Shelton, WA,
  August 19, 98

Howdy my dear friends,

The 'trip of princes' has continued to give us plenty of laughter and areas to work on. Guido got the name 'Don Guido' and within 24 hours he'd completed the turning of his personality into a royal member of our family. So the objective of our trip is clearly stated and we can move on to the next step: 'The understanding that princes may become kings one day and that becoming a good king is not about being served, but being the first servant of the people. Now that is going to be a difficult one! But I actually hope that we are going to succeed and moreover, will have enough time left for the third and final step. Wish us good luck, please!
        Right now everybody agrees that life is very nice - that is all but Prince Albert who was asked (guess by whom) to rinse the lentils for tonight's soup. Helga is at work and after a late breakfast we split up into various activities, like sunbathing, surfing on the net, writing letters, reading or something less strenuous like listening to the mattress or watching cartoons. We're having a lot of relaxed days lately.

Don Guido.....the Toilet Prince

About 10 days ago, we really got into it while visiting with Hildi and Peter in Vancouver. They are friends of David's family and delighted us as great hosts and door openers. We caught 'em at the only two days when they weren't head over heels diving into various activities. We all enjoyed feasting on great meals, good talks and a basement apartment with shower, washing machine and TV. Time was too short to listen to Hildi's work - she is a composer, educating people to really listen, and a fellow countrywoman - or hear more than a few of Peter's stories, an English man and artistic jack of all trades who has colorful single socks to trade. Our last feast was a blueberry pancake breakfast - my favorite - on my birthday and the kids congratulated with a grandpa card since they are the third generation cyclists on my trips. Peter and Hildi called around until they had organized private accommodations for our further stay in Vancouver.
        Splitting up in three groups we had very good and partly learning experiences. Surprisingly - or not - some princes staying with a house full of young people run into misunderstandings with 'em. The language barrier, not knowing how to strike up a conversation and spreading stuff all over the living room built up a little because things were not addressed right away. Tensions were resolved at the end and it ended up being a good learning experience about the unwritten rules of how to be a guest and host.
        Mary, the girls and my host, a Dutch married to a Kiwi proved to enjoy us the more we were around and I certainly hope to return to Vancouver one day and visit with our new friends again. Vancouver itself is a

Daniel, Trabi and David reading the latest newsletter

special city. It is situated just south of steep and towering mountains with plenty of islands and beaches and the safe feeling of a big, Canadian city - the worst part of town, 4 blocks of drug dealing, is quite nice compared to similar areas in the States. As usual, there was no curfew knowing the kids wouldn't get stoned or drunk and lose their sense of reality. Don Guido's age of 20 came in handy. He was legally able to buy beer and the only one allowed going out alone at night.
        The nightlife wasn't that great during the week though and we stayed up late watching movies on the VCR. Watching movies is an important tool for learning English and humanistic education on this trip. We stop regularly for an update of what's going on and I am happy that the royalties show interest in movies like 'Dead poet's society', 'The Power of One', 'Gandhi' or 'Amistad'. Going hand in hand with that, Carsten picked up my 500-page book 'O Jerusalem' about the founding of Israel and Guido is reading 'The Power of One' in English.

Albert took over the bookkeeping after only 2 weeks into the trip. Everybody is going to do it for 11 days and since Albert started preparing the route in Vancouver already, the learning experience on this trip is going to be greater and I have less work; just a matter of letting go, I guess. Splitting up into smaller groups at times, it's been very nice to play the old game and get several students into navigating for a day: "I've never been here and I can't read a map. But I can explain to you how to do it..."
        The day we left Vancouver and returned to the States also marked me speaking English all the time. That night a woman in Ferndale offered us to stay on her lawn and she'd allow us to use our stoves, but not to smoke cigarettes because of fire danger; adding to that 7 MI of detour one way and we gratefully declined the offer. It is so nice and easy to look for the next church and camp out quietly. There're also fewer chances of police bothering us because churches are private property. And the pastors aren't uptight about things as they tend to be in Germany. The States have a history of churches really helping the community and the church itself isn't reserved for celebrating the mass only.

