11:30 am

Berlin is a weird city. All sorts of crowds and demonstrations. I got in at 6:30 am and it took 3 1/2 hours before I was settled and ready to explore. I had to get over to Lichtberg Station to store my pack, because that's where my train leaves from. But there was no money exchange open, so I went to Hauptbanhof and there was some kind of demonstration going on. The police were out guarding this one platform where the next train was going to Moscow. Not sure what was going on, but I took a picture. Finally got money and a ticket to Warsaw! Can hardly wait! Berlin is a pretty dirty, smelly city so far. I saw the Brandenburg Gate and crossed the river to where the wall is still standing. It was pretty intense. There are markers for all those who died crossing. Even 2 in 1989. It was strange that no other tourists crossed the river to touch and be by the wall. I wouldn't have missed it. The eastern side is truly gross. The smell of diesel is giving me a headache. I hear Poland is no better. I don't know why I expected to hear more English here! I'm not sure what I'll do the rest of the day here. There's a Checkpoint Charlie Museum. And I'll have to stroll down to main street -- Kurfurstendamm. Sleeping in the couchette last night was pretty nice. I just have a seat tonight.

2:30 pm

I'm sitting in a beautiful park in the middle of Berlin -- the Tiergarten. It's almost a woods, really. A lazy river running through. Birds chirping, geese flapping in the water, bells chiming. And it's all so green and peaceful. And strange birds that I've never seen before. How beautiful. Only the bugs are pretty bad. I guess Berlin's a city of contrasts. I just left the scene of tourists chipping away at the wall, while a construction crew nearby tries to eliminate the last traces of it anyway. I got a piece of it. It was so cool just touching it and reading the graffiti. Such a buzz.

6:00 pm

I thought coming to Aleksander Platz would be fun. Looked like an active place in the postcards. Well it sure is. There's some protest about East Germans losing their jobs and their welfare as of today. Luckily, one of the protesters spoke English and explained it to me. I suppose it's related to this morning's protest, but who knows? All is not well in re-unified Germany. She said that they wanted DDR to stay Communist. I suppose it would be difficult to wipe out 45 years of a political system in 1 1/2 years. Pretty interesting city, this Berlin. I spent he afternoon on Ku-damm Strasse. A very bust retail area. Damn, these little black bugs are terrible! I've been feeling very lonely today. And very nervous about Poland.

It's very interesting. Most "revolutionaries" in the States are younger. Here, there are many older people marching. They're the ones who've grown up and lived with Communism. Old habits are hard to break, eh? There are hundreds of people marching! I love a good demonstration!

7:30 pm

I guess Maude was right. You don't need language to communicate. An old German man came up to me and started talking about the several men who are playing "the shell game" under a viaduct at Aleksander Platz. He said he didn't understand how they did it, or why people fell for it -- or something like that! I didn't let on that I knew not a word of German. I just kept nodding and smiling. I followed the march to the Deutch Bank. (I think the DM had devalued in the past year.) It was fun being at the forefront. What did I care? I'm a foreigner. I'll be in Poland in just hours.

11:00 pm

Almost to the border. We just spent 45 minutes at the station in Frankfurt (Oder) getting passports checked. Mine was checked four times before it was stamped. When the Polish guard first came in I was utterly befuddled. He spoke in Polish of all things! I think he asked if I had anything to declare, but I hadn't a clue. I just meekly said, "I don't understand." I was so intimidated! But now I'm on my way and there's only two of us in this compartment, so I'll be able to stretch out and sleep. Good deal. It was worth the risk of not getting a couchette for another $15. Poland!!

11:50 pm

Well, I won't be able to stretch out and sleep. I forgot that there are other stops on the way to Warsaw. And long ones! We stayed in Katowice another 45 minutes and we've been at this station for 15 minutes already. Our compartment has been invaded by 2 lovely grandparents and two little Polish girls. The man looks like Pope John Paul and the woman has a wonderful blue rinse. She's feeding the girls tomatoes and cucumbers. And they're all speaking Polish! It's surprising what a warm, happy feeling I have. Memories of my childhood, visiting the Polish-speaking relatives in Hamtramck. They didn't speak it often, but I do remember!