Next day starts early for me. At breakfast even the moods of our children darken because a TV set is placed in the breakfast room and tells us a 3-0 in Soccer World Cup match between Germany and Argentina. This adjusts the quality of American Breakfast in the already slightly desolate Comfort Inn: disposable plastic plates, disposable cutlery and cups and disposable plastic toast. As highlights, we obtain the triumph of a German family on the nearby TV, and we may also witness the 4-0 acoustically.
And we learn how to bake waffles in the United States. The mass comes out of a kind of donor donor. The waffle iron must be turned at the first beep, and with the second beep a largely tasteless, but slightly crunchy mass is finished. At least saturated, we start the day and Spain and the Netherlands are the new synonyms for hope.
Sunday, 04.07. 6.00 am Clock Scottsdale / Phoenix, Hospitality Suite Resort
(Today is Independence Day. As this year it turns out to be a Sunday, the following Monday is a holiday. An interesting practice for someone who constantly accuses the Europeans of working too little. Above all, it is already 6.00 am what means that I've actually slept for almost eight hours. "I feel good," James Brown described this status.)
But first things first. The dingy Comfort Inn - the name alone almost ridiculed the guest - behind us we drive to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - a cable car to the neighboring 2,600 meters high mountain. $ 93 fare is not a bargain but I am rewarded by my wife with the appreciative remark that she was glad I was not so greedy.
The 11 minutes during lift is impressive: It opens beautiful views of Palm Springs, the entire Coachella Valley desert and estimated 200-300 wind turbines, of which the speaker of the tape in the tramway says they "can provide a lot of households with electricity." This is called precision.
Speaking about this tape: Interesting facts are interspersed with the repeated references to the blessings of the top restaurants and shops below. And then the mentioning of the great achievement of Mr. Francis Crocker, who has built this cable car, where the gondola turns twice during the trip on its own axis, virtually by hand. And who invented it indeed? The Swiss. De Rolle from Bern together with the Austria company Doppelmayr - what two small signs situated in the hill station witness. A little national pride comes to me as a defiant reaction.
Below the desert with a few low-lying spings, which must now provide not only water to palm trees, but to more than 40,000 inhabitants. Onn the top firstly it feels like 25 degrees instead of 42 down in the valley and there is obviously more water because the tour offers a small plateau with impressive trees. The longer one stretches over 1.5 miles, but it is already noon and a 300 miles drive still lies before us. So we turn around early and go back to the mountain station. Remarks from our children, how cool these trees were, witness the attractiveness of the landscape. If only I would not be so tired.
Below we programme the navigation device and head towards Arizona. For this device we are indeed very grateful - in fact, we would be nearly helpless without it. In Europe, I am moving easily anywhere with the use of road maps and signs. Here, however - since the highway exits have only local street names but no cities - this system cannot work.
And a second point is pleasant on this 2-ton monster of Dodge Journey: The stereo is excellent. The instruments are differentiated, the bass rumbles fat, but the highs are not swallowed. But I cannot really cope with the cruise control. Uphill, it can not usually choose between gears and when you use the brakes, the car does not accelerate even more. And you have to slow down frequently because the rule of driving on the right lane applies here - if at all - only as a gentle suggestion. To compensate we must pass on the right side, which in turn does not please anxious co-drivers.
(It is now 6.45 clock am and I sit in front of our room in Scottsdale, overlooking the pool, the sun will soon be seen above the trees and some old ladies shuffling out of their rooms to smoke a cigarette.)
Unexpectedly early - around 5.00 pm - we arrive in Phoenix. A city of about 900,000 inhabitants, but obviously it extends over dozens of miles. We are located in the suburb of Scottsdale and the hotel Hospitality Suites is a real positive surprise. The welcome is friendly, breakfast is included again and the lady at the desk tells us that until 6:30 drinks at the pool bar are free. This is really Hospitality.
So we get into the room, which is actually an apartment and for the first time I am confirmed to have chosen a better hotel category at FTI. The Mai Tai is strong and served in disposable cups, the pool water is about 28 degrees Celsius, rather dirty and thus after 30 seconds history, but my mood is improving nonetheless.
At the pool, I suddenly hear German and it is indeed the soccer-cheering family from Palm Springs, where I presented myself with "Oh what a shame" in response to the 3-0 for Germany. If we now have to accompany them for the next 17 days - oh my goodness. At least I can hear the message (Germans can often be heard well over long distances) that there was a supermarket next door.
The packets for food are huge again, but within five minutes we all take on Mia's proposal not to eat out, but acting very American to use the microwave. It surprises no one that I am the first proponent for this proposal.
Burritos, pasta and two Chinese dishes are our choice and a small 1-liter ice cream for dessert. The microwave is inefficient, but at some point things are yet to thaw and at least three of us are really excited that we have dinner just like Americans. The burritos are limp, but ok, Chinese dishes are even quite good, only the macaroni with cheese are completely tasteless. For three of us Budweiser Ice, which was acquired in the smallest size of about 1 liter, and after that four Strawberry Daiquiri, which - as it turns out - is produced with malt beer (!?). A Country for Connoisseurs indeed.
Yet - we are saturated, in good humor and between tired and unconscious. $ 2 for the maid, that may do the dishes, and off to bed.
(It is now 7.15 clock in the morning, the pool is being cleaned and looking up at the bush in front of me I see a hummingbird. It promises to be a good day and maybe my body has now also arrived in this time zone...)
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