Day 5
Today was supposed to be the last day of our official tour, but I had other plans. I decided to stay back for one more day to explore the local areas. Fortunately, one of my colleagues from the cohort also had the same idea, and she knew a local who had helped us. After breakfast, we left the hotel and took public transport to the meeting location. Some key persons we met during the trip attended this final meeting.
We were joined by representatives from the Ministry, and together we provided feedback on the agenda we had been following throughout the tour and suggested a few action items. Honestly, I’m not sure how many of those will be implemented, but we don’t have much say in that. The official tour concluded with a networking lunch, and we were free for the rest of the day. The group decided to return to the hotel for a quick siesta and then visit the market area in the evening.
Berlin, the capital, was undergoing numerous construction projects, and we saw "work in progress" signs everywhere.
That evening was unforgettable. We walked more than 3 km to explore the local market, and it was both fascinating and enjoyable, especially because I had great company. Everyone shopped for chocolates, souvenirs, and gifts for family and colleagues back home. The locals found this practice of ours a bit unusual, but it’s part of our culture, isn’t it?
Unlike other parts of the country, Berlin didn’t seem as clean or hygienic. Some locals attributed this to the high rate of immigration, but we didn’t delve into that conversation. Since most of my colleagues were leaving the next day, they finished their shopping that evening. I, too, completed my purchases, knowing I’d be exploring the local areas the following day.
We all had dinner at Bombay Hotel, an Indian restaurant. The food was decent, but once again, we faced the issue of getting water. They don’t provide water for free, and you have to buy it if needed. Since we were from India, the owner generously (?) offered us one free glass of water. However, after that, we had to purchase additional glasses to quench our thirst.
After the long walk, I was exhausted and fell into bed, ready for the next day adventures.
Day 6
We started our day at 9 AM, with our first stop being the Berlin Wall. The wall, which once divided East and West Germany, fell in 1989, marking the end of the Soviet Union, the Cold War era, and the rise of a single world power for the next decade and a half. While much of the wall is gone, remnants still stand, and the adjacent museum showcases the events of the late 1980s. The Berlin Wall remains a symbol of the fall of communism on the global stage.
The site was well-maintained, and we saw historical markers throughout the area. There were souvenirs featuring pieces of the Berlin Wall, but we couldn’t tell which ones were authentic, so we refrained from buying them. By the time we finished, our local friend had arrived—she had travelled all the way from Karlsruhe to help us explore, which was incredibly kind of her.
She took us to various castles and landmarks we wanted to see in the city. One building that caught my attention was the Russian Embassy. It looked like a modern castle, with heavy security and grills at the entrance. We learned that this building was targeted during the fall of the Berlin Wall, which explains the ongoing security presence. Most of the castles required paid entry, so we skipped those in order to see more of the city. We also saw the government secretariat, which was undergoing maintenance.
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We discovered that until recently, public universities in Germany were free for foreign students, but now they charge around 1,000 euros. This still seems reasonable, considering most of the universities are centuries old and offer a solid education. The main challenge for international students would be learning German, although I found that by the end of the week, we were starting to understand some of the signboards.
After an exhausting day, we took a short nap. In the evening, my colleague and I went out to grab dinner. On our way, we encountered something fascinating. There were yellow pedestrian crossings on the road, and as we stood there chatting, we noticed all the speeding cars came to a complete stop to let us cross. It was such a dramatic and picturesque moment, and I regretted not having my phone to capture it.
Later that evening, we relaxed at the small bar in our hotel, enjoying a non-alcoholic refreshment and some pop music. The next day, we were set to head back to India.
Departure Day
The following morning, we took a cab to the airport. My flight was through Doha, with a connection to Bangalore. Unlike Indian airports that operate 24/7, European airports typically do not operate during the night. Unfortunately, one black mark of the trip was my flight from Doha to Bangalore, which was on Indigo, assigned to us through an international airline collaboration. I’m not a fan of Indigo due to the limited legroom, unlike other airlines.
THE END
Dinesh
Part-1: https://dineshkumarsaravanan.blogspot.com/2023/06/germany-days-1.html
Part-2: https://dineshkumarsaravanan.blogspot.com/2023/06/germany-days-2.html
Part-3: https://dineshkumarsaravanan.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-very-next-day-was-maximum-of.html
Part-4: https://dineshkumarsaravanan.blogspot.com/2024/10/germany-days-4.html
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