Bear and Hamish were invited to visit their friend OP in Fort Worth, TX. They had to leave home on April 26th at 5am. Since Bear had to go to work on Friday, they started packing on April 24th.
Never forget to bring a small pressie when you go abroad...
Bear ALWAYS does pack too many clothes and is never sure if it has enough. So for the first time Bear started to sort its clothes a few days before and made a list - which was never looked at again...
Socks, underwear, shoes - most important things for going abroad!
Hamish is always so much faster packing his things...
... and desperate to leave!
Hey, it's 6am! Nobody looks good at 6am if they had to be up since 4am... apart from Hamish that is!
Hamish is such a tourist-coo! Always wants his pictures taken...
Texas! OP prepares breakfast for Bear and Hamish on the first morning after a long tiring journey...
"What do you mean: putting this in the oven??"
Snickers is looking for some way to escape...
... Gidget wants some breakfast...
... and Whistle too!
First night not in OP's flat but in his sister's house. There was a good reason, but Bear won't publish it here...
Ok, now this really looks like how European Bears imagine American suburbs!
And that's so much not looking like our highways....
... long, straight, wide and ... no cars? Where is everyone?
We had to pick OP's niece and nephew up and of course...
... got lost on the way...
Good thing being on the mobile while driving is not forbidden in the US!
Was that a ranch?!
I guess we found it now... or haven't we?!
Cool!! An American school bus!
A modern one, but still...
Obviously OP hasn't seen many of those either as he took a picture aswell...
Well, this is not the Yellow Brick Road to the Wizard of Oz, but it's a brick road...
Since Hamish wanted to see his Texas relatives, we went to Stockyards...
...
... and very soon got such a Cowboy-y feeling...
... Western stores...
... Rodeo places...
...signs that told us how great the Texan people are (as if we hadn't known anyway!!) :-)
Just to make sure tourists understand what was going on here they put up some statues.
Hey, a Cowboy-Cop!!
~ Strutting into town and slinging his gun, just a small town dude with a big city attitude ~
Cattle coming!!
Hamish got so excited!
"Come on, cattle"
They don't look too happy though.
Nice racks!
Smile for the camera!.... Ok, don't. Just look at me then...
Does the sign behind him tell him which way to go?
It was quick, but at least Hamish got to know his relatives - he was just very emberassed that they seemed to be naked. On the other hand: it's Texas! Coos here don't need long fur...
Though Bear thought this car was cool...
... Hamish was not too happy...
... did coos have to die for that?!
But looking at this, Hamish got just as excited as Bear got. We both luuuuv choppers!
Stockyards station but no train?!
A Cowboy church. Are coos allowed to pray in there?!
Bear and Hamish were hungry, so we had our first meal at some Cowboy Heuriger.
Hamish couldn't decide what to eat...
... so we had some frosted beer first.
And just to show off, Hamish started to nibble on a Jalapeno...
... three bites until he discovered that he is a Highland coo that is not used to such hotness!
For being such a brave coo, OP took Hamish along. (Hamish did enjoy that he told me later!)
They are still working on Hamish' and Bear's star for the Texas trail of fame - it will be finished soon!
Going along we got a glimpse of downtown Fort Worth.
Driving around...
...some nice...
...area...
I bet Chuck Norris lives here...
... or here...
...maybe here?
Or rather there?!
*Fort* Worth! (Got it?)
Oh, this looks so british!!
...and this so posh!
This is how the Cowboys used to live...
... before someone invented...
... red bricks, tiles and plaster!
And Bear always imagined Texas dry and sandy...
Yeh, junk food!
Corny dog (or whatever they call this)
Bacon burger (that was easy to remember)
Downtown Fort Worth
... and again something about coos and cowboys and prostitutes and, and, ...
"Wow, honestly?! This church is really about 50 years old?!! WOW" :-) (Sorry, couldn't resist)
Sometimes it's annoying how touristy...
... Hamish always acts!
Ok, Bear is pretty sure it saw that one in San Francisco too!
OP seems not being used to tourists - we always stayed behind and had to catch up.
