Burning Berlin- Franking Frankfurt- Day 3-4: 03/09/06-04/09/06
Melvin and SW told me that we would be following Mr Chen to the "Museums Island" today, since according to Mr Chen, the museums in Berlin have free admission on the 1st Sunday of the month. Well.... I din really like Museums but since it's free or sth, it wouldn't hurt to visit a few. Thus, we took the bus to the "Museum Island" but we alighted too early. Ended up walking pass the Humboldt University where we took pictures with the statue of a stack of books (I hugged it.... Yeah.... Mugger as if). We visited the Dutch Holocaust Memorial Museum a few steps away from the University, only to realise that it wasn't free. The museum din sound interesting enuff for us to pay 7 Euros for admission either.
After some discussion, we decided to split up with Mr Chen and decided to head back to the hotel to rent bicycles and do our cycling tour of Berlin.... It was a very tiring and pain excruciating experience as the seats very hard. Nevertheless, it was also quite an unique experience for me to cycle on designated cycling tracks on the road and on the grand pathways towards the statue of godness of victory. Haha... I only used to cycle at East Coast Park lor... :P
So our 1st destination was to the godness of victory. She was standing right in the middle of the city and in a roundabout, with several branches of extensive roads extending out... Took a couple of photos... of the backside of the godness... Hahaha. We proceeded to climb the tower of the godness and I swear that it's a one hell of a tiring climb. Still, the view of the city from the top was splendid.
Next, we proceeded to cycle back to the Hauptbanhof station to have lunch and book our train tickets back to Frankfurt. The direct Intercity Express Train costs like 98 Euros (196 Sing) from Berlin to Frankfurt and it takes 4.5 hours. We decided to approach the counter and ask if there're cheaper alternatives with indirect routes. Haha... We ended up booking a indirect route with 3 stops along the way for 47 Euros each, but the trip will take us 8 hours on 4th Sep. This means that by the time we reach Frankfurt, it will be around 6pm since we're on the 10am train from Berlin.
After lunch, we decided to cycle to Rikestag (Old Parliament House of Germany. Adolf Hitler used to claim office there) in the moderate drizzle. To our horror, there was a super long queue extending all the way out of the building and it was pretty stagnant. We decided to give it a miss and headed to the Berlin wall.... Haha... It was juz a very extensive wall lah. By now, the rain was starting to get heavier and we decided to rent earphones for the history of the Nazis and the prisoners exhibition under the shelter that extended from the Berlin wall.... Haha... History was never my cup of tea.... Almost fell asleep... Zzzzz....
Next, we headed to Checkpoint Charlie which was set up by the US Army to segregate West Berlin from East Berlin and the rest of Germany. Din bother to read through much of the history. However, some interesting things abvou the museum were the many modes of escape like Hot Air Balloon travel from West Berlin to East Berlin... Hmmmz.... At least it was quite an OK attraction to me lah.
Finally, we headed to the TV tower of Berlin... Hehe... It bears quite an uncanny resemblance to the Pearl TV Tower in Shanghai Pudong. It was the most expensive attraction in Berlin and costed like 8 Euros to take the lift all the way to the top. I think it's about 680+ metres high if I remember correctly. Haha... I really liked the plan view of the city at night and it really was my favourite part of Berlin.
After which, we headed back to the hotel for dinner and rest. We chatted with Mr Chen, Tom and Anita about our next destinations. Mr Chen said that he was headed to Nice in Paris and he really pronounced it as nice. Haha... Then Tom aruged with him that the French would be very upset if they heard Nice being pronounced that way. Instead , it should be pronounced niece. Mr Chen was still not convienced and said that rice is pronounced rice and so shouldn't Nice be pronounced rice... Alamak..... Urrgh.... I almost wanted to bang my head against the wall. Yuppz... We went to sleep early and that concluded the night.
Next morning, we paid for a cheap buffet breakfast to only realise that it literally has cheaper fare.... Urrgh.... Sux man. After breakfast, we headed to the train station and commenced our 8 hour train ride back to Frankfurt. Was one hell of a long ride man... Almost took the wrong train at our 3rd transit if I hadn't clarified with a passer by.
Upon arriving Frankfurt, we looked for Tourist Info and asked for the cheapest hotel that's closest to the Train Station in Frankfurt. We were recommended Hotel Excelsior which costs 81 Euros for a triple room per night. Wah.... dat's like super cheap lah compared to other hotels. Hehehe..., It was also the best hotel that we had in our journey. We had a super big room, free snacks in the bar and a really sumptours buffet breakfast the next morning.
