Mit der 2CV-Ente durch Westafrika 2005 - von Ralf und Hans-Jürgen Hoppe -GERMAN-

The poorer the country, the helpful the humans
Through jungle and desert, over mountains and rivers: Ralf and Hans Jürgen Hoppe toured with an AK 400 through Westafrica.
Hans Jürgen Hoppe turned through the travel diary. "Could you still remind of when they slaughtered a chicken for us in Burkina Faso", ask the Ibbenbürener his brother Ralf. The Hagener smiles. "As we got it, it was already eaten up - there was nothing more." Then he shaked with the head, as if the memories of Africa would deceive it. "That was crazy." Crazy, like the journey, which he and his brother in October and November made, when they crossed Westafrica with a converted 2-cv-AK400. Actually the Hoppes wanted to tour through Algeria, Tunisian and Morocco. "But in Algeria nothing runs without leaders - for safety reasons", the 38 old Ralf Hoppe means. And a led journey, did not correspond to their conceptions. The brothers put themselves a new goal: "to see as much as possible of Westafrica." All they needed, was a ship, which transported the car and a port, which the ship could head for. The choice fell on Tema, a port in Ghana, nearby the capital Accra. From there they started by mobile direction home - 10000 kilometres through jungle and desert, over mountains and rivers. And that with an AK 400 .
The preparations for the journey began one year before with the reconstruction of the AK 400: All-wheel drive, second tank, reinforcement of the body. The screwing and welding was taken over by the Hagener. "The car has the advantage that it, if one is skilful, it is quit simple to work on", explains Ralf Hoppe. An advantage, which should disburse itself also during the journey. The breakdown statistics: The transmission unhooked four times, the starter broke down one time, three flatfeet and one time the brakes struck.
For the countries, which the two wanted to cross, they procured the visas in Germany. But not for Mauritania - a mistake as later should turn out. What was still needed? Good road-maps and, not to forget, spare parts. "And those were put at our disposal free of charge by the Vechtaer company "Der Franzose”, Hans Jürgen Hoppe says. The Hoppes took Hamburg as the port of shipment,  "the cheapest variant was 450 Euro, a parking bay on the safety deck was 700 Euro", says the 44 years old Ibbenbürener. Ten days later the brothers got into the plane, which brought them to Ghana.
The first days of the Africa-trip were a patience sample. The Germans long for set out. But the African bureaucrats couldn’t care less. The brothers didn’t came up to the 2cv, which was somewhere in the port area. "As a civilian you don’t have any chance to come in, you must procure an agent, who takes out the car there" says Hans Jürgen Hoppe. Days passed away, the time pressure increased. Because the Africa-drivers wanted to cover the 10000 kilometres  back in five weeks.
"The taxi-driver, who drove us each day from the hotel to the port and back, was the only one who was contend in this time" tells Ralf Hoppe. Then the 2cv was released. The first goal of the Hopppes was the national park Kakum. The national park is famous for its suspension bridges, named Canopy Walkaway, which connects 60 meters high trees. "But we didn’t see much animals, probably all were slaughtered," means Ralf Hoppe. In Ghana learned the team that in Africa occasionally only one way leads to the goal.
A wood transporter had lost its charge. Trunks blocked the road. The Ghanaer took it calmly, the Germans too, inevitably. "They are there all in great form", says Hans Jürgen Hoppe, "and terribly proudly on their country." First comes UNO Secretary-General Kofi Annan, then the national soccer team which qualified itself for the World Cup in Germany. "In Burkina Faso the life changes immediately, notices Ralf Hoppe. The people are poorer, many are illiterates. "But the humans are however friendly and content. "The few they have, they divide gladly. For example the chicken, which was slaughtered in a village in honours of the Germans.
"It is custom there that if an animal is slaughtered, several people eat of it", remembers the Ibbenbürener. "As it was our turn, was actually nothing more on the bones."  In order to be not impolite, they gnawed off the rests.  When the Germans believed, they would have cleaned all edible another African grabbed the chicken. One day the Hoppes thought, a war had broken out. Pick Ups with machine guns on the loading area raced by. Later they got know that that was the President of Burkina Faso on election campaign tour. Bamako, the capital of Mali. "A moved city, the life takes place on the road there", tells the Ibbenbürener.
And actually the Hoppes wanted to lie Bamako left, but: The Germans had still to get  the visas for Mauritania, the next meeting with the African bureaucracy, which costs time again. The Hoppes had never fear about their 2cv. "It was a sympathy carrier", said the Hagener. In cities they always book a hotel, but they spent the night outside, one in the car, the other on the roof under a mosquito net. In the hotels they use only the showers.
After Mali they crossed Senegal ("perished camels lie at the roadsides"), to Senegal Mauritania. "There, at the river Senegal, is the most notorious border crossing of complete Westafrica", remembers Ralf Hoppe. "Without bribes goes there nothing at all."  Jungle, savanne, now desert. In the west Sahara, a region, which belongs to the Kingdom of Morocco today, blew the German and its vehicle the wind so powerfully against that the speed reduced to 60 kilometres per hour. In Morocco the brothers went to the pain threshold of the 2cv.
"As we drove on 2000 metres height in the Atlas mountains, removed the achievement rapidly." But they managed it as well as the rest of the journey through Spain and France to Hagen. The Hoppes remain the memories of humans and landscapes, which others find a threat. Also they bring along a wisdom from Westafrica "the poorer the country, the helpful the humans", said Hans Jürgen Hoppe. The two will probably return to Africa one day. With a 2cv?  "who knows."