Planning a Panamerican journey

[filthyfrenchbum]

In about 2 months' time, a good friend and I are headed South.

That's pretty much all we know right now, but we'd like to dirtbag it for 6 months to a year, with about $10,000 of safety money to hopefully take us down all the way to Ushuaia. Vaccines and visas in hand, we wanna go with as little gear as possible (a sleeping and a camera should be enough on top of a few clothes and a hammock), and really go with the flow.

To make it more of a project than a vacation, we are thinking about trying to work in every country we stop in (Woofing, or anything really), and document as much of the journey as possible.

That's a whole lot of unknowns, but the most pressing question is regarding transportation: costs of gas and general maintenance of a car are quite unappealing, so what is a good alternative, short of walking? Ride share, hitching, sailing, maybe cycling to Mexico and buying a motorcycle there (anyone know how feasible this is)? We both speak Spanish, aren't assholes, and meet people easily, and my friend's a good mechanic if that helps.

All suggestions, couches, recommendations, ideas for sponsorship, etc are more than welcome. I hope to be shredding pow in Argentina with some of you a year or so down the road!

[Tye 1on]

Buy a VW bug in Mexico?

I don't know shit, actually, but this thread has hall of fame potential written all over it and i just wanted to get in early...

[filthyfrenchbum]

All we know is that it's happening, or else I wouldn't be posting this from buttfuck middle of Nunavut (arctic Canada) where I'm cooking 12 hours a day to save up for this.

No hookers and blow advice, or we won't get very far. May have to skip Colombia and Bolivia...

[belgian]

No hookers and blow advice, or we won't get very far. May have to skip Colombia and Bolivia...

You may want to try a Middle East road trip instead... just skip the whole SA continent.

[Meathelmet]

Damn. There is a lot of HC stuff to be done in the world but that kind of trip, well, damn!!

I have a few friends that have "tried" to do it,some europussies, and from what I heard of them, it will be interesting...

They didnt manage to do it via the land.

For them, their probs were ,for what I recollect, the mid part.
Honduras was such a shitshow that they skipped it and went via el salvador, wich wasnt any groovier.
But what everyone said, things Really stalled when they tried to get the panama-colombia thing done (the last part, the carratera panamericana?).
They tried to do it for 1-2 weeks but they said it was dodgy beyond anything imaginable...
So they took a plane to cali or somewhere where they continued further.

south america was a blast, but the mid part...they still shiver.

Things might have changed but afaik, there still aint no road from panama to columbia. Wich,apparently is because some country up north does not want that to happen..

[filthyfrenchbum]

We're going to take a boat across from Panama to Cartagena or Medellin. No desire to mingle with paramilitaries or farcs.

Damn. There is a lot of HC stuff to be done in the world but that kind of trip, well, damn!!

I have a few friends that have "tried" to do it,some europussies, and from what I heard of them, it will be interesting...

They didnt manage to do it via the land.

For them, their probs were ,for what I recollect, the mid part.
Honduras was such a shitshow that they skipped it and went via el salvador, wich wasnt any groovier.
But what everyone said, things Really stalled when they tried to get the panama-colombia thing done (the last part, the carratera panamericana?).
They tried to do it for 1-2 weeks but they said it was dodgy beyond anything imaginable...
So they took a plane to cali or somewhere where they continued further.

south america was a blast, but the mid part...they still shiver.

Things might have changed but afaik, there still aint no road from panama to columbia. Wich,apparently is because some country up north does not want that to happen..

[climberevan]

I drove from CO to Costa Rica over a period of about 8 weeks some years ago in an '84 Taco that I picked up for $500. You can imagine what kind of condition a $500 Toyota truck was in...

Anyway, it was good time, and I would definitely do it again. Since then I have motorcycle toured extensively throughout Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, and can cofirm that these are the easiest and most rewarding of the Central American countries.

Honduras's northern border is notorious among motorized travellers, and deservedly so. Getting through it remains one of my most distasteful travel memories. Be sure to give yourself an entire day if you want to do it without paying too many bribes. The other borders are easy, especially if you're saavy and speak Spanish.

Otherwise, the choicest advice I have to offer is this: buy a decent, but not newish, 4x4 Taco and drive it there. You may be able to pay for your trip by selling the truck in CR or Panama, and you will definitely not lose money on the truck. This is technically illegal, and the countries will all stamp your passport with a vehicle entry stamp, but if you fly out they (probably) won't check for it. When I sold my truck down there there was a bidding war, even though it had lost its muffler along the way, the rear brakes were non-existent, and it required a half-can of ether to get going. I even made a few bucks on it. Other vehicles could work, but their #1 choice is a Taco (in Guatemala especially you'll hardly see anything else on the road).

Have fun!

[MontuckyFried]

We're going to take a boat across from Panama to Cartagena or Medellin. No desire to mingle with paramilitaries or farcs.

