Guten Tag, Mein Herr, Willkommen zu Berlin!

Berlin Excursion -
Wednesday & Thursday, November 3 & 4, 2004

Excerpts from my travel journal, dated 3 & 4 November:

3 November: I'm sitting in the Ted jet and just finished watching the riveting airline video. ... It's a nice day so far, as it IS my birthday. I got a call from my Mom this morning as promised. I always get nervous before flying - the whole firey ball of death thing gets me EVERY time. But let's not get into that. Let's get into the fact that I've also been wished happy birthday by complete strangers too! Upon checking in at the ticket counter, the girl noticed my DOB on my passport, then got her friend to wish me a happy birthday too! Sweet. I had to go through the line as the electronic kiosk only wanted me to go to Frankfurt. Sorry, been there, done that. Just about to take off now!!! I may take a picture, as I am a geek! But before I forget, when the pilot was giving his "Hey There" talk, he wished Mr. Barnes a happy birthday! Somebody else has a birthday today too?

4 November: I think.... I'm in Berlin at the uber-swank SAS Radisson! I finally made it, but damn I'm all jacked up. I think I'll be okay tomorrow since I'm gonna sleep on their schedule. So I met Dennis & Pearl on the flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, and they were real nice. They're going on a trip to follow Martin Luther's journey. Not my cup of tea, but I imagine the scenery they'll be seeing is awesome. Anyways, I couldn't sleep at ALL the entire 8 hour flight. Horrible. It was because it was like 3pm my time, and I just wasn't tired. When we landed in Frankfurt, it was like 6:30am local time, but only like 10pm my body (Las Vegas) time. Then the Frankfurt airport is a total trip, as it is just convoluted and you have to take elevators and such, and then they don't even post gates until an hour out. So I really wasn't sure where to go to get on my Berlin flight, which was a huge business flight. I got to Berlin finally after that last 50-minute flight. Amazingly, the baggage claim is right out past the jetway. Weird. And even better, my bags made it! I found a money exchange finally after walking the entire airport circle, and then I got a taxi, as I just didn't feel like hassling with a train and a bus at this time. The cab driver, she was cool and had lots to tell about the city. 20 Euros later, I got to my hotel and a bellboy greeted me at the cab and got my bags. I checked in and they let me have my room right then (at 10am-ish), thank God! I cleaned up, and fell asleep for a few hours. I woke up, went down to the cool bar underneath the enormous aquarium, tried my German and some beers, then walked around a little at night to find something to eat. But I had little clue as to what or where to go, and I was seriously tired. I ended up eating at some fast food fish place, and then went back to the room. Time to sleep!

Flying out there and at my Hotel

Click here for a slideshow (~445KB) of these pictures!

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