Cold war Revisited October 25, 2006

The weather turned around and it is now sunny and cool once again. Our plan today is to visit the Check Point Charlie Museum. The museum is located a half a block from the once boundary between East and West Berlin and is filled with the history of the barrier and the politics that imprisoned the people of East Berlin during the thirty years that it stood. It is both a tribute to the people that escaped or tried to escape as well as a look at the twisted minds that envisioned a need to contain half of Berlin and Eastern Europe. The stories of those that failed in their attempts to win their freedom and either went to prison or paid the ultimate price as well as those whose attempts were successful line the walls of this converted residence. The bravery, ingenuity and desperation of these people are clearly displayed in these stories. We marveled at the two families that escaped with a homemade hot air balloon as well as several stories of escapes made using ultra-light aircraft. There was also a man that made good his attempt by designing and building a scuba scooter and utilizing it to travel 15 kilometers underwater to reach freedom or the man that paddled an inflatable kayak in high winds and rough seas to be picked up by a West German cruise ship. The stories of the people that died while trying to escape are more sobering but still demonstrate the indomitable human spirit and what people are and are not willing to endure. The other side of the story, that of USSR politics, and the tactics that were employed to keep millions of people under its oppression is maybe today only a faint echo of that regime but is mirrored in other parts of the world only differing in size and scope or the disguise that today’s evil may wear. The museum while interesting from the aspect of the intrigue and excitement of escapes also certainly made us stop and think of the harder realities that can befall people at any time and what a precious thing freedom is.

An ingenious entrepreneur opened a Mexican restaurant across the street from the museum and we made a beeline for it when we had completed our tour. The food was good, not too expensive and the service was adequate; all in all, a good lunch.

We made our way back to the neighborhood and the apartment for a late afternoon siesta. Holly had a manicure / pedicure appointment at 6 PM, her first in four months on the road and she was really looking forward to it. We did a little shopping beforehand and managed to buy some lightweight leather shoes to replace our sandals which we will send home along with a few other things when we reach Munich. I went back to the apartment and started packing and when Holly got back she followed suit. We’ll miss the apartment’s space but distant horizons call and so tomorrow we’re off to what a lot of Americans consider to be the picture of Germany; Munich and Bavaria.