Sorry to the readers this Blog is being posted a little later than Lola would like, but we got back to the hotel too late last night.
Well today Lola turned 40! Kind of weird to turn 40, 7 hours ahead of all her friends and family. Some texted midnight our time to wish her a happy birthday, while others wished her a happy birthday in the middle of the night (German time).
I can’t believe that is the age I am now, but feels way better than 30.
AA went to work as usual this morning, while Lola actually set her alarm, the forecast showed a wonderful day outside, so she didn’t want to sleep the morning away. She had big plans… The birthday Starbucks, aquarium and zoo, then had to make it to get birthday cake on her way back before 6pm. AA also said he would be back at the hotel around 5:50-5:45, so didn’t want to miss that.
So Lola got up around 9:30, ate some of the lentil chips, and some strawberries before heading down the street to try and get her free Starbucks. The barista let her scan her card, and made the drink, then continued to tell her that the free drink/star scanner doesn’t work in Europe. But he gave her a free drink anyways, wrote a nice message, and sent her on her way.
After she got the drink, she made her way to the subway to get to Hagenbeck Tierpark. To her surprise the subway came out of the ground before getting to her stop. A short walk to the gate, and then the decision weather to do the aquarium or the zoo first. She picked the Tropen-aquarium. As you enter through the grand gates, you feel like you are entering a safari town (not sure how else to describe it). It wasn’t just fish, but reptiles, Lemurs, crocodiles, and some rodent like animals.
She did have to go to the bathroom pretty bad as she got probably 1/3 through, so she went backwards, open the wrong door (emergency exit) and made it to the gate, went out the gate, to the washroom, and thankfully made it… it was almost a disaster.
There were so many animals can’t name them all, but she was sure glad she took AA’s camera, and took a about 400 photos (she will try her best to just give the highlights). First here is a few shots of the “atomosphere”
Dwarf Mongoose
Crocodiles
Toad
Tropical Birds
Rough Scaled Python (reminded her of a cartoon snake, maybe the jungle book).
Eel
And the poison frog
Next up she headed to the zoo (like the same entrance and she bought a dual ticket).
This zoo was not a circle which Lola doesn’t like, but to her surprise, you could follow along the numbers 1-74, and see everything even though you went all over the map, Criss-crossing. The zoo was very park like, and had a Japanese garden in the middle. There were so many animals. They were all pretty active, and the weather was perfect.
She doesn’t even know how to tell you about all the animals she saw, but of course her favorite big cats, Asian elephants, penguins, Hamadryas Baboon, Stork, Walrus, and giant Tortoise. Oh and there were so many baby's which is always cute to see.
There were a few American animals, bison, black tailed prairie dog, wapiti (elk as we call them), snowy oil, and supposed to be a polar bear (but didn’t see it).
For lunch around animal 43, she stopped at the Flamingo Lounge, had sausage and fries on the patio, and saw the Canadian geese torture all the other birds in the pond.
Some interesting exhibits, Guinea pigs, bees, and the Dolichotis patagonum just sitting in the grass with no fence, just asking people not to go on the grass, as well as penguins sitting up on the ledge as you walk in the exhibit.
When she made it to 74 animals, she headed back to the Walrus feeding (which was in German), but she could see them out of the water, on her way there (across the zoo), she found the Lion standing proud….wow was it worth it. (A happy birthday pose).
She made her way back to the subway to make sure she made it to Isabella’s for Birthday cake (closed at 6). She made it at 4pm, and picked out the vegan, corn free cake, and then it was stolen from her as someone had ordered it already (and it was the last piece). I tried to negotiate, but the lady looked it up, and there was no corn in the other chocolate cake, and they said it was actually better, so she ordered that one, and a Lemon/Strawberry Tart. When in Germany, you can have 2 pieces of cake!
Back at the hotel, she decided to go for a swim, as she heard that AA was going got be back at about 5:45pm (he didn’t have the best day of testing).
So she headed down to the pool. It was a beautiful temperature, and not deep, so she did a few laps, and then decided to go into the Sauna.
Well that was a shocker…. 3 naked dudes, and one naked woman, and the birthday girl not in her birthday suit. (kept her swim suit on). As she sat there, and 3 of the other left, it was her and a man left in the sauna… he said “you aren’t from here”, I said no… he said me either, but Germans are very particular, you should be sitting on a towel… I was in my swim suit so didn’t think I had to be on a towel…. Anyways, he walked out to get water, I then proceeded out of the sauna as I wanted to shower and get out of there…and get back to the room before AA arrived.
Back at the Room, AA arrived, and we quickly got ready to go for dinner. AA had found a place near Center Station he wanted to take me (so we walked to the subway, he bought a 2 day ticket), and away we went. A nautical themed very Hamburg Germany Themed restaurant. We got a table but he told us we had to be out of there in 1 hour… we knew we could do it.
AA ordered the fish (whole), he thought there would be a head, but there wasn’t, and Lola the Rumpsteak. Lola had the passionfruit Spritz (sparkling), and AA had some beer.
After dinner we enjoyed the ambiance, and AA had dessert beer, and Lola some peppermint tea.
We toured around center Station, and then headed back to the hotel for dessert. First Lola faceTimed with her parents (who sang Happy Birthday to her), and then we had Cake! Not surprising, Lola liked the lemon strawberry Torte thing better than the chocolate cake, but they were both so good, and yes she shared.
We then figured out how to go to the last event of the evening by taking the bus which we thought was weird because during the day we could have taken the subway).
Anyway, we headed to the bus stop around the corner from our hotel, took 2 buses and walked to the Miniatur Wunderland. We bought tickets the night before, and 9:30pm was the earliest we could get in… But wow it was busy,.. and a late night.
The set up is displays of different locations in the world and it is miniature, We went from the USA to Germany, to Swiss Alps, then downstairs they had the Humburg Airport (AA’s favorite part), Italy, Monico (Lola’s favorite), Scandinavia, then we walked across a bridge, to a different building which had Brazil, Antarctica and some random other displays. They also had areas they were developing where you could see them starting to create new places to see. Holland was also seen in the walkway across back to the other building. Also there were night and day cycles.
There were so many people but it was very neat to see, you could spend hours in there. It was located at a UNESCO site (we are excited to go there tomorrow to see it during daylight).
We walked back to the hotel, and thought AA was going to turn into a pumpkin when the clock struck 12, but he did pretty good!
It was a pretty sweet 40th Birthday, and can’t wait to continue celebrating with our friends when they meet us. Thanks for all the birthday love (and wow this was a long post).
Cheers, Lola
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