the train to trouble

Great efforts and huge investments have been made in Europe to create a web of high speed trains.
And this is close to complete accomplishment.
One now can take high speed trains, and we are talking about trains going over 300 km per hour, from Amsterdam to London to Berlin to Copenhagen to Rome and many other places in Europe.

Very well, the tracks are there, the trains too and then human beings come and fuck up the whole thing.
This is the subjective conclusion after a high speed train trip today from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to the city of Vannes in France.

Step one.
Or, first stumbling.
A courageous traveler can go to the Internet, surf to the website of the high speed trains and book the trip.
The ticket appears eventually on the screen and can be printed out.
Sophisticated and handy.
The traveler presents the home printed ticket to the conductor in the train and with a special electronic reader he will sanction the journey.
Good system.
For the traveler: no hassle and easy going.
For the high speed train company: easy business of selling tickets.

But then a strange twist is man made in this purchasing system.
Tickets for the high speed train can only be bought from the website seven days or more in advance.
If the traveler wants to train six days from now or less, the system refuses.

Now, fervent and loyal blog readers, what to do?
What have they come up with to get a train ticket anyway at shorter notice than seven days?
You must go to a major train station, stand in line, buy a ticket from a person behind a counter and pay an extra € 10 handling costs.
In the Netherlands there are only five railway stations where you can do this.
If you live too far away from one of those train stations, high speed train tickets won’t work.

It is puzzling why they have created this inadequate system of selling tickets.
Isn’t the principal of good selling that a customer should be able to come in and spend money any time?
We know the answer is yes but this fundamental marketing knowledge hasn’t reached the manager of the high speed train ticket office yet.

Step two.
Objective fact: high speed train is supposed to leave at 10.15 h from Central Station in Amsterdam.
There is no high speed train at that time but there are a lot of people waiting on the platform.
Eventually, after half an hour, the train appears.
The passengers board.
The train is full of dirt: the remains of the passengers who just traveled from Paris to Amsterdam.
The train was not cleaned.
The chief of the conductors gets on the PA.
Sorry, sorry, we are late and that the train is dirty but let’s go.

After about 45 minutes the high speed train slowly comes to a stop.
Beautiful meadows all around.
All the lights go out and the AC stops working.
The chief of the conductors gets on the PA.
Sorry, sorry, we lost power: the mechanic is trying to fix it.

Eventually the train continues but at a snail pace.
Approaching Brussels the chief of the conductors gets on the PA.
Sorry, sorry, but this train can’t continue.
It is broken.
Please leave the train in Brussels and board another train on the other side of the platform.
The cripple high speed train stumbles into Brussel’s railway station and the passengers get out of the wreck.
There is no other train on the other side of the platform.
The chief of the conductors gets on the PA.
Please go to platform six.
Many people have luggage.
Or children and their toys and equipment.
Now they have to carry everything down long stairs, through an underground corridor and up a long stairway again.
Everybody boards the new train, find the assigned seats when the chief of the conductors gets on the PA.
Soon we will leave, he promises.
The high speed train arrives in Paris with a delay of two hours.
Many passengers miss their connection.
Everyone gets a document with which one can get 25 % of the ticket price back.

The train is fast.
But the people not yet.




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Wishy washy Wizzair

Some time ago the story was told how a flight of the airline Wizzair between the city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands and the city of Katowice in Poland was delayed for over three hours.

It was also told that in Europe legislation is forcing airlines to pay compensation in such a case.
€ 250 / $ 319

A later posting informed about how Wizzair was approached and what was their response.
Refusing to pay claiming “exceptional circumstances”.
For them the exceptional circumstance was that the Airbus plane broke down while the European Court has decided that technical problems with planes are not “exceptional circumstances”.
In other words, Wizzair simply doesn’t want to pay.

This they wrote:

Dear Mr. Szulc Krzyzanowski.

Thank you for your response. Please be informed that the flight W6 128 Eindoven-Katowice was departed with a 3-hour 5-minute delay on 20 August, 2010.

We would like to reiterate that the delay was outside of our control and our standpoint is not changed, we are not obliged to pay 250 EUR compensation.

In consideration of delay we would like to offer you 20 EUR reservation credit note, which is available within one year to make new booking with Wizz Air.

Best regards,


Anita Oláh
Wizz Air Customer Relations Hungary

It is a rather slalom like strategy Wizzair performs in this matter.
They admit their plane had a delay of over three hours.
But that this is not their responsibility.
While they offer to compensate with € 20 / $ 25

So, a new message was send to Wizzair as a response to their latest.

Dear Anita Oláh,

Thank you for your response.
It is clear: Wizzair remains in denial of European legislation.

I will now hand over this matter to my legal representatives.
At short notice you will hear from them.

