Travelogue – Berlin 2008 (part 3)

I don’t know whether it was due to my English or it was the receptionist’s when she answered something like “… Berlin Wall is no more here, but the pieces are everywhere …” when I asked her for train direction to visit the former site of famous wall that Sunday morning. Dang!!! Serve me right too, as I had not done any homework on what to look for in Berlin. My constant goggling in between office chores the days before the trip was more on Paris, although it was going to be my second trip to Paris after 2006 and I had more or less know how/where to spend my time there.

My mind was transfixed on Berlin as part of business trip to acquire additional practical knowledge from the best in the field for me to strategize and implement the solutions at our place. It was only in Frankfurt while waiting for the connecting flight to Berlin, when I asked Big Kahuna what interesting sites worth visiting in Berlin; and Checkpoint Charlie was one of the few names he mentioned.

“…I will find my way…” was all I answered Big Kahuna when he asked me how I planned to get there. Being a jetsetter and having relatives in almost every corners of the world, he had been to Berlin before so he said he just planned to spend his Sunday at his cousin’s place.

Without much guidance and preparation, I had to resort to the next logical step any tourists in any metropolitan cities will do; grab a free city transport and tourist guide available in the hotel. Berlin, just like any other modern city around the world, has a very good public transport system. We just need to purchase a day pass (a few day pass will be even more cost-saving I was informed) and it allows us access to any public transport means within the designated zone.

So armed with only a day transport pass, a map, some pre-packed lunch (bananas, chocolate bars and a bottle of mineral water), and $200 Euro, I headed to the train station. Luckily my hotel was only about 2-minute walk to Charlottenburg station.

I didn’t quite know which station to disembark, but I took my chances at Potsdamer Platz since I noticed from the map that majority of the Berlin *Stars (indicating tourist attraction spots) are all clustered around the area.

The first indication that confirmed I was on the right track in hunting for Berlin historical sites was when I stumbled upon a group of Japanese tourists with cameras , phew! True enough, there was a guard simulating the process where visitors of Western side of Berlin from 13th August 1961 and 9th November 1989 had to acquire approvals at the immigration-like point, Checkpoint Charlie, before entering the East Berlin side.

I had my passport stamped at Checkpoint Charlie too, for $5 Euros. Yup, I needed this to show proof to Big Kahuna that I had successfully found my own way to Checkpoint Charlie. Is it so? I am not so convinced myself because there was nowhere around me that showed big signage “Checkpoint Charlie”.

Where is the real Checkpoint Charlie spot?

*To be continued…

Travelogue – Berlin 2008 (part 2)

It was mostly bumpy ride for MH21 flying from Paris to KL last Monday 26th May, due to the unstable weather condition especially as we were crossing the European border heading towards Asia, again around the Kandahar area of Gohead Gostan (nah…I paid more attention to the small TV screen this time, and I realized it is of Afghanistan’s, not Pakistan).

At one time the plane experienced a slight free fall maneuver and that was enough to trigger goose bump all over me. I didn’t know whether the exhilarating (or more like terrifying) corks crew-like ride at Euro Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure Land I went through two days before helped alleviate the mental suffering or it even increased the fear factor. Parree…Euro Disneyland… Walt Disney Studio… Berlin Potsdamer Platz … I didn’t even know where to start the ramblings on my Berlin and Paris adventures.

But I better do record my adventure here, who knows someone out there might find some tiny tips and tricks on how a lady traveler managed to experience an enjoyable and adventurous excursion in Berlin and Paris alone, on a relatively reasonable budget. All it takes is some guts and thrill to undertake that calculated risk maneuver, just like Sir Richard Branson says “Screw it, Let’s Do it”.

This journal is by no means advocating ladies to travel on their own, on purpose. All I am saying is that there are times when we ladies have to business travel to faraway land, and due to some circumstances we can’t drag our spouses/partners along with us. But we still can opt to enjoy the time without so much dependencies on our fellow travelers.

So, here’re my stories… to be continued.

Breakfast in Bed (conference preparation)

Spring in Berlin

Spring in Paris Euro Disneyland