I can agree with former Culture Minister of France when he said, “Paris is always Paris and Berlin is never Berlin!”
The first observation I made when I arrived at the vibrant city of Berlin is that everything is under construction. It’s literally a city that gets better day by day since the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. On August 13, 1961, the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic began to construct a barbed wire and concrete wall between East and West Berlin. For 30 years, the Berlin Wall was the defining symbol of the Cold War, tearing apart families and keeping the people from jobs and opportunity in the west.
When I visited the Berlin Wall I thought, “This city was isolated from the rest of the world by a wall; a wall like the one Trump is trying to build back home.” As that thought filled my consciousness, I became overwhelmed with feelings of anger, sadness, sympathy and empathy. I was consumed by feelings of anger and sadness because despite the destruction the world witnessed happen in this city, leaders like Trump are still determined to create barriers instead of building bridges. I am a firm believer that the Earth does not belong to any one person or country. Humans are well-known to be nomadic people, hence we should not be confined to one area or denied the permission to cross borders and enter another territory for any reason. I experienced feelings of sympathy when I realized how many people lost their lives trying to fight the power. However, I became hopeful when I looked at the meaningful and creative messages artists had placed on the wall; understanding that good does outweigh evil and bad times don’t last forever.
During my time in Berlin I did many things. One of the most memorable things I did was visit the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. At first glance it looks like a bunch of cement blocks staggered around a vacant lot. However, when you begin to walk through the memorial, the blocks grow all around you and before you know it you’re in this elaborate stone labyrinth. My friend and I tried to figure out why the dimensions of the memorial were deceiving from the outside. I figured that the misleading size of the blocks symbolized the misperception of the Holocaust. As a foreigner, from the outside looking in, it seems inconceivable that 6 million Jews were slaughtered right here on this continent. As you walk through the stone maze and the cement blocks begin to tower over you, you slowly but surely begin to grasp mentally the full impact of this moment in history. Standing in the center of that maze looking out and seeing no end, I could feel my heart break.
The most adventurous thing I did was bike all through Berlin with my friends. If you know me, you know that I’m not very active in terms of exercising. So, to go from not doing any type of physical activities to biking over 50 miles in two days, it’s a pretty big deal for me. As I embarked on numerous journeys with my friends, I considered changing my lifestyle. When you’re sight-seeing and simply enjoying life, workouts like hiking and cycling barely feel like exercise at all. That’s how I got to see Berlin, by riding past its expressive streets, strolling through its peculiar markets and trekking across its forests. These were some of my most peaceful moments since I’ve been in Europe. It was in these moments that I felt closest to nature and history.
Besides noticing the abundance of renovations going on, I noticed that Berlin is somewhat environmentally friendly. Many European cities make efforts to reduce their pollution but Berlin stood out to me the most. From everyone riding bicycles (small children included) to recycling being a norm and vegetarian options being the most prominent choice , everyone seemed conscious about the environment. Unlike most popular urban centers, Berlin’s shopping areas weren’t flooded with shoppers. I wondered, “Why?” they had all the same stores that are very popular in Spain. Later, in my trip I found my answer when I attended a couple markets.
Markets in Berlin are quite interesting. Some markets sell only food items while other markets sell anything you could possibly think of. The most interesting thing I saw for sale at the market I went to were vintage polaroid cameras and clothing. In fact, that is where I thrifted a unique mustard yellow trench coat. It was only 20 euro might I add. I left the market feeling accomplished and that’s when I realized why the shopping stores weren’t flooded. There were so many thrift stores and places to thrift very nice clothing. For example, while my friends and I were walking by the water we came across this delightful store and went inside to look around. As I was looking around, I found this cute Christian Dior turtle neck. It was to die for! It was only 120 euros,which was too rich for my blood at the time but still, that’s not bad for Dior lol. They were also selling authentic Ray Bans for 40 euro like whatttt. If I lived in Berlin, I would barely buy new clothes. I would simply thrift for the rest of my life.
For the most part, my trip to Berlin was delightful. However, when it was time for me to head back to Spain I had the worst experience of my life at the airport! When I attempted to board my plane to Madrid a female airline employee asked to examine my bag to make sure that it would fit in the cabin. I was confused for two reasons:
I had a ticket that specifically stated that my carry-on bag would be checked at the gate for no charge. Why did its size matter?
Why, out of all these people in line to board the plane, was I the only one asked to check the size of their bag?
I followed the woman’s orders and my bag didn’t fit the size requirements. I explained to her that the size of my bag wasn’t an issue when I flew through the exact same airline from Madrid to Berlin. She didn’t seem to care so I immediately asked to speak to her supervisor. She refused to summon her supervisor and asked me how I would be paying, “Cash or credit.” I replied, “neither.” That’s when she said, “well you can’t fly.” I told her, “I paid for my ticket. I’m getting on this plane.” She asked me to move out of the boarding gate and when I refused she threatened to call the police. I told her, “Do what you have to do. I’m not leaving this spot.”
Eventually, she called her supervisor who was a man that immediately tried to intimidate me when he approached me. He walked up to me and leaned in close to my face (I could feel the spit coming from his mouth) and said, “Come over here and let’s talk or we’re going to have a big problem.” To avoid any issues, I complied with his request. He and I had a similar conversation so I began to look through my purse for money. I only had 35 euros (which I was happy about because it meant that I had stayed within my budget) but the fee for my bag was 50 euros. Debit wasn’t an option because I lost my wallet right before I came to Berlin and hadn't received my replacement card (in Spain it takes at least 10 business days). What was I going to do? I had to get on this plane.
I began to ask people in the boarding area if they had money to spare. The supervisor instantly began to push me out of the boarding area. I took his hands off me and demanded that he didn’t touch me. He left and came back with the police. A few American passengers offered me money and stood up for me when the police arrived but it didn’t serve much help. The airline wouldn’t accept their money on my behalf. The supervisor claimed that I don’t know how to follow orders and that I was disrespectful. Not understanding how I was being disrespectful given that they were being racist, I offered to apologize for whatever it is I did (not do). My apology wasn’t accepted and the supervisor announced that I was banned from RyanAir. Upset and emotional I cried, “Are you serious? You’re being so racist…This is some neo-Nazi bullshit.” Before I could finish my sentence, I was being physically removed from the boarding area by the police. Apparently, it’s illegal to call someone racist and say the word Nazi in Germany. Tuh, go figure. As the police officers dragged me to the police office, a random person in the airport told me to, “Shut the fuck up”. At that moment, I realized that apart from the White Americans who supported me back at the gate, no one here was on my side because no one here was an African-American woman traveling by herself. I felt alone and I quickly began to regret coming to Berlin in the first place. After the police officers pressed charges on me for slander, I was released. Although I was an emotional wreck, I figured out how to book a flight that same day at another airport (that was an hour away from where I was currently) and through another airline. Eventually, I returned home to Madrid and I never thought I would be as happy as I was when I saw Spain. I could’ve kissed the ground.
For me, Berlin was a moment of actualization. I discovered a lot about myself; what I’m capable of physically and mentally. I learned a lot about history and the impacts of hatred, racism and segregation. But most of all, I simply realized that the world has a great amount of fucked up people in it!
My suggestions to you:
Never travel without a debit card (duh!).
Conduct research regarding the history and laws of the country you plan to visit.
Always stand up for yourself!