Unlike the construction projects that energized today's Berlin, 50 years ago a big project was started which tragically cut the city into.

About 13 feet high concrete, then right behind it, 30 to 40 feet deep control zone with barbed wire in it and

another backup wall so that anyone trying to get through this kind of death zone into

West Berlin would get shot.

Hi I'm Rick Steeves. In a moment Fabian Ruger explains what building the Berlin Wall

did to his city. We'll also meet two Americans who raced a tiny European car all the way

from London to Mongolia. The big trucks, you know, like a toilet to land cruiser, 60 miles an hour, no problem.

Fiat Punto, big problem.

And Christopher Will shares the excitement that a scientific perspective can add to your travels.

While you wouldn't want to invite a spiny devil fish home for Thanksgiving,

what I try to emphasize is that it and all these other creatures are your relatives.

Building the Berlin Wall, running the Mongol rally, and being a Darwinian tourist, it's just ahead on travel with Rick

Steve's.

Some European compact cars are so small, they're barely powerful enough to get your

grandmother to the grocery store. Coming up today on Travel with Rick Staves, we'll meet

two Americans from Seattle who drove one of those little puddle jumpers on a charity road race all across Europe and Central Asia to Mongolia.

And biologist Christopher Wills describes the exciting discoveries he finds as a traveler who's also a Darwinian tourist.

First, German-born Fabian Reiger joins us to commemorate 50 years

since the infamous Berlin Wall was built.

We'll talk about the impact the Wall had on him and other Berliners who

had to live with it for nearly three decades.

This year's the 50th anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall and it's time to look back on it

...