God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

The day of truth: Do we achieve our goal to get the cars onto the container ship or does all our planning vanish through a closed border? The tour is stressful enough as it is, one does not need this extra excitement. On the other hand days like this one show what kind of team we have created. We all know what to do, our cars are somehow flying over the roads, all drivers exceed the expectations put into them, and with walkie talkies used at all times the coordination of five cars reach full potential. No complains about long driving hours, no complains about missing meals – but is that sufficient?

Yes it is, dear reader, and we have proved to be a team beating time and circumstances. At 6pm on the dot we arrive at customs and Julian aka Che as well as Andreas achieve crossing the border within 2,5 hours. We virtually fly over the roads, no time to see the beautiful landscape, the tropic rain forest and all the farms in the beautiful settings. Sun, rain and a humidity of 80% keep us sweating at all times.

And within 7 hours we reach Colon by leaving Panama City on our right side and crossing the Panama Canal via a huge bridge. At 5.30 pm we are standing in front of the harbor terminal in Colon. And a real chaos awaits us: a truck touched another car and obviously the drivers have to get the damage assessed. All other cars coming from all directions try to circle around the accident – everybody tries it at the same time. Traffic comes almost to a standstill. Truckers start hooting adding to the confusion. In all this chaos nobody takes note that our Katrin is trying to disappear behind bushes for some urgent business, only to get stuck in the marsh and suddenly half of her body is gone underground. Only in the last second she is able to catch a wood and to get herself out of the mess. The laugh is always on the loser and she gets a nickname: Katrin, the grouse.

At the end we get the go ahead to enter the harbor, all cars are photographed in detail and then driven into the readily prepared containers. As we realize that the workers cannot handle the Amaroks on a narrow path within the container hall and that they have difficulty getting out when the car is in the container, we jump in to get the job done. Wooden bars are nailed around the wheels of our Amaroks to secure them and we bid farewell to the cars. It is a strange feeling losing our homes.

While the cars are on the way to Cartagena in Columbia, we will follow them on Monday by plane. But first we head to Villa Michelle with an old minivan, an oasis in a not so pretty suburb of Panama City. Our 3 bedrooms shared by 11 are waiting for us and to be able to shower again after one week is an indescribable feeling. Pizza for all at midnight and still time to draw a resume: We can be satisfied – and there is one sign that we really did well: Joachim is smiling unusually often …

Filed under: Uncategorized, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Move the world, stefan hippler

The first sunlight is already visible when we pack and once again take to the road. Nicaragua at its best: clean roads and resting places, no military road blocks and the people are waving friendly as we pass through the towns and villages.

Horse coaches and cars are parking in front of busy shops, farmers on horseback are on their way with their cattle and the lorries on the road stipulate this kind of nostalgia known from old movies.

At 8 am we arrive at the border to Costa Rica and once again we experience the never ending story of running from office to office, copy here, stamp there, and then the other way around. At 12.30pm we can leave, following a circle of demands and payments. And the result: our timing is once again spoilt and to make this day more remarkable heaven decides to let it rain cats and dogs, thunder and lightning and we have to swim on the streets instead of driving. And then a scene only know from adventure movies: A massive boulder rushes down the steep face of the mountain side and only Sandra’s driving skills and maybe the so called “hand of God” prevents the fatal encounter between car and stone. But to make it worse: the stone crashes against the slope and makes his way back in the direction of Sandra’s car, only to fall apart next to the Amarok. Well, whether it was a guardian angel or Stefan’s prayer or the Provinzial Insurance protecting us in this moment – we are happy that all is ok – luck pure.

The appointment at the University of St Juan we have to cancel. It is indeed a pity as this would have been an encounter with medical students, but we receive note, that the event at the University is not cancelled and so the Round Table and the press conference is taking place without us. So the topic HIV and AIDS are not forgotten this day.

We encounter St Juan, the capital of Costa Rica with heavy traffic as the rush hour kicks in when we make our way through the city centre. Well, one cannot really talk about a rush hour as the traffic stands still for lengthy minutes. And to make it worse: a train is also integrated on the major road and there is heavy competition which vehicle comes first: train or car.

1.5 hours later we have made it, only to be challenged by the so called “death ramp” which leads up in narrow bends up to 4000 m above sea level only to go down again. The road is a graveyard for many cars and lorries and drivers who thought that the narrow bends don’t matter when over taking other cars.

Mahuma is in the lead encountering wet roads, boulders, mud, slow vehicles – and we manage to be at the border to Panama at 11pm. And half an hour too late – customs is closed, seemingly a normality here that officials go home to sleep at night – even if the Internet information gives a 24 hour opening for the border crossing.

And now we have a serious problem, as we have to reach Colon in time to get the cars shipped to Columbia. So it is a night hoping for the best until the custom officials are starting their work at 6 am in the morning.

Filed under: Uncategorized, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Move the world, stefan hippler

It is 4am in the morning and already time to leave. The protection unit is ready to bring us to the next border – again with flashing lights and all that a police car has to offer. And for someone called Mahuma there is a real reason for joy. For the first time in his life he is allowed to overtake the rushing and flashing police car as he drives Max, our camera man and of course we need some pictures of this flashing ride through the night. At 7am we bid farewell to our protectors at the border to Honduras.

Two hours later two representatives of Volkswagen Honduras welcome us directly on the other side of the border, also driving an Amarok. They escort us to the capital Tegucigalpa, where journalists and representatives of various HIV and AIDS organisations are waiting for us. The Round Table is high profile: Mayor Elisa Ramirez and the German Ambassador Karl-Heinz Rode are representing politics and adding value to the HIV activists represented. Regional Director Alberto Stella from UNAIDS for Honduras and Nicaragua is also present to address us.

