B e r l i n :

  E x p e r i e n c e s

Berlin wasn't what I expected. The rain and gloominess of the weather combined with the fact that Berlin is trying to deconstuct their history by using large crains made for an uncomfortable stay. But it was a great surprise to literally step off of the train into a crowd of millions of people watching the annual Berlin Marathon. With my 60-pound backpack on my shoulders, I watched Naoko Takahashi of Japan become the first woman to run a marathon in less than 2 hours, 20 minutes.

They say an estimated 3 million people watched the race in person, where every runner had a small black ribbon in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Near the finish line was a large black banner with the word "BEWILDERED" written in 25 languages. I was told it would be presented to Mayor Giuliani by the mayor of Berlin.

  A c c o m m o d a t i o n :