Bear wanted to buy a Cowboy hat...
... so we had a look at some...
... in a realy Cowboy-hatmaker-store (what a creation of a word)
Small, but cool hats!
OP the jazz singer
OP the... Cowboy?
Cowbear! Yeehaw!
Food again - yeehaw!
Someone's trying to be healthy here...
... and someone is not!
A hammer this hummer!
~ It was the son of a preacher man... ~ or wasn't it?!
Bear forgot the reason...
... but Cowtown Fort Worth is also called "Panther City"...
... and again Hamish is acting touristy.
Fort Worth Water Gardens
There was this film called...
... "Logan's run" of the year '76...
... with Michael York (a young Michael York)...
... and one of the last scenes...
... of this movie...
... were filmed here...
... in the Water Gardens.
The scene where they...
...finally escaped into the outside world...
... and meet their first elderly person...
... which is played by Peter Ustinov.
So, Bear and Hamish tried...
... to find out where exactly...
... this scene was filmed...
... but couldn't quite figure it out.
Going downstairs...
... to...
the Quiet Water Pool.
Cool roots!
Climbing up the highest spot...
... to have a nice look around.
We guess it was here...
... where the movie's scene...
... was filmed.
Though we're only guessing.
~ Splish, splash, let's take a bath ~
"Oh please, could you hurry a bit?!"
Hamish the tourist coo again.
Riding the...
... Mystery Machine...
... across and underneath...
... some weird architectural bridges...
... to be back on time for...
... a very important...
... game of tennis.
No idea who won.
Since he's smiling, it might have been him.
In the Mystery Machine again back to...
... cowtown.
And - yeehaw - guess what?!
This is the court house...
... shown in the opening scene...
... of "Walker Texas Ranger".
Cool, eh?!
Cowboy Cab
Downtown Fort Worth again.
(no comment on this one)
A rodeo plant!
Having a break...
... at some nice...
... bar above the rooftops...
... or nearly above them.
Hamish is looking forward to his next frosted beer.
The cinema on the right side has an exact twin in Edinburgh.
Next day...
... on the road again...
... stuck in our first and only...
... stop and go, we headed off to go to the ...
...stadium to see...
... the Texas Rangers play!!
Soooo cooool!!!
First time we got to see...
... a game of Baseball (live).
And guess what?!
The Rangers won!
After they had lost...
... quite a few games before!
But of course, Bear and Hamish...
... are some good luck charm...
... and so...
... they did win, when...
... we watched them play.
Yes, you may thank us!
(Are they losing again,...
... now that we are gone?)
The suites
Selling popcorn (Bear just saw the same thing in "Fever Pitch")
Hamish applied for the mascot's job. But for some reason they rejected the Scottish Highland Coo and gave the job to a horse instead...
"You stay there, I go and check what's up"
"Hey dude, it's ok for a man to cry. Let it all out. I am here with you. You're not alone."
"Do you know this one..."
"Hit, pitch, catch... or was it: pitch, catch, hit? No... pitch, hi... damnit!"
OP, Bear and Hamish...
... this photo just had to be taken!
Say: wiiiiiiin!
The Baseball Diamonds Showroom Suite.
Thanks once again to...
Jon and David for letting us experience this! It was sooo cool!
Ahm, ok.
Matthew Perry!!!
Waiting outside a mall..
... having lunch break...
... and eating pasta with chopsticks - of course!
Waiting for the girls to arrive.
Yes, that's a piercing in the neck...
Bear just loved the colourful eyelids - very artisty!
An ice-rink in a mall.
Bear enjoying a drink with Jessica, Becca, Duckhead and Amber
Fuzzy! What a huge cat that was! Looking a bit grumpy, though.
B.B. or BeeBee - a Beautiful Baby (got it?!)
Bear wondered if Amber would have noticed if it has taken Fuzzy with it back home...
Having a party night at Amber's new flat.
Thinking about past times is Mr. OP...
... while the youngsters enjoy a good chat and a Shisha.
Real American Yearbooks - as always seen in the movies, just like..
