Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Author: Liesbet (page 1 of 64)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2025!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – November 2024 (Uruguay & Argentina)

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally and out of pocket where needed.

Mark, Maya, and I spent pretty much the entire month of November with Thirsty Bella in Argentina, after crossing back over from Uruguay. The only reason I mention Uruguay in the title, is that some of the credit card charges from October didn’t come through until November. Bookkeeping…

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Our November expenses were on the high end, but that is not a surprise. It was an eventful month with lots of driving and quite a few realizations and stories.

It seems like every month we reach a new record high with the amount we spend on fuel! This time, we can blame the long distances. Gasoline is back “down” to around $4 a gallon (1 euro a liter) in Argentina as opposed to the $7 in Uruguay. But, man, did we cover some miles last month – and we are still going!

From November 1st, leaving Fray Bentos in Uruguay to cross the border, until November 30th at Playa La Mina along the Atlantic coast of Argentina, including a few measurable detours, we drove 2,000 miles (3,000 km)! I guess that translates to $670 of fuel… Luckily, our water consumption remains free.

Other car expenses – historically the highest category – went to maintenance ($10) in the form of windshield washer fluid and battery lugs (to create a more efficient cable run between the car and the camper, an upcoming project) and tolls ($15). The bridge crossing between Uruguay and Argentina cost $10 for cars and $40 (!) for motorhomes (and pick-ups with dual tires), which is insane. The other tolls were paid in Northern Argentina.

The expensive bridge over the river dividing Uruguay and Argentina

Our grocery bills were unusually high as well. We did stock up a bit before arriving in Patagonia, as we had heard that goods are pricier here, but the main reason for the increased number ($450), is that prices in Argentina, for all goods, keep rising. People everywhere in the world complain about inflation, but – honestly – that is nothing compared to this country. We have seen products double and triple in price this year. It is hurting every tourist, but the local population even more. Something will give soon.

My birthday gift at the end of November was a boat tour to Isla Pinguïno, off the coast of Puerto Deseado, a substantial detour from Ruta 3. Mark and I arrived here with the understanding that day tours to the island cost $80 per person, since nobody seems to update prices in iOverlander. This was already a high price to swallow for us, budget-minded nomads. But we had heard the trip was worthwhile, mostly to see rockhopper penguins, a species that is very difficult to visit elsewhere in the world.

Imagine our surprise when we inquired about this tour at two agencies and learned that the cheapest one offered these 5-hour trips (2-hour boat ride and 3 hours on the island) for $160 a person, not including lunch!

We managed to bargain them down a bit to $140 per person (cash would have been 130,000 pesos/$130 a person – we don’t even carry that many bills), which was still way out of our budget. So, Mark stayed home and let me go. Our friend Sheri came along, which was nice.

It was an enjoyable excursion (more photos and videos in an upcoming blog post), but to be honest, I still found the price too steep; just to watch the rockhoppers. Especially when adding another $60 in fuel for the detour. All the other wildlife could be seen – for free – in other parts of this country. I wish I would have known this price ahead of time (my mistake for not doing more research, but an increase of 100%?) and that Mark could have joined us.

After seventeen years (of traveling), my Crocs, a birthday gift from Mark in 2007, finally perished.

On my actual birthday (November 28), Jeff and Sheri treated us to dinner at a local restaurant, after having drinks in our camper. It was an interesting evening. and so busy that I forgot it was also the fourth anniversary of my book, Plunge. 🙂

We bought a bunch of affordable wine and a discounted bottle of vodka before the trek south and paid our monthly Starlink subscription, which is also going up due to the less favorable exchange rate. We topped up our propane tank again, for a decent price. This company only charged us for the gas they actually added, instead of for an entire 10kg tank.

Eating out in Argentina deserves a separate blog post! It isn’t pretty. Nor is it easy, affordable, tasty, or enjoyable. And that’s our bottom line. Believe me, we’ve tried. Between the late opening times of restaurants (generally around 8pm, which doesn’t mean you can eat at 8pm, of course), the increased – and still increasing – prices of meals, and the slim selection of well-prepared and healthy dishes, it’s just not worth it to us anymore.

