Deutchland Mate!

An excuse for a latte called a Milschkafe which is more milk than cafe. Zero flavour and around six marks (which is about six bucks).

24 Apr 2000

Just had a coffee (if you could call it that) on our third day in Germany... An excuse for a latte called a Milschkafe which is more milk than cafe. Zero flavour and around six marks (which is about six bucks).

Funnily enough Japan had better coffee even though is was imported from Germany. And it cost something realistic.

So we left the slick industrial beauty of Kansai international airport - an artificial island dedicated to air traffic... travelling there by train (of course), through the incredibly efficient systems (vending mchines for everything, even departure tax cards, which go through another machine to be processed) in to the waiting arms of Lufthansa - yellow and dark blue. Very authoratative.

Big burly leathery hostesses. bad food, bad movies. hmmm. forst impressions. Frankfurt airport. Shaven headed immigration officials nearly tear up larry's passport making sure it's real. there are no people on customs so we walk straight through, Down a mile long corridor on a conveyor belt. It's steenkin hot. No aircon (Japan had it everywhere). No music. Sour faces. On to the connecting flight. the steward clearly thinks we are family and gives us an o so cute 'Queen of Nuts' bag of Macadaemias each as we get off in Berlin.

Berlin. Armed security is first impression. Heavily armed. Asking directions, asking for change Noone wants to know you. We find a place to stay (the bus driver was OK)

I went for a walk around the Zoo station in the middle of Berlin later that night.. An arab with a belt bag walks past and says 'speeeeed... haaaash?'. I politely decline. The paramilitary police carrying submachine guns being not the least of the reason.

Ever read or see the movie Cristian F? it'a where all the dodgy shit went down there. Junkies and more. Took a quick look in to one of the tube stations and didn't want to stay.

Everyone said Japan would be expensive - they were well wrong. Berlin is. This place costs a bomb. Maybe we need to look better but the only thing that's cheap is beer, so we resorted to plenty of that last night. Das ist gut. Just waiting for the parade now really...

That's what we keep forgetting - the Parade is the reason for coming here. Half a million people dancing down the main road. then two hundred events with around 1800 different djs. Oh.

There are two we're keen to check out on Saturday - Tresor is the obvious choice - Neil Landstrumm spinning is the main man alongside Surgeon, The Advent, and a whole bunch more... plus Richie Hawtin and Jeff Mills for chillout on Sunday. There's another one worth checking on Saturday called Love Bomb with our new school Chicago tekguru dj Rush, so we may be a bit torn. Me i think one in the flow though, we'll stay at Tresor.

Anyway - we're off to the Zoo (the real one) and maybe a Museum or two. Cya soon.

http://loveparade.de

Psi, Saturday 21st August 1999.