... the alcoholic drinks wrapped in brown paper when taken onto the streets!!!
Kincaid's to have another - guess! - ...
... yeh, bacon burger!!
Whatta man! Twisted steal and sexappeal - ready to go to...
... Billy Bob's Texas! Yes, sorry guys! It just had to be!
The Texas Two Step does look very funny indeed for someone who comes from a country that waltzes...
... but those people enjoyed themselves and so did Bear watching them.
Later that night, Bear being a bit grumpy coz OP followed her to the bathroom :-)
~ On the road again, Bear is on the road again... ~
... to enjoy a very unusual day riding...
... with a cop!!! Bear was not arrested, no! Bear joined Andy the cop voluntarily on his 8hr shift that day.
And yes,...
... Bear did enjoy that day!!!!
Now that is what Bear calls...
... a cool fire engine!
... and cool firefighters! So different to ours...
Cute, eh?!
Bear and Andy the cop tired after a whole day of working
Going to have dinner...
...another glimpse of downtown Fort Worth.
Huh, a Chevy!
~ I fohr o auf 57 Chevy ~
Did Bear spot its only Indian person in Texas (Indian as in: from India). Maybe Bear should have tried some Bollywood-dancing and persuade him to let Bear drive that car...
no comment!
But cool!
Bear's first real Texas's steak.
Absolutely crowded that place...
... with some Canadian visitors...
... and a yummie yummie steak!
Mayfest
Crowded
Don't you dare to put some other children in there! Only lost ones are allowed in!!
Lovely view at Trinity river...
Riding the minitrain to and from the Mayfest...
Tiredly waiting for the train to leave
... got all your limbs together?!
Someone seems a bit tense...
... and that's not Bear!
Bear definitely has not made enough pictures of the trucks in Texas.
Everyone's driving such a huge car...
... everyone, but one!
But a Buggy is so sexy!
Hitting the streets in the Bug...
...not much different to a Mini, but on Austrias streets are not so many trucks around, so Bear was a bit tense when we first got onto the streets...
Fortunately, Hamish then took over driving, so Bear felt secure again.
Now that's different on Texas' streets!
WalMart!!
That's what they call a supermarket??!!
That's what Austrian Bears and Scottish coos call a mall, not a market!
A whole lot of a cereal shelf.
Geeeezus!!! How can one ever decide here?!
Everything's big in Texas...
... even the milk bottles. Can you still call that a bottle?!
Jalapenos, of course.
A basket full of..
...bottles.
And of course, a huuuge truck on the parking lot.
Massive monster.
OP's flat BEFORE Bear and Hamish...
... moved in.
A bacherlor's home...
... but nice.
UNTIL Bear and Hamish put their stuff...
... aaaall over the place. Sorry.
OP relaxing after ten days with Bear and Hamish and finally having the guts to tell them:
... ok.
So, Bear and Hamish started...
... to pack their things again...
... taking a few pressies with them...
Hamish is ready to go.
Our morning ritual: OP reading the papers and enjoying a cigarette...
... while Bear looks up some English words. (I did not!!!)
Bear's last breakfast: doughnuts!
~ Yummie, yummie, yummie...
Bear has doughnuts in its tummy ~
At the airport of Dallas, Hamish finally made some new friends.
Hamish was a bit sad having to leave Texas...
... but he hopes to be invited back soon.
One last glimpse of Texas, before we head off to Chicago.
Bye bye everyone!! Roosevelt, Hamish and Bear hope to back soon!!!
Sunset at Chicago airport
Watching planes...
leaving...
... while our plane rolls along over some bridges (that's highways for cars down there!)...
...onto the runway...
... heading off into the sunset...
... and away from the New World.
A few hours sleep...
... and dawn is breaking again...
... over the Old World...
Hello Europe!
Finally, after lots of tiring and exhausting hours and an odyssey of delayed, missed and redirected flights...
...Bear and Hamish did get back home at one point...
... and started unpacking...
... lots of dirty clothes and lots of un-used clothes...
... and lots of good memories!!!!
