When in Deutschland

It has been like a tradition in our family to go out of the country every year to bond. It is practically the only time of the year that we can completely spend time in each others’ company because everyone was always busy – my parents had work, my older brother had law school, I had my first job in the city as a writer and a graphic artist and my little brother was busy with his own little activities in grade school. This year’s plan was supposed to be the Land of the Rising Sun. Being an avid fan of videogames, in my mind, I was screaming, “Yes! I finally get to see the SquareSoft Headquarters!” But that excitement was somewhat dashed when the tsunami happened. Not only was I disappointed about not being able to go, but also I was equally worried because a good friend of mine happened to be in the country.

But as they always said, all things happen for a reason. Several days after the tragedy in Japan, my aunt who lives in Germany with her family phoned in to check on us if the Philippines was affected. One thing led to another, and by the end of the conversation she had with my folks, our travel plans have shifted from going to Japan to Beer Country instead. There was just one tiny problem. I didn’t know what I would be seeing in Germany. But I do remember what she said, “Not many people really know what they will see but there are many to be discovered here.” Indeed, she was right. I will not deny that the first thing that always came to my mind when I heard the country’s name was Beer (and the sausages). But she changed all that for me in a matter of ten days.

Guten Morgen, Deutschland!

My adventure through this wonderful country was memorable in the most minute and colossal proportions. My older brother and I had to take the earlier flight so I had a room all to myself for three days. That, in itself, by the way, was already a huge milestone for yours truly. That was the first time in my whole life that I traveled without parental supervision (bucketlist item, checked!). Knowing that I was going to travel with only my older brother already gave me a feeling that this will be a promising adventure.

I opened the windows to let the cold breeze enter the room and as I parted the curtains and sat near the terrace door, all I could think about was “I can’t believe I am finally here.” I felt that the best way to begin a journey through Bavaria was to start it with a perfect sunrise. The atmosphere of a German morning was truly something to behold. There is a smell in the air that is very distinct and the chill of the morning breeze was miles colder than that of Baguio’s.

It was a far cry from what I had been used to, when I wake up every morning to the noise of an annoying rooster, or the sound of the bustling cars. I stayed in the guest room at the top of the house where I had the most perfect view of the horizon and the suburban houses.

At daybreak, when the sun was just about to peek from a distance, I saw people emerging from their houses, all set to walk their dogs through the nearby trails. “Guten morgen!” they even said as they saw me look out the window.

“Germany is home to some of the greatest architectural structures,” she said with enthusiasm as we had our first German breakfast of jams, breads and sausages. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a proper and full breakfast. It was an interesting change from the usual pandesal or cereals breakfast that I have been used to.

Train rides took only about an hour at least from our home in Bavaria to our destinations for the day; definitely not enough time to admire such picturesque landscapes of green grass, winding roads and snow-capped mountains, again another far cry. Literally, it was like viewing a moving postcard. Everything I saw was worthy of a photograph in all its serene glory, I believe there was hardly a time when I found my hands away from the camera.

Walking in the paths of Monarchy

We began our journey back in time by visiting the Nymphenburg Castle in Munich. This grand palace was built by the early monarchs to serve mainly as a summer residence. Its façade alone spreads 700 meters wide and plays a grandiose prelude to a majestic 490-acre park that left my brother and I panting for breath as we explored every wing. With each step that I took to explore this huge park, the prominent question that crossed my mind was, “How beautiful could this have been during

the night when all the pathways are delicately lit with candles, and the fountains embellished with carvings of angels spewing clear waters?” Needless to say that each room in the palace was anything but less than glamorous. Each room tells a different story. You will find yourself looking up at the ceilings of every room you enter, for they are adorned with intricately detailed paintings, gold and silver, with towering windows draped with cloths of the richest colors. It took us five hours in total to explore the entire palace.

Personally, I considered it to be my favorite. Being a media arts graduate, I have always loved art, and have had the most profound fascination for traditional paintings. Probably the only piece of advice I could give to travelers is to psych themselves for an artistic adventure and not to forget to bring bottles of water.

The second was the Neuschwanstein Castle located southwest of Bavaria. This towering castle sits atop a rugged hill in the village of Hohenschwangau. My brother was very enthusiastic about visiting this place. He told me he had read about it before and would be really nice if we can see it ourselves. I was listening intently to the tour guide that led us to countless steps up into the castle rooms. Though her accent was a little tricky, the one that stuck to my head was the way she had pronounced the castle name. Any outsider would have read it as “Noosh-wan-stein” but she pronounced it differently – “Noish-van-shtein”.

Unfortunately, taking pictures inside the castle was prohibited, so I had no other choice but to embed the images in my head. The Nymphenburg differs in such a way that the Neuschwanstein Castle was built to look like it was straight out of a story book. This was a castle built by Ludwig II to serve as his retreat where he can dwell in his artistic genius. Amusingly enough, the same castle was used as the main inspiration for those in famous children’s stories like Cinderella. Indeed the interiors exude more of a theatrical feel than a glamorous one – golden 150-candle chandeliers hanging from the middle of the ballroom, winding staircases leading to gothic inspired chambers, vast courtyards and lush gardens. Probably the only question left to ask was, “Where is Sleeping Beauty’s chamber?”

