Ramble Roadtrip to NorthWest Berlin City

The day has come for us to make “rendre visite” a friend, french word which means simply “to visit”. A year before in December we have planned to meet for the first time our online geek friend in Northwest Berlin. However, a sandstorm situation ruined our program. Finally, we decided to get there after our terse vacation in Prague.

It was 6:00 am in the morning and we packed our stuff and brought essential things that needed on the road. Going with us is our second baby “Witch Pachimari” which we already have brought in our last visit in Gamescom.

Warming Up

The weather wasn’t that bad it was even hotter than I expected. Our Pachiwitch is ready for 8 hours of taunting on the road for the very first time. Well, last time was just one-third of what we will undergo today, so I hope this fella won’t sleep that much like I used to do (shhh I do sleep like a lot).

Just a tip for you, if you love to sleep on the road hauled? bring a cushion or neck pillow. It’s more comfortable and you can sleep conveniently.


Oh I know a lot of you are atypically curious about where we bought our Pachis. If you have recalled our trip to Gamescom last 2016, we met the creator of this beautiful babies. Her name is KAIRII, a german cosplayer, gamer, crafter, and the creator of all this plushies that we collected.

Northwest Berlin, here we go!

The engine has started, now we are heading to our destination of the day. Our plan is to get to our friend’s place in the afternoon and do some tour or just rest, then sleep, in the next day (afternoon) get back to Brussels.

Premier thing to do for me is to think what to do while on the road, I need to knock my head about the endless junket of this adventure. A strife of dull moment for me, nothing came out even one idea.

Thankfully Pachi is there to make me a little occupied, I was scrubbing his cushion tissue face and make her look creeper. After a while, I had my playlist on and listen to what I can and fell asleep (as usual) can’t refrain myself. It’s the intense way of fudging by just going with the flow of temptation.

Northwest Berlin here we are!

I woke up an hour before our arrival in the city, we drove through the highway of the center evading to pass through the city’s traffic bearings.

First stop is to search the right address, as you know we always have this tendency of shambling up roads and streets number. I made it sure that we’ll be in the right domicile site. What I saw was this gigantesque church situated just in front of our parking place.

I really thought we were in the city center of Berlin cause the church looks like a duplicate one as what I have seen before of our visit. We continued the stroll and detected the exact address of our dear friend in Northwest Berlin.

Our Friendship Story

I met this guy year ago in an online game called Overwatch that I’m frolicking, it was an absolute coincidence to stumble with a German who can speak fluent English so I was perpetually contented. Chatting whilst playing our game was our habitual rhythm to communicate so we can easily get a win.

Subsequently, we started to open our boxes of private life and start to share. It wasn’t even forcibly coming out, it was gradual and natural. This guy is in his early 30’s who loves golf and an ultimate web geek master.

So I introduce him to my partner (he isn’t jealous, don’t worry) and from then on we all play often, bubbling and partaking our daily inputs of the game.

For this about 24 hours stay in Northwest Berlin, our friend offered us lodging. We stayed at his place and in the middle of the night before to sleep we strive to play his passion, Golf!

As we arrived, he welcomed us and arrange our place. Then we decided to go out for a walk and he showed us an unusual side of the city. It wasn’t the same ambiance as I have experienced in the city center. There were more people from another country and food prices are insanely cheaper.

We ate in an Asian restaurant with a whole menu. I ordered the one with duck with rice and curry sauce, for a chicken lover I could say the meat was super delicious.

The astounding difference from the touristic side, it was like about 7 euros per person. Well, an advantage for us!

All about Golf

We were given this green sheet which serves as our terrain. since a lot of golf grounds like teeing ground, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green or putting green with a flagstick.

This one is the putting green, those two coins guide us where to put our ball. the “flagstick” called pin and the “hole” called the cup. I didn’t know so much about golf, it was actually our first time to play this kind of sport. It was so nice and lively to discover this inquisitive kind of activity.

At the end, I learned to hit the cup but often times it was too aggressive, I have to let it flow deliberately.

Becoming a Berliner

Morning came and we all three went out to go to our friend’s office. just for a quick tour and eat lunch after. Since we were not a breakfast persons, we just took a coffee and get going.

We jump on the metro/subway and head to the adjacent place of the city’s center. It was also a chance for us to see how people in Northwest Berlin behave in the metro. how are their daily routines, and get to know more about their public transportation.

The last time that we visited, it was 4 days and 3 nights. However, we didn’t have the time to ride one or two of their transportation. since it was easier for us to stroll and visit some interesting places.

The metro was ample and clean, it resembles those of mostly European transportation. The color was vigorously intense as it was mainly yellow, and the system? just the same as in Belgium.

I was so happy to see the different side of our journey. We were like Berliners (Berlin locals) who act like locals. Getting our metro and walk to the office. nothing to worry about the day and just live same as those people around.

The Mystery of Ampelmann

I have digested a bunch of Berliner thoughts from our friend, the history, foods, culture, behavior, the life of people in Northwest Berlin. The most that were vexing was to know about this Ampelmann story.

From his point of view, the Ampelmann is purely for tourist and that Berliner wasn’t really interested in it. He even hopes that we didn’t pay to get into the museum as it was a normal place for them. Perhaps some stories told to become popular to other countries but not known on its own place.

But for me, I was still amused to see this Ampelmann figure on the traffic lights. They just look so unique from others. It made me think of those in Wroclaw. it was as well as distinguished from the usual.

We ended up eating in an Italian Restaurant that our friend knows best. the two ordered pizza and I ordered pasta.

Tickets

After lunch, we were wandering around and I was able to see a lot of things. After a while, we decided to go back to our friend’s place and prepare for a long ride again.

As my partner was punching in the metro/subway tickets to confirm I was trying to make a video. But in the end, I was too late, he already punched them all. (he was too quick not my fault)

The moment we arrive we straightly bundle our things up and get ready. We need to be on the road before heavy traffic waves come.

We were so happy for this 1-day staycation with our geek friend. It was awesome to know more about him and his life. Such a beautiful person. He even gave us souvenirs of his “golf balls” 2 of them. Some food and drinks to pile up in our car and the famous fully caffeine drink.

We bid our goodbyes and hurried for a quick full tank at the gasoline station and hit the highway and a long ride one more time to get home.

Before I end this article I want to give you some quick tips that you must remember while in northwest Berlin.

• Remember that prices are incredibly cheaper than the city center (tourist place)
• There are more immigrants and fewer tourists.
• Better take public transportation when going to town since parking is expensive
• Instead of bringing your own car to the city center, use taxi it’ll be cheaper unless you have a free parking space.
• While taking the metro/subway, be careful to read and remember the stops cause sometimes it doesn’t show the name of the metro stop. (except those new metros)
• Do not always follow what’s written on tourists attractions lists, you might just be like all those tourists aiming for tourists spots, research and ask locals.

And for those who wanna follow me for my next road trip? You’ll be happy to know cause we’re going to a small village in France. See you again!