German
USA: exchange, booster vaccine and fossils in the desert
February 2022
Money exchange at the flower shop
After our entry from Mexico to the USA we still had Mexican Pesos. We wanted to have these changed in an official exchange office, but this was not possible. We were referred to a Mexican gift store around the corner. In fact, inside this store was a small, segregated money counter.
Just before us, 5 Mexican workmen entered the store and changed or probably sent home their weekly pay check I guess.
To us the pesos were changed at a good rate into dollars, we lost according to the official rate on the equivalent of over 700 dollars only 20 dollars.
From now on we do our banking only through flower shops!
Corona Booster with case history
Friends who traveled to the USA told us about the problem-free possibility of a booster vaccination.
In four different pharmacy chains we were rejected to get the booster vaccine for various reasons: our two AstraZeneca vaccinations were not valid in the USA, we had to wait 6 months after the 2nd vaccination, we had to register digitally and expect an extremely long waiting time.
The sixth pharmacy brought the breakthrough. A nice doctor made us aware of a long waiting time after a digital registration at his company. But then gave us the free tip that we would be vaccinated immediately at a so-called Walk-In Pharmacy. He then said that the location of this pharmacy was not in a luxury district of the city, but where they speak Spanish.
So it was, after an uncomplicated personal data admission we left the pharmacy after half an hour boosted, with our desired Moderna vaccination.
While taking our personal data, a totally neglected homeless man stood next to us with his beer in his left hand. He did not have to identify himself. Apparently known, because wordlessly hegot handed three syringes for the next doses.
Our rolling "Tiny Home"
We are very satisfied with our new Sprinter Motorhome. Small, but nice and technically well equipped with very good driving characteristics. Even though we spent most of our time inside the vehicle in northern Texas due to the cold, windy weather, we felt very comfortable doing so. Now with more pleasant weather in southern Texas, the size of the vehicle is no longer an issue at all; we live mostly outside.
Once again we have the feeling that with the purchase of the Mercedes Sprinter we have made a very good travel compromise for us.
Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified tree stumps as well as whole trunks are the main attractions of Petrified Forest National Park.
Strictly speaking, these are not fossils, but silicifications. Their formation process goes back about 215 million years before our time. Fallen trees were buried under mud and silt. Due to the lack of oxygen, the natural decay of the wood slowed down. Siliceous groundwater seeped into the tree trunks and quartz and chalcedony accumulated in the cavities of the trunks. Gradually they replaced the cellular tissue, thus obtaining the wooden structures of the trunks in stone. The stumps lying in many places in the national park consist essentially of hard quartz substance.
The national park is also known for its colorful Painted Desert. We were able to experience fantastic color moods. The Blue Mesa section of the park, which shimmers grey-blue in the right light, is also absolutely worth seeing.
