Travelogues & Stories
Haalboom’s extraordinary ‘travelogue’. Part 1
Haalboom stands for rescue. Rescuing jobs that nobody wants to take on because they are deemed unfeasible, too complicated or too dangerous. Nothing new so far. But the fact that we now also stand for rescuing gods and their 3000-year-old temples makes us happy, as good relationships – even at the very, very top – certainly speak in our favour.
Wait a minute, Yeha?
Right. Yeha is a small village in the stony but highly impressive landscape of Ethiopia in the north on the border with Eritrea, surrounded by wild deserts and daring routes. The special thing there is the aforementioned pre-Christian temple, which the German Archaeological Institute, an organisation of the German Federal Foreign Office, wants to save from cultural decay. This means that special supporting building materials have to be packed and transported in 2 containers from Berlin via Hamburg, then Djibouti, then via Addis Ababa to the small town of Yeha. Why doesn’t anyone want to take on this job?
Even if this job did not harbour so many dangers, many would have failed because of the additional difficulty of getting a crane on site. Doesn’t sound difficult. But if there is only ONE crane company within a radius of 1000 kilometres, you should have excellent contacts to get one.
But first we have to get there safely! The perilous journey from Berlin to Djibouti alone takes 4 weeks. From there it then takes a good 5 days by lorry for the 1000 kilometres to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Then another 1000 kilometres to Yeha. By container ship straight across the Indian Ocean. Not nice! Because pirates are concentrated there. It won’t be any safer on land: warlike fighters thanks to rampant tribal feuds, organised crime and endless ‘roads’ riddled with potholes only outline a small preview of the impending adrenaline rushes for the drivers. We will not let our drivers and the lorries with the building materials out of our sight.
We will report regularly on this journey And of course, we will make it! Just as we have always fulfilled every assignment – however dangerous or problem-laden it was – in time. We’ll be in touch.
Why does the ‘impossible’ give hope?
Because the ‘impossible’ can only be refuted through courage and skill. And through close, trusting cooperation! Hilal from Juba, Alaa from Port Sudan, Kaddidja from Djibouti and – not to forget – the German Embassy in Addis Ababa have demonstrated this. We have them and the three men mentioned above to thank for a masterstroke of expertise and skill: after more than 1000 kilometres of impassability (in every respect), they managed to deliver the urgently needed containers of building materials to Yeha – exactly on time. But what is so special about two inconspicuous, almost boring-looking brown ‘boxes’?
Do we remember?
Yeha in Ethiopia (in the far north on the border with Eritrea), a small village in the middle of Africa with a 3000-year-old Sabaean temple threatened by complete decay – far from the interest of mankind and even further away from any possibility of being reached by transport! Too far from Berlin (where the necessary building materials come from), too dangerous a journey overland! Pirates, warriors, criminals and road conditions that could mean certain death. Every international freight forwarder knows that there can be complicated orders. But, like no other international freight forwarder, we take on exactly those requests and ‘cases’ that every other one categorises as impossible, too dangerous and reckless. Apart from the interest – who cares about an ancient temple somewhere in Africa that needs two containers full of special materials? From Berlin to Yeha in 91 days; that’s the plan. The first sigh of relief after a four-week voyage across not always calm seas was followed by the ‘reception’ in the Republic of Djibouti, with customs and clearance procedures that make all the administrative procedures in good old Germany seem like a walk in the park! Endless debates, days of waiting with ever new discussions about the wrong or right formulations and phrases; it takes more than a healthy circulation. Even we needed nerves of steel!
But the nerve training paid off. At the latest when it came to the next challenge, namely to organise the only crane available within a radius of 1000 kilometres on site in Yeha in good time! This task could only be topped if this very crane broke down… Well, and that’s exactly what happened!
Keeping calm, acting quickly and good relationships are required when you have to procure special spare parts for this crane from Addis Ababa, 18 hours away. And, of course, someone who can install them and who also (happens to) have the time. Our client, the German Archaeological Institute, demonstrated admirable trust throughout. Respect and thanks!
We are delighted that, together with all our contributors, we have once again succeeded in keeping our word and giving hope.
… We reach Africa via the best connections!
It is not a new realisation, but the basis of a successful economy is the efficient connection from A to B. Sounds logical, but is rarely the case. And if there are already difficulties in Europe because of the different rail networks, for example, then the issue of ‘connections to Africa’ is a much bigger one.
Expertise is required for this very special and highly complex continent. And knowledge of people, cultures and opportunities to connect Africa and Europe professionally in the transport sector.
OTTO HAALBOOM Internationale Spedition has built up precisely these valuable ‘best connections’ to the black continent over decades. warzen Kontinent over decades. Even southern Africa will be accessible for larger air freight transports thanks to Haalboom’s unique cooperation with Air Namibia, which will soon have upgraded its current fleet of ten Boeings and Airbuses to 14.
Due to the growth of the countries and the increasing supply problems – especially in Africa – reliable carriers of all sizes are needed to deliver any order, no matter how extensive or complicated, on time. The right aircraft, the right ship, the right lorries or trains – in containers, as general cargo and hazardous goods. Whether entire quayside facilities, cranes, solar systems, relief supplies or highly sensitive luxury goods – the
WE MOVE. With heart and mind.
Those who give up cannot help!
But commitment is required. And more and more often in areas of the world where unrest and wars are limiting accessibility. These limits can only be crossed with a lot of experience and fearless creativity. But that’s exactly what you can’t expect from every import and export company. This is because such areas require extensive local knowledge and, if possible, personal agents on the ground who can handle both cultural and infrastructural complications. So it was no coincidence that this ‘problem case’ also landed on the desk of Otto Haalboom Internationale Spedition after clear cancellations from the competition. The order: transport and installation of a solar plant in Mali. The promised photovoltaic system, which was very important for the area around Mopti in Mali (a good 300 kilometres from Timbuktu), was in danger of not arriving at its destination due to increasing unrest.
Dangerous?!
The dealings with those responsible on site were too uncertain! The overall situation is too unreliable! You can only start where others give up if you are familiar enough with the problems of a country and its special features to be able to offer clever solutions. In this case, it was not so much the transport solutions that were needed, but all the more the comprehensive consulting and mediation expertise within the West African region. So we were once again ‘sent into the desert’! The sensitive modules were transported to Africa by air freight. The photovoltaic system is now up and running in Mopti, just in time as promised. Without any complications, which were only prevented because even the necessary specialised personnel were provided directly by Haalboom.
The Haalboom philosophy is not ‘No job is too complicated’ for nothing. And we are always happy to prove it. Not only for our customers, but also for the people in this world who depend on our efforts.