For example, it took three tries in three different cities (the first two with us ending up cooking at home after 8pm) before we succeeded in buying a take-out pizza for two people, which cost $21, including a discount. The pie was not that great, especially the cooked ham that was supposed to be prosciutto. Oh, and the olives still had pits. We were actually going to use dinner donation money for this, but the credit card charges never came through. Yay! Now we can try once more. 😊

Mark and I bought a dozen empanadas on a beach one afternoon, expecting them to be seafood with a garlic sauce, based on our conversation with the vendor. They were quite tasty, but filled with ground beef, which came a tad unexpected.

The exception was a wonderful high tea ceremony in the Welsh town of Gaiman, where we ordered one “full service tea” at a tea house and one extra tea. This was enough food – savory and sweet treats – for two people. We shared the yummy experience with our Canadian friends, Jeff and Sheri. The price for this special feast had gone up from $8 to $24 in a year, but it was still worthwhile.

We just keep cooking our own meals (and doing the dishes) every day, which are tasty, healthy, and affordable, but it would be nice to take a break and have a splurge once in a while. Maybe in Ushuaia? Or Chile?

Dropping off laundry in Argentina – which is the only way, like in most South American countries, unless you rent an Airbnb with a washing machine – costs around $8 a load these days. We gave in, after inquiring at three laundromats and receiving a small discount when paying cash. And Maya finally received a new box of dog treats (since we saved a chunk of money elsewhere) and a bag of stuffing, with which we fluffed up her pathetic-looking dog bed.

In true fashion, we didn’t spend much money on entertainment. Mark and I visited the affordable Fray Bentos museum in Uruguay and booked a tour there on the last day of October. Luckily, we could pay with credit card, as we had run out of Uruguayan pesos by then. This charge came through in November.

Mural of the social situation in Fray Bentos, when the factory was active

Mark didn’t join me on the other two visits. The first one was to an abandoned town on the shores of Lago Epecuén. The entrance fee was low, but three times as high as six months ago. Out of principle, Mark stayed home. And the second one was a quick look into the oldest Welsh house of Gaiman, which gave me, Sheri, and Jeff a good idea of how the Welsh folks lived there in the 1800s.

Now, let’s talk about our pantry repair in Bella

I had forgotten to latch the cabinet, we drove on really bumpy and crappy roads for an hour, and the pantry slid out and in on its tracks long enough to give up and tumble to the floor. We heard the crash from the cabin of the truck, stopped immediately, and witnessed the warzone with horror, dread, and sadness.

Everything made from glass and ceramics, including precious gifts from friends, lie shattered on the floor, mixed with ball bearings of the destroyed track, and scattered shelves and spice containers.

After an already long, tiring, and frustrating day, this was another all-time-low for us. We stared at the damage and were ready to give up on this journey all together. Then, we gathered our wits, picked up the broken pieces, and swept the floor for the first time. More cleaning would follow – tiny shards of glass hid everywhere!

We contacted an Argentinian friend from Puerto Madryn, the first big town we were headed to, who got in touch with a carpenter friend of his, who let us know he could help. To make a long story short: we communicated with Federico and he came by Bella to see what was needed. Then, he bought new tracks, visited us again with his tools, and spent two hours installing and modifying the pantry.

On top of his service, professionalism, kindness, knowledge, and fast assistance, he refused to take any extra money from us! He only (under)charged us for the part, happy to help and become friends! This was an incredible and humbling experience. We used the money we’d saved to buy goodies for all three of us.

After we returned from our summer break in the US and Belgium, Mark suffered from allergies for many weeks. Finally, he bought medicine for the worst days. We also needed a new supply of hydrogen peroxide. We didn’t replace the broken mugs and glasses, apart for one wine glass on sale for $2. So far, we are managing fine. Mark refuses to drink out of plastic cups, though. I’ll have to be even more careful securing our cabinets, which I usually check meticulously before every departure.

