It starts in Jamaca and ends in Siberia, well almost. We met two young German Marines while on vacation in Montego Bay Jamaca. Thay were part of our small group that were the first ten people to show up at the beach bar at our resort. We all started to hangout together and did alot of fun things together.

Paul and Gunter were stationed at Dulles airport as the honor guard for German dignitaries and the like. Pretty much a cushy post. We stayed in touch back in DC and when they were transferred back to Buckeberg they gave us an open invite. So, on our way to Amsterdam we stopped in to see them for a few days.

Having the duty on our second day Paul loaned us his car and said to be back by eight so we could go out for dinner. No map or idea of where to go we started out driving. Beautiful scenery of forests and hills, winding country lanes on a perfect day. We headed up into the hills on a two lane little road and went around a sharp curve and past what looked like a small outhouse or a deer blind. We just puttered right past it and headed down this cute little lane on into this cute little town where we stopped for a cute little lunch in this cute little restaurant.

Some sausages, cheese, and bread with butter, a few glasses of beer for lunch. When paying the waiter looked at us kinda funny and the brought my change back in a different kind of mark.They were german marks,but since we were on vaca I paid no head. Back to the car and headed back the way we came and lo and behold when we got back to the outhouse there were about two cars and three military vehicles all parked aroud it. Still unaware of the situation we stopped when signaled by these two guys in military garb. Asking for our “Papers” we pulled out our American passports and handed them to the guards.

Then all hell started to break loose.A very important looking military guy came over and started asking us a bunch of stuff in german. All I knew was sprecan-se-no daauche and then it was out of the car and into the shit house! A few of the younger guys spoke some English, and, it took some time to get them to understand that we were just tourists and that noone was on guard when we first went by. We didn’t know that we had entered East Germany, but that sure explained the funny money we got for change. It didn’t help that the car we were driving had all sorts of West German military stickers on it, and we explained that to.

Siberia was looking closer and closer for a while there, and thank goodness calmer heads prevailed. The very important looking fellow started telling one of the young officers quite a few things and grim was being kind when he turned to us and said, here are your passports, get back in your car, and get the hell out of here before he changes his mind and we did.

Paul and Gunter were quite surprised to find out their car was in East Germany, but no hurt no foul. We left in a day or two with warm memories and the East German marks. On to Amsterdam.