by bdschobel
I was really lucky to be able to see Berlin in November 1989, just a few days after the Berlin Wall fell. I was working in Frankfurt and waited for hours at the airport for a standby plane ticket. You just couldn't buy a seat! When I arrived, I saw people streaming through the scattered gaps in the Wall, crying. It was very emotional. When I tried to walk through one of the gaps, I was stopped by the police, who said, 'Germans only.' (How did they know I wasn't German? It's a continuing mystery to me.) I had to go through Checkpoint Charlie (now removed), buy some East German currency (which I kept) and cross over that way. I had a great dinner in East Berlin, then returned to the western side. I borrowed a hammer and chisel to chip off some pieces of the Wall as souvenirs. It was tough work! Those Germans build things to last!!! That night, I returned to the airport to stand by for a flight to Frankfurt. I got out the next morning. That's a trip I'll never forget!
