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coco´s corner


The route from puertositos to the highway no 1 still passes Coco’s corner. The dusty, bumpy and narrow dirt-road- will be replaced (and they are working since years on it) by a new paved road which no longer tangents Coco’s corner.

Coco lives since 26 years in the center of no-where. Even two dusty roads are crossing here but that doensn´t mean there is much traffic. He is now 79 years old and he had driven motorcycle races, he has lost a leg by an accident at work and by an infection he lsot his second one. He asked the docter to amputate it in the same length, this would make it easier he exclaimed. Coco sells refreshments and maintains for many, many years aguestbooks. Meanwhile, there were nine notebooks, unfortunately one had been stolen, he regretted. Among all the entries there was also one from “horst and rita”. we had met this couple in Canada on the icefield parkway several months ago. Well, maybe it’s still a center of “some-where”

viva mexico, viva salsa



We left the US, the country, where the officers have to serve in bullet proof vests and traveled to mexico. We asked for the 180 days visa and the officer recommended the salsa, which he had on sale „it´s very spicy and aromatic. Special offer: 3 bottles for 5 us $”. Ok!?. I asked if the special visa has prerequisites?”. “The salsa is great for fish and meat and …” we filled the visa cards, payed at the bank, and went back to his office. The salsa was still at sale and still very spicy and aromatic. He stamped the passports with a stamp whose colors had changed their physical donditions during the last hot months. We needed this stamp to document our immigration. “Ok, three bottles of the delicious salsa and could you please apply new color onto your stamp?“ Soon the sponge was soaked with new color and the stamp was blurred again. This time the reason was different … left the US, the country, where the officers have to serve in bullet proof vests and traveled to mexico. We asked for the 180 days visa and the officer recommended the salsa, which he had on sale „it´s very spicy and aromatic. Special offer: 3 bottles for 5 us $”. Ok!?. I asked if the special visa has prerequisites?”. “The salsa is great for fish and meat and …” we filled the visa cards, payed at the bank, and went back to his office. The salsa was still at sale and still very spicy and aromatic. He stamped the passports with a stamp whose colors had changed their physical donditions during the last hot months. We needed this stamp to document our immigration. “Ok, three bottles of the delicious salsa and could you please apply new color onto your stamp?“ Soon the sponge was soaked with new color and the stamp was blurred again. This time the reason was different …

midway with bill


The 88-year old bill had joined the marine corps, had survived two helicopter crashes and is the father of a very good, long-time american girlfriend of us. since several years, he is a volunteer on the to a museum converted aircraft carrier “midway”, which was put in service just 8 days after the end of world war II. The tour took 5 hours and we had trouble to follow the vital 88-year old guy through the confusing corridors of the vessel.

t.w. rassmeussen


i can understand that phil had choosen a pseudonym for the internet, otherwise his porch would be croweded every evening because of his excellent dinner he had served us. phil is member of the OneDayOnePhoto group which was initiated by our friend frank lange from essen / germany a few years ago. This evening we were talking about our travel experiences and all the enriching encounters we had and phil mentioned that this are our “travel pearls”. he has a great humor and bettina was delighted by his saying “it’s always great, until it’s not”

thanks to julie and phil for a great evening. And thanks as well for all the great but unmentioned encounters we had with our american friends.

hollywood animals


Our friend stephen in frankfurt said, if we would come to los angeles, then we should visit his sister bettina there. She and her man eric operate the company “hollywood animals” and the two have a lot of hand-raised lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, cats, dogs, which could be seen as “actors” in hollywood films. For sure, you can only deal with such animals, if you can read their body language, but I was surprised how accuratly the bettina could forcast their behavior . And especially for us her husband eric “dared” into the tiger cage. It was obvious that the tigers love him and everyone wanted to be more cuddled than his fellow creature. Thanks to bettina and eric and all the staff members that we were welcomed at their place. And of course: many thanks to stephen in frankfurt !!

reagan library


a special kind of mausoleum museum is deticated to the american presidents. Reagan’s stands on a hill nearby los angeles and for us it was an interesting american perspective back to the -also german- history.

I was thrilled about the prevention of the airforce one plane together with the boing´s “state of the art technology” of the year1972. 

tailfin


We just returned to phoenix and now we plan our 3rd. the 3rd stage of our trip tfrom nova scotia / canada to patagonia / argentina.

In september last year, I had announced that the restauration of andrew atwood´s “tailfin” is completed and that I had photographed this oldtimer for the “mercedes benz star aagazine of america”. The publication has now taken place and here you can see the images: