Yet again they found themselves looking for a place to stay at the last minute. A good price came up for a 4 people dorm-style room at the Meininger Hotel, next to the Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) in the Mitte area of Berlin.
They booked 2 nights there and during this period the winter really kicked in. The coldest temperatures Dave & Kate could remember (about -11C) and they were stuck out, wandering between the Christmas markets and internet points, trying to discover where they were going next.
Checkpoint Charlie started to become a focal point. There they would stop off for a coffee at Einstein's - where Madonna's song 'Like A Prayer' ("life is a mystery...") always seemed to be playing - and reason through things as they were increasingly becoming aware of a movement from the West to the East through the city. At this point they were in the middle (Mitte) and it felt like there was a struggle to get to the East.
After much searching they couldn't find a suitable place after the Meininger and so their only option seemed to be to remain there. So they booked a further 2 nights, changing rooms and now with a different view.
During those 4 days they would use the Hauptbahnhof for internet and food. The energy in the place wasn't easy though and they often felt waves of confusion in there and this manifested as difficulty in finding the right things to eat. They started to consume lots of bananas and drink numerous cartons of orange juice during this period, a strange thirst coming upon them each night.
It literally felt like they were stuck, waiting to cross the border to the East. Then the night before they left the Meininger they stumbled upon a great last minute deal on a 4 star hotel. It was a mystery hotel so they had to book first before they found out exactly where and what it was but it had to be done.
It turned out to be the Winter's Hotel right in the heart of the Mitte area, close to Checkpoint Charlie. Again, they felt truly blessed, appreciating the comfort even more so coming from a minimal dorm room with bunk beds. The photo on the wall opposite their beds seemed to be a symbol...
