First Impressions in Berlin

Right, so I end up landing in the International city - Berlin, on a cold January day. Only to realize that there is more cold to come. As the flight descends, I could watch the wet and grey city and I wasn't wearing any winter clothing yet. My friendly co-passenger reminds me to wear it.

We enter the sparsely manned immigration counters which has separate queues for EU and non-EU passport. The queue gets cleared without much fuss. But .... why does the terminal look so ordinary? Maybe, I'm yet to see the actual arrival terminal - I said to myself. Only on reaching the baggage arrival belts, I get to realize that there is nothing more to the Tegel Ariport. It is a epic disappointment compared to the world class airports that we have seen everywhere. Well the reason is, the modern Berlin Airport which is under construction has overrun the deadline and budget multiple times, which is a rare occurence Germany. Sad that has to happen for an airport. But, that doesn't take away any charm of the city or the German efficiency in any other manner.

I proceed to the exit, along with my friendly co-passenger Nicole who shows me how to purchase the tickets from the ticket vending machine. (...do not expect anyone to volunteer for help. If you need help, ask them in whatever language you can. My experience with Berliners is, when asked for help, they go out of their way to help you. And if you do not ask, you don't get it.) A ticket (AB zone) to the city costs 2.8 Euros, which is valid for 2 hours across U Bahn, S Bahn, Buses and Trams. Unless you are in a group to share costs, hiring a cab is not cost-effective. I was so thrilled at the thought of reaching my hostel with such ease and convenience at such a price. Can't ask for more. The local commuters are used to seeing travellers lugging heavy suitcases and travel kits in Public transporation, so no one cares if you carry something huge. Localites do not see it as inconvenience for them. Makes you feel comfortable with the cosmopolitan mindset and traveller friendliness of the city.

It is raining, but the rain is nothing than a drizzle. What is deafening is the silence. Coming from crowded and noisier cities in India, noise here in Germany is conspicuous by its absence. Winter makes it worse, as everyone is confined to the heated indoors. After an uneventful ride in the Bus, followed by U-Bahn, I reach my hostel with ease. Whatever may your place of residence be, you will find a bus/tram stop or a train station within 100 meters. You may never need to worry about the distance, weight or size of your luggage. I check in to my Hostel and I did not have to worry about speaking German since all of them speak English. Unfortunately, till date I'm struggling with speaking German. Contrary to the myth that Germans don't speak English, a different reality waited for me to learn. More about speaking Deutsch in my next blog.