Modern-day Marco Polo rolls into Phl

MANILA, Philippines - Somewhere along the way to 800,000 kilometers, the light-blue Mercedes-Benz 300GD, bought in 1988, ceased to be just a means of travel. It (or perhaps more appropriately, he) became family—a veritable child to owners Gunther and Christine Holtorf.

What began as the Holtorfs’ modestly grand plan to drive in exotic Africa soon became a consuming passion to see the world from behind the windshield. Now dubbed “Otto,” the G-class wagon dutifully took the couple places—and that’s a gross understatement.

From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, Alaska to Tibet, Abkhasia to the Western Sahara, Otto has rolled through them all. Sadly, Christine succumbed to cancer a couple of years ago, but not before admonishing Gunther to continue the journey without her, and see to it that Otto finds a home in the Mercedes-Benz museum after the record-breaking odyssey.

Otto (and Gunther) recently found their way to the Philippines after an arduously long, process. “It took three years to enter your country because of customs,” shares Gunther, and he doesn’t mean culture or traditions, either.

Local officials were wary about this 74-year-old German who wanted to ship in a Mercedes-Benz. After intervention from the German Embassy, and local Mercedes-Benz distributors CATS Motors, Gunther and Otto were finally admitted last May.

TThe numbers say it all: 799,783 kilometers

Gunther wasted no time. He got on the road immediately—first southward, island-hopping around Visayas and Mindanao largely through RORO (roll-on/roll-off) ferries. Destinations included Mt. Apo, Mt. Mayos, Taal Volcano, Bohol, and Puerto Galera, along with Zamboanga, Cotabato, and the ARMM.

“The Zamboanga peninsula is a beautiful part of your country,” he shares. “It’s just a lovely area—green, not overpopulated, small villages, very clean, good roads, good sign postings; the only province in the Philippines to have reasonable sign postings.”

From there, Gunther and Otto went to provinces north of Manila. “The rice terraces, they were out of this world,” he gushes.

At the CATS Motors showroom on EDSA, Otto takes a special place, albeit temporarily, among the latest Mercedes-Benz models. I must say that Otto wears his age and mileage proudly.

“Go inside and take a look,” invites Gunther, and points out to me the speedometer logging 799,783 kilometers. The first seven looks a little out of place. “It only has five digits, so whenever I reach 100,000 kilometers, I take it to Europe. They (Mercedes-Benz people) open it and plaster on the first digit,” he says with a smile.

Beside the well-worn gear shift lever is a vintage GPS gadget Gunther has been using for almost two decades. It gives him “coordinates, speed, and direction.” These, along with a map, are all he needs.

Also on the center console is a jar with a yellow-colored liquid. Gunther holds it up for our group of writers to see. “No, it’s not urine,” he flatly declares. It’s a diesel additive that he buys in Europe, and pours into the tank everytime Otto gases up. “It’s vitamins for the diesel, and it cleans the engine valves—the entire system of the car.”

On the dashboard sits a sun-bleached Garfield toy that has held its position for more than 23 years, according to Gunther. And from the rearview mirror hangs, among other things, a picture of his beloved Christine—still a part of the momentous journey.

An airline industry veteran of some 30 years, Gunther grew weary of traveling through the air, and promised to himself he would explore the world from the ground. So Gunther and Christine went to explore the dark continent—Algeria to South Africa, until they were struck by a fateful idea to drive across the globe.

Today, Otto has journeyed the equivalent of 20 laps around the equator since 1989. And through it, Gunther has devotedly stuck with him. They make a winning, and winsome, pair.

At any given time, Gunther lugs around some 400 original spare parts for the vehicle—parts that he himself installs if it needs replacing. He lugs a crate out of Otto’s rear door and displays a bewildering array of gaskets, O-rings, and such. Sometimes a small part is all that’s keeping you from being bogged down, he says.

Otto crosses a log bridge

That’s particularly crucial since, by and large, Gunther shuns typical tourist spots in favor of more exotic destinations—much to the chagrin of embassy officials. “If I had followed embassy instructions, I would miss many many countries,” he insists. One of his feats was being invited by the late North Korean strongman Kim Jung Il.

This also means his trips are not officially sanctioned by Mercedes-Benz, although distributors do step in occasionally to lend a hand—and if Gunther asks for it. Fiercely independent, Gunther does not travel the world in first class. He wants to experience the grit, grime, and the real.

Otto’s second row has been refashioned into makeshift sleeping quarters. Spacious storage compartments lie underneath. The roof accommodates some 500 kilos (yes, that’s kilos) worth of cargo. Gunther shares that the total laden weight of Otto is an unflattering 3,300 kilos, but that’s because of all the essentials he loads up.

Depending on where he is, Gunther can sleep in the car, or string up a hammock. “A duyan,” he says.

Which brings up the question: Isn’t he afraid of getting kidnapped or robbed?

Gunther shares that it’s about using one’s wits, and common sense. For one thing, he doesn’t go around announcing where he would be at a given date. There’s no official website, no significant public relations blitz, no promotional stickers on Otto, nothing.

“Kidnapping never happens on the spot,” he says. That means he never stays long at any given place. “If you’re just going through there, there’s no problem.” Gunther also often fakes people by saying he’ll go one direction, then promptly motors away in another.

Of driving in the Philippines, he laments: “You have too many tricycles! The tricycles are dictating the speed on the highway.” Gunther reports, with much fascination, seeing as many as 15 people aboard a tricycle.

“And nowhere else in the world do you find a sign that says ‘don’t text and drive,’” he says with a grin. “It appears that half of the population is permanently texting the other half of the population!”

When Gunther and Otto conclude their epic travel next year, the pair would have logged some 850,000 kilometers in 210 countries. Otto will retire in style at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany—earning a well-deserved place at the hallowed ground, even as Gunther keeps a promise for his beloved Christine.