I was very excited to finally set foot in Europe, and with Berlin being one of the must-visit cities on my bucket list, I’m really beyond thrilled! The immigration officials weren’t as stern as I expected them to be, based on the horror stories I’ve read and heard about some people’s experiences. They simply asked about the purpose of my trip and the countries I’ll be visiting. It took less than a minute, I think, and I was permitted entry to Germany!
After planning this trip for almost a year, you would think that I had covered all the bases already, but no—my Qatar Airways flight landed at Berlin Tegel Airport around 10 o’clock in the evening. Most, if not all, of the stores at the airport were already closed! And, stupid me, I was expecting the stores to be open 24 hours where I could buy an international SIM card for my data! So my only option was to ask the airport staff how to get to my hostel for my four days in the city! There were buses that could take you anywhere in the city, and a tram too. I mean, this is Germany after all, but I was still totally clueless since I had no internet to Google where I was, so I just checked my accommodation booking and prayed to the gods that I’d get off at the right station. Bad news, I did not. Haha. I was literally lost and walking aimlessly in the cold night of Berlin. And there were only a few people out and about. Remember, this was winter time, and I think it was already past eleven in the evening.
Thank goodness, though, because I bumped into Norah—a local from Berlin who helped me find my hostel. She was truly a godsend because I was just getting really cold by the time I ran into her. I told her the whole story about not being able to get a new SIM card at the airport, and I just showed her my booking printout. She took me to my hostel right then and there.
My accommodation in Berlin was at the St. Christopher Inn Berlin-Mitte. They were very gracious, and the hostel was actually quite nice for a solo traveler like myself. One of the staff members at the reception asked me where I was from, and when I told him that I’m from the Philippines, he smiled and mentioned that his mom is Filipino! It was an instant connection! I absolutely loved the location of the hostel—it was perfect because everything was within walking distance to all the tourist attractions! I swear, I didn’t have to use any transportation system during my 4 days in Berlin.
The following day wasn’t as eventful as I would have liked it to be because I was still adjusting to the cold weather! I simply went out first to familiarize myself—I visited the Berlin Cathedral, where I attended a mass on Day 3, the Altes Museum, Humboldt University, Alexanderplatz, and more. It was all so fascinating to me, and I still can’t believe that I made it here! While for some people, this might seem insignificant, for someone like me who grew up in the countryside, this is undoubtedly a whole new world!
Here are some of the pictures I took on my first foray into Berlin.
This was December 25th of last year! It marked my first time spending Christmas outside of the country, and alone, for that matter. While for some, this might seem like a sad setup since I’m usually with my family during this season, I was actually having the time of my life, so all’s good!
PADDYLAST INC. 