Thanks to Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day) we just had a long weekend, which I enjoyed by visiting my host uncle, aunt and cousins right outside of Hamburg. It was a memorable trip in several aspects. Not only did we see the top Hamburg sites, but I also had a ton of fun hanging out with my younger "cousins," which I've never really done before because I'm the baby out of all my cousins in the US.
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| First stop-- the Swiss Alps! |
One of Hamburg's most famous attractions is Miniatur Wunderland, a humongous collection of model trains that wind their way through tiny versions of famous places. Switzerland, Germany, Hamburg, Scandinavia, the Grand Canyon and Los Vegas are all well represented. There's even an impressive airport, which has airplanes landing and taking off. Perhaps my favorite part, though, was the model chocolate factory that popped out miniature chocolate bars.
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| Behind the scenes of Miniatur Wunderland. |
The intensely intricate detail that goes into the whole production is in itself captivating. They have tiny, barely noticeable elements that kind of wink at the visitor who stumbles upon them, like the penguin and polar bear playing in the Sweden area. I felt like I'd stepped into a Where Is Waldo? book and couldn't tear my eyes away from the itty bitty, moving ferris wheels, helicopters, taxis, airplanes and, of course, countless model trains chugging along.
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| A Yang Ming cargo ship getting souped-up for the float over to Singapore. |
In stark contrast to Miniatur Wunderland, we took a boat tour of the Hamburg Harbor, where skyscrapers of cargo are stationed and cruise ships casually sail by. It's definitely expanded since it first opened in 1189 and is today the largest port in Germany and 15th busiest port in the world. I thought San Francisco and Seattle had pretty decent sized ports, but after floating around Hamburg's, there's no comparison. Not only were the towering machines intimidating, but it also felt like the kind of large, gray, anonymous industrial area where the Mafia would toss their "unnecessary bodies" away to swim with the fishes.
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| Hallo, Rathaus! |
We also tootled around town in one of those red, double decker buses checking out all the sites. The town hall, fancy schmancy shopping district, Außen- and Binnenalster lakes, gorgeous villas where famous tennis players and politicians live and Hafen City to name a few. Oh, and of course, we drove along the Reeperbahn, Hamburg's "most sinful mile" which I'd actually call Hamburg's "gallbladder". It plays a role in the city, but isn't exactly the prettiest part or function.
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| The same Haitians who made these Walmart t-shirts wear them after Americans are done with their "old" clothes. |
On my own time I got to explore the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, which features art and industry crafts. There was an excellent tattoo exhibit, which was, ironically enough, just temporarily there. It even featured an inking machine guests could put their arm (or other preferred body part) underneath and get automatically tatted up-- with a ballpoint pen. The other exhibits were very poignant, including one about fast fashion (like H&M, Forever 21 and other "one time wear" retailers) and the environmental, economical and social impact that industry has on the world.
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| Practicing my amateur tattooing skills on the cuz. |
Maybe I was even more interested in the tattoo exhibit because of my own recent tattoo experience. That morning, before setting off on my own to explore Hamburg, I helped my host cousin get ready for a costume birthday party that afternoon. She was going as Marco Reus, a famous German soccer player, and in order to be authentic, she naturally needed his trademark tats. I was pretty satisfied with my handiwork, I mean, she even won the Best Costume prize at the party later!
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| Bundesliga here we come! |
And with my other host cousin, I got the chance to play a bit of Fusßball during his team's practice Friday. The coaches were super friendly and I got to lead the group of 10-year-old boys in a few exercises. It was definitely a new experience playing against a team who only reach your mid-arm in height. After practice some of the boys gave me their player cards with signatures. The coaches said I'd better hold on to them because in a few years they'll be worth a lot when the players hit it big in the game.
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| Bright and early at the Fischmarkt! |
As a final sightseeing opt, we got up with the sun Sunday morning and headed over to Hamburg's Fischmarkt. There's a big, brick auction hall in the middle of the farmer's market-esque event, but fish aren't auctioned off in there anymore. Rather, there are several stations where you can buy beer, long tables to sit and a live band-- all from 5am to 10am Sunday mornings. People who party all night on the Reeperbahn can stumble over the the Fischmarkt for a cold Astra and fried fish sandwich.
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It's 5 o'clock somewhere! |
The market is pretty packed and the vendors shouting out their SUPER SPEZIELL ANGEBOT from the various fruit, plant, candy and fish stands makes for an exciting atmosphere. There are even a few carts where you can still bid on products. Or, there's also the "everything in a basket 10 Euro deal" that many vendors offered. The different sales techniques were entertaining in themselves, too, like one vendor who threw bananas at the crowd.
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| These guys ended up throwing potted orchids and a five Euro bill into the crowd. |
Without a doubt, it was a memorable weekend. I really enjoyed getting to see Hamburg as a city, but hanging out with my new host aunt, uncle and cousins was definitely the highlight. It's not everywhere you're invited to give a Marco Reus tattoo, play soccer with ten-year-old boys, watch the German version of Dancing With the Stars or dance around the living room to the Mama Mia soundtrack! A big shoutout to everyone who made this such a wonderful trip!
