Way back in the spring of 2010, when we were planning our ‘final’ circumnavigation route we used Google maps to locate two points exactly opposite each other to be our antipodal points. One was in north eastern Mongolia, the other on Ruta 7 in so...
We have reached our second antipodal point, with a massive cheer.
We left Cochrane around mid-morning. Reading our map suggested it should not be too long a drive, although the narrow winding roads made it difficult to get a good time esti...
Just before we left Palenque I noticed the dreaded topes had broken my pannier rack again in the same place it was welded before so I was quite glad when we hit the main road to Villahermosa, smooth (er) tarmac and no more speed bumps. We made great ...
Story: Bobby “The Dogg” Miller / Photos: Bailey Masters
You’re damn right I did! The Delaware Water Gap is home to some of the best waterfalls in the Mid-Atlantic and is always an exciting destination to visit. The Water Gap gained popularity arou...
In just over 370 days we did what many thought would be impossible: crossing Africa in our circumnavigation of the African continent. We drove through the Sahara on both si...
Juan and I usually manage to avoid double-posting about things, but this has been a diverse week with lots to mention. The drive from Quetzaltenango (Xela) to Guatemala City was effortless and pretty, but getting out of Guatemala City was difficul...
We went shopping for a Compressor. Arno made a huge study of about each and every Compressor in the whole Universe. We finally bought the ARB Compressor at Voetspore’s 4×4 Megaworld. Thank you Francois!!
Hola amigos! We’ve finally made it to South America! We’re here relaxing in the beautiful city of Medellin, in Colombia, lounging by the pool and wondering whether we’ll have another empan...
…. to our second antipodean point that is. We have reached Cochrane, a small town of perhaps 1,000 people. Next stop – our second antipodean point. It seems we have been looking forward to this for so long. It’ll be relief and celebration all ...
Since we were in Cobán already, it didn’t make sense to not go to Semuc Champey, only 67 Km away and one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala from what we were told.
So we went. We spent one night in Lanquin, about 9 Km from Semuc Cham...
We left yesterday morning and made our way to Palenque, a cracking road with excellent scenery spoiled by the speed bumps, several times they caught me unaware and had me out the seat, they even have them on corners. En route we stopped to speak to f...
After our great two weeks of helping on the Finca it was time to start moving again. It was a little strange not driving the mog for two weeks so our feet were getting itchy, places to go, places to see, oh so many of them here in South America.
From Malin’s slide show of rain, you have probably figured out that now is rainy season in East Africa. We knew of course, but decided that this would only make it more interesting. Our first stop after Zanzibar was Manfred’s place in Arusha where we...
Yesterday we left Antiqua, in the process of doing so we bumped into Julio, a well known Austrian who has lived in Guatemala for a long time, it was a fortuitous meeting as he was able to give us loads of advice on Mexico and in doing so saved us a l...
Now for some real adventure we headed south of Panama City towards the Darien. This is a place with many of the indigenous Kuna people. There is a beautiful road to “nowhere”, and where the pavement ends is where the deforestation begins. Headed b...
Now for some real adventure we headed south of Panama City towards the Darien. This is a place with many of the indigenous Kuna people. There is a beautiful road to “nowhere”, and where the pavement ends is where the deforestation begins. Headed b...
A good plan for any traveler is a plan that is flexible. A plan that can be changed at last minute without any real problems. A plan that is not set in stone. Which is why we started out with only a very vague plan. Basically our big plan is that ...
A good plan for any traveler is a plan that is flexible. A plan that can be changed at last minute without any real problems. A plan that is not set in stone. Which is why we started out with only a very vague plan. Basically our big plan is that ...
A good plan for any traveler is a plan that is flexible. A plan that can be changed at last minute without any real problems. A plan that is not set in stone. Which is why we started out with only a very vague plan. Basically our big plan is that ...
A good plan for any traveler is a plan that is flexible. A plan that can be changed at last minute without any real problems. A plan that is not set in stone. Which is why we started out with only a very vague plan. Basically our big plan is that ...
A good plan for any traveler is a plan that is flexible. A plan that can be changed at last minute without any real problems. A plan that is not set in stone. Which is why we started out with only a very vague plan. Basically our big plan is that ...