Kind regards,

M. Szulc Krzyzanowski

In Europe are several companies that handle these matters for travelers for a fee.
Their lawyers approach the naughty airline and make them pay.
Willingly or by legal force.
This now will happen with Wizzair.
The company EUclaim has accepted the claim and is now going after Wizzair.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If suffered delays of over three hours in Europe, go to:
www.euclaim.nl






.

How does the butterfly find honey?

The night the luggage was unpacked in the room that looked identical to the many rooms nights were spent in hotels all over the world.

And again, as so many times, in this unknown metropolitan city, the way had to be found.
The restaurant where was the meeting.
The shop where to buy breakfast.

And in the morning the luggage was packed again and the waiting outside the hotel was for the shuttle bus to the airport.
It was during this waiting that the thought developed whether this was the life that fulfilled a possible ambition.
The life of traveling, hotels, restaurants, needing to find the way all the time.

Was that a fulfillment and a way to load life?
This life style a happy making diode between birth and death?

It is not the hotel room anymore: that is as it is when traveling.
It is the constant not knowing where the things can be found that are looked for that sometimes raise a question.

When living in a town or a village for years, there is never doubt where to get a loaf of bread.
In fact, very few doubts ever arise when in that circumstance of living.
Over time it is learned where the things that are needed can be obtained .

But hitting a new town is diving into the unknown.
Always to have to do research.
Study maps.
Ask people.
Wonder around.
Discover.

So, is this the way it is wanted?
This thought spinning around in front of the hotel.
The shuttle bus not yet there.

And a yes or a no, the precise answer to that question: it didn’t land down from the spinning.
The philosophizing resulted in a thought though.
This life is lived like the one of the butterfly.
Flying anywhere.
And always finding honey.

Flying today to the Netherlands.





.

Wizarding Wizzair

The trip to Poland was made by airplane.

Flying from the city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands to the city of Katowice in Poland.

Using a low cost carrier from Hungary called Wizzair.

Wizzair is a fine airline.

They use relatively new Airbuses 320, they have friendly stewardesses and they are pretty well organized.

But this time something went wrong.

The Wizzair plane was delayed.

And not five minutes.

But more than three hours.

It was explained what was the reason.

The plane had left its airport of departure too late.

The different countries in Europe have all their own laws.

However, there are also European laws that apply to anybody in any country that is a member of the European Union.

One of them is Regulation 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004.

It is a law to protect the rights of air travelers.

If an airline cancels a flight, denies boarding or suffers of delays, the passenger has specific rights regulated by European Law EC 261.

In the case of Wizzair having a delay of over three hours on a flight of less than 1.500 km, the European Law EC 261 says each passenger should be paid € 250 / $ 317 as a compensation.

That is remarkable because the price of the ticket for this flight is about € 60 / $ 76.

Of course Wizzair didn’t invite the passengers to file a claim.

They just announced repeatedly through the PA system that the flight was delayed.

As they are also required to do by law.

In an Airbus 320, the plane Wizzair uses, are 180 passengers.

If all passengers would file a claim, it would cost € 45.000 - € 10.800 = € 34.200 / $ 44.000

The profit margins of low cost airlines like Wizzair are super slim: they will have to make many profitable flights before to have recuperated this € 34.200

Nevertheless, a claim was made.

On the website of Wizzair, contrary to other airlines like KLM, there is no option to present a claim due to a serious delay of a flight.

Hence, a message was sent to Customer Service.

And indeed, very quickly a reply was received.

Dear Passenger,

Thank you for your letter sent to our Customer Relations Department.

Please accept our apologies for any inconveniences caused by the

disruption of your flight.

Your claim will be handled according to the Regulation (EC) No 261/2004

of the European Parliament and Council and our General Conditions of

Carriage. For further details please visit the following websites:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CE

LEXnumdoc&numdoc=304R0261&lg=EN

http://wizzair.com/useful_information/general_conditions_of_carriage/Def

ault.asp?slid=clear&language=EN

Our Customer Relations Representative will contact you in order to

settle your claim.

Thank you for your time and your patience until you are contacted.

Wizz Air Customer Relations

On several consumer websites it is explained that to get some financial compensation from airline companies is a dreary, lengthy and often impossible task.

But it has been initiated and now we all together will see what happens.

.

Stress is destructive

Over the last couple of years it has happened every time when a journey was made from the USA to Europe.
Boarding the Jumbo in Los Angeles the sneezing would already start.
A tickling in the nose causing terrible sneezing and tears coming from the eyes.
Embarrassing too, being surrounded by hundreds of people put tightly together in a large airplane.
They won't say anything but some may think it might be the Mexican flue or at least a transferable cold.

Once arrived in Europe, the sneezing becomes epidemic, furious and frequent and soon the whole usual feeling of being healthy and strong evaporates.
The constant sneezing drains all energy and soon a light fever develops.
That is the moment that the best and only place to be is in a warm bed.
With warm caring of a healthy and loving person.

