God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Today we enter the Mexican plateau after climbing up and down with many curves, which take us up to 3000 m. The sun is burning on a very dry and brownish looking landscape, sometimes interrupted through very green spots between big lakes. A fascinating and partly breath taking landscape – but also an expensive one, as one toll gate is following the next with heavy rates on each mile to go.

And suddenly we thought about another bill as a police car is signaling us to stop on the right hand side of the road. Our bad conscience is immediately kicking in, as we did not follow exactly the speed limit. But Julian, our gifted Spanish speaking team member can clarify the situation: the policeman is just curious and with some information and the Spanish flyers he leaves us with a smile on his face.

Early evening we arrive in Mexico City while a thunderstorm is cooling down temperatures from 34 to 20 degrees Celsius: what a relief! But it also helps us to keep cool while finding our way through the centre of the mega city as the main motorway around the city is closed for traffic. And actually, we do a good job; a good rehearsal for other major cities still to come.

Our day ends in Puebla later that eve where we are expected by Katja and Stefan, previous employees of Volkswagen Puebla. They are on vacation right now and have organised a place to sleep on the factory grounds of VW. A very much guarded place for us to sleep without worries after being surprised by nachos, olives and sweets and for everybody a can of beer. What a treat!!

This also lifts the mood. In the last days the typical expedition interpersonal finding process with the usual up´s and down’s occurred, a consequence of a lack of sleep, an unusual rhythm of sleep, foreign food and the unusual closeness of people not knowing each other. This creates some tensions which could not be solved in the rush of the last days driving from one point to the next. This evening there is the opportunity to release tension and to clarify – a necessary exercise to grow together as a team.

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

We have done it: the feared road between Los Mochis and Tepic lies behind us and we are all in good spirit. There was only one brief moment of excitement as gun shots like sounds were heard in the car of Mahuma, Max-Martin and Sandra. First ducking, then exploring, at last relief: the safety harness of the cover of the roof tents went off and crashed against the car roof. Lucky us!  To be honest: there was no feeling of fear and anxiety, we followed the advice of the locals to go via the expensive toll road and as it is Good Friday, there is no heavy traffic and it seems that also the Catholic Mafia are in church today.

So we pass lovely crop fields and cattle herds, enjoy the sunshine and 30 degrees Celsius and finally the view onto the white beaches of Mexico and the Pacific.

But in the late afternoon the picture changes: more military, more check points, more road blocks, heavy guns, pools of police cars – never one alone. We are relieved to reach Tepic, heavily protected by military inclusive heavy weaponery – and inside town an almost perverted feeling of safety and security.

Our night camp is at the backyard of big Pemex petrol station next to huge American trucks. For the first time in days we can cook, we can shower and use the satellite antenna to send out our reports to Germany. And we feel safe to sleep under the protection of the security guard of the petrol station and our own night watch. What a treat…

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

Is it that easy to leave the US and to enter Mexico? The man from the US boarder police tells us that all papers will be stamped by the Mexican authorities. They on their side are interested to see one of our roof tents being erected; and then we are invited to enter Mexico. No talk about any papers or carnets de passage. Well, let’s wait and see…

At 8 am we meet the local VW dealer and it looks like a big event: Room for all our 5 cars to stand in the show room around the tables and chairs for the press conference, and a buffet is also waiting to be served. After the usual 1.5 hours waiting period for guests to arrive, journalists and TV crews are present. Knowing that it is Easter holiday time, we appreciate that Rodolfo Calixto Medoza, the representative of Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge for Mexico, has arrived from Puebla to welcome us and make sure that we feel at home in the VW family. We do indeed: a well attended press conference, a delicious Mexican meal and some presents change hands: Joachim Franz receives a painting called the „Woman of independence“ and for all other team members there is Tequila (no, not to be drunken before driving again) and some cultural goodies. Songs are presented by workers of VW and Roberto Gonzales Garcia, el chefe of the VW representation of Tijuana, promises 1 Euro from every employee of the company. And he reveals that he also has been affected of AIDS: his cousin died as a consequence of HIV.

But despite the great time we have had at the dealership: we must leave at a certain point. And as a last gesture of hospitality, Rodolfo Calixto Mendoza brings us back to immigration to sort out all our carnets de passage and passports. Otherwise we would have been hold up a bit later at one of the check points of police and military – and Mexico can be an expensive country in that way getting paperwork done afterwards.

At 4pm we drive in direction Mexcali, We have to go further. As our hosts describe there is a part of the motorway, a stretch of 800km around Mazathlan, which is extremely dangerous  because of drug trafficking incidents and car hijacking possibilities at night.  Therefore: only to be tackled during day time and with caution.

So we drive through a mild night in direction Caborca and Hermosillo.

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

The first Round Table of the expedition:  The German Consul General in San Francisco, Mr Peter Rothen, has invited high profile professionals from different walks to discuss the situation of HIV and AIDS in San Francisco and the world. Amongst them Mrs Cecila Chung, who is leading the local commission for human rights, Mrs Courtney Mulhern-Pearson, representing the leading local San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Mrs Elisabeth Geoffroy, program manager and evaluation officer of the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance and Dr. Stephen F Morin from the Centre for AIDS Prevention Studies at the University of California. An additional guest was Dr Bernhard Hunke, Director of the Volkswagen Electronic Research Lab of Volkswagen in Silicon Valley as the representative of the major sponsor of the expedition, as well as various representatives of the media.

Joachim Franz talks about the expedition, Stefan Hippler is the moderator of the Round Table’s discussion.  The discussion focuses on the local AIDS situation, but also specific questions around stigma, the taboo around sex education, the connection between HIV and drug and alcohol abuse, the question of resistance and cure, the “Berlin Patient” and the learning curve and connections between different situations like the USA and South Africa. A final report at the end of the expedition will present all results of the Round Tables.

After the meeting the team spent some time to document the visit for the media, conquering some of the steeper streets of San Francisco. Tourists gathered to photograph our vehicles and we used the chance to answer questions about the Amarok, not known yet in the USA, and about our tour and the awareness of HIV and AIDS. So many flyers were given out that the question remains whether we have enough for the rest of the tour.

After the rush of photographers, well-wishers and tourists, we had to leave this beautiful town in the rush hour, added by the closure of streets due to the visit of President Barak Obama, which made it a painstaking exercise. Unfortunately we had not budgeted time and money for the Presidents Fundraising Dinner – but nice to know that he was in town too…

Till sunset the sun of California accompanied us on our trip to the South, and we made it till Los Angeles, where we could catch a couple of hours sleep on a parking ground, before moving on again.

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