Mai oh mai.

Because it was unknown at this moment in time when Europe will be visited again an airplane ticket was purchased with US Airways to fly from Amsterdam to Los Angeles today and to return on March 4, 2008.
In this way there is flexibility for the return date because any time on internet it can be changed for 100 $.

Thinking only of the possible phone call to the ex-wife later if permitted by her, in time the airport of Schiphol, Amsterdam, Holland was reached and the counters of US Airways found to check in.
But soon a problem arose.

A person with a European passport is allowed into the United States for a maximum of three months.
However, the return date on the plane ticket was nine months later.
It was explained to the supervisor of the ground staff of US Airways that the period of staying in the USA would be less than three months.
To go next with the Fuso Santek into Mexico and beyond.
Was there any proof of this, the question was asked.
How can this be proofed?
In any case, a visitor needs to leave the USA within three months and what is the business of the American immigration authority to want to know where someone goes next?
The US Airways ground stewardess got on the phone with an American person of the USA Immigration and Security Service and the strict rule was confirmed that nobody can travel to the USA with a plane ticket with a return date of more than three months from the date of entering.
If that person leaves the USA within three months to Mexico and beyond to eventually return to the USA for the return flight to Europe, this is an unacceptable way of doing for the USA Immigration and Security Service.
The solution was simple though.
US Airways changed, free of charge, the return date to within three months as of today.
And tomorrow, arrived in the USA, the return date can be changed again by going to the US Airways website back to March 4, 2008.
So, one can ask what is the point of all this?
It will cost 100 $ to change back to March 4, 2008, but besides this unnecessary loss of money nothing is served by this procedure.
As a good nomadic traveller, no questions were asked about this erratic and Kafka-like procedure: the situations which arise are accepted like a boat floating on the waves.

Next more important action at the Amsterdam Schiphol airport was to make the phone call to the dear friend to inquire if it was allowed to make a phone call to the ex-wife, Mayumi, to wish her a happy birthday.
There was plenty of time to do this because the US Airways flight to Philadelphia was delayed more than one hour.
The friend was called and after some talk the question was asked.
Before entering the phone booth an American penny was found on the floor and this was accepted as a sign that Mayumi would allow a phone call.
And this was exactly what the friend told.
“Yes”, she said, “Mayumi has no problem when you call.
Here is her phone number”.

Right away a new and fat prepaid phone card was purchased and the number dialled.
In a voice known from many years together the call was answered: “Hello???”
Without saying who was calling, the “Hello???” was replied with:
“Happy birthday, Mayumi!!!”.

Fervent and loyal blog readers understand that a posting is not the place to report on the details of a conversation of a couple divorced six years ago talking for the first time again.

But what can be reported is that it was a very beautiful, harmonious, emotional and also blissful conversation.
Breaking the six-year-old crust of ice and making an opening where the two protagonists can return to dissolve together their traumas.
And this has been agreed.
In the near future the newly opened communication will continue by cyber net.

It is in this way that the three-week tour of Europe ends.
On the best note which can be imagined.