The wonder and amazement did not just stop with the castles. During the next few days, I was fortunate enough to see the town of Munich and Regensburg on a deeper level. Towering over multitudes of ice cream parlors and souvenir shops were the churches that captivated my heart.

What fascinated me most about them is that they are designed intricately enough to be cathedrals even though they are only considered to be chapels. I couldn’t explain the sense of serenity that I felt as I sat on the wooden benches of the renowned Frauenkirche (The Church of Our Lady) and St. Emmeramm’s Cathedral. Yet again, the ceilings were clad with dramatic and elaborated paintings coupled with carvings of stone angels bathing in pure gold. With much solemnity, I sat on the benches and bent my head down in prayer despite wanting to keep my head up to marvel at the beauty above me. A massive organ also sits in the balcony that will surely have your jaw dropping with amazement.

There was one other masterpiece that effortlessly had us doing exactly that, and that was the Rathaus. Situated alongside the Frauenkirche and the Marienplatz (St. Mary’s Square) stands what seemed to be a Gothic revival titan. I would have assumed without a second thought that what laid right before my eyes was a massive Gothic cathedral until I was told that the Rathaus is only their Municipal Hall. It had been a fine sunny day when I had the chance to walk around the Marienplatz. The clock stroke 5 pm and suddenly a clanging sound echoed from the Rathaus. It had been the Glockenspiel. Amusingly enough, this was a fun way for me to tell which is a tourist and which one is a Munich local. As the Glockenspiel plays, every tourist pauses as if they were in a trance to witness the story it tells of Duke Wilhelm V’s marriage to Renata of Lorraine through tediously painted figures rotating in the manner of a music box carousel while the Munich locals still watch but do not stop with their daily activities.

A Meal Fit for a King

Food is one of the best ways to bring friends and families together. It certainly is no different in Germany. And because it is in the heart of Europe, seafood is not entirely widely recognized. However they are big on meats, dairy products and everything organic.

My first taste of Bavarian cuisine was at a restaurant named Donisl, still in Munich. I had ordered the pork with mashed potatoes and potato dumplings. I have never been much of the heavy eater, so I had asked how many people one serving was good for, and they told me it was good for one. A few minutes later, I found myself being challenged by a huge serving more than enough to be eaten by two. I satisfied a burning hunger with crispy pork skin with savory sauce, backed by a big glass of orange lemonade to wash it all down. It was a miracle I was even able to walk after such a rich meal.

If that was not yet enough, our aunt decided to give us an even deeper glimpse of the German culinary world and took us to a place they called the Viktualian Market. ” On the shelves hung the biggest, and freshest cuts of meat and longest chains of sausages of all sizes that I have ever seen, more than enough to create a feast for a royal party. I could only imagine how many schnitzels and sausage meals could be made from them.

Also, it amused me to see such vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables. But prices are one to keep a careful eye on. One mango in Germany costs 60 pesos each, and the Philippine Lemon (calamansi) costs 15 pesos apiece. Even prices are fit for a king!

Of course when you think about Germany, you can never forget the beer. After all, they do give the word Oktoberfest its real meaning. Yearly, these festivals are held in places they call the Biergarten (basically translating to “Beer Garden”) where they serve them by the pints. But if you want to go lighter, you could always choose the non-alcoholic beer.

Naivety works wonders

In a way, not knowing what to expect when I came to Germany also had its advantages. I came to realize what it really does feel to discover something new for the first time, and that goes for discovering something on your own rather than just learning about them through school textbooks - like realizing that “Einbahnstrase” means “one-way street” or that German locals refer to the Danube River as the River Donau.

Germany would be a delight for both the new and experienced traveler. It is a land of rustic charm and timeless beauty that will effortlessly capture anyone’s interest and heart. I know not when I can set foot on this lovely country again, ten days truly are not enough to immerse myself in their culture and savor everything that it has to offer. But it has given me memories that could last me until I could finally visit it again.

Korea: The Tourist Wallflower

I was looking at the travel map I had stuck to the back of my cabinet with a pin in my hand thinking, “Where can I stick the next one on?” I had stuck one to the side of Australia when I went there to have a short and sweet getaway with my family in Surfers’ Paradise. I thought to myself, I’d like to see something that didn’t have to do anything with the beach. Perhaps I could be more adventurous, pretend to be like Lara Croft and go treasure hunting in Cambodia’s Angkor Wat; or head to Malaysia to see the wondrous Petronas Towers. My eyes landed on a small island just below China. Ah yes – the wallflower of a tourist spot – Korea.

A Warm Welcome Despite the Cold Weather

Traveling to Korea shouldn’t take too long, but it could feel like an eternity if the flight you took has a stop over and begins late in the evening. My eyes were heavy; my knees felt like Jell-o, simply put,I was tired. The flight I had been on had to drop by Singapore before it headed to Korea. By the time I arrived, it was already around 6 in the morning and my stomach was still full from the Bibimbap dinner and the airline breakfast I had before landing in Incheon.

