Berlin and Lisbon -

Just a short two days left in Berlin then I'm back to London to get some final vaccinations before heading to Borneo. If I didn't mention earlier I have decided to spend a month volunteering for the Orangutan Project in Sarawak. I pretty much decided I would do it once I got here and hence had to get vaccinations in England and changed travel plans to suit. But that's okay because the travel plans were only in my mind and they weren't very good anyway.

Lisbon.
So if my mum hasn't already told you the unthinkable has happened! I got pick pocketed on my arrival to Lisbon. Somewhere between my ride on the aerobus and the short walk through Rossio Square, some thieving piece of poo got my wallet without me even being aware of it. Have you ever been in a foreign country with not a cent to your name? No way of calling home? No way of retrieving any money? No idea how to get to the embassy? I have. And now I can tick that off my list of life achievements.

I am a very lucky person indeed that the hostel let me stay and lent me money over the weekend. I got my credit card sent out and some cash transfered so that by Monday I was feeling okay again. In two days time though when trying to book online with said credit card, I realised it was a pointless piece of plastic. I'm going to write an angry letter to St. George. All the eftpos machines in Europe have chip detectors so they won't accept my card. I'm sure though if I needed to build a house of cards it would be a killer base wall.

Anyway Lisbon and shit what can I say? It's nice, it has culture, the people steal shit blah blah blah. But in all honesty it is a beautiful place and the average person on the street in incredibly kind and chatty.

Though what is going on with the Swiss? One older Swiss guy upon hearing that I had my stuff stolen said "Oh we thought you were being antisocial sitting by yourself."
"No I'm trying to work out money transfers so I don't starve to death."
Next day this American guy comes up to me and says "You know the Swiss guy? He's not feeling to well and was wondering if you would mind running some errands for him today?"

Well gee insult me one day we must be best friends the next. Good thing I was leaving and could very graciously decline his kind offer to let me run around all day for him.

Flew to Berlin had my drinks bought by the guy sitting next to me. I really did not feel like getting chat up I just wanted to get to Berlin. Pretended to sleep for four hours.

Berlin
Berlin is cool without ever trying. I walked past a graffited wall and there was two sky blue mopeds parked next to it. It was so casually cool that someone in Australia would probably set it up as an installation piece and charge for it.

It has a hansome mix of old and new buildings. I really like that about this town. So many places I have been too have clung so desperately to their buildings, that they stop providing for the people that live there. I understand the importance of museums and cultural institutes but I don't understand the importance of apartments that are so archaic, the people who live in them are forced to hump their heaters in an attempt to keep warm.

I am getting tired of being harrassed. I think being on my own has made me an easy target for every person on the street. And since having my stuff stolen I really care a lot less for these people. Every story is the same, it's always about sick kids and lost train tickets. Eventually I'm going to start introducing these people so they can form a support group for people who have lost train tickets/sick kids and get some kind of community awareness.

Now that I'm coming to the end of my European escapade I've gotta say that while my tone may sometimes border on the morose. I've actually sshh really enjoyed travelling alone. I never thought I would be the kind of person to befriend strangers so quickly but when you have to, you just have to. I don't know what happens to people when they travel but I think everyone goes through the strange leap from avearage day Joe to super explorer happy fun times. Though at the same time I don't want to give the impression that every single minute is so awesome that everyone should be really jealous. Like I wake up in the morning take a shot of heroin, then ride horses, play with puppies, do backflips and have cocktails at night.

Sometimes its waiting around for a connection or a tour to start, or going to a really cool shop and it's a Sunday and closed so you go to a park instead.

Or sometimes it is, as it is tonight. Sitting in an eight person hostel room with one other guy. He is very shy, which is cool I totally dig his personal space. He has been here ever since I arrived. And I'd like to think that after two nights with a family with small children (yes who on earth brings small children to a hostel) we have formed an unspoken bond. Yes I'm sure we must have because we are still sitting here quietly enjoying the company, not speaking.