Like this time, all appointments had to be canceled.
And days were spend feeling miserable and awful and weak and failing and tragic.

But the Queen of Dreams, now a nurse as well, said: when you are sick, be sick.
Don't fight it.
Simply deliver yourself to it and be it.
Go through it.
Because a mind not in agreement with the state of being causes stress.
And stress is a destructive power.

So, with warmth, care and love, combined with homeopathic medication, the physical protest for leaving the Americas and going to Europe was embraced.

And it is going already much better.




.

joyous journey

Observations while traveling from San Jose del Cabo in Mexico to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

1/
Great concept!
Right in front of the airport building of San Jose del Cabo, also known as Los Cabos, a storage business has opened.
Called Anchor Storage run by Ignacio and Ileane Duarte.
It is the perfect place to park a car, a boat or an RV.
There is 24/24 security and costs for an RV just one US Dollar a day.
In Summer, 3 months for $ 50.
And this includes a 3 minutes ride to and from the airport with a shuttle.
For a small additional fee, the RV is completely cleaned a few days before returning.
And this cleaning includes washing all sheets and towels.

2/
Los Cabos airport is not as small and cosy as the Mickey Mouse one in nearby La Paz, but still it is relaxed and people working there very friendly and without stress.
Even the employees of security who seem not to be there to fight terrorism but to be nice to the travelers.
But it is strange that the restaurant in the departure hall of Los Cabos Airport closes in the late afternoon.
As of then, all passengers leaving can only eat from fast food shops.
Like a Dodger's hot dog shop or a Domino Pizza outlet.
Or eat a plastic wrapped pre-prepared sandwich from a coffee shop.

3/
The flight from Los Cabos to Los Angeles was with an old MD90 used by American Airlines.
Because the two jet engines are placed against the airplane body in the back, there is little noise while flying.
And then it was announced that the pilot's name was Maureen Something.
A woman flying the machine and having the lives of the passengers in her hands.
There was no noticeable shock among the fellow passengers hearing this piece of information.
Or they had not heard it, or it didn't matter or they had their own thoughts about it.
In general one can ask the question if it is an issue: a woman flying a commercial airliner.
And of course the answer is no.
Why would a woman not be able to fly a plane?
It would be something to worry when it was announced that as an experiment a chimpanzee was allowed to fly the plane.
For sure passengers would hear this and wish to leave the plane instantly.

Nevertheless, halfway flying north the Baja peninsula, Maureen suddenly made the plane turn to the east.
Towards Florida.
While the destination, Los Angeles, remained in the northwest.
A funny feeling this was creating and it was wondered if the pilot being a woman was allowed now to penetrate the thinking.
Because what is the logic to fly from the south to Los Angeles making a detour to Miami?
Before real panic could break out and the different fantasies of what was possibly happening could become too extreme, the plane eventually turned from going east to going northwest.
When coming near Los Angeles Maureen the pilot came on the PA system.
To inform that the plane had been going off course and that therefore it would land with a delay of over 15 minutes.
It landed safely and smoothly so who the worries about the pilot?

4/
Entering the arrival hall of Los Angeles International airport.
Where a passenger needs to meet an immigration officer.
To reply to several questions, have finger prints taken and a portrait picture made.
Just before entering the hall, about five Jumbo jets had arrived from the far east.
From China, Thailand, Japan and Korea.
There were over a thousand oriental people in line to meet an immigration officer.
And few immigration officers available.
As a consequence, it took one hour of standing in line before to be interrogated and fingerprinted.
The waiting by itself was already pretty annoying, but most irritating was that employees of China Airlines, with the consent of the Immigration officers, would organize preferential treatment for their Chinese customers.
They would be allowed to come out of the line and were put to the front to be serviced first.

5/
The night was in the Four Points Hotel near the LAX airport.
There was a line in front of the reception desk.
One woman had to check in all the guests.
In front waiting was a well dressed man.
Looking like a Columbian nobleman.
With beautiful shoes.
But he had a vague resemblance to Sadham Hussein.
When it was his turn he had to confess to the woman he had no reservation for a room.
And she explained that the hotel was booked full.
Due to a convention and graduations.
Obviously, the man was without a room to spend the night.
Because the woman said that all hotels were booked full.
It was realized that the room that was booked oneself would have two King Size beds.
The idea was born to tell the man to wait and after getting the key to the room to offer him that he could stay in the same room.
Getting one of the two beds.
The woman of the reception told the man to try the Renaissance Hotel next door and he left.
The impulse to call him and ask to wait was then in the balance.
He might be able to find a room in the other hotel, was a thought.
But the major thought was that it is very unusual to offer such a thing as sharing a hotel room to a complete stranger.
Very crazy idea.
But it is also a very good thought.
Now there is regret the sharing of the room was not offered to Saddham.

