Halbzeit

Those new technologies are amazing. Nearly all the hotels I stay have wireless internet access and that means that I can check my mail with my small iPod touch. Did I already mention that I simply love that thing? It is one of the best investments I made. Anyway I know now who at home is thinking of me and who isn't, hahahaha

Since I'm able to send emails, I'm also able to blog in its most simple way.

I'm already half way through my vacation. I'm in Austin now and since I won't make of to Galveston this will be my most Eastern point of this trip.

What did I see? I saw the organ pipe cacti in the national park of the same name (more funny stuff about about it later, for now I will only keep it to facts, because typing is rather difficult with the iPod) and I saw the saguaros I'm their own park. Of course there were plenty other species of cacti as well in both parks. A lot of them were blooming - very impressive. A blooming desert is so beautiful, I could have never thought about that.

After the parks on Arizona it was time to move on to the next state and its natural beauty. In New Mexico I made it to White Sands National Monument. The white sands isn't sand (quartz) at all but it is just gypsum. The wind blows the grains together in big moving dunes. Everything is white and even the animal have adapted to their environment. They have white mice and white lizards there. The monument itself lies in the middle of a big military base. It is the desert where the US tested their nuclear weapons.

Next stop was the Big Bend National Park in Texas. Here at the border to Mexico a good deal of all life depends on the Rio Grande. So sad to see that the Rio Grande now is nothing more then a 6 meter wide and 1 meter deep river. Even the Zwartewater in Zwolle is more impressive. They had a nice Canyon (Santa Elena) there, that I hiked in for 1 kilometer or so.

Last night I spend in a small hotel in Ozona, TX. Both hotel and town were horrible.

Today was the day of the cities in central Texas: San Antonio with The Alamo and the riverwalk, New Braunfels with its german roots and culture, and Austin the capital of Texas.

Arida Zona here I am...

After a lot of delays and a day of more then 30 hours because of those delays I finally arrived in Aizona. Kirk was already waiting for me at the airport to give me a warm welcome with a big bear hug. Delta had informed Kirk that I would be delayed and he had checked the itinerary online so he knew pretty much when I was at Phoenix's Sky Harbor.
I remember telling Alexander that I didn't make it it Australia yet because of the distance and the long trip, well maybe I should go there on my next trip it can't be worse the this...
After a good night of sleep I'm rather fit now. I just met all the dogs (8), cats (2) goats (4) and horses (2). We are going to have breakfast now and then Kirk is taking me for some serieous sightseeing and we're going to a pool-party tomorrow.