Germany: An experience for life

Landing at Frankfurt airport, we were not that much enthusiastic about Germany. Germany was never in our itinerary. But we got the visa to Germany even though our first preference was France. In France Ritvik had spotted places like Reverie, Nice, and Versailles etc. When I saw the truck attack in Nice later in July just two months after our trip, I held my breath in shock.

A Frankfurt street

The Ethihad flight was on time. The landing was tough; really felt I would throw up. The food served by the airline was horrible. The flight took off from Abudhabi airport with some verses from Quran. Ethihad does not consider the feeling of people from other faith? If any of our public transport system  does such a thing, Oh!, I can’t think of the clamour following it. Many would cry that our secularism and the very existence of the country itself are in danger. 

The Frankfurt airport had a deserted look. No such rush and chaos we have experienced at the Abudhabi airport.  After collecting baggage we went out of the airport. At the entrance we got some sort of information with a map from an arrogant receptionist. With the map in hand we three, Milton, Ritvik and me stood thinking next step outside the airport in the taxi bay. Seeing a taxi we called for him. He looked like an Indian but was a Pakistani.

 Inside the car he spoke in Urdu and we in Hindi. He came to Germany as a refugee during the 1971Indo-Pak war. He was from Pak Punjab and occasionally visits Pakistan. But their greatest wish is to see the Taj Mahal once, but never got a visa. Even in conversation I could not help watching the streets, its cleanliness and discipline. Everything is properly planned and implemented. No rush on the roads. No poster laden walls.

 We reached our hotel after half an hour drive and spending 30 Euros. At the hotel, in Ostbahnholf, a smiling receptionist searched for our booking details. She remained the only smiling German face I can remember throughout our stay in the country. For a while the advertisement of Luftansa Airlines came to my mind in which the grandpa tells the child that` you know the Germans are a bit different and they are very serious’.

When we gave a single note of 500 euro for the hotel rent, she gave us the first lesson that 500 euro note is a rarity in Europe. Almost all services in Germany would be available in exchange of below 500 euro. As per her advice we went to the nearest bank, called Post Bank and collected changes for our 500 euro. Each and every single euro is countable unlike our one rupee two rupee coins. Even cent has certain value. You need not carry bundles of euros. But never multiply it with Indian rupee. Think in euros, eat in euro and sleep in euro policy would help you in Europe.

 Frankfurt streets always have a deserted look, a look we may get only during hartals in Kerala. But all public transport services would be there  in place. Everything is in order. If a tram was to arrive a particular stop, you need to be careful about the time only. That particular tram or bus would arrive at the station on time, neither a second early nor late. Hence no need to check and cross check. The first day itself we got familiar with it and without asking any doubt to anyone we found it very easy to travel across the city.  If everything is in systematic, nothing matters other than money.

Next day after having the breakfast of egg and bread we set out for sightseeing. Being a modern business city, FrankFurt does not have much to offer for a traveller who wishes to revel in sightseeing. Except the sky scrapers and business establishment, there is the Main River and the old city of Romer Berg ,

Frankfurt is the place where Germany's major autobahns and railways intersect. About 350,000 people commute to the city each day, not counting the 710,000 people who really live here. With a huge airport — the third-largest in Europe — it is the gateway to Germany and for many people also the first point of arrival in Europe. Further, it is a prime hub for interconnections within Europe and for intercontinental flights. Frankfurt is the most diverse city in Germany and has the highest percentage of foreigners in the country.

Romer Berg is the old city centre which houses an ancient church and many ancient building with architectural importance. In the evening when we went to the Romer Berg, at one corner some musicians were doing a sort of concert and people were seen enjoying it. Frankfurt is the birth place of Goethe and university is there in his name in Frankfurt. It was raining in Frankfurt throughout our stay. Rain was not disruptive like in our Kerala. The neat and broad streets and proper foot path really made enjoy the rain while walking through the street.

In Europe, Two things which I like the most was there are no autorikshaws  and two wheelers. There are cycles and specific cycling paths too. So the road remains always free. No jams. People use public transport since it is cheap, fast, neat and timely.