As usual, we didn’t stay at pay campgrounds and managed to boondock/wild camp for the entire 30 days of November. Some places were quiet and attractive; others not so much.

And that wraps up our $1,512 expense report for November 2024 – above average but it could have been worse based on how the inflation in Argentina is going. We don’t want to be here for too much longer.

(For anyone interested in the political and financial situation of Argentina, Mark came across this interesting article recently: https://apnews.com/article/argentina-milei-trump-musk-default-economy-inflation-libertarian-18efe55d81df459792a038ea9e321800.)

November 2024 Overview:

Car  (fuel: $673; maintenance: $10; tolls: $15):

Groceries:

Gifts (B-day tour Liesbet):

Alcohol:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $43; propane: $13):

Dining out (teahouse, empanadas):

Laundry:

Dog (treats: $5; dog bed stuffing: $9):

Entertainment:

Camper (pantry):

Medical (allergy pills, hydrogen peroxide):

Household:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$698

$450

$139

$79

$56

$33

$15

$14

$11

$9

$6

$2

$0

———

$ 1,512

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend, check out the blogs of our nomad friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: Wildlife encounters in Patagonia

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Changing Web Hosting Services

Hello everyone,

This is a quick note to let you know that we are switching hosting services for our Roaming About website, which can cause some issues, hiccups, and glitches. We are also changing servers for our email programs and domain names.

It has been a massive, stressful, and time-consuming project, but it had to happen since our three-year Blue Host rate went up more than 100%, from $250 to $700 ($530 after multiple phone calls and pleading for a better price, which is still too much for us). We found a good alternative in Easy WP. Our new service is faster, cheaper ($100/year), and has helpful and responsive customer support. More about that in my December expense report.

I’m grateful for Mark, who knows how to do technical stuff and has spent many days on making this process go as smoothly as possible, on top of everything else that is going on in our life: his job, heaps of driving, sightseeing, errands, taking care of Maya, car projects, and cooking tasty and healthy meals. 🙂

Mark hard at work, dealing with our technical challenges

If you notice anything different, annoying, or disturbing, please let us know via the contact form (which has been tested and works fine), email, a comment, or Facebook.

We will be back to our “normal reporting” soon!

Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:

Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

Available on Amazon and elsewhere

eBook: US$ 5.99

Paperback: US$ 13.99

Exploring Uruguay – A Surprising Country in South America

Warning: This is a long post, heavy on photographs.

Mark, Maya, and I entered Uruguay from Argentina without expectations. We knew the coast drew lots of people, Montevideo was the capital, and Colonia del Sacramento was a highlight and UNESCO World Heritage Site. And that the country was super expensive, aptly called the Switzerland of South America.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Dealing with the border formalities was a bit confusing (everyone from either side wanted to inspect our camper) but didn’t take too long. We were a tad nervous regarding the “prohibited items” we brought to sustain ourselves and our dog (check the blue sign and guess what we carried), but Maya’s paperwork was in order, which proved important – and distracting – enough.

Salto Grande Dam

Right across the border, on the outskirts of Salto, we stopped by the Salto Grande dam, operated by both countries. There, Mark and I partook in a free tour, conducted in Spanish.

Afterwards, mid-afternoon, we decided to put some miles behind our wheels, since we hoped to cross the entire country and reach the coast within a few days. In Uruguay, we planned our route and stops more carefully, due to the costs. When gasoline has a price tag of $7 a gallon (about $2 per liter), you think twice about detours and their “worth.”

We stopped at a small clearing in the bushes, out of view, for that first night. The next three days, we leisurely traversed the hinterland of Uruguay, gazing at the well-kept homes and fields and feeling happy for the livestock – mostly horses, cows, and sheep – with all that juicy, bright-green grass everywhere!

We also came across a dinosaur display, with preserved footprints and information signs.