In the 6 months we’ve been on adventure through Mexico and Central America, we’ve been stopped plenty of times by police and federals. Here we go… prepare to do some bullshitting and strategize how not to get suckered into paying a bribe. In Ho...
Today we started with a trip to the Tocumen airport and a visit to Girag Shipping. We arranged to bring the bikes back on May 1 for storage until the end of September, when we will come back to arrange the shipping to Bogotá. That done we decided ...
Today we started with a trip to the Tocumen airport and a visit to Girag Shipping. We arranged to bring the bikes back on May 1 for storage until the end of September, when we will come back to arrange the shipping to Bogotá. That done we decided ...
The timing is great. The heat (really the humidity) here in Costa is now unbearable most days. Reminds me why i left the south. The rainy season has also entered th...
We have been enjoying a couple of days rest here in the pretty Colonial town of Antigua, time to catch up on the admin, organise insurance for Mexico and do some forward planning, it isn't all riding bikes you know! Antigua has been destroyed twice ...
After a long break, we are back on the road. We have met up with as many friends and family as possible, here in South Africa, given the vehicle some well deserved TLC … and it is time!
After a long break, we are back on the road. We have met up with as many friends and family as possible, here in South Africa, given the vehicle some well deserved TLC … and it is time!
At the time when we visited the Grand Canyon, only the south rim was open. We found a nice advice on the internet to camp just outside of the small village of Tusayan, a few miles south of the Grand Canyon. If you drive up the FR 302, just south o...
At the time when we visited the Grand Canyon, only the south rim was open. We found a nice advice on the internet to camp just outside of the small village of Tusayan, a few miles south of the Grand Canyon. If you drive up the FR 302, just south o...
We broke one of our rules at this border crossing and arrived at the border fairly late in the day. However this is again one of the easiest and quickest borders that we have done.
On arriving at the Argentine side of the border we were dir...
Getting to the southern tip of Argentina has been our end goal since we set out. We have been so fixated on it, that now that it was in sight, we were somewhat overwhelming. I don’t think either one of us thought, setting out, that our rusty old 1...
We started our Visa route with the Austrian Embassy who chased us away to get everything on internet and to make an appointment. All we wanted to ask was information but so….. we made via internet an appointment for Th...
Leaving the security blanket of the EU and crossing over from Greece into Turkey was good training for the coming months. All Jules required with her wonderful maroon UK passport was 15 euros and she got a sticker. My not so wonderful green mamb...
In the Argentine province of Missiones, in Paraguay and the bordering areas of Brasil there are a number of ruined Missions established by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in the 1600’s. In fact 30 were built in the area however most were completely...
In our next blog post, you’ll read about a guy we met named Hairi. After spending a couple of days with this man, who lived in a tent in the jungle with his family, we were really inspired. His life has been a continuous string of achievements tha...
As you can see from the title we have been busy suffering Central America's notorious border crossings, first let me say that technically they aren't difficult but the standing around in full bike gear sweating more than in a sauna in 40 Degree heat ...
I know what you’re thinking. How did you get from Peru to the End of the Road? Aren’t there a few countries and several thousand miles in between? The truth, it seems, is that we’re not very good bloggers. Or, at the very least, we’re not very...
We experienced a major culture shock, when we arrived at the airport in Bangkok by the end of November last year. After several months in third-world-countries we had the feeling that somebody had transported us right into the future. We sat in the t...
We experienced a major culture shock, when we arrived at the airport in Bangkok by the end of November last year. After several months in third-world-countries we had the feeling that somebody had transported us right into the future. We sat in the t...
Battambang, a dusty little backwaters in NW Cambodia. Although becoming more of a tourist draw, it is still mostly visited by the backpacker crowd, anxious to get further off the well worn “banana pancake” trail that covers SE Asia.
We headed south on the Pan-Americana and then west to Pedasi on the coast. We found a small hotel run by an ancient old lady for 30$ with aircon, a ceiling fan, and a private bath. It’s 37 and humid so aircon was a must! This is a sleepy little to...