6/
The British Airways Jumbo loaded to maximum capacity with passengers left Los Angeles before official departure time.
And later the pilot proudly announced landing in London would be 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
Everybody happy.
But once near Heathrow Airport, the pilot announced there was no landing opportunity yet.
Over 20 minutes the Jumbo had to circle in the sky to wait for the landing strip to become available.
How much fuel is a Jumbo burning to circle in the sky uselessly and senselessly for 20 minutes?
How much more pollution is created in this way?
And once landed, the gate was not available and the plane had to wait on the tarmac for 15 minutes.
Final arrival time: 20 minutes late.
And the food on the plane was meagre and awful.

7/
The happiest moment of the journey was to arrive at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Waiting there was the Queen of Dreams who had been returning to Europe some days before.
Flying KLM, getting excellent food and arriving on schedule.

While arriving the national soccer team of the Netherlands were playing their first match for the world championship in South Africa against Denmark.
This is why many could be seen dressed in orange.
The Dutch national colour.
Or with decorations like Dutch flags in a hat on the head.
The orange mania again.
In the city, warm and in sunshine, many people enjoying themselves because of the soccer match, that was won with 2 to 0.
Many dressed in orange and singing and dancing.
Arrived in a happy country.





.

hotel harrows

Hotel Four Points in Los Angeles, USA.

The bed just after arriving.

The bed the next morning...





.

Far in short

Former Nazi glamour man Albert Speer was condemned at the Nuremberg trial in 1946 to 20 years in prison.
He was locked up in the Spandau prison in Berlin, Germany and walked out in 1966.
Relatively sane and healthy, to the amazement of many.

One way of accomplishing his good physical and mental shape was that while in prison Albert Speer had been walking from Berlin in Germany to Beijing in China.
This incredible feat he managed to do by measuring exactly the length of the track he was allowed to walk in the garden of the Spandau prison.
Next, he calculated that if he would walk an hour a day where he would end up after 20 years.
That was somewhere near Beijing in China.

This journey by foot became one of the major things for him to do.
He got from the prison library maps of the countries he was walking through.
And books to read about local conditions.

Of course, it was an imaginary journey he strongly believed in for 20 years.
He knew it was all in his mind only and that in fact he was walking in an enclosed space in Berlin, Germany.
Nevertheless, he would write in his dairy for example how he had arrived in Ankara, Turkey and how he had admired that city.
And that he was now on his way to Tehran in Iran.

Albert Speer managed to be free while locked up.

A slightly similar situation exists at El Triple, Baja California, Mexico.
Two persons there are living in a relatively small space.
The Fuso Szulc.

The living area is only 2,5 meters wide.
And about 5 meters long.

When both travelers are inside the Fuso Szulc, the space to move around is minimal.
Often it is like dancing: the bodies twirl in the limited space in unison.
Harmoniously when the moods are good and lovingly connected.
Irritatedly when the shared happiness has temporarily slipped.

But a way has been found to deal in a better way with the limited space to live in.
Inspired by Albert Speer, the Nazi war criminal.

When inside the Fuso Szulc conversations can be heard like this:

"Darling, can you get me the guitar from the bed, please?
"You mean the bedroom all the way at the end of the corridor?"

or

"Sweetie, are you in the kitchen?"

or

"You can find the book you look for in the library"
"The library?"
"Yes, just go to the end of the corridor and enter the bedroom. Once in the bedroom look for a closet with three doors. Somewhere in there is this book you wish to find."

Of course this is a demonstration of constantly fooling the mind, the awareness and the perception.
The so called "corridor" is not longer than 1,5 meters.
When a person is cooking, he or she can be touched and seen from anywhere inside the Fuso Szulc.
And the library is just the cabinets above the bed.

But this approach, saturated with humor and lightness, makes living in an expedition vehicle more pleasant.
When needed even all the way to Beijing, China.



.

Left or right?

The journey from the rancho of the Gonzales family at Punta Boca del Salado to the city of La Paz, Baja California, Mexico, is with the Fuso Szulc approximately 5 hours.

But traveling together with the Queen of Dreams, it is a most pleasant trip.

This was partly achieved by a riddle she presented at the beginning of the long journey.
A riddle so complicated that it took many hours of deep thinking to come up with the solution.
A solution that turned out to be correct.
To the surprise of the Queen of Dreams, because all her friends she had presented this riddle with had been unable to come up with the correct answer.
Not her driver though!

It is a known fact that most of the fervent and loyal blog readers shine with brilliancy.
This riddle will be for them an easy thing to solve.
It goes like this:

A man is walking already the whole day.
Trying to reach the town of Jensenburg.
He is tired and it is getting dark.
But more scary is that he has lost his way.
But fortunately he reaches a T-section of the road and he sees a small house.

