A Couple’s Incredible 550,000-Mile Odyssey Through 177 Countries Over 26 Years. In a Single Car. In moments of peak stress, boredom, or desperation for change, we’ve probably all shared the same dream: why not just drop everything and travel. Many are lucky do it for a few months, or even a couple of years, but perhaps no modern travelers have been more ambitious than Gunther and Christine Holtorf, who set out in 1990 on a tour of Africa in a Mercedes Benz G Wagon named ‘Otto,’ and never looked back. Over the next 20 years the trio would rack up almost 550,000 miles (885,139km) across some 177 countries. They never once slept in a hotel, preferring to string up hammocks or sleep inside Otto, a car that required a stockpile of 400 spare parts lashed to the roof for emergency repairs.
Posted by gerardvanderleun at October 14, 2014 7:50 AM
The guy abandoned his 10 year old son to relatives and then a boarding school so that he could run around the world. How touching.
Posted by: D S Craft at October 14, 2014 10:50 AMCorrection, he left his son AND first wife to travel with the new wife.
An intriguing story, but the first thing I thought was, "That's great. But didn't he ever want to have a family?"
He did. For a while.
Posted by: CJ at October 14, 2014 5:41 PMWho the fuck paid for everything? Goddamn leaches.
Posted by: Doug at October 14, 2014 6:46 PMY'all need to read the various links in that story.
A. The guy's first wife died.
B. His second wife traveled with him for a year, after which they divorced.
C. His third wife traveled with him 24/7 for almost 30 years.
D. He paid for it himself.
Givin me the itchy-foot bad. Whatever happens, I will not die in an old-folks home.
What a hollow accomplishment. A strong passion, yes, but why?
My uncle Louie Lozko, we all called him "Letsgo Lozko", he raised bantam chickens. He also saved binder twine.
I asked him why he did it and he told me he wanted to have the world's largest roll of binder twine.
"Mebbe I get me on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour" he said.
Shame the only shot they could get on that monolith that is Cuba, is one that features the "Guantanamo" sign.
Posted by: Will at October 15, 2014 6:09 AM
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