by David McGuffin | Apr 1, 2014 | Blog, Destinations, Experiencing Europe
The Berlin Wall, a 96-mile-long barrier, was erected in stages around West Berlin in 1961. The East Germany government did not call it a barrier or wall, but the “Anti-Fascist Protective Rampart.” Major portions were rapidly constructed, almost overnight, to prevent the constant seepage of people from the East to the West. It is said that close to 3 million people had leaked out between 1949 and 1961. So, by 1961, the East had had enough and built “The Wall” or “Mauer”, as it’s known in German.
The Wall was actually two walls with a patrolled “no man’s–land” in between. The inner wall (on the East German side) was a four-inch thick by 12’ high concrete fence, supported every 8’ or so by steel I-beams. I suppose this type of construction was used so that great lengths of the inner wall could be erected with little effort. Simply install the I-beams in the ground, as posts, and drop the heavy pre-fabricated concrete panel in between.
The outer Wall (located on the West Berlin border) was more substantial. Still constructed of pre-fabricated concrete, this Wall was 12-feet high, about 6” wide, and had a rounded concrete pipe-like top casing to discourage grappling hooks, ladders, and like.
In between these two walls was a “no man’s-land” ranging in distance from 30’ to 150’. This “no man’s-land” was devoid of vegetation, contained a patrol road, lighted by high powered street lamps, and watched over by more than 100 sentry towers containing armed patrol sharp shooters. Additionally, there were hidden trip wires and invisible silent-alarm barriers designed to alert the guards of any movement with the “no man’s-land.” In the photo below, the wooden cross marks a spot in the former “no mans-land” where a victim was shot and killed by East German border guards.
The intact portion of the Wall stretches for four of five blocks along Bernauer Strasse from the Nordbahnhof Station. As with everything else in Berlin, the Wall Memorial is under construction and some portions of the outside exhibits are not complete. However, there was enough signage, placards, and photos to hold my interest for three hours along this stretch of the Wall. One of the outdoor exhibits contained photographs of the 136 people who were killed at the Wall while trying to escape.
During the Wall’s 28 years, it is documented that border guards fired 1,693 times and made 3,221 arrests. There were 5,043 documented successful escapes. About 10% of these escapes were East German border guards sneaking off to the West.
Visiting this site gave me a “hands-on” understand of just what this Cold War and Socialist division between East and West was all about. It was not until I walked the Wall, surveyed the city-scape on either side, and read accounts of “life behind the Wall” that I fully realized what the horror of being “fenced in” must really be like.
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by David McGuffin | Mar 30, 2014 | Blog, Destinations, Experiencing Europe
From early in my life, I had heard stories about The Cold War, East Germany, and the East and West Berlin separation. I recall my uncle, a U.S. Army officer, telling stories about his adventures while stationed in Germany in the 1950’s. Later, his son (my cousin Bobby) was stationed in Berlin at the time the wall fell in 1989. I remember talking with Bobby at one of our reunions about the simultaneous jubilation and discord in those early November days in 1989. But I had always had this sense of trepidation and unease when it came to traveling to former Communist countries. So, I never took the opportunity to explore to the “east.”
Even with all my travels, I had never visited Berlin… until today. I boarded the ICE high-speed train in Hamburg. At speeds up to 218 kph, was transported to Berlin in just over one hour and thirty minutes. Not being in a rush, I took my time in the Hauptbanhof train station. I even sat down with a Starbucks coffee and my guidebook to get a feel for the city. After walking out the wrong side of the station, checking my bearings with “Google Maps”, and readjusting my course, I struck off down Invaliden Strasse into the former East Berlin. I was immediately faced with detours and construction on the street and sidewalks causing me to cross from one side of the street to the other. However, with a little persistence, I managed to navigate the stretch to my hotel in about thirty minutes.
Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof
My hotel is wonderful! Recently, I’ve been using booking.com to research and book my hotels. The “Hotel i-31Botique Hotel” has 113 brand new and modern rooms with all the perks.
After chatting with the front desk clerk, I learned the “Berlin Wall Memorial” was just 200 meters behind the hotel. So, after settling in to my room, I ditched my bags and went out to explore the “Berlin Wall” all of which I will share with you in my next blog entry.
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by David McGuffin | Feb 9, 2014 | Essential Travel Resources
ScotteVest Evaluation
I mentioned a few days ago that I was testing a ScotteVest to determine if it was a suitable replacement for my normal drawstring backpack. I’ve worn it now for four days and now can make an evaluation. But before I do, let me tell you a little about the ‘essential” stuff I carry day in and day out my drawstring backpack.
As the name implies, my drawstring backpack is small and lightweight. It is about 12”x16”. The “drawstrings” offer no support and if the packed is loaded with gear, the string can dig into your shoulders a bit. My pack has a big main compartment and an outside zippered pouch. There is also a mesh holder for a ½ liter water bottle. Typically I carry these items in my backpack:
- Small travel umbrella
- A small waterproof pouch with medication, pens, glue stick, bottle opener, Tide to go stick, moleskin, nail clippers, paper clips, sticky note pad, sharpie markers, rubber bands, duct tape roller around a pencil, a clothespin, Neosporin, sunscreen, and other odds and ends.
- A leather-bound Journal
- iPhone charger and adapter
- iPhone, used as my all purpose camera and communication device
- Bandana,
- Sunglasses,
- Maps, guidebooks, itineraries, etc.
I’ve found that’s all I need to get through the day in any destination. Additionally, I wear a moneybelt in which I keep my valuables such as money, credit cards, and passport. If needed, I wear a lightweight, waterproof jacket with several large pockets.
Ok, back to the ScotteVest…
PROS – It has lots of pockets that are designed to lay flat and stay closed. All of the pockets are in the front or sides of the vests. There is a large pocket in the rear, but I’ve not used it because items in there would get in the way when seated. The pockets are designed for specific items, for example: there is a pocket for glasses with a cleaning cloth attached, a pocket for a water bottle, two pockets for iPods and smartphones, a tube-like channel for earphones to tuck away discreetly, an iPad or mobile reader pocket, a pocket for documents such as passport and boarding passes (I used this while in transit and flying and it is great… keeps everything handy. But once “in country” I transfer all that to my moneybelt). All of the pockets I’ve mentioned are on the inside of the vest. There are four pockets outside with magnetic closures and zippers. That’s 18 pockets in all!
I’ve neatly organized all the items I usually put in my drawstring backpack into the various pockets of the ScotteVest. Now that I’ve travel with it a few days and remember in which pocket I’ve placed items it is becoming real handy. I like it because all the weight is distributed evenly across my shoulders and it does not look like a sack of potatoes around my torso. The vest is warm and traveling in the cooler months this comes in handy as another layer.
CONS
The vest makes me hot. Especially when traveling through airports and on the airplanes. I feel the heat building on my shoulders and back an become extremely warm.
The vest is not particularly attractive, but I’m an old fart, so don’t really care.
I’m not too sure about how the vest will work in the summer heat. It does have a mesh inner liner which is supposed to transfer the heat out and cool in.
OVERALL – I am happy with the ScotteVest. At $125, it is expensive, but for me it will do for cool weather travel. I’ll be wearing this thing for the next three week, so I’ll let you know if I change my mind on anything.
Here is the link to their website if you want to learn more: http://www.scottevest.com
