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Off into the sunset…

January 19, 2010 in argentina by tom | 7 comments

update-at-the-end

For the past couple of weeks we’ve been catching up with family and friends in New Zealand, preparing resumes and planning our next move—so sadly I think this will be our last post…

It’s taken us over a year and a half to drive 50,000 kilometers on the Pan American Highway. Marlin, the little red battler, our unbeatable 1991 VW Golf is safely parked and our Joydrive to South America has been completed.

It has been an awesome adventure, we’ve met some exceptional people and seen some equally remarkable things. We have at times been completely outside of our comfort zone and our understanding of this world has grown considerably.

We would like to thank everybody who helped us along the way, anyone who shared in our Joydrive online and the host of generous, helpful and friendly people that have coloured our roadtrip with their goodness. We couldn’t have imagined a more amazing adventure!

If you are driving to Latin America and have questions, feel free to contact us or check out our site Drive the Americas for great tips and advice for driving the Pan American Highway.

Joyful Find: The Ultimate Travel Shoe

November 13, 2009 in Joyful Finds by tom | 1 comment

We were talking about the best travel accessories the other day and for me, before the travelling alarm clocks or the plastic ziplocks is a pair of all star canvas chucks… They’re light, they pack down easy and they look better with wear – they breath well and they’re durable. Our Chucks have seen some wear – they’ve been put through their paces and they’ve served us well.

Ruta 40

October 29, 2009 in argentina by tom | 1 comment

Driving through most of Central and South America has given us some insight into Latin American border politics, so after narrowly escaping a hefty fine for trying to smuggle popcorn into Chile we were surprised to find a lack of reciprocity and much more amiable officials on the Argentine side of the border.

We crossed over from Chile to drive through the Argentine Lake District in Patagonia and to meet up with the famous “Ruta 40″ which stretches over 5000 kms – pretty much the entire length of the country… one of the largest routes in the world (apart from the unofficial Pan American Highway) along with US Route 66 and the Stuart Highway in Australia).

The land here undulates around ragged mountains and breaks quietly apart falling into deep lakes and glacial valleys. We spent a few days in Bariloche and climbed Cerro Campanario to get a stunning view of the hidden lakes. Driving further south we stopped to have a traditional tea service in Trevelin, which was founded by the Welsh in 1865 and still maintains it’s strong Welsh heritage.

We made a quick detour off Ruta 40 to check out Perito Moreno a huge Glacier fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field before heading out to the coastal and windy Ruta 3 which finishes in Tierra del Fuego… the end of the road.

Punta de Lobos – Pichilemu

October 22, 2009 in Chile by tom | 2 comments

The point breaks in Chile are legendary – bonfire rumors of long lefts, icy waters and uncrowded waves had both of us excited about our prospects as we rolled into Pichilemu, home to the world’s largest collection of left hand point breaks. Kels had hooked us up with a sweet camp spot, it was low season, we were with friends and there were waves to be had.

The point was roaring, I rented a 4 x 3 full-suit, got some pointers from a local and jumped in off the rocks at Punta de Lobos. It can be a bit of a tricky paddle, you have to time it between the sets or you run the risk of getting pushed back onto the rocks. Adrenaline kept me paddling until I was out of harm’s way, but after about 5 minutes I was slowing down and soon I could barely move my arms. It was then that I realised that I hadn’t been in a full wetsuit for years and that I was very unfit.

When we came back the next day the swell was gone, leaving no indication of the thundering lefts of the previous day. But I was happy, I’d caught a couple waves and we were lucky enough to see Punta de Lobos on a good day, the water is cold but the locals are friendly and the waves are world class.

we are here

Drive around the world…

October 17, 2009 in Uruguay by tom | 5 comments

The other day our road trip hit 40,000 kilometers which is the circumference of the earth at the equator. I think when we get to Ushuaia we’ll be nearer to 50,000 and Marlin, our trusty little VW Golf, will earn his final flag driving the Pan American Highway to South America.