On a corner in Berlin near the Reichstag building, just a stone's throw down from the Brandenberg Gate is a make shift memorial maintained by one man, Gustav Rust, to those who died trying to escape from East Berlin across what was known as ' no man's land'. Some ran and were shot, others tried to swim across the river Spree and drowned. Gustav was a political prisoner for nine years under Ulbricht and Honecker ( former Presidents of what was know as the DDR). On a wrought iron fence he has hung crosses and pictures of victims with the dates [View Full Entry]

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After several days of walking through central Berlin in glorious sunny weather, seeing crowds of people swarm through the Brandenberg Gate enjoying the sights, boating, picnicing, flying kites, walking their dogs, or admiring all the new glass and steel structures built on what was once called "no man's land" during the cold war, it was time to learn some of the history of this thousand year old city. Some of the more recent history smacks you in face in unexpected places. Outside the Reichstag, but just in front of the INFO center, there is a vertical planting of thin stone tablets [View Full Entry]

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You can get anything you want at the KaDeWe Department Store on Tauentzienstrße in the center of Berlin. It has to be one of the biggest Dept. stores in the world and I've seen some BIG ones- Mitschoshi in Tokyo, Macy's in New York City, Jordan Marsh in Boston. One of the best things about the way Val and I travel is that we can take all the time we want to immerse ourselves in the culture rather than running around with a tour group seeing all the major tourist sites ( been there, done that and will do it again). [View Full Entry]

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The first time I visited Berlin it was in early February 1990, a scant 2 months after the Berlin Wall had fallen. The city was still divided except for a a few cement panels that had been sledge hammered down to make a short passage way for people to crawl through. All along the wall there were ' maul peckers' - people with hammers, chisels and any other instrument they could whack at the hated wall. Students and kids were clammering all over the wall. The German friends I was with looked panic stricken as several uniformed guards approached the youngsters [View Full Entry]

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Joe, In regards to driving in El Salvador... As a woman I wouldn't do it alone but then again I wouldn't drive places in this country as a woman alone. That being said, I think you would be fine. I would make sure I had a 'club' type lock and, of course, never leave anything in sight inside the car. You may be stopped if you are near the borders. They stop just about everyone. Make sure you have your passport with you at all times. They are checking to see that you made a legal entry into the country. The [View Full Entry]

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Last night at 9 pm I had witnessed the beginning of a family's alfombra. It was their 49th carpet and they are already planning for next year and their 50th anniversary of carpet making. The wooden frame was already filled in and leveled off with sawdust. Several men were laying on boards stretched above the street and placing the stencil forms on the sawdust. This would be their canvas. Bags of colored sawdust- their paint- were piled on the sidewalk. Now at 5 a.m the carpet was almost finished. It was a fantastic underwater scene with light blue, turquoise, navy [View Full Entry]

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Well, if you are making a fairly simple ' alfombra' or carpet for the Semana Santa procession you spread long pine needles. Yesterday I was able to help a family make their carpet. Actually, it was neighborhood project which made the carpet about 200 meters long. Each family did their own designs which took hundreds of flowers. Nothing is wasted. The stems are hacked up into small pieces using a lethal looking machete and spread along the edges to make a lovely green frame. On a piece of paper someone had drawn a design which we more or less followed. Lines [View Full Entry]

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Back home again in Antigua after 10 days in the Lake Atitlan/ Panajachel area. Antigua is gearing up for the full court press of processions, alfombras, and probably a million people visiting a very small city. The pickpockets have most likely moved in and the police and militars are out enforce on just about every street. Tonight is a chidlren's procession. It is deligthful to see the (mostly boys) dressed in their purple robes and flowing white headresses running down the street sometimes eating an ice cream cone. Some are as young as 2 years old. All have a name and [View Full Entry]

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Have you ever heard of ' Friendship Bridge'? Yesterday our group from Culturexplorers visited their offices here in Panajachel. One of their main purposes is to give small loans ( $100-$150) to women to encourage them to start their own home business. Some run little stores out of their homes. Others weave and sell in the markets and on the streets. Many of the women are widows as their husbands were killed during the wars in the 80's and 90's. Some have as many as 5 or 6 kids to support. Part of their obligation for getting a loan is that [View Full Entry]

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The women are pushing their way through the narrow aisles carrying colorfully woven scarves, table cloths, placemats. On their heads or shoulders are laundry basket size bundles of more of the same. Often on their backs is a baby wrapped securely in a brightly woven scarf. The men are bent over with heavy baskets or boxes of tomators, corn, seeds, wood or other products headed for the food market. No one pays much attention to tourists as this is their market. Saint Tomas church is a blend of Christian and Mayan customs. The 18 steps are said to represent the steps [View Full Entry]

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