Traveling Tuesdays

Today: Today we woke up extra early for traveling. We woke up in our comfy beds of The Eden Hotel, eager for a long day of traveling ahead. I'm lying, I don't think anyone was eager to be up at 5:15AM, but it had to be done; so Matthew and I did our best to put on some happy [but tired] traveling faces. We were all aboard the shuttle ready to depart for the train station at around 6:20. By 6:45, we were all avidly awaiting our 7:24 train planned to embark for Berlin. We were all very excited to see what Berlin has to offer.

The train ride to Berlin was pretty uneventful. It took just over ten hours, and everyone was pretty stoked to finally put their feet on some solid ground. The whole group sat together, so it was a great bonding experience for everyone. We all suffered the intense heat of our train, complaining back and forth in order to relieve some of the "cabin fever".

The day before, Matthew and I were fortunate enough to find a nice little Bagel Shop/Cafe a stone's throw away from our hotel. It was moderately priced, and the food was delicious. It turns out the owner of the shop actually was from the United States. He was born in Illinois, and moved to New York City in his teenage years. Ten years ago he moved to Krakow, Poland, where he opened his own bagel shop. It was great to talk with a fellow American! Anyways, anticipating the ten hour train ride today, Matthew and I made the educated decision to get Chicken Tortilla wraps to eat for lunch. I anxiously waited for the mutually agreed time, 11:30, to break out the homemade wraps and feast. Matthew and I were both silent while we indulged in our fresh lunch. The wrap consisted of tender breaded chicken, mozzarella cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, a little salsa, and homemade pesto sauce with just a tint of lemon. Incredible.

Upon our arrival in Berlin, we embarked on yet another cultural experience. We took a short bus ride to our wonderful hostel, The Circus. We are the maiden guests here at The Circus, and we are very fortunate to be in a completely renovated building, with brand new beds, linens, and redone rooms.

After unpacking our stuff, Matthew, Kunj, Mike, Ryan, and I walked a few blocks down the road to a cheap little chicken restaurant. It was 4,50 Euro for a chicken wrap, french fries, and a drink. PERFECT! Afterwards, we headed out to see what the city had to offer. It was an uneventful day, but we look forward to spending the next three days in this amazing city!

-Smeg