2022 World Tour – Berlin Germany
Hello from Berlin, my 38th stop on the trip, but I can’t claim it as a new country as I lived here in 2000.
Below is the standard summary:
– Cool Ranch Doritos: No
– Thai ATM Card Works: Didn’t try
– Thai Debit Card Works: Yes
– Thai Internet Purchase Works: Yes
– USA Credit Card Works: Didn’t try
– Worldwide Telephone/Data/SMS eSIM Works: Yes
– Spanish SIM Card Works: Didn’t try
– Magic Jack Works: Yes
– VPN Works: Didn’t try
– COVID Compliance Chronicles: No Requirements
– Internet Works: Yes
– Drone Flights: Didn’t check
– Cost of Living: $$$$
– Currency: Euro ⬠0.99 = USD $1.00
– Language Issues: None
Your Short History Lesson:
Germanic tribes inhabited the area from 800 BC to 600 AD, followed by incorporation into the Holy Roman Empire in the 10th century. The Reformation of the Catholic church was launched here in the 16th century. The German Confederation was formed in 1815, followed by the German Empire in 1871. Germany was a major force in World War I and after the defeat, the Nazi party took control in 1933 in a totalitarian dictatorship led by Adolf. Not mentioning his last name to avoid Facebook issues. He launched World War II and implemented the Holocaust. After the defeat, Germany was split into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) under control of the Soviets. The city of Berlin was encapsulated within East Germany but zones were under the control of the United States, France, the UK and the USSR. After a Soviet blockade the western zones were supported by airlifts in 1948-1949. After the fall of the USSR, Germany was reunified in 1990.
My real sole purpose for a side trip to Berlin is to go to the hallowed ground of the new Tesla Gigafactory, how could I pass this by? I’ve been to Tesla Fremont twice, Tesla Nevada twice, Tesla Austin once and after this trip I only have Tesla Shanghai to go for the full set. I’ve been to Berlin before for a visit in 2000-2001 during an IBM International Assignment at a Hanover banking technology incubator supplying 400 northern Germany banks. Expo 2000 and the CEBIT computer trade show were literally in our neighbourhood and we could walk to the site from our house.
Leaving Wroklaw I rolled back to the shopping mall with the bus station in the basement and we left about 25 minutes late for no apparent reason. I had an empty seat next to me – score! Podcasts and videos all the way, interrupted by sneezing and coughing and running nose – I’m sure everybody thought I had COVID, but it’s just another wave of my sinus trauma. It’s a nice highway, but a lot of construction along the way. When we got to the unmarked border, we pulled over on the side of the road for 1 minute then continued on, I wonder if the driver has to log something every time the bus crosses an uncontrolled Schengen border? Jumped out at the main bus station and took the subway 10 stops and then rolled 800m to my hotel, an Ibis Budget which kinda sucked with no closet, a shitty view, a weird shower and no mini fridge, and all for the high, high price of â¬98 per night! Dayam, and this was the best price/value I could find in the city.
I sent a message to the guys who run the Wolfpack Berlin YouTube channel who do weekly detailed drone flights of the Tesla site. They’re up to 127 videos now, starting back when the whole site was a cardboard/paper tree farm. Got a quick reply that they’re working on the days I’m in the area, so it looks like I’m on my own for the visit. I plotted out the train ride to the site for the next day. Luckily I’m here in August when the entire German transit system (except for some long train routes) costs a flat â¬9 for the whole month! Best 9 euros I ever spent!
I walked over a few blocks to Checkpoint Charlie. During the war it was one of the most dangerous places in the world, now it’s a tourist area with a McDonald’s overlooking the scene. Welcome to freedom and Capitalism. From there I walked two long blocks to Potsdamerplatz and spotted a South Indian restaurant serving dosa, a large crepe stuffed with a selection of about 60 different items. I went for safety with cheese stuffing and it came out with 4 kinds of chutneys. Never heard or saw this before, but liked it. On the way home I stopped in a Lidl grocery store and found the most non-German thing I can think of – about 60 people in different snaking lines in the aisles, with only 2 of 4 checkers working. People were just cutting in wherever, and this one steroided tattooed Neo-Nazi-looking guy said “Life is brutal” as he smiled and cut in line. Prick.
I’ve detailed the account of my trip from Berlin to the Tesla site and the drone footage in a video I posted the other day, so I won’t write that up here. Feel free to check it out here: https://youtu.be/CoFiqyEy3RM In the evening I walked to the famous Alexanderplatz and had another 5 Guys burger. More capitalism!
The next day I got on the Big Red Bus and did the loop until I got to the Hauptbahnhof, the Main Train Station. I jumped off and was prepared to buy my ticket back to Poland tomorrow, but there was a massive line, this one well-behaved. I asked the girl at the end of the line if this was the right line for international tickets, she said it’s for people who have questions or unique circumstances and I should try one of the machines inside for a simple ticket. And 60 seconds later I had my ticket! Danke schön fraulein! For old times’ sake I had a currywurst at a little stand-up table in the station, took me back to our life here 22 years ago. In the evening I had another dosa and saw Bullet Train at the Kino, kind of a slapstick thriller. Don’t be sad if you miss it.
It Berlin worth the visit? Yes, so much history here, it’s a can’t-miss on any European trip.
Next Stop: Back into Poland
