Tour de Trance around Chamissoplatz

It was one of these evenings when we were still working late, making our wives pc-widows. My partner and I were running out of cigarettes - we were hungry, we were thirsty: we needed a break. So we decided to take a walk down to Heidelberger Krug on Arndt str, just opposite Chamissoplatz.
"The Krug" serves a well-cared-for Bitburger, some hearty snacks, and Manfred always keeps a frozen bottle of vodka in his freezer.
The Heidelberger Krug survived two world wars and it appears that some of the guests did too. Not so much because of age, but of experience. This is a true Kreuzberger Kneipe where the locals meet for a glass or five.
We ordered beef gulash soup, beer and vodka. First the vodka arrived, then the soup, then the beer, and then we ordered another vodka. (Generously supplied by Manfred. Must be an old habit from the time when he was a seaman.)
We ate and drank and started a conversation with this Englishman who seemed to belong to the inventory. Manfred watered us with the rest from the vodka bottle before we left. But instead of going back to work, Jim had the idea of hitting the Haifish Bar, a cocktail joint down the street.

I would have preffered to meet Jacko at Dimokritos, a greek taverna down the corner,where you get super food , best ouzo and cipero shots,for friendly prices, but...

The Haifisch Bar (translates as Shark Bar) is a tiny joint with a sushi section down the back, where a real japanese fellow was successfully rolling the dead fish.
When trying out a bar for the first time, a good thing to do is to order a martini. First I had the classic gin variation with olive. Frozen glass, well balanced combination of Noily Prat and Bombay (one teaspoon on 7cl gin), as well as a friendly smile from the barman.
After that I tried a vodka martini with a lemon twist, which was also as perfect as the gin variation.
Jim preferred Long Island Iced Tea, which had a fresh taste. The first one came with ice cubes (not so good), but when he asked for the second one with crushed ice, there was no question about it, and Jim was happy (the true fact is that I had to convince him that this iced tea was a good one, because he prefers the special brew Beate serves him (and only him) in Green Door. It was fine that he could leave the bar still walking, because now we were ready for Zur Sonne, a "Berliner Eckkneipe" which we had not dared to enter until that day. From outside it looks like one of those left over places where aged Stormtroopers celebrate the 20th of April, but what a surprise!!!
Two friendly, old-fashioned, double side playable, basically male bartenders were saluting us.
The inside reminded me a little of "Ellies Bierbar" - the first lesbian/gay bar ever opened in Berlin after the war, a place that you could only enter if you brought a piece of coal with you to heat the oven . (Long time ago, but not forgotten.)
Anyway, they have a little stage, where they perform transvestite shows. Three Kreuzberg housewives were sipping their beers, while one of the staff served a secret looking congregation of special guests in the backroom. Probably the local sado/maso club.
It turned out to be a Kreuzberg section of the Social Democratic Party, a dying species that you can't find on the open hunting ground anymore. You don't have to join hill tribe trecking in Thailand. Just enter the bar you never dared to before. Why travel so far when the adventure is so close?
To talk and drink with such aborigines is frightening and funny at the same time. Maybe their preferences are not yours, but they give you back the respect of reality.
There are no people with chic jobs, streamline opinions, and fancy websites here.

This bar is only good for people who really want to experience something, and who are fit for time-travelling and have natural self-confidence (not arrogance).

Haifisch Bar,
Zur Sonne
Dimokritos

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