Useful Information, Hamburg

Fondest memory: Losing my wallet and U.S. passport! The ultimate nightmare but do not despair:

There are NO longer any emergency passport services for U.S. citizens in Hamburg.

It is helpful to have a copy of one's passport AND essential to file a report with the local Police station (the local police as very cordial and usually have decent English skills). Very important to have a copy of this police report along with the xerox copy of one's lost/stolen passport. Hang onto even when leaving the country. ****The police will give you the number of the lost property division so you can call them in the days and weeks after just in-case someone is kind enough to return your lost/stolen goods.****

The easiest, best way is to travel to Berlin and to be at the U.S. Consulate by 8:30 am sharp! (NO appointment is necessary) Monday thru Friday (EXCEPT on national holidays). The consulate is way off the tourist map and is completely different location than the U.S. Embassy. See my Berlin "tips" on a nearby hotel next door.

For about 90 Euros they will process an emergency passport. They even have a photo machine to take the pictures although it is safest to have these photos with you already since the machine might not function (it seemed to work only in the "German" language mode and not th"English" one!). By Noon I had my new passport which is only good for a year.

They also do passport services in Frankfurt BUT much more complicated because one needs to make an appointment as opposed to just walking into the agency.

The Deutche Post Bank offices serve as the local Western Union agents all across Germany. Money wired from America can be picked-up in any DPB location BUT you must have the money sent to the EXACT name on your passport. Even one letter off will cause a problem. You will need to fill-out a "Geldempfang" form ("to receive money") and look for the "Western Union" sign above a particular teller's window since not all clerks offer this service.

Favorite thing: This place is located a little bit far away from the city center, take S Bahn to Harburg Rathus from the city and when you come out of the station at Harburg Rathus, take bus no.141 towards Neugraben and then get down at Begfeldweg...walk along the foot path towards your left for 20 mts. you will find it on the right hand side.

Name: Thailandische Massagen
Address: Stader Strasse 100 (B 73) - 21075, Hamburg.
Tel: 040-76 75 49 93 and 77 45 74

Favorite thing: Since I lived in Thailand for sometime, I am used to Thai massage (the real one!!). I am not sure of listing here. I thought this information will be useful for people like me who are obsessed with Thai massage.

Name: Thai Tempel Massage
Address: ABC-Str. 46 (in ABC Forum)
20354 Hamburg.
Tel: +49-40-350 187 87

www.thai-temple-massage.de

Favorite thing: Well, we won't have a white Christmas this year (2004). Just recently I have read in a newspaper, that only one year out of ten brings a white christmas in Hamburg. Must be the oceanic climate. In 2005/2006 we had the longest winter, that I can remember with lots of snow and about 5 cold and dark months.

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Favorite thing: Hamburg seems to have more rain and storms than Hannover. from the near North Sea come many strong winds and rain. The window of our living room is to the West. We have aview over Hamburg and we always see the weather coming. The clouds and the sunsets are very impressive.

Favorite thing: Hamburg, one of the oldest German trading and commercial cities is host to 90 foreign consulates. The city also has one of the highest concentrations of Asian companies of any European metropolitan area. During the past 20 years Hamburg has also become a centre for medical and biotechnology companies.

Favorite thing: The port of Hamburg, Europe’s second-largest port, dominates sea trade with eastern and northern Europe. While situated on the river Elbe some 120 kilometres inland from the open sea, the port can accommodate the world’s biggest container ships. As a container port, it ranks first in Europe and seventh in the world. Some 25 per cent of the port's turnover is derived from trade with Baltic countries.

Favorite thing: Hamburg's weather has a real bad reputation: it is said that it seems to always rain in Hamburg!!

This is not true

Statistically it does not rain more in Hamburg than in any other city in Germany (which you can see in terms of liters per m²), BUT in Hamburg you do have more hours with slight rain, whereas in other German cities it rains less often, but with a highter intensity....

So, just be prepared and take an umbrella with you or any sort of rain gear and enjoy the city anyway... There are the most interesting museums and shopping malls and cafés there - so don't worry about rain or drizzle...

Here is the weather forecast for Hamburg

Favorite thing: Power Pass is a great institution for people under the age of 30. It allows free access to an awful lot of sights, or at least gives discounts on many entrance fees, pubs, bars and discos. It's MUCH more worth it than Hamburg Card!!! Besides you may use every kind of public transportation there is for FREE, for the amount of days you have your Power Pass with you.

Fondest memory: The Pass costs you 6,70€ for the first day, you can buy up to seven days, day two to seven cost only 3€ each!

Favorite thing: THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN THE MID TO LATE PART OF MAY FROM MY FRIEND'S FLAT. I HAD FORGOTTEN MY GEOGRAPHY TEMPORARILY. HAMBURG IS AT ABOUT THE SAME LATITUDE AS THE HUDSON BAY IN CANADA... THUS GIVING IT LONG DAYS IN THE SUMMER AND SHORT DAYS IN THE WINTER.
I ARRIVED AT THE MAIN STATION IN HAMBURG AT ABOUT 20:30 AND IT WAS ABOUT AS LIGHT AS NEW YORK WOULD BE AT 17:00. I WAS SO TIRED FROM THE TRAIN RIDE THAT I GUESS IT DIDN'T REGISTER IN MY MIND THAT THIS WAS UNUSUAL. BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THE CLOCK, AND IT WAS NEARLY MIDNIGHT... I JUST HAD TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE SUNLIGHT REFLECTING OFF OF THE BUILDINGS.

Fondest memory: THE TRAIN RIDE THERE. IT IS MY FONDEST MEMORY BECAUSE IT WAS A SLEEP DEPRIVING NIGHTMARE. I WAS AWAKE FOR OVER 40 HOURS... WITHOUT NAPPING. I JUST COULD NOT SLEEP.
SOMETIMES YOU CAN LOOK BACK AT HELLISH TIMES WITH FONDNESS.
ALSO ARRIVING AT THE STATION AND WAITING FOR MY BUDDY TO SHOW UP WAS INTERESTING. I WAS FINALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME SLEEP.