I had an eager desire to explore my new host city in Germany. How was it like? Did it had monumental landmarks? My host family from Brück already told me some details by e-mail but I wanted to see it myself. I will share in this post about my first days in Cologne.
I really wanted to know the city where I was going to spend my Exchange Year because my family from Brück they told me that it was Roman. It's inhabited by 1 million people, which was a little more than double what Cuenca had at that time.
This post and many more are related to my Exchange Year in Germany from 2008 to 2009. In this country I lived with various host families and learned German too. Click in the link below to read more.
Table of Contents
Let's get to the heart of Cologne, Germany
My younger brother from Brück took me to see the downtown in my first day in Cologne, Germany. We went on July 30 of 2008 after lunch out to the “Bruck Mauspfad” tram station. From that day on, there will be 4 things that I would surely take with me everywhere I went, for the rest of my exchange year in Germany:
- A cellphone.
- The key from my house.
- A picture camera.
- A German – Spanish pocket dictionary.
Safety in the Public Transport
When I got on the tram, I noticed that there were people who looked at their cellphone, listened to music or took out their laptop. On a bus in Ecuador, that meant exposing yourself to possible assaults or thefts. I was amazed at how safe it was. The first thing that I learned during my first day in Germany.
While there were people on the tram talking, I realized that what I learned so far from German was definitely not enough. Too bad!
Heading Downtown
When I crossed the bridge over the river Rhine, the majestic cathedral could be seen.
We got off at the Heumarkt tram station that overlooked a square. After walking through the first few streets, I loved how well-kept the city center was. It was really very clean. There were garbage cans and people did not throw their garbage out on the street. Unfortunately, you see this in my homeland.
Some culture shocks from my first day in Cologne
Somewhat surprising was the promiscuity of the advertisements and signs. It was common to find naked women in advertisements or statues, along with commercial sex shops such as the pornographic (for example, sales of sexy police or nurse outfits). This was hardly publicized in Ecuador and it was rare to see this.
The other meaning of the rainbow flag was unknown to me. In the countries from the northern hemisphere, it symbolizes homosexuality. In Ecuador and other Andean countries, this flag symbolizes the indigenous or aboriginal people of America, in addition to the ‘Kichwa’ or ‘Quechua’ language. Besides, its the logo of the political party Pachacutik (see also this link). Interesting for me was to see how an identical symbol, in this case taken from nature, can mean 2 completely different things.
He suggested to walk down a shopping street, although none of us wanted to do shopping. I saw a Hard Rock Cafe; the first time that I entered to one since in Ecuador this franchise do not exist. What made that street special were not the shops located there, but rather that the entire street was pedestrianized; In other words, there were no cars of any kind and the street was more alive and more pleasant due to the number of people who were circulating. There was no such thing in Cuenca at this quality (markets and malls doesn't count). The ideas to implement this idea in my city began to invade my head. What a cool idea! There were plenty of things that I was learning in my day in Cologne.
Are you crazy for building toys?
As we headed towards, we visited a Lego store. For me it was, “an entire store dedicated to Lego toys”? I have seen these in Ecuador like in any other toy shop, but never one store exclusively for this hobby. Furthermore, they sold as a ‘buffet’ style pieces where they charged you by weight. Amazing!
My First Day in the Cologne Cathedral
Finally, we arrived to the plaza in front of the cathedral and it was full of tourists and artists; some of them painted on the ground. There were also disguised statues (who asked for a coin to take a picture with them), metal-heads and punk fans (who had tattoos, painted their hair, chains, rings, bristling up) that were laid down in the floor sometimes begging for money or any other charity. It was a lively square with a better setting than the Calderón Park and the New Cathedral of Cuenca, because in the middle there is a street that prioritizes the circulation of cars.
Inside the Cathedral (and the Crypt)
I couldn't realized how big the Cathedral was until I finally stepped in front of it. But it deserves an entire blog post and a whole book because it's a great colossal structure. I couldn't wait to go inside and see what I could find. It had so much detail in the arches that I could be easily distracted. When I walked in, I knew the trip had been paid for: wide, high, detailed, quiet (except for tourists). It was a place that called me to meditate. I got to see at the end of the cathedral, behind the altar, the golden sarcophagus. According to tradition, there lay the remains of the 3 Holy Kings. I could stay there all day, at least the first day in Cologne.
Bombing Survivor
The Cologne Cathedral survived many bombs that impacted it during World War II. Some consequences of this bombing was the loss of many of the original window art from the medieval europe. In the images below, you can see some examples.
Next Chapter
With this post, I close everything I did on July of 2008. Next posts will be about August, the exchange students that I met, many beers that I drunk, the chocolate factory, and interview in a local newspaper and many more.
voyageLlama's Index of Content
Click on the following link to browse likewise content in the blog in voyageLlama. This index will help you see what you are looking for in a bird's eye view.
Keep Reading!
- How do Americans think? A letter from an expat
In this letter, an expat living in USA tell us how do Americans think through his eyes and experience. Click here to read. - Study in Portugal, an exciting journey in this whopping World?Find reasons to study in Portugal from the perspective of Juditova. Is it appropriate for you too?. Click here to read.
- Phantasialand, an immersive theme park in GermanyPhantasialand is a theme park located near Bonn. The exchange students went there to enjoy the ride. Click here to read.
- Independence of Mexico nostalgic party in GermanyThe Independence of Mexico was celebrated by classmates during a nostalgic party in Germany but I had to avoid neonazis. Click here to read.
- Visit from a friend, a short connection back to homeDuring the exchange year, I faced loneliness a few times. Luckily, I got a visit from a friend from my country. Click here to read.
