At first, Berlin seems like any other big city, but that is not the case. Exiting the airport, I was greeted by the universal smell of the city and the hubbub of buses and the Autobahn. Cruising down the Autobahn at about 50 miles an hour, graffiti—that I cannot understand—flies past me. From the bus, I transferred over to the S-Ban and ended up in the downtown BaxPax. A hostel that I recommend: clean and a very lively group of young people surround you. In this first day I was able to see some beautiful sites, something this city has plenty of, from memorials to museums to palaces, there is not a moment to be spared.
Walking high speed down Unter den Linden street, I was struck by the architecture above me. I did not notice how different Berlin truly was from American cities. Unlike Chicago, there are not that many homeless people that litter the streets. Given it is January, so that might affect it, but I saw only six. There are dogs around every corner but never did I hear a bark. Next is no one honks! Cars drive speeding down the street passing and cutting through others but not once was there a honk or the sound of screeching breaks. Add some smoke and diesel fuel you can close your eyes and be next to anywhere in the world but at the same time, diesel smells specifically European. The last and, in my opinion, the most important difference, is the alcohol.
In every restaurant from fast food, like McDonald's, to high-end establishments, there are a plethora of all kinds of alcohol with a high content than I even knew was possible to contain in a small half liter bottle. This also means that pretty much all the young people are carrying around large bottles of alcohol drinking as they walk down the streets. After they finish the bottle they just toss the bottle to the sidewalks and don't think anything of it.
Bottles and caps litter the ground all the way through the city, they are every where. At the same time, I am not 21 so I can not legally drink there; but so far, since getting here, I have not had a meal without a drink to compliment it, and perhaps a few others while seeing the sites. The next thing an American will notice in the winter is that they do not rid the sidewalks of ice with salt. Gravel is all over the ground also getting your shoes strange shades of brown and getting kicked up into your shoes. This causes a few more problems than just shoe and foot care. The sidewalks are solid blocks of ice, slipping and sliding from historic site to site I was more scared of falling than being ripped off or swindled.
I am a young(er) female traveler. Not once in Berlin did I ever feel intimidated or uncomfortable. This is something that cannot be said for Chicago, New York or even Los Angeles. These cities have areas that I would not even walk in the sunlight, but not once did I ever think someone was going to harm me. Also, gypsies are not a thing in Berlin.
Between falling on my bum (as the Irish girls from the hostel say) or from stepping on beer bottles in front of the Brandenburg Gate. There has not been a moment yet where I have not been encompassed by friendly people, beautiful places and liters of beer.
