Berlin and Busum

Berlin was beautiful and rich in history. I wish we had more time there because there just wasn't enough time to see everything while we were there. The city tour was one of the best and a great way to see and learn about the city. Also going to the top of the Reichstagskuppel gave us an amazing view of the city and the view of a beautiful building. While in Berlin we also traveled to a concentration camp which is something I have always wanted to see. It is one thing to learn about everything from a book or lectures but it is a whole other experience to see first hand. It was a very somber experience that I could never truly explain.

Busum is yet another unforgettable experience from this trip. The seal center is a great place and it was awesome to see they are helping these animals and releasing them back when they can. The mudwalk was fun, interesting and educational at the same time. There were several times I was sure I was going to fall on my face in the slippery mud but luckily I managed to stay on my feet. Walking through the soft mud was a very odd feeling and differed depending on how squishy the mud was. At times it was difficult to walk because there were so many shells just beneath the surface until I finally figured out the best way to walk across them. There were also times I didn't realize how soft the mud was and ended up sinking down to my midcalf. There was also a delicious dinner that we had in a local restaurant that not only had great food but also a great atmosphere. The fresh seafood and other meat was one of the best meals I had the entire trip. But by far the best experience of this entire week was the necropsies we had a chance to take part in. There was a yearling seal that ended up being sick from systemic pneumonia that a seal hunter found. During the necropsy I collected stomach worms that would later be studied to determine what exact type they are. Also I removed an earbone and cleaned it out in order to collect all of the parasites in it. This was one of those days we realized that we find very strange things exciting!