Turning Around: Puerto Varas to San Martin del los Andes
For the first time in 25 months, the little digital compass readout on our rearview mirror (a mirror rendered otherwise useless with our huge camper in the truck bed) shows an N instead of an S. We are heading north. Yet getting back into the rig after hitting our goal of Ushuaia, and then Antarctica, feels a little anticlimactic. I don’t have the energy to psyche myself up for the long drives anymore, and John isn’t as enthusiastic for them either. We’ve been in mostly cold
Patagonia! - Pto. Guadal to Pto. Tranquilo
Patagonia. The land of the explorer, the outlaw, the exiled – people drawn to the sheer enormity of its physical space. This is where the rivers run turquoise and lakes are so clear you can see right to the bottom. Where condors fly overhead and wild guanacos join you for breakfast. It is also where the wind blows incessantly. Patagonia is one of the crown jewels of our journey and we were excited to finally get here. Patagonia covers about 260,000 square miles in size—roughl
Penguin Distraction: Punta Tombo to Dos Bahias
I started this blog post writing about penguins. And eventually it will be about penguins. I have gone back and forth on writing about this here. But this week I woke to news so disheartening, so...disturbing, I have to deal with the emotions that are clouding my days now as we sit in one of the most remote places on earth. I woke to the news of the election, and as if I were a watching some “end of the world” movie - the evil villain had actually won. I don't recognize the c
On the Run: San Pedro de Atacama to Iguazú Falls
Sometimes I feel like we are on the run from the law. Like we’re fugitives. We move locations every couple of days making us hard to track down. A stash of U.S currency is hidden in the bowels of our truck, and every few weeks we find little bits of some other country’s currency in pockets, wallets, or behind seat cushions. No one in their right mind would hang out in some of the towns we sleep in so they are perfect cover. Endless police checkpoints make us sit up, expecting
Mission to Mars: Southwest Bolivia
After the incredibly beautiful moonscape that was the Salar de Uyuni, we were off to our next destination (or planet) depending on how you viewed the landscape – the Lagunas Route through the Eduardo Avaroa Preserva. The next several days were for me (as was the Salar) a highly anticipated mini adventure. During the years leading up to our 2014 departure from Marin, I read many blogs and lived vicariously through those travellers. I would follow their travels and make notes o
A trip to the moon: La Paz to Uyuni
The Southwest corner of Bolivia is a harsh and intimidating landscape. The Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia and the Southwest circuit (also known as the Lagunas Route) are on almost every Overlander’s bucket list. We tackled the Salar first. The largest salt flat on earth, the “Salar de Uyuni” spans more than 4,000 square miles at an altitude of 12,000 feet. It is an other worldly place - vast, austere, like being on the moon. This beautiful moonscape is where temperatures can swin
We're back! Let's do this: Lake Titicaca
So, we are back in Lima! After a long flight from Amsterdam, we gathered our bags and head out of the airport to meet up with overlanding friends Ben and Emma (www.flightlesskiwis.com). We met and traveled with the Kiwi’s way back in Mexico and they FINALLY caught up to us in Peru. They rented an apartment to accommodate Ben’s parents who weren’t set to arrive in a couple of days and graciously offered us a room for two nights before we headed to Cusco. It was great to catch
Our Dutch Life in the city: Amsterdam
"Head on a swivel. Always remember, head on a swivel". Those words are our mantra the minute we step out of the train station in Amsterdam. Bicycles wiz by in every direction, their bells dinging menacingly at the constant flow of clueless tourists stepping off the curbs. The bike culture here is such an interesting way of life. Almost everyone we talk to commutes to work by bike. Life here is conducted on the bike. Business men and women ride in expensive suits, briefcases d
Our Dutch Life in the country: Waalwijk to Friesland
Touching down at Schipol Airport, I mentally prepared myself for a whole new existence out of the camper. I was looking forward to living in a house, seeing the familiar faces of my family and the comforts of “home”. What struck me right away was the order of things. It looks so clean and nice. Everything seems to work here, and the order not only creates a more quiet place in my mind, but it also feels quiet. And peaceful after the chaos of the Peruvian roads. The order of
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