Climbing Teufelsberg

We’ve had a long 36 hours. We arrived with no problems in Berlin this morning. No one got left behind and all of our first time flyers did a great job. After going through immigration and getting a new stamp in our passports, we started the trek to the Hotel Rotdorn. Upon arriving, we got our room assignments, had a chance to settle in, and then started a short walk around the area to familiarize ourselves with our location.

For lunch we visited the Prime Kebap for doner kebabs. The buildings and people are full of color and spring flowers are just beginning to come out. Later on some of us decided to hike Teufelsberg, a man made hill a short walk from our hotel. Underneath, the hill is made of rubble. During the Cold War it was used as a listening station (Field Station Berlin).

Today, people gather to fly kites, picnic, relax, and exercise. At the top is a beautiful view of the city.

For dinner, we enjoyed a group meal at the Tutti Gusti restaurant. I learned some German phrases and even ordered my food in German, with the help of Katie Waters who is in German class at Ohio State Newark. We’ve had a great start to our trip and are ready for a good night’s rest to get ready for the upcoming week.

Images and text by Emily H.