Our departure to Munich was from Hopanholf railway station in Frankfurt. The ICE (Inter City Express) with a speed of 320 Km /hr would take us to Munich . It would roughly take three hours to cover the 250 Km distance. Waiting at the Railway station we met a Tamil business man who has been visiting Europe once in a year for the last thirty years. He was visibly happy to meet an Indian family at the railway station. He was going to Hamburg. He was so excited about his last day’s visit to the German-Swiss border town Basel. He was like more like a traveller than a businessman. Meanwhile his train came and rushed. away saying goodbye. After some time our train arrived. Ritvik was all in excitement. His greatest wish to enjoy a bullet train ride was coming true.

The train was in its maximum speed. Good journey. Beautiful landscapes. We were passing through German villages. Long rows of solar panel could be seen quite often. Even the houses had solar panel on the sloppy roofs. Germany is making best use of alternative energy sources. Weather was pleasant. American fighter jets were seen crisscrossing in the blue sky. It was Ritvik who confirmed it.  They must be heading for Syria to fight ISIS.

Munich street

Heavy downpour welcomes us in Munich. Rain always comes with chaos even if it is 

Germany or back at wayanad. Alighting from the train we were literally stranded at the station. The station was brimming with people blacks, whites blond….people of all nationalities and races. Meanwhile we went to the nearby information centre from where as usual we got a map with some sort of information. We came out of the station but it was pouring down. We waited. When the rain subsided we headed towards our Hotel which was nearby the railway station. Munich was a sort of multi ethnic city. Streets were busy but still disciplined and clean. Unlike Frankfurt we met refugees here. Refugees not only from crisis ridden Syria and Libya but mainly from the erstwhile East European countries like Romania and Poland. Some were roaming around and some were sitting with their pet dogs and begging. Is it the end of communism???? What blah ..Blah the communists shout  in  Kerala still!!!!!!!!!.

Munich is home to many national and international authorities, major universities, major museums and theaters. Its numerous architectural attractions, international sports events, exhibitions, conferences and Oktoberfest attract considerabletourism.^] Munich is one of the most prosperous and fastest growing cities in Germany. It is a top-ranked destination for migration and expatriate location, despite being the municipality with the highest density of population in Germany. Munich nowadays hosts more than 530,000 people of international background, making up 37.7% of the entire population.

Munich,( Munchen in German), the capital of Bavaria is the third largest city in Germany and situated on the bank of river Isar.  There are many churches of architectural beauty and palaces of dukes and Bavarian rulers were beautifully preserved in the city.  English Garden and the BMW museum are also something worth seeing.

Next day morning, we rushed to catch the first city tour bus. Getting down from the city tour bus at Marian Platz, the open square, we walked slowly through the street with huge malls on either side. It was extreme cold. We rushed in to a mall to escape the deadly weather. Inside it was warm and we roamed around and warmed ourselves and came out. Meanwhile we did some shopping too. It was at the end of winter season and sale was in full swing. So woollens were somewhat cheap only if you think and calculate in euros.

By evening after having dinner at an Afghan run restaurant we started our preparation for Berlin.

Marian Platz

Train journey is superb in Europe. You would not get tired. Timing would be perfect. No unending wait at the railway station.  Our train, the high speed one would take 5 hours 30 minute to cover more than 500 KM distance from Munich to Berlin. The railway station at Berlin, the capital of the country was huge. Still the clear signboards guided us to the right direction.

At the tourist information centre we met a priest, Fr Augustine from Kerala who was  recently posted to the German city of Cologne. He was in the task of learning German. And before officially taking charge and enrolling for German language study he had set out for a whirlwind tour of Germany. Next day throughout our city tour he remained with us as a good companion. He gave us some more intimate information about life of Germans.

Germany was a bundle of chaos, sorrows, losses and despair after the Second World War. Millions and millions of men folk either killed or decapitated. According to Fr Augustine , It was the woman power regained the lost glory of Germany. They kept Germany from further destruction. They worked hard and contributed nation building. But in the process they forgot marriage and family. The concept of marriage and family has become a rarity in the country. Man and woman live together but refuse to be part of the institution called marriage and to have children. He quoted a fellow priest’s struggle to bond a man and woman in the Parish through marriage after almost two decades of living together. They rear pets, not kids, says Fr Augustine.

