27.8.96 (Tue)

I am now having breakfast in the restaurant of Forum Hotel. This hotel has everything a hotel should have, except air conditioning (I mean cooler). It is comfortable. The hotel is about 37 storeys high and my room is on the 30th floor. Think about it: I have never lived in a place so high. It is modern, using card keys and television sets that combine radio, TV, video and communication functions. But it looks ugly on the outside.

My right eye is feeling better now that I have slept properly for a whole night. In fact, I think I fell asleep about 8 pm last night and did not wake up until about 4 am this morning.

I think I am still not in the mood of travelling. What I want most now is to lie down and sleep. Anyway, today I plan to go to Potsdam. When I am back I may visit the zoo.

OK. About yesterday. The weather was very fine. Hot. I found my way to this hotel quite easily (experience counts, you see). But the S-Bahn here is quite confusing. The route plan does not show the lines clearly. I left my backpack at the hotel (well I could not check in because it was only noon). Then I took the S-Bahn to Bahnhof Zoo, had lunch, exchanged some money, and then got on Bus 100. By that time I was quite tired, partly because of the heat. So when the bus reached Alexanderplatz I just got off and returned to the hotel. I showered and rested for about an hour before I set off again (because I did not feel it right to sleep in the afternoon, especially during a trip).

I walked towards the west to Brandenburger Tor. There must have been many historical buildings/sights on the way but I don't think I saw many of them. I lost my way and went to the Altstadt around the Nicholas Church. It was a bad idea to walk westwards at the time of sunset. The sun almost blinded me and my eye hurt very badly. When I reached Brandenburger Tor I was exhausted (the heat, the walk, the sunshine). I took the S-Bahn to Hauptbahnhof where I made a reservation for a seat to Praha and then returned to the hotel.

The Altstadt is the place I like most. It was cool in there. I just may visit there again.

I took some pictures on the sky in my room this morning because the colours before dawn were beautiful.

Berlin. I don't think I like it or will like it. Sitting here eating my breakfast, I miss Paris, London, Munich, Rothenburg, Heidelburg, Brugge, Bath, and many more places. How I miss them. But not Berlin.

I don't see many differences between East and West Berlin (this hotel is in the East). But maybe I don't see anything at all.