Gunther Holtorf was born in Germany in 1937 and spent many years working in the aviation and shipping industries, including a role at Lufthansa and later as a managing director at Hapag-Lloyd. In 1988 (or late 1988/early 1989), he made a radical decision: he quit his job, bought a 1988 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen (nicknamed “Otto”), and set out on what was supposed to be an approximate 18-month trip across Africa. But what began as a short adventure turned into a multi-decade world tour. Gunther and Christine traveled for many months each year (eventually nearly continuously) in Otto, covering hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Reports record over 800,000 km (about 500,000+ miles) and visits to more than 170 countries or territories over 20+ years. They ventured into places many travelers rarely attempt, from remote African regions and the Himalayas to North Korea. Gunther is believed to have been among the first Westerners to drive a private car into North Korea. The journey wasn’t abou...