After settling into Schlafmeile Hostel, we made our way to the Hauptbahnhoff (Main Train Station) to organise our tickets for the trip to the home town of Madzia’s Grandparents, Koszalin, Poland. We initially decided on staying in Berlin for four days, however after an extremely busy week travelling and our proximity to Madzia’s family, we changed our plans. Surprise, surprise 
So, we arranged tickets for travel the next day, which is fairly straight forward if you are prepared to travel on Regional Trains rather than Inter City or International trains, which require reservations and booking well ahead of time.
The neighbourhood of our Hostel in Friedrichshein was extremely pleasant, broad tree lined streets with small parks scattered throughout, young families out for their evening stroll and picnic in the park, people everywhere yet no hustle and bustle.
There is a sense of melancholy to the city, yet this is offset by a youthful exuberance that shines through. The mixture of Gothic and Imperial era architecture interspersed with uber-modern renovations, rebuilding and developments reflects the mood of this emotionally scarred city.
Our taxi trip to the Hauptbahnhoff in the morning was a mini tour, taking us past remnants of the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. One memory I will always keep of this city is the taxi driver pointing to a wall pockmarked with bullet holes “ping, ping, ping”.
Our sojourn in Berlin was memorable, albeit brief, and it was a great introduction to Europe for Zofia and myself. We are looking forward to returning and exploring this city of juxtapositions further.
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After settling into our room, we took a tour of Madinat Jumeirah in an Abra (water taxi) on the canals, which then dropped us off at the souk. This section of the resort is highly tourist orientated and is full of high priced souvenirs and accessories, so we made our way to the local mall for dinner. As we were sitting in the food court, we realised that we were over looking a snow field! The Mall of the Emirates is the home to the worlds largest indoor ski field, and it was quite a sight to behold, with local women in their traditional garb throwing snowballs! From the mall we headed back to the room for a much needed bout of rest and recuperation, along with a light show from Burj Al Arab.
The next morning we woke and it was as if we were cupped in the palm of a cloud. Zofia absolutely loved the variety of pillows, and spent a good half an hour crawling around and crash tackling each of the pillows individually. At this time of the year the afternoon heat is so stifling it is best spent in an air conditioned mall, which Dubai has in abundance. On our final day we headed to the Gold and Spice souk area in Deira, and after two hours in the heat we were left exhausted, searching for a taxi that would take us to a congested part of the city. Not so much fun with a baby in tow, but memorable all the same
Dubai left us so awe struck that it is hard to think of any high lights, but the resort at Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah and our first taste of 5 star opulence, and a simple meal of Shwarma and shakes at Al Mallah in Satwa certainly make my list of memorable moments of the trip so far.
Two days of breakfast buffets, air conditioned afternoons in the mall and swimming with Zofia in the resorts pools left us well rested for the next stage of our journey to Europe.
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Well we made it! 2 months in Thailand, multiple mosquito bites, a few doses of delhi belly and a lifetime of memories.
We have learnt much about ourselves and discovered a new depth and understanding to our relationship as a couple and a family. The following excerpt from Eric and Virginias Travel Journals rings so true.
“Traveling together independently and inexpensively in underdeveloped parts of the world is a severe test for any relationship, as many questions constantly arise requiring compatible answers from two different persons. Why are we here? How long do we stay? Where do we go next and how do we get there? Where will we eat?will we eat? How much (and which) baggage do we carry with us? are we living in this dump? are we paying so much? Is this the best we can do? are we going to do today? about tomorrow? long is this trip going to last? it time to go home? It is amazing that relationships can survive under such circumstances.”
Add to this a baby, mosquitoes and a toothache and you have one hell of an argument starter.
Highlights of our Thai adventure definitely include the food and the Thai people and their culture. The trip to the temple on Doi Suthep also rates highly, and watching Zofia make friends all over Thailand, especially at Suk 11.
Travelers beware!!! Be vigilant in your negotiations with taxi and tuktuk drivers, ‘western’ food is not a specialty and varies from edible to “who chose to eat here!!!”, and in general if someone is being nice to you, there is an ulterior motive.
As a starting point for our adventure, Thailand has as provided a real learning curve for us, in the way that we travel and forging our relationship from a couple to a young family.
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As we bid farewell to the Antipodes we are beginning to understand exactly how much we are giving up in our quest to expand our “weltanschauung”.
A month of moving house, selling a majority of our worldly possessions and a hectic week in New Zealand has made the time fly, but it has only masked the anticipation and uncertainty that we have been experiencing in our preparations. However as Great Nana Betty, who has spent the last forty years in a wheel chair with MS and battled Polio as a child , told us on our visit – “you’ve just got to keep going”.
So with our bags packed, books stowed away and adventure in our hearts we say good bye to a life of family, friends and familiarity and head into the unknown… to us anyway
P.S. A special farewell to my sister Danai and Family on Bikes who are all departing on their respective adventures today!
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