Berlin Bleeds: A Caffeine-Fueled Descent
okay, so, 3098722. that’s the timestamp on my phone. 1616788025. feels like… a Tuesday, honestly. a really, really long Tuesday. i landed in berlin yesterday, and i’m pretty sure my brain is still buffering. it’s like, a chaotic mix of techno beats and half-eaten currywurst. and the rain. oh god, the rain. it’s this persistent, grey drizzle that just settles on everything. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
I’m staying in Kreuzberg, which is… intense. Like, aggressively intense. It’s a tangle of graffiti, tiny bars overflowing with people, and the smell of roasting coffee beans. My Airbnb is above a tattoo parlor - which is both terrifying and strangely comforting. The guy who runs it, Dimitri, keeps offering me needles. I politely declined. He just shrugged and said, "Berlin. It’s a choice." He’s right, isn’t he?
I spent the morning wandering around, mostly just trying to avoid puddles and getting hopelessly lost. Found this amazing little record store - ‘Vinyl Junkies’ - down a side street. They had a crate of old Kraftwerk albums. Seriously, a crate. Someone told me that the owner, Klaus, used to be a drummer for Einstürzende Neubauten. I’m not sure I believe it, but it sounds plausible. I snagged a copy of ‘Trans-Europe Express’ for a ridiculously low price. Worth it. Definitely worth it.
Speaking of prices, this place is expensive. Like, ridiculously expensive. I’m operating on a serious budget here - ramen noodles and lukewarm beer are my new best friends. I’m trying to find some cheap eats, though. Yelp says there’s a place called ‘Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap’ that’s legendary. I heard that it’s a pilgrimage for foodies, but also that you have to get there before noon or you’ll be standing in a line for three hours. Worth the risk, maybe? I’m thinking about it.
I stumbled across a street art festival happening in Friedrichshain. It was insane. Walls covered in murals, projections, live music… the whole shebang. There was this one artist, a woman named Anya, who was creating these incredible, almost bioluminescent paintings using glow-in-the-dark pigments. It was mesmerizing. I managed to snag a few photos - hopefully they’ll look decent. My camera is starting to feel a bit… tired.
Pressure is 1026, humidity 91. It’s like being wrapped in a damp towel. The air feels thick, you know? And the ground level is 1020 - which is… unsettlingly precise. I’m starting to think this city is obsessed with data. I need coffee. Like, really need coffee. There’s a place called ‘The Barn’ near my Airbnb that supposedly has the best espresso in the city. I’m heading there now. Wish me luck. If you get bored, Potsdam is just a short drive away.
Pro-tip: wear waterproof shoes. Seriously. And don’t trust anyone who offers you a ‘traditional’ German sausage. Just… don’t. Also, TripAdvisor says to check out the East Side Gallery - it’s a long stretch of the Berlin Wall that’s been turned into an open-air art gallery. It’s pretty cool, but be prepared for crowds.
I’m gonna go find that coffee. And maybe a slightly less damp corner of this city.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294367-d123455-Reviews-East_Side_Gallery-Berlin.html
https://www.yelp.com/biz/mustafa-s-gemuese-kebap-berlin
https://www.berlin.de/en/city-guide/east-side-gallery
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