Today I have decided to blogg about my experiences in Berlin as well as my weekend in Prague. My favorite part of Berlin was the behind the scences tour of the hippo exhibit. Looking down on the hippo enclosure and getting to feed the hippos was amazing. It was also interesting to learn how the newborn hippos are introduced into the group and that the zookeepers and veterinary staff are able to work so well with an untrained animal. Along the same lines, watching the seal trainer use simple commands such as to raise the seal's flipper or to wait were not all that impressive to the spectators, but were very important to the veterinary staff to draw blood and to examine the animal.
Also, I am a lover of history, so the bike tour of Berlin was also one of my favorite experiences. To explain, the story about the students from West Berlin sneaking people from East Berlin into West Berlin using tunnels was fascinating. Also, the stumbling stones in front of the houses in Berlin, even though contraversial, are a good reminder of the souls lost during one of the darkest times in human history. Even walking through Prague, I noticed several stones on the sidewalk next to buildings where Jewish families used to live. Prehaps the most uneasy feeling came while walking through the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe. To me, the memorial represented the Nazi destruction of the Jews at the beginning of the war on the edges of the memorial, small and perhaps those from the outside would not notice. But as you walked into the middle of the memorial, into destruction, death, and hatred, I began to feel overwhemled, uneasy, and lost. There was no sence or understanding it, even from its core, and prehaps that is its meaning after all.
On Saturday and Sunday, I headed for Prague. I was not quite sure what to expect so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered all the city had to offer. The Prague castle and the view from Charile's Bridge was beautiful especially at night. One of my favorite sights was the astrolabe and clock tower at the old town square. One of my good friends explained the history of the astrolabe and how it works, so it was impressive to see it first hand. On Sunday, I headed for Terezin concentration camp. This was a sombering experience to say the least. It has been said to be one of the nicer work camps but the conditions in which the prisoners lived was uphauling. Sometimes 600 to 900 prisoners lived together in one room and children and the elderly suffered the most. I also learned that most of the inhabitants died of disease or were sent to dead camps such as Ashiwtz. There was a large population of children at the camp so there were many children's drawings depicting life before the war and their longing for freedom. It was hard to see, but important I think to always remember so that we do not again repeat history. Prague, to me, was a very modern city with beautiful bulidings, cheap souvenir shops, and crazy night life. I hope someday to return and spend more time and hopefully learn some of the language.