I loved how the wind felt so cold against my skin. It did a good job in helping me wake up and come to my senses after the connecting flights and long waits at the airport. I took this package tour with two other Filipino families who, I am glad to say, have become friends by the end of this journey.

I’ve always known that I might not have any trouble fitting in if I ever went to Korea. My small eyes and my fair skin have always made it hard for people to tell that I was pure Filipino, not to mention my foreign-sounding surname. I thought it would be funny. When the tour guide, Celline, had asked me what my name was, she replied with a big smile in the most amusing Korean accent,

“Oh! You know, that name is very common in this country. Are you sure you are not Korean?”

Awakening the Child Within

I began my journey through Korea like an adrenaline junkie as the first stop was a theme park called Everland. It ranks 4^th place as one of the best theme parks in the world as it offers 5 different festivals all year round. Daredevils will surely have a blast riding Columbus Adventures as it carries you aboard a humungous pirate ship and swings you to and fro at a tremendous height of 33 meters or perhaps the Double Rock Spin which will spin you like a top while in the air. Should one feel like channeling Evel Knievel, there is the T Express, the steepest wooden rollercoaster in the world with heart-stopping drops.

I decided to take on the less daring rides for the meantime and went to explore the park in a more relaxed manner and had a go at the Herbivore Safari. The bus

driver took us on a little trip through winding trails lined with majestic towering trees. But don’t worry; there is more to this safari ride than just the giraffes and the panda bears; plus you won’t have to experience such boredom when all you can do is stand near the glass and watch the animals as they slept. There had been times when we had grown grizzly bears and white tigers standing literally less than ten feet away from the bus. Everland also protects a unique form of breed that they call the Liger, literally meaning a cross breed between a tiger and a lion. It’s amazing how you will see that it has the face of a lion but has the spots like a tiger. The bus driver even gives you bits and pieces of information as he drives you along and shows you how these amazing animals are fed.

The amazing island of Jeju also upholds a great reputation for taking pride in such animals as it is home to the famous Teddy Bear Museum. But this is only second to the beauty it exudes, as it is a vibrant island that is not overpopulated and well preserved in terms of its natural wonders. It had been a rainy day, but even though the rainwater had somewhat shrouded my view from the window. I could make out a seemingly unending line of cherry blossom trees in full bloom adorning the side of the highway.

The Teddy Bear Museum is a playground for both children and adults alike. Scattered around the museum are dioramas of famous children’s storybook characters played by, you guessed right, teddy bears. Everywhere you look there are bears that can fit on the palm of your hand and there are those that are more than 6 feet tall. I personally couldn’t resist letting the child in me out, and found myself taking a picture with an adorable fireman teddy that was at least three feet taller than I was.

Embodying Culture and Tradition

Whenever I travel, the thing that I love doing most aside from taking millions of photographs is to immerse myself in the country’s culture and learn of their ways. This was my favorite way of learning. I had the opportunity to do this when we were taken to the Kimchi School in Seoul.

They had us all take a spot in front of a horseshoe shaped table and provided us with aprons and plastic gloves.

I never remembered being so scared, as I am not used to being in a kitchen. A jolly looking man stands in the middle and shows us how they make the red paste. They have already provided us with pre-made paste as apparently, it requires days to thicken up. He proceeded to teach us how to spread the paste on the cabbage to make the perfect Kimchi. I don’t know if the same could be said for the one I made, but I can say that I am less clueless in the kitchen now.

It was also in the Kimchi School where I first experienced wearing a Hanbok, the traditional garment for Korean women. The woman had motioned me with a smile to come closer to the rack of dresses. It amused me so much to see the others also being dressed like one. With a friendly smile I asked the lady, about their traditional dresses, and she replied that the Hanbok usually consists of 24 layers of cloth. No wonder they look so thick when they wear them! They took my picture wearing a blue Hanbok with pink sleeves, and there it was, another memory immortalized.

Loveland, Literally!

Probably the funniest and craziest place that I went to in Jeju was Loveland. However, I could safely say that there was not a place in Korea that I laughed as much as I did when we went there. I didn’t even know what the place had to offer until we arrived.

It had been a cold evening and it was the last stop of the day. I went out the bus wearing the thickest jacket I managed to find before I left. The Korean language is still something I have yet to learn so I couldn’t read what the sign said. The only clue I had were the astrological symbols for the male and the female.

Lo and behold, what I came to find was something quite challenging to describe!

My tour mates have gone in before I did, so by the time I got through the entrance everyone else had already burst out in wild laughter. It turns out that Loveland was a sexually oriented park – the adult’s playground. Almost every corner had a towering statue of a man and woman doing the act. I find it hard to describe even until now. If I remember correctly, there was only one set of statues that could still be considered quite conservative, and it was of a woman in a balloon dress holding a bouquet of flowers behind her and a man in a vest with a box of chocolates kissing each other on the lips. Oh and by the way, every statue is around 3 to 4 times the height of the average person.

Sometimes you could only wonder, what on earth was the creator thinking when he was building this park? One thing is certain; he surely does have such a great sense of humor.

Korea is one that is rich in culture and modernity. This is a country that any young traveler today would surely find interesting. It only leads me to wonder what new things it can show me the next time around that I get to visit.