And the discussion is different and controversial. This is due to the fact, that with Rev Fr Roberto Paiz for the first time a Roman Catholic priest from the local church (besides our very own priest) is present and argues with the others about the condom use related to the prevention question. Even if he is personally not against it, he doubts that condoms are effective as the only tool and underlines the importance of education. Surely this is an important point within the prevention work.

After the handover of a cheque of US$ 500 through Gilma Paola Chavez Melendey of the Banco Lafise we are on the road again for the next stop in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. But this time we are running out of luck and encounter the opposite of hospitality: how to let people pay some extra money. The last of several military checks shortly before the border:
Do we have all necessary equipment belonging to a car, all tools to signal a breakdown of the car? Of course we have – including vests with yellow strips. Hmm – but what about fire extinguisher?  We do not trust our ears, but we understood right: fire extinguishers – well, we figure out that if we even would have these on board, we would be asked as long as need be to get us to the point of capitulation. End of the game: 50 bugs (US$) fine for not having fire extinguisher on board – a simply must have in every car of Honduras…. we learn to believe fairy tales as we go along….

As we enter Nicaragua it is clear that it is too late to attend the planed press conference. So we head in the direction of the capital just to stop after passing it and search for a resting place, away from the busy road in a lovely mountain sierra setting.

Filed under: Uncategorized, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Move the world, stefan hippler

Before 7 am the small little village we call “nowhere“ awakes to life. Snacks with sweet coffee, potteries, cloth, fresh orange juice, vegetables – a colourful and lively picture, only customs decides to sleep one more hour and we need another 90 minutes to get all the paperwork done. We are too late for our meeting in Guatemala City – so it will happen without us. We follow the roads of Guatemala leading us through mountains, partly covered by the typical green of the rain forest.

At 5.30 pm we enter the small border town of San Cristobal, where Klaus Herbener, the security officer of the German Embassy, is waiting for us. He organised a heavily armed military police which will escort us on the way through the country. The reason is that El Salvador is one of the most dangerous countries in the world after nightfall. At 7pm we can leave customs behind us and head to the capital, the police in front of us with all that they have to offer: speed, flashing lights and sirens – and an hour later we reach the capital. In the middle of town under the shadow of the statue “El Salvador del Mundo” we are welcomed by a great reception. Even being hours late because of the corrupt border system of Guatemala,, more than 20 journalists are still waiting for us. Unfortunately the National Minister of Health and UNAIDS head of council, Maria Isabel Rodrigues and labour minister Victoria De Aviles had to leave before our arrival, but the representatives of 7 HIV & AIDS organisations are still eager to meet us.

The acting German Ambassador Thomas Motak also stayed for a cordial welcome. Not to forget to mention the Fundacion Inocencia, which already was supported by “be your own hero e.V.” with Euro 17.500 to sustain their work with kids and youth.

During the day several AIDS organisations had performed on the place through theatre performances, handing out prevention information and offering rapid tests and counselling. Now the Director for HIV and AIDS prevention of the National Ministry of Health, Mrs Anna Isabel Nieto reports about the success in her work. Several NGO´s and Government have joined hands to develop a 5 years National Action Plan and to encourage politicians to speak out publicly about the pandemic.

Later that evening we experience another surprise: The German Embassy has reserved a table at a restaurant to invite the whole team for a meal – and yes, also for a cool beer; well deserved after the last days on the road.

The night we spend in our tents in front of the German Embassy, closely watched by local guards. A really big “thank you” to the German Embassy, especially Thomas Motak and his team. We felt welcomed and cared for in a very special way!

Filed under: Uncategorized, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Move the world, stefan hippler

Easter Sunday – a day of celebration and we want to be part of it. In the morning, Katja and Stefan arrive with small Easter bunnies and sweet cake. Stefan (the team member) celebrates with us as a Catholic priest an Easter service between our cars. His sermon tries to touch on our experience of the last days: we have common grounds, we all want to fullfill our mission of moving the world, and this is so much bigger than small interpersonal animosities, which we have to overcome for the sake of the mission.

At 9 am we bid farewell to the holiday makers and off we go to the coastal region of the Caribbean with 41 degrees Celsius and a sweat producing humidity before returning to the Pacific Ocean.  Crop fields and sierra alternate now as well as a newly tarred road with gravel road pieces in between. Every village shows lots of signs of life with one shop after the other along the street and plenty of garages for every thinkable car brand. And in between a clear military presence:  The province of Chiapas has more military road blocks than the rest of the country. Thank God we have Julian with us, who is named “Che“ because of his Spanish knowledge, his wanna-be beard and his grey cap.  He is able to bring a smile to any policeman’s face within minutes while showering him with all Spanish words describing our tour until the man forgets about checking our car.

But even that does not help when arriving at the border to Guatemala. We pass the Mexican customs without any problems, just to find ourselves at an open immigration office, but closed customs. “Welcome to Guatemala“ reads the big sign hanging above the street and at the right hand side another: “No to corruption“. Next to the non-corrupt officer is a civil looking guy. He explains that there are two ways of crossing the border, the official one, which means to wait until 8 am next morning, or the not so official one which would mean to cross immediately, but that would be the more expensive option. We decide to have clean papers and stay in the no-man’s land between colourful small houses, called “hotel“ or “restaurant“ with lots of mobile vendors in between selling everything you can imagine…

A consequence is that the press conference in Guatemala City, scheduled for 8 am next morning is not an option anymore. Pity for our fight against HIV and AIDS but that is no worry for a border official of Guatamala.

Filed under: Uncategorized, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Move the world, stefan hippler