The Saga of the Hostel
Trip Start
May 25, 2007
1
55
73
Trip End
Oct 29, 2007
Berlin,
Germany
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
As a side note, the Amsterdam Schiphol airport is very nice. It looks like it was just built...very shiny and new.
Considering the world we now live in, this next little tidbit is quite odd. After getting off the plane in Berlin, we went straight into the airport, got our bags, and then all went our separate ways
berlin01
. It wasn't until a little later I realized that there was no customs checkpoint! Everyone on that flight just walked right on in. Very strange.Up until now I've stayed in 2 dozen hostels, and new things continue to happen. Now in Berlin, late, and taking the long trek from the airport to the hostel, I was in a bit of a hurry to just check in and head back into town again. I was to meet Ellie and Nicole, my Aussie friends I met in Amsterdam, for drinks downtown. But when I got to the hostel door, it was locked and the two guys I could see inside wouldn't open the door! It was only 7:30pm so I was sure the reception couldn't already be closed. After wondering WTF for a minute I saw a small sign on the door saying to call this number if the door was locked. After searching for 15 minutes for a phone shop I called and got a hold of a woman who said she'd meet be back at the hostel in a few minutes. OK, I thought, baffled.
As it turns out, the hostel is tiny, and there is no permanent reception person or area. During the reservation process I was asked to put an arrival time, but every hostel does that and it means very little as there is always someone at the desk to check you in. Not so, in this case. The arrival time is taken as gospel. She said she waited for 30 min then left
berlin02
. I can't impress upon you enough how strange this is, and how irritating it was at the time. I was in a hurry to get somewhere, dammit!Finally, checked in, I got in contact with Nikki and the 3 of us agreed to meet downtown, and after about an hour, and lots of walking around, we managed to find each other. We just found a kebab stand and sat outside and chatted till late. I had beer, they drank the runny yogurt. They are a really cool couple...it was great seeing them again.
Of course now, on a Thursday at 2am, there is no real public transport going my way, so I got to walk. It's fun seeing the backwoods of Berlin in the dark. :)