Another interesting thing he shared was the believer’s tax. If any one believes in the religion, they have to pay tax to the government. So people declare they are not believers. Hence the churches in Europe got in to great trouble. It is in this vacuum, Islam penetrates. They spread radical ideology. They buy churches and turn those in to mosques. Europe is now paying the price of their casual and carefree attitudes. Now the far right groups are becoming very strong in Europe and they are against Islamisation. The PEGIDA movement (Patriotic Europeans Against Islamisation of Europe) is getting great support across Europe.

The work force is a problem in Germany. The workers are mainly from erstwhile communist countries like Poland and Romania. They are brought in en- masse to undertake farm labours . Sometimes they stay back and become German citizens. Migrants from Turkey, Srilnaka, Afghanistan, Palestine and Pakistan are plenty in German cities.

Meanwhile, we spotted our hotel location in the map and got in to prescribed bus after wishing ` see u tomorrow’ to Fr. Augustine .  Hotels in Europe are of same nature. Unlike India you would get no service. No one would be there to pull your baggage, open the door, bringing water etc. You can be at your service.

Berlin is a historic city which still carries the scars of world war and partition. The historic Berlin wall was running in the middle of the city parting it in to West Germany and East Germany. East Germany had been ruled by the communist government installed by the then USSR. West Germany was of course supported by the democratic front led by America. But the world powers failed to see the sorrows of the families, friends separated by the Berlin wall. People sneaking in to the West Germany from East Germany were common. Hence East Germany constructed the huge wall with check points just to stop its citizens to escape to West Germany. If caught they would be shot dead. Such deaths had been covered under thick shroud of secrecy. In 1990 the citizens of both the Germany broke open the walls and the two Germany became one.

The remnants of the walls are preserved at Charlie checkpoint, which is symbolically maintained to remind Germans about the Berlin wall era.There are many ancient churches in Germany destroyed fully or partially in the Second World War. Germany had to struggle a lot to recoup the world war losses.

We went to see the biggest zoo in the country. But we could see animals and birds can be seen in our zoos and national parks. Except Penguins nothing caught our interest and we soon cut short our zoo visit.

Then we went straight to Victory columns and spent some time there. Ritvik with his newly found friend climbed up. Rejecting his compulsions to climb on top of the column, I told I had climbed on top of Qutab Minar and Juma Masjid in Delhi and this is not greater than those.  In fact I was too tired to be on top of the column.

Then we took the bus for city tour and roamed around city seeing the English garden, The Reichstag building (German parliament) etc..

We decided to end the roaming as all were tired. We sought the help of a bus driver to fix our direction. He advised to catch the train and alight at the next stop.  We crossed the road and reached the station and got in to the train. But in fact that train was going to the opposite direction to where we had to really travel. The tickets we took were meant for that direction.

Within moments we were caught and asked to alight at the next station. Ticket examiner asked for our passports. All four including Ritvik shocked. We provided our passports and they asked to pay 60 euros each. Pretty good amount!!  We tried to convince that all happened because of our ignorance. They were convinced but not ready to release us. For 5 euro ticket we had to pay 60 euro each!! They gave two options, either pay the fine or let them call the police. They were kind enough to finally exclude me and Ritvik from remitting the fine. Even otherwise we were ready to pay the fine would never opt for the second option. The officer asked ` In India is it not a crime to travel without a proper ticket?. We replied in chorus ‘it is a crime’.

 He was trying to say this in his German accented English that ignorance itself is a crime. We do agree and I told myself ignorance is a crime, entire Kerala would better convert to a jail since according to me my state is the capital of ignorance. Paying the fine we rushed to catch the right train with the tickets took with the help of the TTE from the ticket vending machine. Frankly speaking we were little tired of being caught for such a silly offence.

We decided to be more cautious in our onward journey and started our hunt for the train ticket to Amstedam.