Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Monday July 11, 2005
Finally, it was time for Trabi Safari!
Trabants are the most common car for East Germans to drive during the time of Communist rule. They're small, and have tiny, smelly, two-stroke engines. They have very little steel inside them, and have bodies made out of cardboard (or so they say). I thought it would be a hoot to drive one of them around Berlin. They're part of the nostalgia for the "good old days" of Communist rule where life was slow, steady, and predictable (except for the constant spying on your neighbours and fear of being taken to Siberia)
There were two Trabis for this tour. They were both convertibles, but one was a stretch... It had more seats in the back. The tour guide was in the stretch Trabi, and they were leading. I drove the second Trabi and followed the first one. My cousin was the only person with me... he was taking pictures and movies. We listened to the tour guide over a walkie talkie plugged into the car's radio.
So, soon we were driving around the streets of Berlin. The Trabis are slow, and make a lot of stinky smoke when they start. I stalled mine a couple of times. I need to push the gas pedal a lot more than I need to do in my own car. It was a good thing the Germans are very courteous and patient drivers. The Trabis definitely had a tricky time keeping up with regular traffic. Lots of people passed us!
We drove around for about an hour and a half. It was a cool tour. We saw some sights we'd already seen, and we saw some new sights, too. Driving a Trabi was fun.
Today would be my last full day in Berlin. I would take a train out of the city the next morning. Andrzej was taking a bus out of Berlin that night. We decided to get some more beers and enjoy the last night. Andrzej bought lots of bottles of wheat beer to put into his back pack for the trip home and to share with his family/friends. I also bought some chocolates for him to give to my family.
After dinner at the hotel and beers and talking for a few hours, it was time to go. I went with Andrzej to the bus station and said good bye.
Trabants are the most common car for East Germans to drive during the time of Communist rule. They're small, and have tiny, smelly, two-stroke engines. They have very little steel inside them, and have bodies made out of cardboard (or so they say). I thought it would be a hoot to drive one of them around Berlin. They're part of the nostalgia for the "good old days" of Communist rule where life was slow, steady, and predictable (except for the constant spying on your neighbours and fear of being taken to Siberia)
There were two Trabis for this tour. They were both convertibles, but one was a stretch... It had more seats in the back. The tour guide was in the stretch Trabi, and they were leading. I drove the second Trabi and followed the first one. My cousin was the only person with me... he was taking pictures and movies. We listened to the tour guide over a walkie talkie plugged into the car's radio.
So, soon we were driving around the streets of Berlin. The Trabis are slow, and make a lot of stinky smoke when they start. I stalled mine a couple of times. I need to push the gas pedal a lot more than I need to do in my own car. It was a good thing the Germans are very courteous and patient drivers. The Trabis definitely had a tricky time keeping up with regular traffic. Lots of people passed us!
We drove around for about an hour and a half. It was a cool tour. We saw some sights we'd already seen, and we saw some new sights, too. Driving a Trabi was fun.
Today would be my last full day in Berlin. I would take a train out of the city the next morning. Andrzej was taking a bus out of Berlin that night. We decided to get some more beers and enjoy the last night. Andrzej bought lots of bottles of wheat beer to put into his back pack for the trip home and to share with his family/friends. I also bought some chocolates for him to give to my family.
After dinner at the hotel and beers and talking for a few hours, it was time to go. I went with Andrzej to the bus station and said good bye.
# posted by Rob Szumlakowski @ 8:00 a.m. 
