New Year in Berlin

Berlin is a big city as I would imagine. It has big buildings, wide roads, many places to visit, and many stores that open almost 24 hours a day. When I visit there, tourists are everywhere. Group of people following one tour guide is common to see. Also, independent tourists like me, who walking around with map or lonely planet book, are everywhere. So you don’t have to be worried for getting lost here, you won’t!

For the New Year party, the celebration is at the Brandenburger Tor, the city landmark. There’s a huge stage and F&B stands around. This open air place is close guarded with the police who’ll check your bags and pockets. No glass bottles, weapons, and firecrackers allowed.

As in everywhere, the celebration is more or less the same. Many singers perform in one huge stage, broadcast live by one TV station. And 10 seconds before midnight, the countdown begins and then followed by the fireworks. What is nice about the celebration is that the weather is so friendly. It’s relatively warm and the sky is clear.

After this, I go back to my hostel. This time I have to walk for about 2 km as no more bus operated. In the streets, trash is everywhere, mostly from the pieces of glass bottles and firecrackers. I guess this is the perfect time for the Germans to litter. People still partying in the street, they are drunk and having firecrackers war. Police’s sirens keep screaming in every corner. To make it more thrilling, the winter night is pretty dark so the situation is really like a gang war or something. I never experience this kind of situation before. Although I am experienced in walking home from a stadium after rock concerts or football matches that end up in riots, but it’s rare to see many people drunk in the street in Indonesia. But somehow, I just don’t feel scared. In fact, I still can take many pictures although I am walking alone with a potential-attractive pink jacket.

When I go to bed at 2 AM the situation is still the same. But when I go out in the next day at around 9 AM, the situation is completely different. The roads are clear and no more drunk people in the streets!!! Well the roads are not all clear but at least most of them are clearer. And the streets are just filled with some tourists like before. Not so many but it’s just like nothing special happen before. Wooow…!!!

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