Escorted by the Police through New York City
He gives the mechanics the exact adjustment dates, but no success.
After four hours everything is in order again, and thanks to the mechanics of the REZCO repair shop, "Difty" is purring like a kitten again.
And the two men decide to leave the Interstate 80 to go on the Interstate 90 in order to go to Erie and from there to Bradford, yes, they really intend to visit the Zippo/Case Visitors Center.
Next destination is Cleveland, Ohio. In the middle of the night "Difty" is drifting inbetween innumerable trucks, that pass her to the left and right with a speed of nearly 70 miles/h, almost unbelievable to the men.
Co-pilot Matterhorn is busy with the navigation because the highway leads right through the center of the city, while Manni is concentrating on driving, already having a 14 hours ride behind him.
So the travellers get to know the Americans from a very pleasant side, a disciplined traffic attitude, no honking of horns, sometimes only a friendly waving to the guys when "Difty" isn´t being steered through the traffic by Manni compared to the style of the native Americans.
When they approach the next resting place, it is 1:30 a.m. and again no hotel, no bed. But being tired as they are they just fall asleep at once.
Another day, another downer? Nope, they arrive at Zippo´s and receive a great big welcome.
Interviews with the press, live Radio, and the management does everything to make the Germans feel comfortable. Maybe there will even be a limited edition of a Zippo lighter collector´s item with the logo "Around the World in 80 Days with Difty", but for sure the management has put ten pictures of the travellers in their own website and a very interesting and detailed story to honour the trio from Bremerhaven (see SPONSORS, Zippo link).
It´s another 644 kilometers to New York, and it is pouring at their departure from Bradford.
Manni has turned on the car radio and the guys listen to the newscast, telling them about a Tornado warning in the area of New York. The news aren´t half way through yet as they are already right in the midst of floodlike rainfalls. And the water is coming into the car through small leaks. The windows are covered with damp and it is almost impossible to see.
Manni has to take his foot of the gas.
Approaching the center of New York, they are not able to find their way through this jungle of streets and names and numbers. So they stop a policecar. The officer is very friendly and shows them the direction to the nearest police-station, the 113th PCT New York Police Department, and they receive an outstanding welcome. Everybody here is interested in the whole story, wanting to sign the logbook, wanting to take pictures of the adventurers.
But Manni and Matterhorn haven´t reached their destination yet which lies in 132nd Street. They get there about 1:30 a.m. and being lucky, they also find a bed to sleep in at an israelian Fruit & Flower Company.
Not much time to rest though, they get up at 5 a.m., and the shipping agency that is to take their car to Scotland is right next door. Already around noon the same day the men watch over the emplaning of "Difty" at Polar Air Cargo at the J.F.K. Airport.
The guys will take the ship to Scotland where they will see their car again, and then they will travel to Ireland and England, then use the tunnel to get to France.
gbm...August 15th, 1999