Yesterday, a few of us went a little outside of Berlin to visit Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. As soon as we entered, an oppressive feeling of sadness overcame us. There were images of death and torture everywhere we went inside. Between gas chambers, autopsy (experiment) tables, crematoriums, and neck shot rooms, the two hours we spent inside were as depressing as anything I’ve experienced.

For dinner, the whole group went to a restaurant where garlic was the centerpiece of each meal. The smell of garlic hit me in the face as soon as I walked in, and I still smell it.

This weekend is the Carnival of Cultures here in Berlin, which is a multi-cultural street festival. The streets of Kreuzberg were packed with people shopping, dancing, and drinking. We’re headed back today to see the parade that closes the fesitval.

At the concentration camp, rocks were placed to represent the dead. We assumed they chose rocks instead of flowers because rocks will last forever and won't wilt or die like flowers.

The toilets in the barracks.

That's exactly what it looks like.

I was shocked to find a prison inside the camp. Isn't the whole camp a prison?

The Carnival of Cultures in Kreuzberg.