We headed south on the Pan-Americana and then west to Pedasi on the coast. We found a small hotel run by an ancient old lady for 30$ with aircon, a ceiling fan, and a private bath. It’s 37 and humid so aircon was a must! This is a sleepy little to...
There’s a blanket of clouds overhead that are probably the only thing keeping us from overheating as we crawl up the mountains towards town. I’m white-knuckled the whole wa...
The landscape before me is apocalyptically empty en route to Moab. A flash of colour from a hill lures me to trek and discover a crafted flower and a jellyfish fossil. The wasteland undulates lazily into the distance. I foresee a l...
We rolled in to Mendoza like we had almost every other big city on the trip, in need of a few auto parts and maintenance; in particular a new car battery. The past couple weeks of traveling with Home on the Highway, who was also (and still is) in...
It was about on day two that the bushes on our rear suspension failed. Long suffering, these rubber buffers prevent a metal on metal clash in the suspension components. Although this didn’t halt our progress, it made us wince every time we hit a m...
It was about on day two that the bushes on our rear suspension failed. Long suffering, these rubber buffers prevent a metal on metal clash in the suspension components. Although this didn’t halt our progress, it made us wince every time we hit a m...
After our glorious autumnal campsite at the Argentinean border last night the border crossings back into Chile were quick and painless (the Chilean customs didn’t take any more of our food supplies), before we headed west towards the Carretera Aus...
The ride from El Valle to the Pan-Americana is amazing, but the Careterra itself is a bore. There are radar police at regular intervals, especially when the limit is 80 or below. Nearing the canal we crossed the bridge of the Americas. The Panama...
We continue south and start prep for our trip home.
We had planned on skipping Tamarindo, thinking that it was just too big of a town for our tastes but everyone we spoke to kept telling us how it was a must se...
Our first few days in Guatemala have been eventful. The border crossing was easy–Milo and the pony required more paperwork than either of us. I might or might not have been shaken down for 20 pesos (less than $2). I call those tourist fees.
Our first few days in Guatemala have been eventful. The border crossing was easy–Milo and the pony required more paperwork than either of us. I might or might not have been shaken down for 20 pesos (less than $2). I call those tourist fees.
Our first few days in Guatemala have been eventful. The border crossing was easy–Milo and the pony required more paperwork than either of us. I might or might not have been shaken down for 20 pesos (less than $2). I call those tourist fees.
We have been traveling long enough now to start wondering what it’s like to stop. We are not sure what that’s like, and are not sure we like the idea of stopping. What if we cannot get jobs? What if we do not like the jobs we can get? What if we hate...
We crossed the border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua in just under two hours, two hours of doing waterfall impersonations, the sweat pouring out of me. We used a fixer which speeded the process up a little and in my opinion $10 well spent! The taxes an...
An easy 100km drive (well 60km were a bit rough and unpaved) from Mercedes is the small settlement of Colonia Carlos Pelligrini. This is the main access point for the wetlands of the Rerva Provincial Esteros Del Ibera.
Nine months ago while Sheena and I were stranded in the Colombian mountains, we made a decision. If Nacho ever made it through South America, we would ship to Europe instead of our original plan of shipping to Asia. Things were getting difficult, ...
Nine months ago while Sheena and I were stranded in the Colombian mountains, we made a decision. If Nacho ever made it through South America, we would ship to Europe instead of our original plan of shipping to Asia. Things were getting difficult, ...
Nine months ago while Sheena and I were stranded in the Colombian mountains, we made a decision. If Nacho ever made it through South America, we would ship to Europe instead of our original plan of shipping to Asia. Things were getting difficult, ...
We were a bit sad to leave the cooler and colorful Boquete, but south it is. Daniel and I have been following Gino and Fiona as they headed from BA to Ushuaia and north. They just arrived in Panama and we all planned to meet near Santiago as our p...
Eretha, our daughter stays in Centurion. We moved to her house on Friday to enjoy a leisurely and lazy weekend with her and her fiance Vin. Saterday morning we went to the opening of the new 4×4 Megaworld shop of Joh...