The people we met along the way were friendly, we enjoyed this peek into lesser-known territory, and we happily noticed the lack of garbage everywhere, but we were surprised at the state of the throughways.

Thinking that Uruguay was a relatively developed nation with a relatively western mentality, we had counted on beautifully paved main roads everywhere. Not in the back country. For at least 100 of the 400 miles across, we dealt with broken pavement, potholes, road work, or dirt tracks going east-west. The north-south equivalents seemed in better shape.

La Coronilla

The Atlantic coast brought pleasant surprises. First, we arrived at La Coronilla at the exact same time a familiar-looking kombi VW bus did. Mark recognized them as the Kombi Chronicles, a British couple with two cats, who had been exploring Latin America overland for a few years. We knew Willow and Lee through Facebook, WhatsApp groups, and mutual friends. It was great to finally meet! (They have a popular YouTube channel and Facebook page as well.)

After an introductory chat, they decided to stay another day, a Sunday, on which we hung out all afternoon and evening, chatting, exchanging stories, and sharing popcorn and wine. It’s always nice to meet like-minded folks and we hope to run into them again soon, on the way to – or in – Patagonia.

Our boondocking spot offered an “exotic” setting under palm trees, long walks on the beach, a decent view, and the sound of waves when falling asleep. It was quiet at night, so all three of us could rest up.

Continue reading

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – October 2024 (Argentina & Uruguay)

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed.

After we returned to Thirsty Bella in Argentina, Mark, Maya, and I needed about three weeks to find our travel groove, get readjusted to the lifestyle, prep for new adventures, and see friends before new horizons lured. The first week of October, we headed north in Argentina and on October 9th, we crossed into Uruguay, a new-to-us country. We stayed through Halloween.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Despite Uruguay being a very expensive nation – even by western norms – our monthly budget stayed below average. Why? Mark and I were super careful spending money, stocked up in Argentina, drove slower than usual, deliberated detours, and focused on free camping and what we really wanted to see.

The car category was the highest, as usual. Over half of our total! With fuel costing $7 a gallon/$1.80 a liter in Uruguay (diesel is 40% cheaper), it is no surprise that we spent around $560 on gasoline, despite topping up in Argentina (at $4/gallon) and filling our 5-gallon jerrycan before crossing the border. I wonder if this has been an all-time monthly record. We complained about expensive fuel in Peru – where we drove around for five months – at $5 a gallon!

The other car cost went to toll roads, which were pricy in Uruguay as well. We joked that we had to pay $4 an hour on the highways. There are five “automatic” toll stations; an ordeal for foreigners.

You’re supposed to register your license plate and car (which we did), put credit on your account (we had no idea how many tolls we’d need, so skipped this) or pay at an office (which we did each time), and a camera would read your registered plate, take the correct credit off your account, and open the gate.

That last step NEVER worked. Now that we know how many tolls there are along the highways in Uruguay and that the cost is the same at each one, we would put that amount on the account and only be annoyed once at each booth, when the gate remains closed and some manual action somewhere happens.

Our grocery expense was on the high side, due to needing a lot still after coming home to an empty camper, cooking every meal at home, and preparing a handful of dinners for friends. Monthly rates for our satellite internet subscription have gone up. We now pay $80, half of which is fronted by our business.

We also opted to top up our propane tank before crossing the border – due to higher costs for everything in the neighboring country – but are not sure now this was the best plan of action. It seems that no matter where and when we add a few kilos of gas to our tank in Argentina, we end up paying for a full tank, just for the privilege, setting us back $15. Drinking water was free everywhere.

After the hassle and vet costs traveling back and forth to the US and Belgium with Maya, we weren’t done yet. Before entering Uruguay, she needed a new health certificate, export permit, and negative blood test for Leishmaniasis. We had all that done in the Argentinian town of Gualeguaychu, over one vet visit (when Maya got attacked again) and two SENASA (agriculture department) stops. We also got some of her shots updated at the vet, adding that bill up to $53. Being patient regarding the export permit meant that part only cost $2 (processing time of 72 hours) instead of the expedited, one-day fee of $30.

