Chapter 11
New World Order and New World
There was a wonderful weather at the beginning of September that time. Both the new developing and consulting company CED Rt. and S’s cleaning firm SERI was busy and things were on their places. All went well on 11 September. S. wanted me to get into contact with one American manufacturer of a special detergent, first I sent a fax to them, but as no answer came I tried to phone to them. Because of difference in time it was to be done in the afternoon. But something was wrong, I couldn’t get connection with the company somewhere around the Great Lakes.
When I left office at four o‘clock by our time I heard an anxious voice from the radio of Susan, I thought it was a radio play. However, when I came home and switched on the radio there I learned what was happening in New York city at that very moment. One of the World Trade Center Towers has already collapsed. I remembered my being in the competing team of the construction bureau at the centenary of Budapest in 1972, as my team-mate told the jury the highest building of the world was the then recently finished WTC. In another hour it was not so any more. It is almost impossible to describe the feeling in my hart. Perhaps it was similar to that people felt at hearing the outbreak of World War I or the bombing of Pearl Harbour. And perhaps Hungarian citizens learning the news about the Trianon dictate.
I didn’t know whether it would make my trip to the USA impossible or only difficult. Fortunately only the latter happened. However, it would become thoroughly different from my notions not only because of the attack on peace. I got a fax from J. a few weeks earlier that she was leaving town for Washington and working there for some months. We had a minor crisis in our friendship, as I didn’t know about her orientation politically and made a remark unacceptable for her. It was about the election campaign, I had never been a great fan of Dubyou – elected by a court instead of simply by number of votes made it even worse – just the opposite with his opponent, and I stated that I would bet on that the more stupid would be elected.
The day after this attack I managed to speak to the company and told the young man on the line I was sympathetic with his people. It is characteristic to the Americans not to be crushed by any tragedy. Even they become more powerful being hit. Maybe, it comes from the Celtic genes through their English origin. Although not all reacted in the way that our future offspring would consider the right one, the measures they took made their country much more secure that it was before that event.
I knew that spending even a week in America is no cheap venture and tried to ensure that I spend as little money as possible. I had a small sum left on my dollar account after the house had been finished. I was to bring it with me and I also organized a credit card usable all over the world. My accommodation was reserved with youth hostels both in New York and in Orlando. I even sent the payment for the first two nights in New York by transfer, but the money would have to make a round trip and – much thinner than when being sent – it would come back. The crew in the hostel wouldn’t be able to find my fax and I would have to pay once more.
I was to start on the 15 October, it was too early to harvest grapes and I could only hope there would be no freezing weather during the week I would be away. There was a bad feeling in me that something could happen to my family and I would not be there to help. But I also wanted to make that trip as America has always been a wonderland for me. With the publishing agent there was an understanding that I would call her as soon as I would be there.
My longest flight had been the one from Moscow to Khabarovsk and back. It took eight hours and seven time zones. This one was a little shorter, but it would be my first one over the ocean. The westward flight was to begin at noon and, as the airplane would compete with the sun, to end at three in the afternoon. I had studied the map of the USA and also J. had brought me a book about that large country earlier. I tried to get all the info, for example I found the hostels by it. The flight was not inconvenient at first, I could look down and saw the landscape in the clear weather. However, after about two hours the hostesses closed the shutters on windows as a film was to be seen, a harebrained family comedy that I didn’t want. But I had to as even lamps could not be switched on as they would disturb the enjoyment of those who wanted to sit in the movie theatre. It was going on this way for about three hours. At last my window could be made transparent again and we were already at the eastern coast of America.
Another two hours passed and my attention left the outside attractions only when supper was served. We landed at Kennedy on time. I was through the check very quickly as I had no baggage beside my Samsonite case and the shoulder bag with daily necessities. Outside I asked a black lady dealing with keeping order, she told me where to catch my bus to the subway station. With that I could ride to upper Manhattan where I found my hostel. Before I reached it I phoned to the agent, but it was only possible to leave a message. I gave an account when I would be in the town and when I leave for home.
My sleep was sound as I was cheated by about three hours because of the westward flight. In the morning I scouted the surroundings and found a small lunch room where I could come back all day. For about three dollars I took my breakfast and started to follow Broadway to the South. I had my eyes open, sometimes I did detours to the river Hudson or at the other direction up to the edge of Central Park. Sometimes I sat down to take a rest, in the mild weather my cap and light raincoat found their way into the bag soon. Just before this trip my old shoes left me one-by-one and I had to take a new one. It was a very good bargain, although its price was high. I could go all day and my feet never ached.
When I reached Midtown everything seemed to me familiar. At noon I began to sense a bad smell, something you experience around places where rubbish is burned. It was in Downtown, I came near to the former place of the two towers. You could not reach it, however, because it was closed by the usual plastic ribbons. The nearest you could go to it was about 300 meters. There was a great bustle where the towers stood. I wouldn’t go there even if I would have an award for it. Instead I tried to see all that was worth. Wall Street for example, or the Old Town Hall. It was almost impossible to take a picture of them, the place was so narrow.
Continuing my way south I reached the end of the island. Before my eyes there was a great open water surface, I knew that it was not quite open, it was New York Harbour. In the distance I saw the small island with the Liberty Statue, I was informed already that it was forbidden temporarily to visit it. I turned to the east, went around and arrived to the East River embankment. I admired the old ships, but this part of the town was not attractive to me. Something like a German industrial town. I climbed Brooklyn Bridge and crossed the river. It was interesting for me to see how different this part of the town looked. I could have been in London, for example. I walked a lot on the quay side and discovered the difference between reality and my mouth-pad at home: here I couldn’t see the towers already.
It was late afternoon and I was very tired. I walked at least 25 km that day. I returned to my hostel by subway, but as I was walking on 103rd Street I remembered that in the morning I had found that I had taken no slippers with me. It had been cold in the common washroom barefoot. In a small shop here I saw a cheep one and took it. Also I bought some food for supper, bread, butter and blueberry jam. After shower and supper I slept very sound. It is worth mentioning that my bed was only one of four in the same room, although only two of them was occupied.
In the morning I learned that a message had been left for me the previous day. It was from the agent who invited me to discussion to a library in midtown the last day I was spend in that city. I was to fly to Orlando the next day, and this one I wanted to spend in Bronx, to see the zoo and the botanical garden. I was experienced already with the subway and rode to the latter. I had some simple maps and they were enough to find my way. I liked it very much. At one place I found a small cave, and an information sheet disclosed it was the bear cave. Continuing my way I found a large area all covered with puffballs still fresh and palatable. Of course I didn’t touch them, because it was inside a public institution.
It was still early and I went to the zoo. I could have rode by bus, but it was not far – at least I thought so. But I was looking for the entrance at the wrong side and at last I made almost a whole circle to find it. Anyway, it was a great experience to see a zoo in almost natural surroundings. When I went hungry I so a sign: “Foot long hot dog.” I bought one, and it was exactly that long, at least the baguette was. Returning to the northern border of Central Park (if I am not mistaken it is 125th Street) I walked to the south along the water reservoir. I might have taken the wrong sequence as all people were running against me. At the southern bank I turned right and went into the Natural History Museum. I didn’t have to pay the USD15 entry fee, they thought I was over seventy. But it was embarrassment of riches and I couldn’t be able to see even half of it. As I was admiring a large stone marked as a meteorite a professional guide contacted me and asked about my home country. We had a long conversation after that.