Apparently that's about the only semi-safe way to do it. Otherwise, you have to make your away across the Darién Gap http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dari%C3%A9n_Gap Does NOT look easy, or safe.

Doing a quick google search on "how to drive from Panama to Colombia" provided lots of interesting stories. Lots of challenges. From what I read, you better line up a recommended boat captain beforehand.

It was also pretty interesting looking up that area on Google Maps. Straight jungle. Won't be easy, but could be one hell of an adventure!

[Meathelmet]

We're going to take a boat across from Panama to Cartagena or Medellin.

Boat?



And hopefully you have the K&R sorted.

[todug27]

vespas... dumb and dumber style.

[Tunco]

El Sal is pretty groovie if you ask me.







I can understand where peoples hesitation comes from but we never had a problem. You can always take King Quality or Tica Bus from Tapachula and skip Guatemala/Honduras/El Salvador/Nicaragua or you could not be a pansy and meet some cool cats.

Toyota is a relativity new brand in Mexico, so parts can be hard to come by for old yotas. South of Mexico is a whole different story.

[MakersTeleMark]

Peruse the In Progress Adventures and Completed Adventures forums over at Expedition Portal. Years worth of TR stoke to give you ideas.

[filthyfrenchbum]

vespas... dumb and dumber style.

Actually, I thought that would be a great idea to travel light and cheap on gas...probably not great on dirt roads but who cares! Might look into it further.

Meathelmet, what's K&R?

[filthyfrenchbum]

So we're cycling this bitch. Leaving in just over a month. Trying to gather a few pro deals to tune up the camping and bike touring gear.

Where should we go in Western Washington, Oregon, California, keeping it mostly coastal? I've been south to the Redwoods but that's about it.

If you know cool people (including yourself) along the way and want to grab a beer or go for a ride please let me know!

[HobieTony]

Peruse the In Progress Adventures and Completed Adventures forums over at Expedition Portal. Years worth of TR stoke to give you ideas.

Second this. Good, inspiring info there.

[hutash]

If you come through Ventura (north of Los Angeles) we can find a couch for you.

I can give plenty of beta, at least for the southern half of California, but I am reasonably familiar with the northern have, but not as much as the mags up there. It is a big state.

[Hugh Conway]

post pics.

[filthyfrenchbum]

Hutash, we'll try and swing by!

Currently browsing expedition portal, thanks for the link!

In terms of technology/media: what to bring? Laptop is out of the question, anything as big as a tablet with a screen is questionable to me. What could be a good combo of a web browsing device and external hard drives, on top of a few SD cards? Many pictures to be taken!

Also, what kind of stovel fuel do you figure we'd be able to find across the Americas? Propane?

[Tye 1on]

Hutash, we'll try and swing by!

Currently browsing expedition portal, thanks for the link!

In terms of technology/media: what to bring? Laptop is out of the question, anything as big as a tablet with a screen is questionable to me. What could be a good combo of a web browsing device and external hard drives, on top of a few SD cards? Many pictures to be taken!

Also, what kind of stovel fuel do you figure we'd be able to find across the Americas? Propane?

i'd go for one of the multi-fuel MSR stoves; diesel, white gas [petro in a pinch] and kerosene...

[Meathelmet]

Meathelmet, what's K&R?

Kidnap & ransom, ia, K & R insurance.


Edit: With the stoves, go with one that takes all possible fuels.
And take all possible cleaning kits with you, nasty stuff will clog the stove at some point.
If possible, 2-3 extra nozzles could be dandy.
The guys that have done some trips, said that never rely on the gas. It is non existent outside the grid.
So mainly it is the the multifuel stoves with some diesel/alcohol/rank/rum kind of mix. Small possibility for normal pro/bu coleman or screwtap.

[spook]

All we know is that it's happening, or else I wouldn't be posting this from buttfuck middle of Nunavut (arctic Canada) where I'm cooking 12 hours a day to save up for this.

No hookers and blow advice, or we won't get very far. May have to skip Colombia and Bolivia...

i hear the jails are quite accommodating to foreigners.

[spook]

El Sal is pretty groovie if you ask me.







I can understand where peoples hesitation comes from but we never had a problem. You can always take King Quality or Tica Bus from Tapachula and skip Guatemala/Honduras/El Salvador/Nicaragua or you could not be a pansy and meet some cool cats.

totally agree

[hutash]

Another vote for MSR International, it will burn anything including donkey piss. A couple bottles and you are good for a couple of weeks with a little fuel management.

Also get a good water purifier that screens viruses, most don't.

I would think an iPhone and upload frequently to the cloud. A hard drive is just something else to get lost or stolen.

[filthyfrenchbum]

Fkna, keep the advice coming!

Travel Insurance - when shit really hits the fan, which one will actually come through?

[TijmenDal]

Wow, am I jealous! I'd really like to do something like this some day and make a photo documentary out of it. Have fun!