Berlin

Finally escaped the chaos. You could get lost in Munich on a bender like Oktoberfest. I think I might of ended Sunday with saying that night we were going to take it easy and just soak in the atmosphere. The latter of the two we did, take it easy however was not the case. We had been so fortunate this weekend with getting a table, which apparently is suppose to be next to impossible. The table we managed to seize was that of a random group from all over, who had been drinking since nine and by seven when we got there were wandering around in a stopper. We got a beer and food, which is very difficult to eat with people jumping around on the table and benches. It almost becomes taboo to walk anywhere thru the hallways, as everyone runs across the benches and tables. By liter two of beer, we were all up on the tables with everyone, and out spot was right in the middle in front of the stage. The bands are hilarious. Between every song they chug half a beer, lose there own place in a song and dance. It is really the most jolly atmosphere I've ever seen. I was so disappointed I didn't have my dirndl on the second day. You honestly feel out of place in street clothes amongst all the lesser hosin wearing men, and dirndl wearing woman. We closed down the tent, and wandered like fools through the festival grounds with the rest of the masses.
The next morning checking out and packing by ten was difficult. I had laundry strewn throughout all the washers and driers, irresponsibly getting distracted with the festivities. Lucky for me Lian was leaving her stuff with Zachary and Jules friend Yuki who they were staying with, so I could enjoy a few more hours, and get use out of my dirndl. I am proud to say I had good farm raised German chicken, pretty much as my only meal one for the three day. I missed the last train out for Berlin, the six hours would have been brutal. I just had to get out, because all of the hostels were packed and Munich is so expensive, so I found a train going half way to Jena, ori ounces kind of like yena. Yuki said that it was a very neat little town. I was unaware though that it was much smaller and quant, so arriving at 11 made it a little difficult to find out where anything was.
So fortunately for me I heard some people speaking English coming out of a pub bellow a hotel, that there would have been no way I could afford. The one guy Pete, came to my assistance. He was trying to escape his colleagues boring conversation anyways. He had traveled a lot, and found it necessary to help a fellow traveler in need haha. He was German, but spoke English very well. He was studying for his PH.D at the university there. He used his phone to find a hostel, which he pretty much nowhere all closed. He found a 24 hour number for me, and soled the owner who was asleep, and convinced him that I was alone and needed a place to sleep. The owner said the place is left unlocked, it is a very small safe city I got the impression of. To just walk in, find a bed, and pay in the morning. Pete new where it was, so walked me there, and crept around with me until I found a place to sleep. He is on couch surfers, and suggested could go back to his place if there was nothing available, but his girlfriend would probably prefer it if he found me a hostel haha. On the walk there he gave me a background on the little city. It is mostly a university town. It is the youngest city by population in Germany. School was just starting the next wek so it was still a bit of a ghost town. 25,000 of the90,000 residents are students. I feel like I have been following the college opening week everywhereive been so far. In cork my roomier were looking for flats before school started. In Galway Antonia was staying at the hostel waiting to start teChing the following week. In Scotland I was there the , freshis week I think they call it. The first weekend back, so the city was nuts at night. Then at the hostel I snuck in at Jena was all students waiting for school.
Explaining to the two old German ladies in the morning that I had actually snuckintothe hostel, with permission, and found a bed was quite hilarious. They were so sweet, but it took a lot of sign language and physically walking them through my approach to the situation the night before, to finally get them to understand I was just trying to pay. Pretty much slept showered, walked thru town and camped out at a cafe, where I was joined by a kid, Kyle who had recognized me from the hostel. It was his first year starting school after traveling with a band. He was very laid back, obviously, being that he hid out at the cafe with me why the two other people he wanted to live with were left to scramble around town to urgently find. Flat before they all filled up. It was an interesting conversation. He had an offer to join something like a frat or a brotherhood, which was mDe up of lawyers. This threw him off because first he confessed, like I couldn't already tell, that he was not a manly man. Then he said they are probably fascist or nazis. That is actually still kind of a problem or division here I realized. More now of a nationalistic pride thing, with a bit of discriminating undertones but I still hadn't realized that. Sorry, I'm going to say it, probably similar to many republicans mindsets really, not actually like hitler's regime. Most of the younger generation has moved away from that, I gathered from Kyle, and aRe much more liberal.
You definitely get that feel in Berlin. Which i eventually fot a train to, then wandered on the subways and steeets for two hours, to find my hostel. It is very hip and cool. The ciruc hostel. The streets are litered with grafiti, which has seemed to just trNsformed into street art and been accepted as the city motif. Even the old brick buildings and elegant wooden doors are spray painted. There are neat retro posters and advertisements everywhere. Even the bike racks are retro. It is very very cool. The galleries all have the neat abstract retro art. This is tim's dream city is all I could think of as I walked around the central neighborhood I'm staying in. the cages ar so cheap, and everyone is dressed so grungy, and shique at the same time. Such a neat feel, very abstract.
A few things I just thought of and need to randomly note: the toilet paper so farin German has been stunning haha. They are all these different colors with themes and pictures on them. Like ocean blue with printed sunshines and birds. Mi saw a neat one yesterday too. Random.
Also need to note the comfortableness with public nudity. It is amazing. I love how it is so much less conservative. The park in Munich has nude sun bathing. Professionals just go on there lunch breaks and time off, fold up there clothes and hang out in the sun for a few hours.
The condom machines, this one is just strange, have sex toys, but the strangest are inflatable farm animals. I let you use your imagination, as to what they are used for...
I am going on a free walking tour this afternoon, to figure out more of my way around, and the history. The people at the hostel are all very cool and helpful. They go out of there way to let you know what to see and do. I would really like to find a live show for the weekend. All the neat posters, and funky live shows they advertise around town definitely sell it. You can tell that live music, the retro art and design is very much the dominating popular culture.
Well hopefully I will see something here for Tim. I've seen some neat stuff he'd like already but a little too fragile. I have two more nights in Berlin, then of to Prague. I really have no idea actually though. Too much to do and too little time. It's hard to stay out all day and night taking everything in, and planning for the next thing at the same time. Just looking at the map, picking the next cool looking city, and showing up has worked out pretty marvelous for me so far though. I guess that's what backpackings about anyways. Take in and experience all you can. Love you guys. I'm trying not to get lost in my own whirlwind, but it is just too thrilling and exciting.....ah.
Bye-bye