We enjoyed our last few days with Naas & Leentjie before moving on to Pretoria to Eretha. Heleen took me to a High Tea. What a morning it was!! We had a real mom and daughter morning while her dad held himself busy with the ...
Just before you read the next installment, we would like to thank eveyone who has suported us by reading this blog, and by kind emails and messages. It has really meant a lot when the chips are down to know that people are thinking of us back home...
To drive along the Amalfi coast you don’t need a fancy pair of brown leather driving gloves, although a fancy pair of brown driving trousers is a prerequisite. As with other coastal roads in Italy, the beast was a bit out of its depth, sharing th...
Throughout Argentina there are small shrines at the roadside decorated with red flags and often with a small colourful statue of a little gaucho man. These are shrines to a Robin Hood-esque character called Antonio Gil also known as Gaucho Gil.
Throughout Argentina there are small shrines at the roadside decorated with red flags and often with a small colourful statue of a little gaucho man. These are shrines to a Robin Hood-esque character called Antonio Gil also known as Gaucho Gil.
Or at least a decision… We finally gathered the steam to pack up the bus, say our goodbyes to pandora and drive the whopping 10 minutes down the peninsula to the next beach, playa coco. Coco seems crazy busy compared ...
April 15th means exactly one year on the road for Gaila and I. 12 months, 365 days, 525,600 minutes and what seems like a whole new lifetime spent traveling. Not to mention 35,600 or so miles of adventure. Significantly more than enough to circle ...
After seven months, I figured we’d be in the process of shipping the van across the Darien Gap into Colombia, but we are several countries short of that. Other than the much-slower-than-anticipated...
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Don’t base any health decisions on the information on this page. I mention this only because it seems to be the done thing; frankly, anyone looking to a random blogger for medical advice probably deser...
We left Punta Arenas and headed inland to Lake Arenal, a really nice part of Costa Rica and a few degrees cooler which was good. Stunning road around the Lake and some ripio to keep our hand in. The Cabana we stopped in was nice but the smell from th...
Today we went to pay for our USA B2 visa.....$160usd each. The process is long and made even worse by the "IT" systems in place. There are two systems to log on to and complete various "hoops" to ap...
It might have been inevitable. Even as we purchased our Palomino Pop-Top Camper two years ago, the question was there; “Is this really the right camper for our long road trip south?” Logan & Brianna of BlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
We had a short ride down the Pan Americana to David (Daveed) and then up the under construction new 4 lane highway to Boquete. We drove thru town and asked where a good hotel was and were directed just up the road. While we are turning the bikes a...
We had a short ride down the Pan Americana to David (Daveed) and then up the under construction new 4 lane highway to Boquete. We drove thru town and asked where a good hotel was and were directed just up the road. While we are turning the bikes a...
The roads leading to Tikal were surprisingly smooth, with the exception of a few miles of teeth chattering bumps. We had heard the roads were much worse conditions than Belize or Mexico, however, so far so good. As we entered more dense growth along...
Back at home when we were planning this trip, I would occasionally be asked which parts I was most worried about. I would reply Sudan or Northern Kenya, Somaliland having been a late spontaneous diversion. My worries were mainly based on a lack of...
We entered Costa Rica with a relatively quick border crossing, it was though very hot and humid, some minor holdup as the guya questioned my temporary import document as it had an estimated leaving date the same day as I entered , just what you don't...
Today we are going to cross the border into Panama, which is our tenth country in ten months. As usual we stay near the border, get a good sleep, eat a good breakfast, take snacks, and plan a destination not too far from the border. Driving up to...
There you have it. "Death Road" completed. To be honest its not scary at all. The road is wide enough and not busy. There's worse tracks in Morocco....much worse and much more scary although not a b...
Driving north from South Africa in May 2012 we traveled in the dry season for 5 months. We did not have a drop of rain for at least three months in the middle, and it made life on the road nice and easy. As we have had a break and stored the Patro...
We were feeling a bit deflated after visiting Toyota and getting no answers as to what the problem with the gear box might be. We continued to camp at Mabuya for the weekend, hoping to get answers from Toyota on Monday morning.
