Day 343: Freedom; East Berlin to Berlin
36yearsago.com
Vienna 1971—A Student Journal
A year of music, study, travel, sightseeing &
friends.
Day
343 — Freedom; East Berlin to Berlin
10-Jul-1972
(Mon.)
TRANSCRIPT
Downtown West Berlin in 1972
POLAND TO BERLIN
Typical train ride.
No problem at all for the DDK (East German) transit
visa. Cost $1.60. I didn’t have the exact change and
so he gave me $.50 change. It’s funny that the first
small American change that I’ve handled this year was
given to me by an East German.
Traveling through East Germany. Doesn’t seem to be
farmland, but countryside.
East
Berlin
All of the non-through travelers got off at East
Bahnhoff. Then the train proceeded to a check point.
The little I’ve seen of East Berlin seems to be built
up. Fairly modernized. Probably a public image
campaign to match West Berlin. But I’m surprised that
there were quite a few new buildings.
* Checkpoint. The train stopped at a mid-checkpoint.
Guards surrounded the train on all sides. Then guards
came through the train. Checking passports. They are
pretty thorough. And even have a ladder and
flashlight to check in all vents. Sort of an eerie
feeling. Freedom!! Now, I
realize more than ever that I’m lucky to have
it.
West
Berlin
Aggravation. Very hard to find a cheap room. Europe
on $5 a day works—but doesn’t work. Half of the
numbers you don’t get and the other half are full or
more expensive. The cheapest I could find was 16 DMs
a night. The budget was for 20 Marks. Student
hostels—all full. One had rooms but was an hour away.
The Mission Bahnhof might be where I’ll go tomorrow.
Good meal at Aschinger’s cafeteria. But cost 6-1/2
DMs.
Went to Old Eden. Somewhat of a disappointment.
Mostly Americans. Tourists. Not very crowded and
hardly any girls. Interesting inside. But…maybe
because it was a Monday night.
REFLECTIONS
Off
to Berlin.
Yesterday, by train, I leave Poland, travel through
East Germany and am heading to Berlin—West
Berlin. Ich
bin ein Berliner. I like the
story about the East German train conductor who takes
my American money and gives me $.50 change. He didn’t
mind losing a dime. The East German countryside
doesn’t seem to be farmland, though you can’t often
tell from the train’s perspective.
Checkpoint—East
Berlin.
Remember, this is a train originating in communist
Poland and for communist East Berlin. All employees
are nationals. The last stop for all national train
commuters is East Bahnhoff, East Berlin. As with my
first adventure, the train is once again surrounded
by armed soldiers with machine guns and they swoop
through the train, searching for potential escapees
into West Berlin. Scary. Another reminder to
appreciate the freedom we have in the west and that
many around the world still do not have.
Arrival,
West Berlin. I
finally arrive in West Berlin and my traditional task
of finding an inexpensive room is difficult. My
travel book, Europe
on $5 a Day, doesn’t
seem to be getting me a room. Everything is
booked—this is the summer travel season, after all. I
get a room. Finally, I get a decent meal at a
cafeteria (compared to Polish eateries), and take in
an uneventful night at some tourist club or diskotek.
Sleep.
John
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