Welcome to the first world tour of a vehicle powered only by solar energy!
Chicago20.08.2008
Comments: 1
After 7 days crossing the Midwest, we reach the third biggest city in the U.S., Chicago. Our press conference is scheduled for 11AM in front of the Sears Tower. There should be no big hype but we are expecting a few journalists. We still have no clue that after days of strenuous driving, we will be thoroughly pampered here in this city.
Camille Jumly, the Swiss manager of the building, is our savior.
First he allows us a view from the roof of the fourth tallest building
in the world. As recent as 1997, the Sears Tower, with its 110 stories
reaching 442 meters into the sky, was the tallest building in the
world. Numerous elevators catapult us towards the heavens but the last
5 floors can be reached only by stairs. Along the way, we refrain from
looking out any of this building's 16,100 windows so that the
unrestricted view from the very top will be all the more enjoyable. The
view of Lake Michigan and the downtown from atop these windy heights is
simply breathtaking. We have literally reached the high point of our
American journey. Heaven has never been so close.
After days of only fast food and, at times, foregoing nutrition
altogether, an invitation appears from perhaps the most famous cook in
the city. A gift from the sky. Having emigrated here from Switzerland a
good 30 years ago, "Chef Hans" now knows almost everyone in Chicago. He
dishes up a medium steak as well as a crème brûlée, the likes of which
we've never tasted. Once we've recharged our own batteries, our
stomachs are full and we head out on the town for a stroll. Earlier on,
our batteries were, to put it mildly, too spent to explore the city on
foot. We parked the Solartaxi on the street in front of the restaurant
and simply set out from there. We haven't taken a single bus on our
entire trip. Would now be just the time?
Chicagoans will often maintain that this is the most comfortable big
city in the U.S. Huge skyscrapers from various eras, tastefully
adorned, line the Chicago river and, as far we can tell, everything
downtown is accessible by foot. Later, back at the Solartaxi (still no
bus) and back at the Sears Tower, Camille learns that the university
has failed to book us a hotel. On the spur of the moment, he invites
Frank and me to his apartment - on the 53rd floor. We each get a
guestroom with sights of the skyline. The view from my bed of the
city's blazing lights prevents me from falling asleep for a long time
yet, even though I'm actually dead tired. Late-night Chicago has roused
all my vital spirits. We are of one mind that Thomas, our chief
mechanic, has really missed out on something today. He wanted to stay a
bit longer in the Rocky Mountains and so he's simply not in Chicago
but, rather, in some escort vehicle in the middle of the prairie. And
unfortunately we're staying for two and only two nights.
Also unforgettable our great Swiss Consul Mr. Mondada. He has helped to organize the press and setup the events. He even invited us to have a presentation at his place for a whole group of various and very interesting people from the Chicago area, so we could do great networking and we will be connected with Chicago forever.
Then we were invited by the Water TReatment PLant of CHicago, the biggest of this kind in the whole US. I held a seminar there, because in the future, Chicago is planning to get some of the energy for its water treatement plant from solar power, so I got a very interested and high ranking audience. As usual, I also visit one university in each city, and here I was invited by the well known Illinois Institute of Technology, by Prof Ali Emadi. His institute is also working in the field of electric and solar power for cars, so I held a presentation there for his students, before moving on to Detroit. Next on the list is to find out why the American automobile industry is withering away. And whether there's anything at all that can still save it.
by: Camille Julmy
07.09.2008 01:09
Louis, Frank and Thomas
it was indeed a great pleasure to welcome you in Chicago and we were very proud of your amazing journey
Camille