Hallo Hamburg!

I have arrived in the ‘City of Sin’, my home for the next few days. With friends in nearby towns recommending a visit to the bustling port of Hamburg, it seems as good a place as any to start my German adventure. My friends joked with me about it being the ‘City of Sin’, a place where sailors pass through but not before relishing the wanton thrills on offer; a place where sex is high on the agenda. Except it is no longer a playground just for passing sailors. As one of the largest and most famous red-light districts, it attracts visitors from all corners of the world. And here I am. What am I doing here? It seems an odd choice for my first visit to Germany.
My hotel is on a road parallel to the infamous Reeperbahn, the ‘Mile of Sin’. As I make my way towards the point marked on the free tourist map that I picked up, I am greeted by a string of unfamiliar sights. A woman walks towards me wearing a bondage collar as if sporting the latest must-have necklace; bright neon lights flash drawing passers-by in to sex shops selling everything one could possibly need to satisfy every sexual desire; bouncers guard the entrances to sex clubs and tout for business, behind these secret doorways beautiful girls are waiting for eager male company. Groups of homeless people sit on the floor drinking cheap booze and slurring their words, the smell of stale alcohol and urine hangs in the air. The streets are crowded, bustling with faces and voices from around the globe.
A scuffle breaks out in front of me: two drunk old men are disagreeing about something and are attempting to punch each other. Their inebriated state provides a comical street theatre performance for passers-by. Maybe it is my inherent Britishness that causes the slight awkwardness to stir within me. Whatever it may be, my mind races with ridiculous scenarios that may unfold in the next few days and, chuckling away as I wheel my suitcase around this evening’s street entertainment, I still find myself wondering how on earth I ended up here.