t waste much time but head straight out. It’s Berlin, so, the 1st thing that we wanted to go is none other than the Berlin Wall. We were advised to get off at the Osbanhoff stop as the Berlin wall will be just in walking distance. But once we reach Alexander Platz, we get hungry. (-_-) . After making a big round, we finally opted for this vegetarian noodle for a very cheap price, EUR3.

Here’s a funny story. The noodle, albeit nice, but us being a Malaysia, we can’t help but to keep topping it up with the sauce and fried onions placed at the counter. However, after a few times, we found out that the fried onions is nowhere to be seen! The shop owner’s wife has keep away from us! Kedekut! (Stingy!) .

The Wall was erected in 1961 because more than 2.6 million East Germans escaped to West Berlin or West Germany from 1949 to 1961. The life in the West was much better than in the East after 1948. In East Germany a communist system was established and many people had to suffer under repressions of the Communist party. East Germany lost too many skilled workers in these years. The East German government saw no other way to prevent from escaping to the West via Berlin than closing the border between East and West Berlin on August 13, 1961.

(Credit)

In 1989 the first free labor union was founded in the communist Poland. The end of the communist system had begun. Mass demonstrations against the government and the system in East Germany begun at the end of September and took until November 1989.Erich Honecker, East Germany's head of state, had to resign on October 18, 1989. The new governement prepared a new law to lift the travel restrictions for East German citizen. In November 9, 1989, A press conference is held where the SED government announced that travel restrictions for East Germans had been lifted. In that night people from East Berlin flooded into the western part of the city and hundreds of thousands celebrated throughout the city. Next day Berliners begin to discover the other part of their city. (credit)

After Berlin Wall, we wanted to go to Brandenburger Tor, but we got on the wrong train and got confuse. Thus, we change the plan and head out at Alexander Platz.

It was a super freeeeeeezing night. So, we stopped for a while to buy some souvenirs, took photos quickly and head back to the hostel.

TV Station

The next day, we woke up at 6.30am, had a quick breakfast in the kitchen and heads out at 7.45am. This time, we did our research and heads to Postdamer Platz.

From there, we walk along Ebertstraße street where we pass by a real nice snowy park.

Pass by Jewish Holocaust Memorial

And finally, Brandenburger Tor!

The we walk straight up passing Reichstag.

From here, we took the metro back to HB. Look at us running to catch the train where one of us flapping the hand some more while Laili walk cozily behind us and snap this photo.