Mauer Flea Market

I spent the day at Mauer Park. Sundays have fantastic flea markets there. You could walk around for hours getting lost in the crowd. I sat atop the hill on a giant swing and watched some live karaoke -- there were actually loads of people there for it and more than a few of the singers were carrying a damn fine pair of lungs. In the evening there was Creole bluegrass band playing near the street and a Bohemian Reggae group jamming under some oaks. People were just crowded around stomping feet and clapping hands. Great vibe.

Berlin is amazing but sad when you're alone. The kids at the hostel have all been quite young, the guys mostly prowling for sex and the ladies keeping a bit to themselves. Heaps of Brazilians, everyone's plenty friendly, but meeting deeply cool people hasn't been possible. But of course such people are rare wherever you go, though can be harder to bump into when you're on the road.