Depois de conhecer Boston, nosso destino era cruzar a fronteira para o Canadá. Mas esse não foi um planejamento fácil. Pra falar a verdade, foi uma das logísticas que mais deu trabalho!
Apesar de Boston ser uma cidade grande, não há muitas op...
We bought Panda with tyres that had 70% tread. We estimated that we would be able to drive at least another 40-50.000 kilometers with those tyres and that these were the best for offroad driving.
No route today unless you want a map from the bar to my room to the pool.
I managed the monumental task of getting my bike around a country. Yes it is a cause for celebration tonight, where ever you are have a beer on the s...
When we started researching about routes, places, campsites, trip advise and information about other crazy explorers busy overlanding Africa exactly 2 years ago, we found 2 fantastic websites. These are Africa-overland.net and Ove...
When we were in Monaco the beast went on some of the Monaco Grand Prix Circuit, including inside the tunnel. There is no new lap record. There are a few angry Ferrari drivers who were stuck behind us and were unable to get out of second gear and...
After driving more than 5000 miles around Argentina we hadn’t been stopped by a single police checkpoint or had any problems with the police but we’d heard rumours that North of Buenos Aires we would likely encounter some problems with the police ...
While travelling round Argentina we had been continually disappointed by the lack of buildings with grandeur in the towns. Well Buenos Aires has Grandeur with spades. Everywhere you look are huge colonial buildings on a scale to rival any of the g...
Nós não somos de ferro. Depois de um mês comendo meio mal, abri uma exceção e pagamos um pouco mais para comer bem. Na verdade, para o Luiz comer bem… já que eu não sou fã de lagosta. Ele ama! Como estávamos fazendo a Freedom Trail (...
The other day we stayed in Cochabamba, a medium sized town spread over a large area. We stayed in a cheap hostel in the centre as they had parking. It was only 100BOL for the hostel which is about £...
We’ve now been on the road for almost three years. There have been two longer breaks, one for about three months in Patagonia when we flew in to work in Antarcti...
While driving around the United States we camped in many different National Parks, but Bryce is one of our favorites. Set in one of the most amazing natural settings in the world, Bryce Canyon is an outdoormans dream come true. The camping and hiking...
From Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday April 8 -10, 2013
As long term travelers we are very good at being “on the move.” Indeed, it is normal for us now. Yet, it is the quiet moments, the still moments that I often appreciate the most. Lik...
We didn’t want to drive right into the centre of Buenos Aires with The Beast and fortunately found out that there was a campsite in the suburb of Tigre. Tigre is to the North of the city and is surrounded by a delta which provides a maze of rivers...
White sands is a National Park in New Mexico, near to Las Cruces, in the very south of the state. It consists of white sanded dunes where you can drive around in (unfortunately not actually in the dunes, but on a road) and you can hike various tra...
We are now all serviced up….the next one is in Uruguay. Heading south we opted for a cooler route thru the mountains on the way to Golfito on the coast. The road curved up to 10,000 feet and the temperature dropped to 11 degrees. First however th...
Yesterday we said goodbye to our new friends Dan & Sara and headed with Gianni to Boquete, a small and very nice town just in the mountains above David (the town, not the person!) Before we left though a visitor in our room, a scorpion, obviousl...
From the moment of waking up Friday morning, we helped Heleen with the finishing touches for her launch of her business “Little Honeypot” that would take place Saturday evening. We were busy, busy……very busy. Saturday evening was ...
After the long and hard road to Livingstone, it was time to take stock. We only had 3 weeks to get to Cape Town, but now, after all that driving, the odds were shifting in our favour. A quick check of the sat nav, revealed we were only 3 days d...
From the Lake District we wanted to make it across Argentina in just three days to get to Buenos Aires where we had booked a hotel from which to explore the city. This was a distance of around 1200km of a pretty boring drive through the pampas.
From the Lake District we wanted to make it across Argentina in just three days to get to Buenos Aires where we had booked a hotel from which to explore the city. This was a distance of around 1200km of a pretty boring drive through the pampas.
The sun was almost extinct as we climbed the steps in front of Berbera police station to find an old man in a wicker chair. Two armed men in dusty berets flanked the Police Chief but he himself displayed no military attire. He wore only a...