We are back in wine country! Despite everything else in Argentina steeply going up in price, wine seems to have been spared. We also bought two bottles of discounted rum to last in Uruguay. We never went out for drinks.

Another one of our three website domains was due last month ($22) and we couldn’t avoid laundry in Uruguay. In Colonia del Sacramento, I inquired at three laundromats. The price was the same everywhere: $7.50 for a tiny load of 2-3kg. Yikes! We had a lot of dirty stuff. The solution: drop off the most difficult items to hand wash (sheets, towels, jeans, and shorts) and wash everything else (about three big loads) by hand. The price was high for the convenience, but the savings were even higher!

Here is the truth about our dining out experiences: Mark and I had not gone out to dinner, just the two of us, since April of this year. Before we left for the summer, restaurant prices kept going up in Argentina, so we stuck to a few take-out meals. In Belgium and Massachusetts, it just didn’t happen. Back in Argentina, we didn’t have time, plus, many restaurants don’t open until 8pm. And in Uruguay, it was too expensive. We do have a couple of donation amounts left, which we look forward to splurging with soon.

All that being said, I did treat Mark to one dinner in Punta del Diablo, Uruguay, because the photos on Google looked super appealing for a place called Cardamomo and I had some money set aside from Belgium still (the last funds). Maya was welcome and, while pricy, the food and drinks were tasty and the atmosphere delightful.

The $5 we did use from our account went to a portion of fries from a food stand to complement a homecooked fried fish dinner. And, we needed a new plastic ladle/spoon as the old one was shedding and were surprised by its affordability ($2) in a Uruguayan grocery store.

One saving grace in Uruguay were its inexpensive – or free – attractions. More about that in my upcoming post. I climbed two lighthouses for stunning views, which only cost me $1 each time. Mark was not interested. And, both of us visited the impressive and well-kept Santa Teresa Fort near Punta del Diablo. All this for the equivalent of $4! A dam tour and Piria Castle were free to enjoy.

Last but not least, one of the most appealing things about that smallish country is its plethora of free, attractive camping spots, especially along the coast!

We also camped for free in Argentina; our friend Brandon paid for the three nights at Punta Viracho.

And that wraps up our relatively low ($1,135) and relatively enjoyable month of October.

October 2024 Overview:

Car  (fuel: $556; tolls: $21):

Groceries:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $40; propane: $15):

Dog (vet/vaccines: $53; export permit: $2):

Alcohol:

Computer (hosting fee):

Laundry:

Dining out:

Entertainment:

Household:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$577

$361

$55

$55

$41

$22

$13

$5

$4

$2

$0

———

$ 1,135

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: A three-week discovery of Uruguay

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Back in Argentina for Three Weeks

After a three-month “summer break” in Massachusetts and Belgium, Mark and I looked forward to returning to our RV life in South America, which promised new adventures and horizons. But first, we had a few hurdles to overcome.

For the first time since finishing our sailing episode in Tahiti in 2015, we decided to check a bag (we usually only fly with three or four carry-on/personal items). We needed to bring back spare parts and gear to fix our camper and truck, plus a few liquid novelties like maple syrup and dog shampoo. It had taken multiple attempts to fill this bag and not exceed 50 pounds. It was tricky, as we also didn’t want things to shift in this enormous duffel. Padding added weight. I even tried to put all our “to check” luggage into our carry-on roller, super tight, too tight, with a ripped zipper as a result.

In the end, I succeeded with the duffel bag. Since we had plenty to carry with us on the plane, I stuffed our rain jackets inside it as well. The scale at the airport showed 52 pounds. Ouch. But the lady was super friendly and impressed relieved that we only had one checked bag, so she let the overweight go. Thanks!

