An almost 50-year-old truck called locally as ‘Wato nkyene’ was driven from Germany in Central Europe to Ghana along the West African coast.

The antique car, a Mercedes Benz LA 911 type, was driven across 11 nations by German travellers Thomas Rahn and Sabine Hoppe before arriving in the country last month.

Mr Rahn, 42, who was just eight years old when the car was built, began the journey in September last year with his boyfriend, Hoppe, 43.

They drove via Austria, Italy, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire before entering the nation from Cote d’Ivoire via the border with Ghana at Sampa in the Bono Region.

In West Africa, they seek enjoyment, sightseeing, discoveries, experiences, learning about the environment, meeting new people, and everything nature has to offer.

Since coming to the nation, the pair has visited tourist attractions and historical landmarks in the Ashanti, Greater Accra, and Eastern regions, and is now in the Volta Region.

Most exciting country

Mr Rahn told The Mirror on June 30, 2023, in the Aburi Botanical Gardens in the Akuapem South municipality, that Ghana was the most exciting nation they had visited since leaving Germany in September last year.

“We are on a trip to countries across Africa; we have driven from Germany down the West coast since September 2022 with this motorhome.

“Ghana brings us to the 12th country that we have visited since leaving Germany. We have now stayed in the country for four weeks and we like it a lot,” he said.

He went on to say that his major goal in Ghana was to explore all of the fascinating locations.

Aburi Gardens

Mr Rahn observed during his visit to Aburi that it had been suggested by certain visitors who had visited the Aburi Botanical Gardens.

Given the chilly weather and the royal palm trees nicely lined up along the entrance road, he said the visit provided a unique chance to spend time in the gardens.

“This visit also offers a good opportunity to take some time to move around and discover the small details happening in the gardens, including the plants and insects,” Mr Rahn explained.

“After spending two days in Aburi Gardens, we are continuing the journey to the Volta Region,” he said.

Means of transportation

The couple’s mode of transportation, a Mercedes Benz LA 911, is a classic recreational vehicle that allows families to tour the world. It is well-known and frequently used in its native Germany.

The 1977 LA 911 is uniquely constructed with many of the conveniences of home, including a kitchen, bed, storage, bathroom facility and a driving cab in the front for the driver’s and passenger’s seats.

Mr Rahn and Mrs Hoppe are global travellers.
Mr Rahn said that travelling on such a great trip took a lot of energy, but he was determined to learn more about West Africa.

“We already know everything about Europe. And so, the inspiration was to know and learn more about all the countries in Western Africa, the environment, meet new people, and understand their lifestyle,” he said.

Mr Rahn and Ms Hoppe stated that there were no difficulties or obstacles crossing borders in West Africa because the car has special travel documents to allow it to drive through the nations previously visited and those yet to be visited.

The paperwork is just reviewed, stamped, and insurance is obtained at the border, making it simple to pass.

In terms of Visitor’s International Stay Admission (VISA), he stated that they obtained them for the following country from where they found themselves.

Ghana’s VISA, for example, was obtained through the Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Food, water

Ms Hoppe, who also spoke with The Mirror crew, was enthusiastic about the reaction in Ghana.

She found the country’s rapid growth and welcoming people to be quite intriguing.

“When we entered the country we went to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region nearly four weeks ago and the plan was to spend just two or three days and exit. However, we ended up staying for 10 days in Kumasi alone and another 10 days in the Central Region, Accra and now Aburi.

“This is because there were too many things to see and discover from the forts to the castles,” she said.

Food was never an issue for her because the goal was to mix with the people, learn, and comprehend by eating the local foods by the wayside.

Ms Hoppe added that they either went to the market to buy the materials or ingredients, made the meals in the truck, or stopped by the roadside to eat fufu, kenkey, or any other native food from the nation they were in.

“So far, we have met only one Ghanaian since we arrived who had said fufu was not a favourite dish,” Ms Hoppe said, bursting into laughter.

Ms Hoppe and Mr Rahn are globe travellers who share aspects of their journey through photographs in Explorer Magazine and photo lectures in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Source: Graphic.com.gh