title: For Love and a Beetle: A Tale of Two Journeys
author:  Ivan Hodge 
description: After the death of his mother, Ivan Hodge was reflecting on the past. Sorting through the memorabilia of 35 years, he and his wife Beth realized that their 1961 trip across Europe and Asia had been a unique adventure for them and their family. All the letters, postcards, and tape recordingsg had been saved. It became obvious in 1996 that they should do it again. The original 1961 Beetle was back in their possession and they had the leisure and enthusiasm for travel. With the help of writer Petronella McGovern, they were able to chronicle their two momentous trips and the result is "For Love and a Beetle."
zlib_text: **The Partner**
  
  >  **The Partner**
  
  > The Partner
  
  >  **The Partner**
  
  >  **One**
  
  > I FOUND HIM in Ponta Pora, a pleasant little town in Brazil, on the border
  > of Paraguay, in a land still known as the Frontier.
  
  > They found him living in a shaded brick house on Rua Tiradentes, a wide
  > avenue with trees down the center and barefoot boys dribbling soccer balls
  > along the hot pavement.
  
  > They found him alone, as best they could tell, though a maid came and went
  > at odd hours during the eight days they hid and watched.
  
  > They found him living a comfortable life but certainly not one of luxury.
  > The house was modest and could've been owned by any local merchant. The car
  > was a 1983 Volkswagen Beetle, manufactured in Sao Paulo with a million
  > others. It was red and clean, polished to a shine. Their first photo of him
  > was snapped as he waxed it just inside the gate to his short driveway.
  
  > They found him much thinner, down considerably from the two hundred and
  > thirty pounds 