Then, we flew from Boston, MA, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, via Miami. We arrived early and hadn’t slept for 24 hours. The day had only just started and it was September 21st, the arrival of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

We dealt with immigration (long lines), nervously waited for our one bag to arrive as one of the last pieces on the belt (that’s why we hate checking bags), swung by the friendly guy at agriculture for Maya’s paperwork, and sent all our luggage through X-ray machines at customs. And all that time, Maya couldn’t relieve herself, which stressed us out.

Our sets of metal brake pads raised questions. We managed to talk ourselves out of the legal fact that no traveler is allowed to import car parts. Not even when your Ford F350 doesn’t exist in Argentina and neither do the parts!

The exchange rate from dollars to pesos was horrible at the airport, so we passed on that, planning to pay our storage fee in USD. Finding an Uber that accepted dogs proved to be difficult as well. We lined up three taxi drivers, only to have the last man not cancel after we sent a private message about our well-behaved Maya. He took a few wrong turns and forgot to switch the meter off when he delivered us, but we made it to our home on wheels by 10am!

Reunited with Thirsty Bella on Julian’s property

Julian’s property had been perfect and affordable to store Thirsty Bella, but we knew from dropping our camper off and needing to prep it to be left unattended that this is NOT a usable campground, without running water to fill our tank or hot water in the shower block and with barking dogs and their poop everywhere. The mosquitoes were less of a problem, but now the toilet bowl had a gaping hole in it; flushing it flooded the bathroom floor and not in a pretty way. Don’t ask me how I know…

Anyway, after our set-up was rudimentary ready, we needed to leave ASAP. Plus, we had no food or drinks at all, after emptying the cupboards and fridge before we left. The first task at hand was start the truck. With a totally drained battery, this took a while, with the help of Julian’s trickle charger. Next step: reinstate our Starlink satellite internet account, which we had paused for three months, saving $210. Mark relocated our sign-up address from Peru to Argentina to avoid issues in the future.

Around noon, we generously rewarded Julian and his wife, Sofia, for their hospitality and help, before hugging them goodbye and maneuvering our camper under low-hanging electrical cables (which needed lifting with a stick) and through the narrow gate.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

We stopped by a small tienda in a city with tight streets (Mark wasn’t thrilled about this unexpected “big rig” driving test on day one) to stock up on some staples and made our way to Zapparancho, the campground ran by the well-known Zapp family, who traveled around the world in an old, classic car for over twenty years. Our trio had stayed here in the past, so we knew Herman offered the right facilities to get ready for the road.

We immediately filled up with drinking water, discovered an issue with the water heater – after three plumbing attempts, this got fixed – and realized our bathroom tap, which acts as a sink faucet as well as a showerhead, was leaking profusely and needed to be replaced. Darn. How can things break while they’re not being used?

Luckily, our American motorcycle friends, Brandon and Katherine, were returning to Buenos Aires in a week as well. They happily received the package and brought the small part to our next meeting point, about ten days later.

Zapparancho is a popular and buzzing place, where travelers meet and share meals. Yet, the price added up each day, standing water attracted mosquitoes, and the nights were noisy. We wanted to keep focusing on the jobs at hand and looked forward to getting on the road again.

The sun was bright, but the wind was strong as we prepped our camper, went grocery shopping, did laundry, and organized everything the way it was.

We postponed the “big engine project” until later in the week. For that, we moved closer to the building. It blocked the wind, so no dirt would enter the engine compartment and work would be easier.

Which work? Mark needed to replace the 16 sparkplugs and 8 ignition coils on the engine block, all in one go. I was his assistant and mental support person, as always. It didn’t take long before I heard him curse. One of the sparkplugs was stuck. It didn’t want to unscrew. As he predicted, this turned into a massive ordeal! When he finally got it loose, the threads were damaged, meaning the receiving end on the engine block was compromised as well and the new sparkplug couldn’t go in.

I will make a long story short. We finished replacing the other 15 sparkplugs and all the ignition coils without issues and then focused on the damaged sparkplug, which had been inserted incorrectly by the factory. Our car only has 60,000 miles on the odometer and this was the first time the sparkplugs were touched by a person. Yes, this miss-threaded part was Ford’s fault; a rare mistake.