He knocks on the door to ask the people living there if he has to turn left or right to reach Jensenburg.
A guy opens the door and lets him in.
There are two brothers living in the little house.
Who immediately tell that one of them always tells the truth and that the other always lies.

The riddle is: what must the traveler ask the brothers to find out to turn left or right to reach Jensenburg?
One question, fervent and loyal blog readers, will give from both brothers the same answer.
For the traveler to know whether to turn left or right and reach Jensenburg.

If you know what that question is, send it in as a comment and prove that the driver of the Fuso Szulc should not think anymore he is so smart.

The wind or the thief

In Mexico City a remarkable thing can be seen on the roof of apartment buildings.
There are large cages.
One for every household in the building.

Inside these cages people hang their laundry to dry.

The thought that came to mind was that these cages were used to avoid that the neighbors would steal the clothes.
But the Queen of Dreams had another theory.
According to her the clothes are in a cage to prevent them from being blown away from the roof.

Two ways of looking at something.
One based on expecting bad things from people.
One based on being more positive about people.

In the end it doesn't matter what is the true purpose of those cages on the roofs of the apartment buildings in Mexico City.
A visitor sees them, makes an interpretation and eventually leaves town.
However, the interpretation decides partially how one feels while visiting.

To see things in a positive way is more likely to offer a happy time visiting a city compared to seeing things from a darker angle.

These conversations with the Queen of Dreams are so educational.
By opening up for her way of thinking and feeling, often a new perspective can be adopted that is more positive and beautiful.

The wind or the thief.
The Queen of Dreams comes to relief.





.

The flow for the fearless

A dinner with a friend in the nice neighborhood of Portalis in Mexico City.

She told that several of her friends have been kidnapped.
An activity frequently occurring in Mexico City.

One friend was kidnapped but returned home safely after one week.
The parents had paid 70.000 Mexican Pesos as ransom: about $ 7,000 or € 4.500.

This is more or less the current rate for kidnapping.
It is stressful, traumatizing and scaring but one cannot say it is very expensive.

A taxi returned the pioneering photographer back from the Portalis area to the Novotel hotel in the Santa Fe area.
A one hour taxi ride.

The taxi had no meter and a price was agreed beforehand of 140 Mexican Pesos.
$ 14.00 or € 9,00

The whole ride a conversation took place.
Taxi driver telling he had two jobs.
Besides driving the taxi, he was also employed in an office for the Government.
All in all working seven days a week and never having holidays.
To make enough money to make his three kids finish university.
He was asked if his children were not most appreciating of Daddy's efforts.
Working his butts off for them to be able to study and to get a decent job later.
No, he said in a rather swamped voice.
They are not appreciating my sacrifices, he admitted: my children take my hard working for granted.

Once arrived at the hotel he was offered a more than generous tip.
Instructed that it was for him and his wife, not for his unthankful kids.

Walking into the lobby of the hotel, the concierge approached with a paper in his hand.
He explained that the taxi ride to the airport the next day would be much cheaper as it would not be billed through the hotel.

This is true traveling.
You give a big tip to one person and another person gives you money back.
Being in the flow.

In the pit

Landing in Mexico City is plunging into a thick layer of pollution.
It is scaring to see how bad the air is and to realize that soon it will enter the lungs.

But once landed the pollution cannot be seen anymore.
Although the air smells bad and dirty.

Traffic is intense and hectic.
Still old diesel powered buses can be seen producing enormous quantities of exhaust fumes.
And one must make very sure not to want to move around during peak hours.
That is for example in the Santa Fé area from 5 to 11 pm.
Six hours in the evening of bad traffic jams.
Every day.

A room is rented in the Novotel Mexico Santa Fe hotel.
A tariff list behind the reception says a single room costs $ 265.
But through Orbitz one pays not more than $ 115.

The room is very ok.
Large and well equipped.
But one may wonder why the free wifi to access the internet is from the stone age.
Ultra low speed and often failing completely.
Amazing flaw for a modern hotel.



And unfortunately, outside, right in front of the room, a deep pit where a new building is being constructed.
Forcing the guest due to extreme noise to request a room on the other side of the hotel.



Santa Fé is the business area of Mexico City.
And is therefore well developed.
Looking like a modern town with high rising office buildings.
And conveniences like a Starbucks, a decent Japanese restaurant and a 7/11.
But soon a visitor notices that outside all the buildings men with earphones in black costumes are standing.
Security people.
Who immediately come into action when the visitor wishes to make pictures for example of a building called "La Lavadora" (the washing machine).
That is not allowed.

A plane on fire

Waiting in the airport building of Los Angeles for a flight to Mexico recently.

Large windows in the terminal building gave a wide view of all the activities around docked planes that were emptied and filled.

A man in a uniform came to sit close by and grabbed a left newspaper to read the sports section.
He was one of those persons at airports that assist travelers that need a wheel chair.
Obviously he was waiting for a plane coming in having a passenger unable to walk.

