Berlin, Germany

Arrival

Night time is definitely the worst time to arrive in a foreign country. Especially when you prepared for it the way I did. Which is to say, you didn't.

The streets are dark and no one is around. The cabbie doesn't understand what I am saying and I really have to go pee. This vacation is starting out just right. All I need now is for the driver to stop beside an empty field, get out and drop his pants.

The trip here was already something of an ordeal. Let's back up a few hours. Original plan as follows:

1. Fly into Prague and begin the 10-hour layover (ticket was much cheaper this way).
2. Put my stuff into a locker, then take a cab out into the city to walk around for a bit.
3. Return to the airport and fly to Berlin.
4. Drink beer with the locals and eat sausages with sauerkraut, while making witty remarks about world politics and putting my arm gently around the women.

Simple, right? Well, it would have been if we were able to land in Prague. Due to heavy fog, we had to circle for about an hour. As we were running low on fuel, the pilot diverted us to nearby Bratislava, Slovakia.

Gotta keep a positive outlook. Above the clouds, the sun is always shining. We sat on the tarmac for another hour or so, then finally got clearance to go to Prague.

Now that I was in Prague, my 10-hour layover had now been reduced to a 6.5-hour layover. What to do? Go out and risk getting lost, then missing my flight? Or stalk around the airport like Tom Hanks in that movie?

Well, get your Academy awards out, cuz guess which I opted for.

You know, you'd think that it'd be boring as hell, sitting in an airport for 6.5 hours and you'd be right. And you'd also think that you could die of boredom, but you can't, even though about 3 hours in, I wished that I could.

The flight to Berlin was only an hour from Prague - mere child's play compared to the quarter-day ordeal I'd just been through. I took a cab from Tegel airport to a hostel I saw listed in the Lonely Planet I had with me.

After ironing out some minor complications with the receptionist (lesson 1: always make reservations first), I was soon sitting in my room, wishing I had something to eat.

A quick flip through the Lonely Planet found me the Grill und Schlemmerbuffet Zach, a Turkish-run diner that had donner kebabs and the like - only a 10 minute walk away. The meal was delicious, cheap (2 Euros) and filling - the holy trinity of dining. I would eat many more donner kebabs in the days to come.

Walked the streets for a few hours, then went back to the hostel (pretty decent room - very Ikea) to buy some postcards and stamps. In all, it cost me a little over 30 Euros. Lesson 2: check around touristy places to buy postcards, before you drop $45 CAD on them.

Had a Beck's (you can drink on the street here), wrote a little and went to bed. I don't want to be tired tomorrow, in case I have to outrun skin heads.