Saturday, May 24, 2008

Day 11: BICYCLE! BICYCLE! (in Freddy Mercury voice)

I rented a bicycle from the hostel today as I wanted to take a couple picture of things I'd seen that were only accessible by bus or camel and I don't know how to use either.
I managed to take a much better picture of the German parliament:

And I didn't end up doing any of the organized tours while I was here as I stumbled across most things on my own and had seen it all. But the one thing I hadn't found was Hitler's bunker. So I googled that last night and here's the marked placed last year:

The government received a request to turn it into a monument but said no and filled it with dirt in the early 80's. The foundation of the building is still there. Even in 1945 there was like nothing left by the time the Allies got there. Everything was taken. I had heard it was turned into an apartment and children's playground. Not true. I'm dispelling so many myths on this trip. Germans drive on the right too, and there is no playground there. Just like pieces of wood that form a parking lot. I guess children could play hide and seek under the cars...
This is my favourite statue in Berlin, it's Otto Von Bismark on the top:

And some really cool figures underneath him. Plus it was HUGE! Enlarge the picture by clicking it to see more detail.
So I didn't really have any plans today other than taking the picture of the statue above and I got the idea to try and follow the Berlin Wall to see if there were any more large sections left. Halfway there I was cutting through the park, they made a park out of the former no-man's-land between east and west Berlin, it's like Central Park.
Anyway, I'm cutting through the park and I screech to a halt, nearly flying over the handles of the bike. Was it an old lady being mugged? Did I run over a small child? Have you met me? Like I'd stop for any of those things. It was a naked man:

I had to get closer to make sure and yes, naked, lying in the park. And there were more! About 50! Sunbathing naked next to a family of 12 having a picnic. In the middle of the park. Men and women, but I didn't look at the women as I'm trying to avoid going blind. Of all ages and colours. Apparently, in Communist Berlin, for vacations people would go to the beach and never wear a thing. They showed a video in the Communist Museum, not one stitch on anyone. They're very free these Communists.
So I thought while in Rome and sat down, I believe on a poison oak patch as I'm incredibly itchy.
This guy was kind of looking at me, you could tell the gay section as it was the one with 40 men, and when I took off my clothes he stopped looking and got up and left. Presumably to call Greenpeace and have me hauled back to sea. Time to lower the old standards again. What's below the bottom rung? Ah yes:
"Wanted: Man. Must be breathing (negotiable)"
I'll flyer Toronto when I return.
A short 15 hour journey home tomorrow which begins with me getting up at 5:45 so I gotta go!

No comments: