{"id":10622,"date":"2025-03-16T14:54:04","date_gmt":"2025-03-16T13:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.streetpepper.de\/worldtravel\/?p=10622"},"modified":"2025-05-12T20:38:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T18:38:29","slug":"the-gulf-of-mexico-becomes-the-gulf-of-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.streetpepper.de\/worldtravel\/2025\/03\/16\/the-gulf-of-mexico-becomes-the-gulf-of-america\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gulf of Mexico becomes the Gulf of America"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Until now, I didn\u2019t really have a personal fixed opinion about this Trump guy. He got elected. Again. If it weren\u2019t so serious, I\u2019d say: a pubescent teenager with global power. But unfortunately, it is serious. I consider him the man with the dumbest ideas of our time. Ideas that change the world? Maybe \u2013 but definitely not for the better. So much arrogance, smugness, self-satisfaction, hubris, presumption\u2026 it\u2019s hard to top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"America\"<\/figure>
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He must be pretty bored with his life. Fighting for the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and then pushing it through is quite an achievement.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re cycling through the U.S. and I keep wondering: Where are all these voters? We have not personally met a single person who is a true Trump supporter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Trump<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How stupid can one be? Trump is the next level of stupidity and I don’t like him. not even a little bit. But well, I don’t have to and he doesn’t care either. So what? Actually, I shouldn’t pay any attention to him. Nevertheless, I just want to get rid of what I was thinking during our tours on the bicycle and I wrote it down. Here it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Knowing little \u2013 that\u2019s human. Talking a lot without saying anything \u2013 that\u2019s politics. But knowing little, talking a lot, and thinking you\u2019re the smartest person in the room? That\u2019s Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has trouble forming coherent sentences, yet calls himself a \u201cstable genius.\u201d Thinks you can stop a hurricane with a nuclear bomb. Recommends drinking disinfectant to fight a virus. Says we should test less so there\u2019ll be fewer COVID cases. Not just wrong. Dumb. And what does this mean: “I tested positively toward negative, right? So I tested perfectly this morning, meaning I tested negative.” I’m confused. And it\u2019s getting worse. Some say he is not a racist saying: “They’re poisoning the blood of our country”. But sure, I understand, he also made it clear: “What you are seeing and what you are reading is not what is happening”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re not confused by now, I am. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Amerika\"<\/figure>
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Trump lies the way others breathe. Not because he has to \u2013 but because he doesn\u2019t care. Facts are decoration. Reality is a matter of ratings. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He loves his reflection more than his country. I even doubt he loves his country at all. He loves himself. Trump makes mistakes \u2013 and celebrates them. He undermines democracies \u2013 and calls it saving them. He incites, divides, insults \u2013 and his followers cheer. You could laugh, if it weren\u2019t so tragic. You could cry, if it weren\u2019t already too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stunned somewhere between speechlessness and the urge to scream.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

But Trump isn\u2019t just stupid. He\u2019s the poster child for Pathological self-centeredness or ego addiction and ignorance. Aggressive cluelessness. His stupidity isn\u2019t a lack of intelligence \u2013 it\u2019s a conscious replacement of reason with delusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He isn\u2019t just dumb. He\u2019s dumber. Trumper. Trumpest. A caricature of his own catastrophe. A tsunami of bullshit. A nonstop commercial for anti-thinking. And the more I think about him, the more my brain screams \u2013 and the more I feel like punching something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I. Can\u2019t. Take. It. Anymore.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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\"America\"<\/span>
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Cycling from Brownsville, Mexico to Fort Lauderdale, America<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Right now, we\u2019re traveling through the U.S. We\u2019re reunited with our old friend Todd \u2013 feels a bit like coming home. He welcomes us with open arms, a stocked fridge, and a German flag on the porch. After 16 years, we just pick up the conversation where we left off. Todd, who \u201crescued\u201d us back in Turkey on our first long bike trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On his property live turtles, squirrels, deer \u2013 and Travis the alligator. As soon as Todd leaves the house, Travis swims over to be closer to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have our own apartment in the house. Larry, a friend of Todd\u2019s, is visiting and loves to cook \u2013 and cook, and cook. We\u2019re turning into round little dumplings. While Todd is cleaning his tractor, we work on the bikes. After cleaning: rust. So we spray. Rust remover, primer, black paint. We have to keep them running until June, when we\u2019ll hand the bicyles over to Daniel from ReCycles<\/a>, the best bike mechanic in Berlin. He\u2019ll throw his hands up in horror. The bicycles have suffered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Meanwhile: amazing vegetarian food, clean laundry \u2013 and we take a DNA test. Totally unnecessary, but fascinating. That’s what Americans like to do, because they are no natives. Only around 2% can call them “real” Americans, Natives. So all the others like to know where their roots are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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America is upside down \u2013 and we\u2019re right in the middle of it.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re sitting with Todd. America is politically off-balance. Or maybe it isn\u2019t. Trump has been reelected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People we meet through Warmshowers<\/a> (our cycling community which offers places for cyclists) are all critical. They question, discuss, fight. They\u2019re revolutionaries. With Todd and Larry, we\u2019re not quite sure where they stand politically. Military background, probably Republican. And yes Todds property includes a private shooting range. And yes \u2013 we\u2019ve done some shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of their friends dropped by. We talked about the world wars, Ukraine, the state of the world, and how bad wars are. When he left, he laughed and said, \u201cLet\u2019s go shooting together someday.\u201d Two worlds colliding in our minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then back to daily life: alligator feeding, walks through the woods on his property with Air Force, U.S., and German flags waving. Peaceful \u2013 and at the same time, torn. The feeling stays: it\u2019s hard to imagine a more beautiful place. And yet, we\u2019re in a country that makes the world \u2013 and us \u2013 nervous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What will Germany be like when we return? Also turned upside down? With hate, misinformation, and anger? What\u2019s more dangerous: weapons or words? Words hurt. They frighten. They confuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone we\u2019ve met here knows: people are good. And yet they often behave strangely. Everyone complains about their government \u2013 and votes for it again. Madness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chaos, Christians, and the Ku Klux Klan.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Caught between radical right-wingers and devout Christians \u2013 we\u2019re unsure how to react. We should be able to find Trump Voters everywhere. Every second person must be one: 77 million voted for Trump in 2024. 75 million for Kamala Harris. And Klaus\u2019s sister just visited the U.S. with her husband. They live in Africa, translating the Bible. He\u2019s American. We ask him: Why Trump? His answer: \u201cPeople are overwhelmed. So they latch onto the one thing they like and know. And hope the rest will work itself out.\u201d Is it so easy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, Donald Trump is no president.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Trump has the title, but never the dignity.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

He sat and sits in the White House but acted like an internet troll. He calls himself president, but rules like a self-obsessed autocrat. A real president leads a country \u2013 he doesn\u2019t divide it, inflame it, or use it for self-promotion. Trump wore the title, but never earned it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here I\u2019m, standing at the pond while Travis\u2019s eyes hover just above the surface, waiting for Todd to come and feed him. What a strange world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An adventure playground with guns and toothpaste.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, we shoot. Todd\u2019s property is big \u2013 with a \u201cshooting ranch.\u201d And I clean my shoes with a toothbrush and toothpaste. We Fix the lamp holders on the bicycles. Re-waterproof the tent. We drive the tractor, riding the mower, the airboat. Browse secondhand shops for clothing to become cruise-ship presentable. And we have amazing conversations \u2013 non-political ones. When you have friends like Todd, someone like Trump can\u2019t really harm you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Todd: He carries a gun \u2014 and a big heart<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, he always carries a gun. Ready, he says, for whatever may come. As a German, I struggle with that image. It feels foreign, contradictory. And yet, I know few people as warm, generous, and sincere as he is. This man, who walks through life armed by conviction, welcomed us with disarming kindness and showed us his world. It\u2019s hard to reconcile. The truth is: people don\u2019t always fit into our neat little boxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It’s time to leave. Thank you, Todd.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m so glad our paths crossed again. Thank you for your warmth, your help, your curiosity \u2013 and for all the conversations that still echo in our minds. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing you again soon \u2013 this time in Germany, in Berlin. And don\u2019t worry: no guns needed there. Just good coffee, bikes, and open hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n

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America and its hospitality<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As we ride on, we\u2019re once again overwhelmed by unexpected kindness. Americans take us in, offer us a bed, food, and conversation. Hospitality \u2013 not the first thing we associated with planning a trip through the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This, too, is America.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

They welcomed us without hesitation. People who had been complete strangers the day before gave us a home for a while. We cooked together \u2013 vegetarian, of course \u2013 sat around the table for hours, talking about life, dreams, doubts, the state of the world. They helped us without us even needing to ask. Repaired the bag for our tent, adjusted our dragging brake, looked for the best route onward \u2013 or simply rode a stretch of the way with us themselves. We slept in church community halls, beneath stilt houses by the sea, in guest rooms of Tesla drivers, on the deck of a boat in the harbor of Miami. One night, we stayed in a converted bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We went on walks together, along the beach, across abandoned golf courses, feeling a quiet sense of closeness \u2013 even though we barely knew each other. But time and again came that bittersweet moment, when we said goodbye with a long look and a gentle \u201cTake care\u201d and \u201cStay safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one ever cautiously asked where we were from. They asked if we were hungry. Not what we did for a living, but how we were doing. If we needed anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were welcomed like old friends. Not like strangers. This, too, is America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Heading Miami<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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We head slowly toward Miami via the Keys<\/a>. Florida like a daydream: sun, white beaches, palm trees. In between: hurricane damage, crumbling promenades, mansions with \u201cFor Sale\u201d signs. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

And: snowbirds! Retirees with sun hats and golf carts. Honestly? Who can blame them? Miami: Art Deco, Baywatch towers, wealth \u2013 and Miami Vice flashbacks. Tubbs & Crockett. Crazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Before we get on the cruise ship back to Europe \u2013 some thought, a glimpse of the future?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBack in Europe: Where are the amazingly tasty avocados? And why don\u2019t bananas taste the same anymore?\u201d Three years, 31 countries, two bicycles, countless stories. Countries once considered unstable now seem like havens of calm. And now? Back on European pavement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could these be my first thoughts: \u201cWhy is everything so orderly here? Where are the street markets? No dogs to share bananas with. Streetfood will no longer be streetfood. No border guard arguments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead: recycling bins, price tags, traffic light obedience. We\u2019re looking forward to good bread, bike lanes, and stable currencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few more things that left me almost speechless<\/strong> in this America<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Racism \u2013 then and now<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty years ago, I was an exchange student in America I was 16, curious \u2013 but unprepared. Apartheid was a term from the news, but the racism I encountered was very real. Whites and Blacks lived separately. Invisible boundaries, accepted by all. Once, my host sister pulled me out of class. Outside, two armed groups stood facing each other. From that moment on, I lost my innocence. I started thinking about differences. Racism entered my thoughts. Today \u2013 four decades later \u2013 it still exists. Open racism is more subtle. But structural inequality, police violence, discrimination \u2013 they remain. Why are we so slow to learn?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flood of plastic bags used in America supermarkets. Burning garbage and resources in your backyard. Electric shopping carts. And church signs like this one: \u201cHeaven has no open borders \u2013 hell has no exit.\u201d No words. Or “If you don’t want God now, why should we want you later!” and one more: “Sin is like a credit card! Enjoy now, pay later!”. This one final fits perfect to the current president: “The devil is a liar – and he wants roommates”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But another sign in front of a church said: \u201cSign broken. For message, come inside.\u201d I found that charming. Or this one: “Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driving if you want to meet him”. Really the last one: “Some churches preach fire and brimstone. We just use air-conditioning”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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America was amazing \u2013 and without the media flood and constant scrolling, we would\u2019ve cycled on without a care in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We met only wonderful people. Fellow cyclists, friends, drivers, park rangers, the old lady who gave us $20 as a gift \u2013 and so much more. Combined with great bicycle paths, stunning coastal scenery, safety, and as much food as we could eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it was amazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My final Statement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A Statement which certainly doesn’t just apply to America. We were often confronted with the hopelessness and paralysis in the world. That’s why we always talk about our experiences on our journey. The experience when we met young people. Maybe that helps a little to sort things out, to get answers and to trust, not in God, but in the youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSimple over complex \u2013 a dangerous longing\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The deeper we cycle through Trump\u2019s America, the more I find myself asking: How can this be?<\/em> How can a country full of education, diversity and opportunity willingly cling to simplistic answers? Why are Trump flags waving from front porches like he\u2019s part of the family? Why do people believe in a wall more than in shared responsibility?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our world isn\u2019t simple. Climate, war, inequality, the future of work \u2013 these aren\u2019t problems that can be solved with tweets. They require thinking, learning, doubt. I have to stay informed. I have to care. Anything else feels like betrayal \u2013 of those who come after us. Of the children who don\u2019t even know yet how much time we\u2019ve already wasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And still, millions vote for Trump in America again. Not in spite of his simplicity \u2013 but because<\/em> of it. He offers no solutions, only scapegoats. No plan, just a feeling: \u201cI\u2019m on your side.\u201d And that\u2019s enough for many. Because it\u2019s easy. It feels like identity. Because facing the real contradictions of this world takes effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes me truly angry is not just Trump\u2019s return \u2013 but how many of the older generations<\/em> are cheering it on. The same people who lived in decades of prosperity, who still take cheap flights and cruise ships, who call for walls instead of answers \u2013 and leave the consequences to the young. Instead of taking responsibility, they cling to a glorified past while destroying the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s betrayal.<\/em> Not just of reason, but of the young. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Because they will be the ones to live with the heat, the waste, the wars and divisions this politics creates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet: this is exactly where my hope lies. We\u2019ve met so many young people on this journey \u2013 in the U.S., in Latin America, in Asia, in Europe. Bright, brave, and empathetic. They think globally, act locally, dream collectively. They know there are no easy answers, and they don\u2019t want to go back \u2013 they want to move forward. They\u2019re often quieter, but far stronger than they\u2019re given credit for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I\u2019m certain: they will hold us accountable.<\/strong> Maybe not in court, but in conversations, in songs, in the way they look at us. And they would be right to do so. Because we made it hard for them. And still \u2013 they keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How will these lines read in 4 years’ time when, at least as things stand today, there won’t be another term in office for Trump?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here more impressions of our trip through America, a country with an abundance of everything so much beauty, so much kindness. Perhaps you just need to learn to see it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Until now, I didn\u2019t really […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10654,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycling-world-tour","category-usa"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Gulf of Mexico becomes the Gulf of America - world travel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cycling America was great but it also left us with many questions and also fear about a President who is no President.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.streetpepper.de\/worldtravel\/2025\/03\/16\/the-gulf-of-mexico-becomes-the-gulf-of-america\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Gulf of Mexico becomes the Gulf of America - 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