Germany

(1) I barely caught my morning train from Copenhagen to Berlin, stepping on board five seconds before it started to move. The highlight of the journey was a 45-minute ferry ride over a passage that juts out from the Baltic Sea. The train cars actually load onto the ship where the passengers can then get out, walk around on deck, and relax in the small cafe. Shortly after entering Germany, I changed trains in Hamburg and, after a smokey ride, finally arrived in Berlin's Ostbahnhof Station. From there, and with minimal faith in my travel ability, I took an S-Bahn sky-train to Alexanderplatz and the U-8 subway toward Wittenau, getting off at Rosenthaler Platz. At street level, an older gentleman kindly showed me the way over to The Circus - which, to this very day, still remains the greatest hostel I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Hence, the details on how to get there. Take notes.

(2) Berlin is a pretty big place with immeasurable history. Whereas some large cities can be explored without assistance, I thought it might be a good idea to take a propper walking tour of Germany's capital. Of course, I also just wanted to sit around and relax on my first day (having just rushed through Denmark after the madness of Amsterdam). Waking up to a bright, sunny sky persuaded me to go ahead with the tour. As a general travel rule, when life gives you a nice day - USE IT WISELY. Our group's guide was an American studying German youth identity on a government grant. This added a cool, new perspective to all the famous sites we visited. Here, we find a section of the Berlin Wall.

(3) The Brandenburg Gate is, perhaps, Germany's most famous structure. Constructed in 1791, it was commisioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II to represent peace. Ironically, the gate was later incorporated into the Berlin Wall during Communist rule. Today, it stands as a grand symbol of the reunification of East and West Berlin. On a side note, there is a hotel just off the square next to the Brandenburg Gate where Michael Jackson famously dangled his baby off the balcony. So, if world history isn't your thing, you can thank the strangest man alive for giving you something to care about. Crazy bastard.

(4) Back at The Circus, there's always something to do at night. So, after watching some Celtic soccer at some random pub with a crazy Scottish girl and a dumbfounded American, we went back to the hostel's downstairs bar and threw back some big-boy German beers on Karaoke Night. Really, it doesn't take much to get me to do Country Roads... and, not to brag or anything, I can perform John Denver like a friggin' animal. Let me tell you something - you know who else likes renditions of American folk songs...

(5) ...cute Polish girls! In fact, three out of three cute Polish girls agree: Jarrett's singing rules! My new fans spread the word through the Polish underground and now I'm considered the David Hasselhoff of Eastern Europe. OK, I can't really back that up. But, I AM certain that Berlin is fantastic and everyone should go there and sing Karaoke at The Circus. Also, as an additional compliment to Germany - BEST KEBABS IN EUROPE. PERIOD.

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