One reason to begin their trip home at this time was that their tourist visas expired soon. If desired, they could have requested an extension, but it felt right to leave. To face the hot period in most parts of the country, followed by the monsoon season, made it easy to maneuver out of the capital, onto the road heading west. Walter had experienced what he hoped for and some more: the miracles of daily life in India, how people survived their daily struggle in apparent chaos under harsh conditions, were sufficient.
When the sightseers and their Afghan Baluchi crossed the border back into Pakistan, it felt for a moment as if they were leaving home, and the promise to return crossed Walter’s mind and heart. Rejuvenated and with the inevitable awareness of the daily driving routine, alternating the steering duty of the bus frequently, Hilde and Walter passed through Pakistan without any issues. Anticipating the perfect time of departure from Peshawar, the couple conquered the Khyber Pass once again by merging themselves into a convoy of trucks and other vehicles. They arrived late in Kabul that day, stopping at the same hotel they had spent a whole month at before. This time it appeared almost empty; the yellow bus occupied the only parking spot in front of it. The temperatures were cool during that night, which made the travelers pull out the warm bedcover and keep on an extra layer of clothing. Once again, the time in the city evolved in a style that a voyager could only love. Walter and Hilde took time to feel comfortable before resuming their route to the West. All through the mountainous region of west Afghanistan and eastern Persia, the couple maintained a routine to cover a particular number of kilometers per day.
Back in Tehran and almost alone in the gated tourist compound, the couple made sure to enjoy some of the luxury the town had to offer. They took Fritzi to a veterinarian hospital, where she received vaccinations and, most important of all, documents that could be produced in the event of questions at future borders. Seizing the opportunity to see the Caspian Sea, they followed a winding highway going north through rough terrain and reached the coastline within the day. What they discovered did not really impress them in terms of beauty or charm; there were some wooded areas that looked like the forests in Germany, but the sea itself was disappointing.
As they drove west along the coast, the duo decided to rest at a grocery store near some large trees that supplied plenty of shade for the bus to cool off. To stretch their legs, they began to walk together for a few steps when Walter noticed a group of young men following them, talking like loudmouths in their language. Walter could hear the smacking of lips, and then they threw a pebble. The pair turned on their heels and walked quickly back the bus. Walter, in the driver’s seat, started the engine, and engaged the reverse gear and then the first to move carefully from the spot they were parked.
What happened in the next few seconds reflected the kind of area they were. As the bus rolled slowly over the gravel toward the road, one of the men opened the sliding door, which made a specific gliding sound that had occurred countless times, especially in India.
Walter hit the brakes, jumped out of the vehicle, turned to the right side where the guy who had opened the door stood and gave him what he considered a martial arts punch to the left cheek. The man’s head jolted to the right. Then Walter quickly jumped back into the bus and accelerated onto the road. When he looked at his right hand on the steering wheel, he could not believe what he saw. Not thinking, and in a split second, he reflexively used his left hand to flip his right thumb, which had been dislocated on top of his right hand, in reverse of its original position.
Taking it day by day, discovering tourist attractions and ancient ruins on the long trip through Turkey, they enjoyed this part of the trip with the same intensity as the first time. After they left Anatolia behind, they could sense familiar terrain in the distance. With their dog, they delighted in the panorama of the Mediterranean Sea again and took advantage of it as soon as they arrived in Mersin to drive along the coast up to Antalya. In some places, they stayed for a couple of nights, appreciating the healthy, fresh seafood or ancient places to visit by themselves because the tourist season had not started yet. In Athens, the team stopped and visited Aris again, who invited them to stay a few days in the little cottage. He was preparing for the upcoming tourist season and expected an improved business.
The transit through Yugoslavia went swiftly, and one day in Austria, Walter and Hilde stopped for an afternoon rest in a beautiful valley with a stream running through it and many trees. The early summer’s sunlight was strong enough that the couple took off their shoes and let their feet hang in the water. When they got up, Walter gazed at Hilde and saw how beautiful she looked, so full of life and with an exciting energy. He took her hand as they walked slowly over the steppingstones in the water to the bus. A gentle wind moved through the trees, which made the fresh, green leaves perform a shadow play on the vehicle and the environment. Fritzi rested on a mat under a tree while the couple stepped through the sliding door and sat down on the upright bench. They kissed for a long time and then extended the kissing by undressing. Hilde embraced Walter on that bench with the green corduroy cover when he entered her by kneeling in front. They loved each other very passionately, and Walter thanked her deeply for being there.
Neither of them had any idea what would happen at the stop at the border with Germany. Nevertheless, the customs agents did not object to the dog or to the merchandise inside the bus, which had accumulated during thirteen months of visiting very interesting destinations. Fabrics, saris, cotton clothing in colors and plain, wall covers, small rugs, pictures, paintings, artifacts—every nook and corner had been stuffed with something. The contents of the bus were reminiscent of a hippie head shop without the smoking paraphernalia.
On a nice, sunny day, the globetrotters drove their vehicle into Westendstrasse in Frankfurt, walked up the three flights of stairs to their old apartment, and rang the bell.