Pausing while reading the ridiculous book "The three musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas the eyes were trained on the view in front through the large windows.
A large Boeing 747 Jumbo from China Airlines was close by.
And suddenly, near an engine, smoke started to rise.
More and more smoke.
Developing into a huge cloud.
Fueled by a powerful source blowing large quantities of white smoke around the plane.

First thought: where is the camera?
Second thought: of all the hundreds of people sitting here waiting for a plane, nobody seem to notice that a Jumbo has caught fire and might explode.
Third thought: some official should know about this.

Following up on the last thought, the wheelchair person in uniform, the closest to being an official, was told in a rather panicked voice: "There is a plane on fire, Sir!"

As he was deeply involved in reading about the latest concerning basket ball, he had no interest and didn't look up.
Therefore, the remark was repeated.
In the end, if that Jumbo would blow up, with its kerosene tanks loaded to the rim to be able to reach China, it was goodbye to life for everybody waiting there in that lounge.
Included the uniformed guy highly interested in reports on basket ball.

"SIR, A PLANE NEARBY IS ON FIRE".

This made him drop the newspaper, turn around and watch the scene of disaster.
Where he saw some ground personnel around the Jumbo moving around quietly and composed.
"Sure as hell I'm happy not being there right now", the uniformed man remarked.
Instead of calling the cops or at least the fire brigade.
He was only concerned for his health.
Happy not to have to breath the smoke coming from the Chinese Jumbo.

He also remarked that the fire brigade of Los Angeles International Airport was just behind that particular terminal so that they would arrive soon and handle the fire in an expert way.
And continued to read the newspaper.

But then, suddenly the smoke outpouring stopped.
And no damage could be determined.
To see the preparation of the plane continue as if nothing had happened.

One moment a plane is on fire.
Next moment the plane is not on fire.
What were the basket ball results again?

Fear in bed

It happened in the middle of the night.
A car was heard approaching the Fuso Szulc.
Someone got out and walked towards the door of the expedition vehicle.
This was opened and from the movements of the Fuso Szulc it could be understood someone got inside.
Laying in bed there was surprise.
Who would like to come into the Fuso Szulc in the middle of the night.
Immediately the light was switched on and the body moved into a sitting position.
A man was standing near the kitchen counter and he was unknown.
Not recognized as a friend or acquaintance or someone from the area.
Dressed in dark clothes and a grim look on his face.
Cold dark eyes and a rather unkempt mustache.
The uninvited intruder was asked why he had come into the Fuso Szulc.
But he gave no reply.
He was just standing there like he was in a trance.
And the feeling about the situation turned negative.
Obviously the intentions of the man were not good.
It was realized how vulnerable the situation was.
Sitting naked in bed with the Mag-Lite torchlight, a possible defense weapon, on the office table too far away.

The man seemed to come out of his trance.
Or his contemplation.
From his trousers he pulled a knife.
Long and obviously sharp.
He raised his arm and drove the weapon deep into the body of the person on the bed.
Withdrew it and plunged the knife one, two, three more times more into the defenseless victim.
The bed became a pool of blood.
The body without any life.

Once he was sure the person was dead, he searched for valuables.
Money, travel documents, computers.
Loaded everything in his car and drove off.

Two nights ago this horrific fantasy came to mind.
As it does about twice a year.
Laying in bed with the door of the Fuso Szulc wide open, with no weapons for defense available, with goods of value to people with bad intentions, in a society where people are robbed of their shoppings when they come out of the supermarket, where people are murdered in most cruel ways due to the drugs war, it was realized what kind of most vulnerable situation this was.
And deep fear was felt.
Under the blanket admitting to be very much afraid.

The thing with fear is that it comes and it goes.
Most of the time this situation of living in a camper in the boondocks with the door open doesn't result in feeling afraid or threatened or a possible candidate to be killed and robbed.
Of course each time assessments are made whether a situation is safe or not.
A risk calculation is always made when deciding to stay somewhere.

However, this is a rational process.
And sometimes the emotions have their way.
To tremble of fear.



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No absence in the presence

Early in the morning in a state between sleep and awake.
Turning over to put the arms around the Queen of Dreams to hold her close and share the warmth and love.
As has happened for most mornings over the last two months.

But instead of the person who has an incredible beauty of heart, there was a void.
An emptiness.
Arms stretching and hands searching to find nothing.
Absence in the present.

This made the state proceed into being fully awake to realize the Queen of Dreams is an ocean away.
The lack of her in the embracing arms translated into pain.
Not a physical pain, but a feeling in the heart that hurts and bites and carves and chisels and erodes and drills and bangs and booms and bombards and explodes.

