157 - Cruising Berlin (Berlin, Germany)
I DID A FAIR AMOUNT OF CYCLING ACROSS COPENHAGEN, and then Bremen, with borrowed bicycles. It sparked something within, pulled a string fastened to my childhood. I wanted more. In Berlin, I pedaled my ass off. It’s a great way to see a city, especially one with cyclists in mind. So, I rented a hog and streamed across Berlin with childish zeal. I realized just how much fun it was when I refused to touch a foot to the ground while waiting for a light to turn green, instead spinning in small circles to keep the momentum.
I’d failed to reinstitute my journaling discipline, prioritizing experience or description. This was a mistake but felt great at the time. The weather was fine and the cruising was sublime. Yes.
My Berlin pit stops included Gendermenmarkt, Berlin Cathedral, Alexanderplatz, Brandenburg Gate, East Side Gallery, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (a.k.a. Holocaust Memorial), Potsdamer Platz, Reichstag, Rotes Rathus (Town Hall), Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Tiergarten, and Treptower Park.
The following is a condensed week and a half a la stream of consciousness:
Cycled throughout city… ate doner kebab… wandered aimlessly… passed out in the park… explored Soviet WWII cemetery in Treptow Park… ate another doner kebab… passed out on a bench… got lost… thought about going in the Reichstag… didn't go in the Reichstag… ogled jackass tourists at the Holocaust Memorial… had drinks with another ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend… ate another doner kebab… blew my mind at the Dali exhibit… thought about entering the Pergamon Museum… didn't enter the Pergamon Museum… witnessed men sunbathing naked in Tiergarten… did laps on 17 Juni Avenue… had a coffee at Starbucks… chided myself for having a coffee at Starbucks… pondered The Molecule Men… explored abandoned lot… drank a “real” Budweiser… ate another doner kebab… got lost again… took photos of random shit…
Courtesy of ALL in 4K
Be who you want. Do what you want. Don't judge. Don't fret about being judged. Fascinating history. Well-maintained public areas. Plenty of attractions for Johnny Tourist and his clan. Exotic nightlife.
Still, one could get the sense Berlin is almost too cool for itself. A bit of xenophobia lurks in the shadows, which, I suppose, is unavoidable when folks from all over the world come to express their individualism. Throw a rock and, chances are, you won't hit a native Berliner. It was (is?) a city transforming itself, although no one seemed to know what it was transforming into.
On the subway, I saw a woman with the left side of her head sporting a short green hairdo, while the right sprouted a dreadlock Medusa-esque ensemble. Tattoos abounded, and if it was possible to pierce something on her face, it was pierced. No one gave it a second glance. It’s just Berlin. Something for everyone.
In the course of my perambulations, I happened upon a queer (as in odd or strange) sight. I halted and realized I was standing on the threshold of a whole new world, a Maze World to be precise. This wasn’t just any world, but a really, really gay one. Does it get much gayer than an erotic funhouse for homosexual men? I don't think so.
The “Gay Labyrinth” grabbed my attention. I found this intriguing enough to snap a photo but fell short of an investigation. By being straight, I not only missed out on the labyrinth, I forsook the “Dark Room,” “Cruising Club,” “Private Cabine,” “SM Corner,” and “Erotik Shop.” Fridays were “Bi-Days.” I assume this meant women were allowed? I use “were” as it seems Maze World shut its doors, likely another victim of Covid-19.
I don't care if you’re gay, straight, or tri-sexual, that shit’s funny. A place for gay men to run around pounding other strange men in the shadows? That's just filthy. And not because it’s gay. Would this place be any less sordid if the labyrinth were hetero? No, no it would not. Do what you want. Be who you want. Risky behavior is still risky behavior. Does this mean I wouldn’t smash my way through a straight Maze World? No, but I’d have to accept the risk.
I noticed in the “Jobs” section of the website (Google Chrome translated), they were offering 400 euros a week for part-time work (“easy cash activities”). Requirements? Friendly, honest, and flexible. Shall I infer quotes around “flexible”? I’d have to draw a line at cleaning the labyrinth without a Hazmat suit. I have my standards.