       There's an annual two-day bicycle ride from Seattle to Vancouver and while riding the lovely road along the coast south of Bellingham we encountered tons of bicyclists. It was so nice to greet all the time and also receive some respect for mastering the hilly parts with all our gear. Later on, at a supermarket in Stanwood, the girls seemed lost. We had been there for hours already and Linda and Jeff had approached us. They are living on Kamano Island and invited us to stay with them. The problem of an extra 20 MI one way was solved quite uniquely: The close-up manager of the supermarket allowed us to store our bikes and Jeff made two trips to get us all to the house while Linda started preparing diner. Not being worried and liking their offer, I first got into the bus and we drove the way back to look for Anne and Ute. We saw 'em just 4 MI away and didn't bother to get their attention.
       Jeff and Linda's house is quite big and nice, close to a state park and a rocky beach. We all got beds! And slept deeply after a nice supper. The next day, we talked things over and gladly accepted the invitation to stay for another day. Our hosts and their two boys were so nice, the weather was bad - it rained - and diner that night was going to be grilled salmon. Man, what a feast, two of these nice fishes ending up on the grill and then our plates, along with mouthwatering corn stalks; am I glad that I am a vegetarian no more.  We were led on a walk to the beach and had talks about

Jeff's work - satellites to mars! - Waldorf and traveling. Oh, and about house swapping (?). Anybody out there in Europe, especially Germany, who'd like to swap houses during the summer? Like for 2 or 3 weeks? If you go for it, you get a really nice treat out on the countryside, just an hour away from Seattle and an hour and a half from Vancouver, close to the Cascade Mountains and basically right at the beach (Puget Sound, a kind of big bay off the Pacific Ocean). Just write to me and I'll set up the communication!

We had decided to take the extra day from our stay in Seattle. Linda had called a friend who invited us to stay in the basement. Cool and rainy weather through often industrial and suburban areas didn't excite our spoiled eyes and Seattle proved to have some steep hills and people mocking us for cycling up there. Mary Hamilton and her family had enough space for us and her husband drove us to go shopping. He even paid for the beer under the condition that he'd pick it; seeing us going for Miller horrified him... Getting up late, we still managed to have a few hours in Seattle and visited the huge REI outdoor store. There is one near our probable hosts in Los Angeles and I bet even more money - shopping money then - will find it's way into their cashier. I just wish they had REI stores in Germany.

Our 'campground' for that night was the same church lawn we had used the very first night in the States. It was all very easy since we knew our way to Helga's, mostly, and arrived there in the early afternoon. Partly, that is the girls are riding their own pace and it usually takes quite a bit longer. There's also the difficulty that Ute never looks forward to the cycling - and we are on a long distance cycling trip. But Anne and her are good companions, and this time they even started to make poems on the various hills.
        Back with Helga's hospitality and enthusiasm we just enjoy and play. Ute, our hairdresser, shaved Carsten's head bald and is currently working on David's dreadlocks. Don Guido got a new nickname after he clogged up the toilet and screamed for help when it overflowed. He doesn't like to be called 'toilet prince' (Toilettenprinz), but King David isn't fond of 'wish to be prince' (Moechtegernprinz) either and it's all part of our fun and educationUte finally became 'Utchen' and Anne 'Anneken'. Those names are not very smart, but nice nonetheless and if you add princess they're in the game... Last night, long past midnight, Princess Utchen, Prince Albert, King David and old grandpa were sitting in the hot tub!!! having at first a bit of a bothersome discussion and then a nice talk. I dropped speaking English and am glad that I did, for I couldn't participate in situations like that otherwise; and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
        Lentil soup is on the stove, annoying music is on - actually, Moechtegernprinz is the only one who wants to listen to it and he is taking a shower, so it's turned off - and a movie is ready. Sending smiles and thoughts and looking forward to answers,

Grandpa (Andi)

...A few hours later

The kids read the newsletter by now and like it - partly even more than the first one (surprise) - but Daniel also commented that he wasn't mentioned this time. It is actually true and just coming out of the hot tub at 1.30 AM I remembered what I wanted to write.
        Once, after I had told one of my stories about experiencing silence, fasting etc, Daniel said, "you've done a lot of self-education." He got it! Understanding this is one of the most important things on the trip.
        Writing a bit more, I may also add that we were able to meet with Dan, Helga's friend who was so kind to bring Anne's passport to Victoria. He took some special pictures of 'group with Helga' today and promised to scan 'em and send 'em via e-mail, so I can hang 'em onto the next newsletter. If I get the technique right...