Early in the afternoon after lunch having a nap outside in the sunshine.
In a state between sleep and awake suddenly the incredible and scaring thought came to mind not to know where the napping was taking place.
A panic overwhelmed.
Was this a hotel room in the USA or maybe somewhere in Europe?
Was this the bedroom of the Queen of Dreams?
The apartment in Amsterdam?
Where was this?
This feeling of not knowing where it all was had an enormous impact.
It felt like having left earth and drifting hopelessly in space somewhere.
Away from anything known until now.
Being absent in the present.

This made the state proceed into being fully awake to realize that this was Mexico, Baja California, Punta Boca del Salado, the Gonzales family, the Fuso Szulc next to the Sea of Cortez, 109 West and 23 North.
It was then realized what traveling during two months does to a human being.
It unroots.
Cuts of connections to one specific place and the people that live there.
To create a particular void in the unconsciousness.

In the end though, it doesn't matter where one is.
In someone's arms or in a particular place.
As long as life is approached from the heart with love.
Then there is no absence.
But only total presence anywhere anyhow.

Custom customs

It is not far from Los Angeles in the USA to San Jose del Cabo in Mexico.
Just a 70 minutes flight.
But it is going from one society into a completely different one.

That starts arriving at the airport and meeting the immigration officers.
In an open space with no security.
Immigration officers in bright shirts and no weapons.
Men and women that are friendly.
Who do not ask impertinent questions.
And give permission to stay in Mexico for 180 days when a tourist.

And then the visitor meets the "Aduana": the custom officers.
Where a questionnaire has to be delivered informing what one is carrying and bringing into Mexico.

Whether one's luggage is searched by the custom officers is decided by chance.
Each visitor needs to push a button.
That makes a light shine red or green.
If green, Mexico is open to receive the visitor.
If red, Mexico is open also but not after a custom officer has inspected the luggage.

In this case, the lady in front pushed the button and it was red.
So a feeling was born that it would be easy to enter Mexico.
How could the light turn red twice in a row?
The button was pushed and it was not green.

On a large table the luggage was placed and everything was taken out of the suitcases.
The alert custom officers found two Apple laptop computers, a Nikon D300 camera with two lenses and a flash, a Canon G10 camera, an Iomega 1TB hard drive, a Chaney remote control fridge thermometer and a large box containing a Davis Vantage VUE weather centre.
A visitor is not supposed to travel into Mexico and fill in the custom form that nothing is there to declare while carrying what looks like supplying an electronic shop.

The loyal and effective custom officer called the supervisor to show what he had found.
Who took information from the Davis Vantage VUE weather centre box to go and check on the internet what was its value.
To return and inform that the maximum value of what one can bring into Mexico, $ 300, was largely exceeded.
And that because on the custom form nothing was declared all the stuff exhibited on the table, the two Apple laptop computers, the Nikon D300 camera with two lenses and a flash, the beloved Canon G10 camera, the Iomega 1TB hard drive for friend Alonso, the Chaney remote control fridge thermometer and the large box containing the Davis Vantage VUE weather centre would be all confiscated.
Not only on the forehead, but also in the armpits and in the crotch, sweat could be felt starting to stream.
Indeed, quite a disastrous situation.
To loose all that stuff would not only be a very serious financial blow but would also disable working fatally.
No more computers suddenly and all the information they contained and no more cameras would stop functioning as an artist photographer totally.

What to say to the supervisor of the Mexican customs?
To offer apologies?
Or a bribe?

He was looked into the eyes with love and a demonstration of not having had bad intentions bringing all that equipment into Mexico.
The supervisor then decided to let the visitor go.
With a warning only.
All the stuff could be returned into the suitcases and the promise had to be made to declare any goods when visiting a next time.

What a way to enter a country and feel welcome.



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Advantage and disadvantage

Public transportation in California, USA is such that one needs to rent a car to get around.
For example, to go from Los Angeles to a town like Temecula, that is located in between Los Angeles and San Diego, only the private Greyhound buses are the option as a form of public transportation.
But they go that infrequently that to think to go by bus to Temecula from Los Angeles is unrealistic.
To this comes that hardly any trains are available in most regions of California, USA.

Renting a car is easy and not expensive.
Within a few minutes a good deal can be made through websites like Orbitz.
Where one can compare prices easily and book the best deal.

The rental car company called "Advantage" offered a Ford Focus for $ 13.97 a day with all miles free.
The best price of all rental car companies on the internet and therefore they got the business.

But once in the office of "Advantage" near Los Angeles International Airport there was a strange surprise.
The Ford Focus was there indeed.
And the price was $ 13.97 also.
But the person working at the "Advantage"-office near Los Angeles International Airport
informed that the Ford Focus was equipped with Sirius Satellite Radio.
And that this would cost $ 5 a day extra.
Obviously the answer was that no Sirius Satellite Radio was needed.
The Ford Focus also had a regular radio with FM and AM, so why spent $ 5 a day for something that was not of any use?
An amount that increased the daily rate for renting the car with 35 %.
While it is known that a subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio is costing only $ 15 a month.

