Took my time to wake up and check out. Nearby is the longest remaining stretch of Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery. I reached there before 8am and it was nice to stroll along the wall and admire the wall art without interference. However the private moment was shortlasted as tourists were swarming all over the gallery by 830am and it became difficult to snap a decent photo...Opposite the end of the wall is the Ostbahnhof where I was going to board a bus to Hamburg in the evening.
As there was still time to kill, I explored the east Berlin on foot. Walked through shops and neighbourhood to reach Judisches Museum. This great museum is everything about Jewish and I was so enthralled with it that time passed by swiftly. The exhibition about Holocaust and Jewish families during the Third Reich left my eyes wet. The cultural and religious aspect of Judaism is also interesting but there is too much to cover. Before I knew it, I spent like 3 hours here and I was late to go back to my hostel. I half ran-half walked to nearest metro station to return to the hostel to pick up my rucksack. To make things worse, I was distracted and alighted at the wrong station and the next train terminated half way due to construction work. I had to get off and run back to my hostel, grabbed my bag and run to the bus station. I was so out of breath and sweaty by the timeI reached OSTbahnhof (coach station). Despite my earnest effort, I missed my bus by 5 minutes. *Sob* The Berlinienbus ticket I bought online was discounted ticket hence there was no refund, and I was required to pay for another new ticket at triple the price and worse, I had to go to another station to board the next bus (different departure point). What I did not know was it took me nearly an hour to reach the second departure point. By the time I reached there, the bus was starting to move. With a hot dog in my hand and another hand trying to fumble through my purse for money...I must have looked pathetic because the man at the counter waved we away and let me board the bus without extra payment. Phew...
The bus is very comfortable and very punctual. Chatted with a gynaecologist along the way and despite her limited English, I was able to understand her. Arrived at Hamburg before darkness. Got into a metro to Landungsbrucken station. From the station, there is a staircase that lead up to the DJH Jugendherberge Hamburg Hostel at the top of the hill. The hostel is classy but there is no free wifi. The marvelous breakfast buffet made up for it though...
Hamburg is famous for night life in Reeperbahn, a legal red light district. All my hostel roommates went out to party the night away here but since I was travelling alone, I gave it a miss and slept early...
One of the famous painting on East Side Gallery
As there was still time to kill, I explored the east Berlin on foot. Walked through shops and neighbourhood to reach Judisches Museum. This great museum is everything about Jewish and I was so enthralled with it that time passed by swiftly. The exhibition about Holocaust and Jewish families during the Third Reich left my eyes wet. The cultural and religious aspect of Judaism is also interesting but there is too much to cover. Before I knew it, I spent like 3 hours here and I was late to go back to my hostel. I half ran-half walked to nearest metro station to return to the hostel to pick up my rucksack. To make things worse, I was distracted and alighted at the wrong station and the next train terminated half way due to construction work. I had to get off and run back to my hostel, grabbed my bag and run to the bus station. I was so out of breath and sweaty by the timeI reached OSTbahnhof (coach station). Despite my earnest effort, I missed my bus by 5 minutes. *Sob* The Berlinienbus ticket I bought online was discounted ticket hence there was no refund, and I was required to pay for another new ticket at triple the price and worse, I had to go to another station to board the next bus (different departure point). What I did not know was it took me nearly an hour to reach the second departure point. By the time I reached there, the bus was starting to move. With a hot dog in my hand and another hand trying to fumble through my purse for money...I must have looked pathetic because the man at the counter waved we away and let me board the bus without extra payment. Phew...
The bus is very comfortable and very punctual. Chatted with a gynaecologist along the way and despite her limited English, I was able to understand her. Arrived at Hamburg before darkness. Got into a metro to Landungsbrucken station. From the station, there is a staircase that lead up to the DJH Jugendherberge Hamburg Hostel at the top of the hill. The hostel is classy but there is no free wifi. The marvelous breakfast buffet made up for it though...
Hamburg is famous for night life in Reeperbahn, a legal red light district. All my hostel roommates went out to party the night away here but since I was travelling alone, I gave it a miss and slept early...
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