Yet, here we were. In Argentina. Without the right equipment, confidence, or knowledge for an issue of this magnitude. And far away from a good mechanic in the capital. One piece of metal accidentally entering the motor block during any maneuver and our engine would be damaged and possibly needing replacement! Mark fabricated a rethreading/chasing tool out of an old sparkplug to “clean” the threads but, ultimately, we didn’t trust ourselves to do the job.

So, we researched and enabled the best mechanic we could find in Buenos Aires, convinced him to drive out an hour and half each way to help us, and hired him to do the work. His initial quote was $300-$400. But… the first time he and a helper arrived, they were baffled by the tricky nature of this job and preferred to return the next morning, Saturday, with proper tools.

That morning became evening, but they eventually showed up at dusk with modified tools and an endoscopic camera and – after a couple of hours – they cautiously and professionally fixed the issue, inserted the new sparkplug, and listened to the engine purr nicely. The final price for the job was $600, which hurt, but was better than the feared-for, worst-case scenario! And, we could get back to our travels the following day.

Luckily, we were not in a hurry as early spring is still too soon to head south to Patagonia and Ushuaia. We had a month of “lingering around” planned, to wait for better weather. We left the capital area and headed north in Argentina. Our initial camping spot didn’t work out due to it being a Sunday, which means packed parking lots and parks. So, we ended up at a truck stop in Zarate. Nothing too glorious for our first night back on the road!

Our next destination was Gualeguachú, which takes a while to pronounce. We found a grassy spot along the river to park up for a few days, work, and explore town. We braved one super-hot and humid day on which we couldn’t do much.

We also needed a blood test and paperwork for Maya to enter Uruguay. On our walk to the vet, she got attacked again by a loose, owned dog. Not a stray. Stray dogs behave friendly or shy; not protective.

We urgently had to come up with a rough, northern route. Initially, we wanted to make a loop through Southern Brazil, along the coast of Uruguay, and back into Argentina. After deliberation, and chats with my virtual travel friend and blog follower Gilda (who is from Southern Brazil), we changed plans and decided to skip that part of her country. This would save us a chunk of time and gas money.

It was in Gualeguachú that Brandon and Katherine joined us for a night with their motorcycles and tent. They brought their Argentinian friend, Federico, which produced deeper insights into the country and culture for us. We shared a nice dinner in Bella and enjoyed a fun evening and restful night.

The following day, after Mark and I ran more errands, our little group met up again, further north, at Punta Viracho. Federico had moved on towards Paraguay.

Passing through a herd of capybara on our way to the campground

Brandon and Katherine love hot springs and they’d discovered that staying at a campground in that area was affordable and included unlimited entrance into hot pools and a waterpark within walking distance. We took their invitation and camped close together for a few more nights. We could see Uruguay on the other side of the massive reservoir that is Salto Grande.

Our first highlight – and surprise – was the herd of capybaras that lives on this peninsula. It was amazing to just watch and photograph the adults and babies.

Here is a video from when they walked by.

And, who knew they like to swim?

We enjoyed quality time and homecooked meals with our friends and managed to soak and play in the hot pools several times as well. Since it was weekend, however, the pools got crowded.

And, I really have to stop doing crazy things at my age. This was the fastest slide I’d ever been on!!

Hugging our dear friends goodbye was more emotional than usually, as we won’t see them again on this continent. We had the fortune of meeting up in five South American countries – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina – in the last year and a half, but now they’re hopping over to Africa to continue their world travels.

The three of us only hopped to the next peninsula (Soler) along the reservoir for a couple more days of rest, wind, and rain – and stress for Maya, thanks to twigs and leaves falling onto the roof of the camper – in Argentina.

On a walk with our dog, we heard these weird noises…

Unfortunately, because of our location by a turnaround point at the end of the road, it proved much busier and louder than expected. So, on October 9th, after filling our gas tank and pantry, we left Argentina and entered a new-to-us country: Uruguay.