We din really get to explore Frankfurt much since it was around 7pm when we settled down and took a stroll to Old Frankfurt to have our dinner. Took a few pictures of interesting bridges and clock towers and that's about it for Frankfurt.... Was really looking forward to being in Venice.
After some discussion, we decided to split up with Mr Chen and decided to head back to the hotel to rent bicycles and do our cycling tour of Berlin.... It was a very tiring and pain excruciating experience as the seats very hard. Nevertheless, it was also quite an unique experience for me to cycle on designated cycling tracks on the road and on the grand pathways towards the statue of godness of victory. Haha... I only used to cycle at East Coast Park lor... :P
So our 1st destination was to the godness of victory. She was standing right in the middle of the city and in a roundabout, with several branches of extensive roads extending out... Took a couple of photos... of the backside of the godness... Hahaha. We proceeded to climb the tower of the godness and I swear that it's a one hell of a tiring climb. Still, the view of the city from the top was splendid.
Next, we proceeded to cycle back to the Hauptbanhof station to have lunch and book our train tickets back to Frankfurt. The direct Intercity Express Train costs like 98 Euros (196 Sing) from Berlin to Frankfurt and it takes 4.5 hours. We decided to approach the counter and ask if there're cheaper alternatives with indirect routes. Haha... We ended up booking a indirect route with 3 stops along the way for 47 Euros each, but the trip will take us 8 hours on 4th Sep. This means that by the time we reach Frankfurt, it will be around 6pm since we're on the 10am train from Berlin.
After lunch, we decided to cycle to Rikestag (Old Parliament House of Germany. Adolf Hitler used to claim office there) in the moderate drizzle. To our horror, there was a super long queue extending all the way out of the building and it was pretty stagnant. We decided to give it a miss and headed to the Berlin wall.... Haha... It was juz a very extensive wall lah. By now, the rain was starting to get heavier and we decided to rent earphones for the history of the Nazis and the prisoners exhibition under the shelter that extended from the Berlin wall.... Haha... History was never my cup of tea.... Almost fell asleep... Zzzzz....
Next, we headed to Checkpoint Charlie which was set up by the US Army to segregate West Berlin from East Berlin and the rest of Germany. Din bother to read through much of the history. However, some interesting things abvou the museum were the many modes of escape like Hot Air Balloon travel from West Berlin to East Berlin... Hmmmz.... At least it was quite an OK attraction to me lah.
Finally, we headed to the TV tower of Berlin... Hehe... It bears quite an uncanny resemblance to the Pearl TV Tower in Shanghai Pudong. It was the most expensive attraction in Berlin and costed like 8 Euros to take the lift all the way to the top. I think it's about 680+ metres high if I remember correctly. Haha... I really liked the plan view of the city at night and it really was my favourite part of Berlin.
After which, we headed back to the hotel for dinner and rest. We chatted with Mr Chen, Tom and Anita about our next destinations. Mr Chen said that he was headed to Nice in Paris and he really pronounced it as nice. Haha... Then Tom aruged with him that the French would be very upset if they heard Nice being pronounced that way. Instead , it should be pronounced niece. Mr Chen was still not convienced and said that rice is pronounced rice and so shouldn't Nice be pronounced rice... Alamak..... Urrgh.... I almost wanted to bang my head against the wall. Yuppz... We went to sleep early and that concluded the night.
Next morning, we paid for a cheap buffet breakfast to only realise that it literally has cheaper fare.... Urrgh.... Sux man. After breakfast, we headed to the train station and commenced our 8 hour train ride back to Frankfurt. Was one hell of a long ride man... Almost took the wrong train at our 3rd transit if I hadn't clarified with a passer by.
Upon arriving Frankfurt, we looked for Tourist Info and asked for the cheapest hotel that's closest to the Train Station in Frankfurt. We were recommended Hotel Excelsior which costs 81 Euros for a triple room per night. Wah.... dat's like super cheap lah compared to other hotels. Hehehe..., It was also the best hotel that we had in our journey. We had a super big room, free snacks in the bar and a really sumptours buffet breakfast the next morning.
We din really get to explore Frankfurt much since it was around 7pm when we settled down and took a stroll to Old Frankfurt to have our dinner. Took a few pictures of interesting bridges and clock towers and that's about it for Frankfurt.... Was really looking forward to being in Venice.
posted by Iceman JQ at
1:35 PM
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