Do you know what kind of party this is? We didn’t. Unsure what to expect walking into Berlin and leaving unsure of what happened in truly an experience like no other. Berlin was definitely a unique part of our trip that left a lasting impression.
DAY 15: JULY 15- TRAVEL TO BERLIN, GERMANY
From Rome to Berlin
Travel day! We had to check out of our Rome airbnb by 10am so we left then. There was a cafe down the street so we sat there for an hour and half before our 11:50am train. We pushed it a little too close because we were running to make it in on the train at exactly 11:50. Thankfully, they didn’t end up leaving until 11:52. That train took us to our connecting train at the Milan airport. I think the AC broke a quarter way in because it was so hot.
We got to the airport early because we were nervous about our bags being too big. It was our first Ryanair flight. They pulled mine aside to check but didn’t actually open it, thankfully. We ate dinner at a Wagamamas in the airport. It was good. I got veggie dumplings, rice, and shared noodles with Haley. There was a huge line by the time we left. We grabbed snacks and sat at a random gate since we had so much time and I watched Kelsey Kreppel and Cody Ko’s vlogs. Then, we got on the plane without any problems with our bags.
*Note: Ryanair is like the Spirit Airlines of Europe
Welcome to Berlin
We landed really late at night, found the metro and made it to our airbnb around midnight. It was 20 degrees colder in Berlin and the people seemed so different. Coming from the summer, touristy, sundress Italy to Germany was an interesting culture change. After we put our stuff down, we walked around to find a quick bite at a random place on the street. They had chicken in a bucket and meat on a rotisserie rod in the window. Yet, I got a veggie wrap with falafel. It was my favorite falafel so far and the people were so sweet. They talked to us about America and how they want to go some day. I accidentally got sparkling water instead of still because I was distracted and overwhelmed. It was still a good experience and made our first hour here really enjoyable.
*Note: It was a little intimidating walking into a Friday night scene off the bat. The people seemed mean and dark and we felt like we had to buy a whole new wardrobe but they ended up being some of the best people we met on the trip.
DAY 16: JULY 16- FULL DAY IN BERLIN
Historic Afternoon
There were tons of cafes near our Airbnb so we picked one for breakfast/lunch. I got scrambled eggs and oatmeal with a cappuccino. It was yummy. Then, we took the metro to see the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie. They were all remotely close to each other and the metro system was simple so it was easy to get to. We got our souvenirs and Emma and Juan got Mcdonald’s. Haley wanted a pretzel but couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for so we went back to chill before we ate dinner and thought about drinking.
*Note: The transportation here was cheap and easy
Night Life
After resting, we went to a German restaurant called Wurscht & Knoll. I had a dish that was like mac and cheese called Käsespätzle and a beer called Berliner Berg. It was SO good. Our waiter barely spoke English but he gave us a free shot that was one of the worst things i’ve ever had. He was sweet though. I’m pretty sure he was running the whole restaurant by himself. Once we left, we went to a metal bar across the street that only played metal music. I asked the bartender for his favorite beer and he laughed and gave me a beer called Grevensteiner. I liked it, even though I think he was expecting me to hate it. We also had a shot of Jägermeister because how could we not.
Where It Gets Weird
After we finished our drinks, we decided to walk to an area we had passed on our way to our Airbnb from the train station the night before. Little did we know, we were entering one of the weirdest experiences. Basically, there were a bunch of exclusive “parties” going on that everyone seems to know about except for us. Imagine a dark, wide alleyway that is randomly lit with fluorescent colored lights. Within the alleyway, there are parties going on in warehouse looking buildings all around, some with lines forming at the door, others completely desolate. People are walking around with beers in their hand in small or large groups and the sound of a base bumping somewhere in the distance. It felt like a parallel universe.
It Gets Weirder
Since we were here, we decided to try one one of these parties, having no idea that’s what we were even trying to do. We went up to the bouncers and they were like, “‘Do you know what kind of party this is?” Having never been here, we were like no and they replied, “It’s an asian party.” We had no idea what that meant so Emma was like, “Uhhhh, are we allowed?” And she responded, “You can try if you want.” We were so thrown off. Try what? Try to be asian? Try to get in? Try to have fun? What does that even mean? Curious, we said sure why not and walked to go to the actual entrance. We were surrounded by asian people. It seemed like it was someone’s birthday party that everyone knew except for us. When we got to the front of the line, we found out it was 30 euros, opposed to the 5 euros it was for everyone else, so we turned around and wandered some more.
Still Weird
Unsure how to feel, we tried another. Again, the bouncer asked if we knew what kind of party it was and again, we said no. He said, “It’s a gay/queer party with a special dark room. Is this something that interests you?” We were like um no thanks, we are good and tried another.
While waiting in line for this one, a group of four guys got behind us. They asked if they could join us to even out the ratio of boys to girls and we said yes since we had nothing to lose. When we got to the front, the bouncer asked us AGAIN if we knew what kind of party this was. We, of course, did not and he said it was a dance party. We were like perfect thats exactly what we were looking for. Then, he is just standing there staring at us. He proceed to ask how many guys there were in our group and if any are gay. They said, “No, not yet,” jokingly but the bouncer did not think it was funny. He very seriously said that there were too many straight guys because it was actually a gay dance party and we had to leave.
Less Weird
Astonished and confused, we wondered some more until we finally found one with a 5 euro cover that did not ask us what kind of party it was. The scene looked normal and it was. However, they did not have great music and there were not too many people but it was still fun. The four guys we met in line came with us. They got us to take mexicano shots and jager shots. We all sat at a table, talked about how different our cultures were and drank beer. They were around thirty years old from South Germany visiting their friend for the first time in Berlin. It was refreshing to know they thought this scene was odd as well. Their views were interesting to hear. They think sparkling water is refreshing, “all Americans have guns”, Drake & Josh is about a gay couple and knew what red necks were. We stayed out so late. When we left, we got late night snacks, saw the sun rise and went to bed at 5am. It was a wild night.
*Note: Leaving when we did is considered early here.
DAY 17: JULY 17- FULL DAY IN BERLIN
Recovery
The next day we didn’t get up until 1:30pm. We got “breakfast” at a cafe. I had eggs, banana bread and a cappuccino. We then walked to the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall. That was really cool, plus an American guy was singing and playing guitar by the water.
Then, we took an Uber to a beer garden. We were a little too hungover to fully enjoy it but it was fun to sit there and talk. Haley and I got a beer and a pretzel and we played cards. We made our way back to our airbnb to rest lol. We got up again and went to dinner. We ate at an asian restaurant, kinda ironic. I had a udon noodle bowl with veggies and walked to get dessert. We had chimney cakes with ice cream in them. They were ok. Then, we walked home to shower, pack and nap before our 6am flight to Brussels.
*Note: Although we did a lot of resting, I still felt like we saw and did everything we needed to in Berlin.