Insurance paid, beer drunk, we left El Bolson and drove the short distance to Bariloche. This is the most touristy town in the lake district – possibly Argentina. We arrived here a few days into March to find that the summer season was well and tr...
Insurance paid, beer drunk, we left El Bolson and drove the short distance to Bariloche. This is the most touristy town in the lake district – possibly Argentina. We arrived here a few days into March to find that the summer season was well and tr...
We left the hussle of Panama City yesterday, really congested , so much so it took us an hour to escape the clutches of the metropolis and head out to the highway. Another really hot day as we headed just north of Santiago to a nice "Eco Hotel" We st...
Warning, what follows is not interesting unless you are an overlander hoping to park your vehicle in San Jose while you are out of the country. First, find a government bonded warehouse (almacen fiscal) where you will park your vehicle. There are m...
As many of our blog and facebook followers know, we have decided to return to the States for the summer to work and visit family and friends in order to extend our travel time in South America and experience Patagonia during the summer months (Novemb...
We arrange for transport back to mango rosa and the bus and as we pull into the parking lot we see the mechanics waiting with all of our parts. We didn’t arrange this time ...
Paul and I are now back in Canada, and yes I have been slacking on the blog. There are several more entries in the works with details and photos of the rest of our trip south and back north. For now, I am going to leave you with a video our friend...
OK, first, a disclaimer. In the interest of full disclosure I think I need to get one thing out in the open right away, I don’t like history. Wait, let me rephrase that, I LOVE being in historical places. I love wandering the same the same rock pa...
Yesterday we went to the supermarket and filled up on our food storage for the trip, we now have enough food to survive over a month without any top ups. Took some pictures of our food corner.
We decided to have Easter dinner in Cancun Mexico. the weather was beautiful, the temperature was right, and we were feeling especially thankful for the true meaning of Easter.
The plan was to purchase ADO bus tickets for a straight through drive ...
It was with a certain amount of sadness we left Colombia and of course the South American Continent, South America has been fantastic, Colombia the jewel in the crown, We were lucky enough to stay at the Habitel Hotel where the concierge Eliana was e...
Leaving Arenal the sky was dark and like most of the week it was raining and we are thankful for our over suits even if we look like two pylons. We are headed to San Jose for service at BMW motocicletas. We are glad we saw the volcano before, bec...
Leaving Arenal the sky was dark and like most of the week it was raining and we are thankful for our over suits even if we look like two pylons. We are headed to San Jose for service at BMW motocicletas. We are glad we saw the volcano before, bec...
Leaving Arenal the sky was dark and like most of the week it was raining and we are thankful for our over suits even if we look like two pylons. We are headed to San Jose for service at BMW motocicletas. We are glad we saw the volcano before, bec...
Leaving Arenal the sky was dark and like most of the week it was raining and we are thankful for our over suits even if we look like two pylons. We are headed to San Jose for service at BMW motocicletas. We are glad we saw the volcano before, bec...
Leaving Arenal the sky was dark and like most of the week it was raining and we are thankful for our over suits even if we look like two pylons. We are headed to San Jose for service at BMW motocicletas. We are glad we saw the volcano before, bec...
During our week in the rental house we did a really good job of completely forgetting about how we abandoned the bus (with only three wheels) and what that might mean later ...
(by NK – ie; much shorter than the last few posts)
Panama was another place that we knew little about, well exceeded our expectations and we feel we barely scratched the surface of. We stopped only really in 3 places – the beautiful coffee ...
(by NK – ie; much shorter than the last few posts)
Panama was another place that we knew little about, well exceeded our expectations and we feel we barely scratched the surface of. We stopped only really in 3 places – the beautiful coffee ...
The whole way down, as we have met and talked to other northbound travelers, everyone raved about the Ruta 40 through Argentina. Ourselves, finally in to Argentina, we were excited to see what all the hype was about. We winded our way through th...
The whole way down, as we have met and talked to other northbound travelers, everyone raved about the Ruta 40 through Argentina. Ourselves, finally in to Argentina, we were excited to see what all the hype was about. We winded our way through th...