Left: Brynnen pretending to drive around Hailey in a Trabant (Trabi, former East German car)
Right: Group photo at Berliner Mauer Gedenkstätte (Berlin Wall Memorial).
We started out leaving the hostel a little bit earlier than our other days, 9:30. We had initially planned to walk to our tour reservation at the DDR Museum (East German Museum), but it was raining. It was not only raining, it was POURING. Not like at home in Portland, Oregon, like the "we better have some kind of rain protection or we will be soaked" kind of pouring. We changed our plan to walk and took the bus two stops and arrived at our destination about 15 minutes early.
The DDR Museum is located right next to the Museumsinsel and it was packed full of people. Our very kind tour guide mentioned to us that the museum is rarely as full as it was, but the rain brought many visitors in, and the museum was a small space. We heard learned a lot about Marx, Honecker, heard fascinating personal stories from our tour guides childhood, and interacted with historical displays (a Trabant, typical DDR living quarters, fashion of the DDR times, Stasi spy equipment, and many other things). Though it was very crowded, all of us enjoyed hearing the stories and playing around the museum.
After our tour, we put on our half-dried clothing and packed onto the bus to make our way to the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall Memorial). We arrived in good time and only had to take one bus, the U-Bahn, and then a street car (about 20 minute travel time). We walked through the memorial site and viewed the heartfelt stories about the many people that lost their lives trying to get over the wall. We were able to see parts of the wall and to put into perspective what it looked like to view into the East. You could see a area of "No Man's Land". At the end of our time at the memorial, students were eager to start their free time, which started at 1:30pm. Hailey had to return back to the hostel with Tod, where she was accompanied to the airport to fly to Amsterdam to meet with her family. We all gave our farewell to her and sent her on her way.
During my free-time, I planned to go to the Turkish Market off of Kottbusser Damm. I had made plans to buy a new bag, to find some delicious food, potentially purchase some more gifts for my family, and see my friend Katinka (also accompanied us earlier in our trip in Berlin). If students chose to travel to the Turkish Market, they were welcome to come with me, but they would be responsible for the rest of their free time. Eight students decided to come along. As we travelled through the pouring rain, we eventually made it to the market. Students were able to purchase and barter prices for some jewelry, clothing items, and gifts for friends and family. Katinka met up with us and we all went out for some lunch at a hip sandwich shop (where they even gave us blankets to warm ourselves while we sat on the back patio directly on the Spree River). Most of the students were back at the hostel at 6pm (if planning to attend the dance performance).
All of the students that wanted to attend Dummy at Chamäleon Theater needed to be packed and ready for our early morning wake-up (4am) and departure (6:20am flight from Berlin). It was Deborah's birthday wish to see the performance and I agreed to take any student that could afford to pay their own ticket (35 Euro = $46) and to be completely packed and ready to go for our morning departure by 7pm. The Chamäleon Theater was a 15-minute walk from our hostel inside the Hackesche Höfe. The performance was mind-blowing. Deborah, Sophie, and Madelynn got to sit in the front row and Jess, Cassandra, Ryan, and I sat in the second row along the wall. Please see the link above or the following one: Dummy. Both videos show the amazing talents of the performers we had the opportunity to see. We were all so glad that this suggestion and wish was made.
We got back to the hostel at 10:30pm and found some students scrambling to finish up their packing. After finally getting everyone to bed, our last day in Berlin was over. We are leaving tomorrow and we all cannot believe that this trip is coming to an end.
Left: After adventures in the rain at the Turkish Market, we all stopped for food in one of the many Turkish neighborhoods in Berlin
Right: Seven students and I (teacher) decided to attend "Dummy" at the Chamäleon Theater. It was Deborah's 16th birthday wish and we all got amazing seats.
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