Buddha must have been a backpacker

For those of you who are unaware of the tenets of Buddhism, I will sum it up for you as I did my students. Essentially Buddha has four noble truths. 1. Life sucks. 2. Life sucks because we desire (specifically possessions). 3. Give up Earthly desires. 4. You will reach enlightenment. Obviously I am being very general, but that is the basic idea, and the idea that 120 7th graders at Claremont understand. Anyways, after hauling all my crap on my back for the past three weeks, and realizing how many times my stuff has inconvenienced and stopped me from doing what I want to do on my trip, I am thinking Buddha must have been a backpacker before reaching englightenment. I am also looking into becoming a Buddhist. First step, throw my backpack into the river!!!

Anyways, so I am in Berlin, Kreuzberg to be exact. After manuevering myself around the city without being able to read German, I found my hostel, dropped my bag off, and hit the city. I decided to do the bike tour and really enjoyed myself. I actually think it was less work to ride a bike then it was to walk. Saw all the major sites, and made friends with some East Bayers, including the tour guide. Second time so far that a tour guide has been from a place I live!!

I then opted out of a pub crawl because I look and feel discusting, which could have to do with the fact that I cannot exactly recall the last time I had a semi decent shower. Like my mother, I enjoy a shower where there is strong water pressure, and I have yet to get that lately. Actually at the last shower I was in, it was one of those old fashioned footed ones, that I had to HOLD IN THE AIR. Do you know how hard it is to wash your hair, while one of your hands is busy holding the damn spicket. Erg!! So anyways, I figure Germany is known for its drinking so I might partake in something tomorrow.

This is the first city I am really on my own in. I have a full three days, and am able to relax and not just run around crazy like I did in Scotland. After this tour, I feel as though Ive seen all the major highlights, and am now just trying to fill in the gaps. I plan on doing a tour of a concentration camp on Wednesday, but have yet to decide of a plan of attack tomorrow. (Although, I might do a tour on Hitler, but that might be a lot of touring, three days in a row of hitler and that one actually costs money...on the other hand, the tour guide is really really cute!!) So we will see.

I finally heard word from my friend AnneRuth, and I am going to stay with her near amsterdamn on thursday, and then probably stay another night in the city, although it is sooo expensive!! Then I am trying to organize a river cruise on the rhine.

Am constantly trying to download pictures, but it might be a while.