Side-Trip USA
South America Tour 2013-15 – Part VII
America
We have had enough. Fed up. Tired of Latinos. We need a break - we're going to America!
No, so it's not that bad, but we go on a side trip to the States anyway. Knowing Las Vegas, we fly to Vegas, buy a car - as we did before - and drive it to California.
Sequoia National Park is amazing! The ancient, thick trees make us shrink to dwarfs. Hard to imagine, if you are not standing directly underneath them!
Now - after we got used to American life after two weeks - we are looking forward to the Latin American countries again.
But we're happy to let this excitement drag on for a while longer. For the time being, we cruise through California in our Ford Escort - always with one eye on the mileage indicator. Because every 150 miles we have to refuel for twenty dollars. That's all we can do because the tank would leak if we filled it more than a quarter full. Somewhere this problem with the tank seems familiar to us... We discovered it on the same day we bought the car.
Replace the tank? Yes, if we ever run across a used tank for a 1993 Ford Escort. For now, a five-gallon canister should do as a backup.
Of Redwoods and Hot Springs
We first visited him here in Anderson Valley four years ago. Today, Geoff still lives - or rather, is living - here again. And he does so in a cozy little cabin under giant redwood trees. Constantly improving his guitar playing skills, he is now learning to make guitars and stringed instruments from a master craftsman with an amazing 50 years of experience. It's a complicated job that requires a lot of patience and intuition.
Geoff travels with us through the surrounding area. We meet new people and visit some of the countless natural wonders in the area.
On my birthday, Geoff has come up with something special. We hike for five hours up the Garcia River, which we have to cross numerous times. Often the area near the Pacific Ocean is shrouded in thick fog. Today, however, a dark blue sky delights us. Nevertheless, the sun is already quite steep in the sky in autumn, and likes to hide behind the high trees.
It doesn't matter, because we certainly won't be cold at our destination, although the nights will be much fresher. We are in a magical place. A hundred years ago, a resort was located here. Hard to believe, as inaccessible as the terrain is.
The resort is long forgotten today. The Hot Springs, however, have remained for our enjoyment. Not a soul is here tonight. We have them all to ourselves. Refreshed by the cool air and cold water of the Garcia River, I dive - slowly getting used to the drastic temperature change - into one of the natural pools filled with steaming water. Aaaaahhh - truly a relief! At this moment, all the problems of the world are forgotten. Only one worry I have: better not fall asleep in here!
Thought spirals
A little later Geoff wakes me up from my spiral of thoughts. We talk about good old times when we met in New Zealand eight years ago, about the trip with friends in the car through Europe to Morocco, the time we spent together in Berlin, London and Ireland, the lake around the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua.
I've been on the road for almost ten years - with numerous stops at home in Switzerland - sometimes not quite sure what I'm looking for, whether I just don't have anything better to do, where this traveling is supposed to lead.
In the beginning, it was mainly the fun of traveling, getting to know new and unknown things and finally being able to just do and not do what I want that spurred me on to this lifestyle.
Now, thirty-one years old, with so many lives coming to a crossroads, I pat myself on the back. I am glad I chose this path out of all the possible ones. Even today, I still enjoy traveling. It may not be as much of a priority as it once was. Traveling can be exhausting and tiring, always traveling to new countries is not as new anymore, and more and more I notice the similarities of people and nations on our small planet.
Nevertheless: My journey - my life - is far from over. I know, I am still on a search. But even this is no longer so important. Knowing and especially being able to accept that everything happens in its own time helps me to focus on what is important: To feel good in my life, to pass on this well-being to the people around me, to help, to learn, and to teach.
This sounds like cheesy esoteric stuff out of the self-help corner of a library. But I think if more people lived these thoughts, we would all be happier.
After a long while I open my eyes again, see Seraina dreaming in her hot pool and Geoff cooling down in the river with a loud "Wuhuhuhu!" and I smile. All is well. If only I could share this moment with more people! But no, I'd rather not, it would be too crowded here. Three of us - perfect!
Everything is just as it should be.
Life in Anderson Valley
The vast majority of our time in California, we spent in Anderson Valley. To put it briefly: The world could end, and no one would notice in Anderson Valley.
Only through the radio do we hear daily from the outside world about the stumbling Obama and his politicians. "War on Isis, war on Ebola... war on the entire world. You know, that's why I love living out here. Here they leave you alone and you can worry about the things that are important to you," Geoff tells me.
The people here in the valley, which is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a mountain range, a so-called "ridge", which is why there is a very unique, mostly dry climate here, almost all know each other, either personally or around a few corners. People live together here like one big family, a commune that cares for its fellow human beings. We experience stories here that make us believe in true - what's the word again? - Charity.
One of our good friends, whose family has lived in the valley for generations, had a nasty work accident last spring in which he suffered a compound fracture of the jaw and skull. Surgeries are an almost unaffordable affair, especially in the States. And we all know about the state of health care in the U.S. - "health care" is a pretty lofty term here.
That's why his girlfriend started a fundraising campaign on the local radio to collect tens of thousands of dollars to repair his face. Today, he is still missing many teeth, but he can laugh again.
The sudden death of a universally loved person in the Anderson Valley and good friend of Geoff's - and ours - depresses our spirits. Although sad, people come together after the funeral - there must be more than a hundred people, we later learn - to celebrate her life.
Most people here live rather simply - except the rich winegrowers. Although many have little money, they manage to live contentedly. Sometimes people exchange work for other services, such as rent, food, yoga classes. People cultivate their vegetable gardens. Small amounts of money often circulate only in the valley. You help each other out.
Ecological awareness is pretty high. For example, in Northern California you hardly see plastic bags anymore - in contrast to Latin America, which seems to be made of plastic -, organic food can always be found everywhere, people produce their electricity needs with solar panels, etc.
Only one thing remains somewhat paradoxical: Americans still love their big cars, gas is cheaper than in almost any other country, the public transportation network is sparse, and the distances people drive almost every day are long.
Nevertheless, I am impressed by the sense of community and togetherness experienced here, which I hardly know as a young, Swiss individual. Yes, the Americans also have their good sides.
South America Tour 2013-15
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South America Tour 2013-15
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