But the person working at the "Advantage"-office near Los Angeles International Airport
explained that there was no option but to take the car and pay the 35 % extra.
In spite of the agreement as was made through Orbitz.

Obviously this is a sneaky way of "Advantage" to make extra money.
If they rent the car for 30 days a month, they make $ 150 minus $ 15 is $ 135 extra.
Denying any preference of the customer.

The person working at the "Advantage"-office near Los Angeles International Airport
said that he could do nothing about it.
That the "Advantage" Customer Service needed to be called to complain.
And that sometimes they would deduct the costs of the Sirius Satellite Radio from the customer's invoice charged to the credit card.

So why not call the Customer Relations of "Advantage" rent a car?
A toll free number.

The effort was made during half an hour.
And the caller was getting nowhere.
Because a real person is only available to talk to at "Advantage" rent a car in case one wants to make a reservation.
But for all other matters a computerized voice explains other choices of connections that all end up saying that the customer has to call the office where the car was rented.
While the people at the office where the car was rented suggest to call the Customer Relations.
In that way a full circle is made: the customer simply can't complain.

It is not about the money of course in this story.
But it is about how a company is doing business.
How customers are squeezed out of their money indecently.
Not much money, but enough to remain with a bad feeling and the promise never to rent a car anymore from "Advantage".



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To travel to the USA

Traveling to the USA has become a little different since a few months.
Any non-American who wants to go to the USA as a tourist needs to go first to a website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Called "ESTA", that stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
On the "ESTA"-website a procedure needs to be followed to obtain permission for a US-visit.
This procedure is answering a series of questions.
Not only name and address, but also phone number and e-mail address.
And information must be supplied where one will go in the USA.
Name and address of US-friends.
There are other questions as well.
About having diseases and a possible criminal history.

Once this questionnaire is filled in, it can be sent and an answer whether one obtains permission to visit the USA is returned within a few minutes.

This procedure was performed not long ago.
And the answer had been that permission was granted to visit the USA.
As a precaution for possible complications at borders and airports, the permission given on the website was printed out.

Yesterday, at the airport of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the journey to Los Angeles in the USA was started.
Checking in was with British Airways.
Their computers connect to the computer and database of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
To check whether the passenger was granted "ESTA"-permission of entry into the USA.
The response was negative.
And therefore British Airways was not allowing the traveller to get on the plane to fly to Los Angeles, USA.

A peculiar situation.
There was a "ESTA"-document saying that permission was recently granted.
But the current on line response from "ESTA" was contrary.

A nervous situation arose.
If permission from the US-authorities was not obtained, British Airways could not accept the passenger and the ticket would become worthless.

The solution was to go to an Internet café somewhere at the airport of Schiphol, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
And visit again the website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
And do the whole "ESTA"-procedure of requesting permission to enter the USA again.
In the hope it all would work out before the gates for the flight would close.

It was an extremely nervous situation.
But eventually "ESTA"-permission was obtained on line.
A quick return to the check-in desk of British Airways where they tried again.
This time it worked but then issuing the boarding card was halted by the computer of U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The British Airways employees had to try five times before it worked.

In the end, the flight was caught in its last minutes of boarding and Los Angeles was reached.




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Schedulissimo

By car from the house in Amsterdam city center in Holland to Schiphol international airport.
With British Airways a flight to Heathrow, London, UK.
Another plane from London, Heathrow to Los Angeles, USA.
From Los Angeles international airport with a rental car to the town of Temecula in California, USA.

Antwerp anywhere

A new visit to the city of Antwerp, Belgium.
The publisher of the photo book "Sequences: the ultimate selection" is based in that town.
And we find there the photo gallery "Baudelaire" where currently original sequences are on display.

Each time a visit to the city of Antwerp, Belgium, is a highlight.
It is such a beautiful town.


And it is relaxed and not hectic at all.
With most friendly people.
There are many very nice restaurants and places to have a drink where quality and style are unique.



Antwerp is a very easy to reach now.
As it is fully connected to the high speed European railway system.
Most comfortable trains that go at 300 km per hour (186 mph).
From Amsterdam to Antwerp is only one hour and twelve minutes.
Paris is less than one hour and thirty minutes from Antwerp.



Therefore, it is not a bad idea of the publisher of the photo book "Sequences: the ultimate selection" to live and work in Antwerp, Belgium.
The city is centrally located in Europe and housing, office space and living is cheaper compared with Paris and Amsterdam.

Nevertheless, there is no consideration to settle in Antwerp, Belgium in spite of all its advantages.
In fact, there is no consideration to settle anywhere.
Living while traveling permanently is still experienced as the optimal way.
The most inspiring and exciting.
Life as one big Antwerp anywhere.






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