Next up: Our monthly expense report for October 2024

Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:

Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

Available on Amazon and elsewhere

eBook: US$ 5.99

Paperback: US$ 13.99

Liechtenstein – The European Country Everyone Has Heard of But Nobody Visits 

After Mark and I made plans to go on a ten-day vacation with my cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim, we needed to pick a place. The four of us briefly considered Eastern Poland plus part of the Czech Republic (too much driving) and Denmark (too expensive), destinations within the 900km radius we set as a maximum distance. Together we’d already been to northern France and the Netherlands during long weekends, so we settled on the Black Forest in Germany for one week and Liechtenstein for two days. Adding all the driving, we’d be gone for eleven days and ten nights.

Why Liechtenstein? It sounded mysterious, I’d never been there, neither had anyone I know, it can be visited in a short time, and it wasn’t too far away from the Black Forest.

Because Liechtenstein is very expensive (as is Switzerland), we opted to stay nearby in Austria for three nights and use a roomy, well-equipped, but hot apartment in Koblach as a base. Not that we were home a lot! Most visitors peruse this tiny country in one day, but we managed to keep ourselves entertained for two full days; enough if you don’t plan any hikes in the Alps. 

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Liechtenstein is a German-speaking, 25km-long principality (ruled by a prince) between Austria and Switzerland, officially called Principality of Liechtenstein ((Fürstentum Liechtenstein). Hence the letters FL on license plates. 

The country is double-landlocked, which means that its neighboring countries are also landlocked. There are only two of those in the world: Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan. It has around 40,000 inhabitants and consists of just over 160 square kilometers (62 square miles). It is Europe’s fourth-smallest country and one of the few nations in the world without debt.

While Liechtenstein is not a part of the European Union, it has a close (financial) relationship with Switzerland, which explains the local currency being the Swiss franc. Credit cards are widely accepted. To save money, we brought sandwich lunches on those two days in the country. 

On day one, we skimmed along Switzerland’s eastern edge, crossed the border, and focused on the bottom half of Liechtenstein. We started at its southern tip, in Balzers, where we climbed a hill and visited the deserted Gutenberg Castle. The inside was not accessible but we still enjoyed the looks of this typical castle and its views over the mellow city. 

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A Week of Vacation in the Black Forest of Germany

Followers of this blog might have come across the names Griet and Wim in the past. My cousin and her husband are more than just family; they are friends and fellow travelers who have visited us on many occasions. Every year or two, they joined us on our sailing catamaran Irie in the tropics (once with their then teenage children), they stayed at a house sit in California, and, last fall, they traveled with us in Peru for three weeks. Whenever we are in Belgium, we spend a lot of time with them (two weekends this summer, involving beer brewing) and – when time permits – we go on trips together.

Since Mark, Maya, and I dedicated two full months in Belgium, we decided on a ten-day vacation in Germany and Liechtenstein with them. If you know us, traveling the world is our lifestyle; we combine chores, work, driving, visiting, and leisure. Vacation time – strangely enough – is rare. To be honest, this trip with Griet and Wim was my first real holiday in 21 years and Mark’s first week off, since he started his current job two years ago. So, it was a special occasion!

Hexenlochmühle in the Black Forest

Being from Belgium, it is hard to believe that I’d never set foot in the Black Forest! And, even my cousin and her husband had never vacationed in Germany before. Mainly because none of us speaks the language, although we did just fine and knew enough German to get by. Other than Mark. 😊

We broke up the 7-hour drive to the Black Forest with a walk and sandwich lunch stop at the popular and crowded Geierlay suspension bridge. It is the second-longest one in Germany.

(As always hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Our group spent four nights in the northern part of the region, in an apartment in Enzklösterle, which was surrounded by woods. Ideal for walks with Maya.

The Airbnb was well equipped and we especially liked the outdoor space. The weather was good enough to have happy hours on the balcony. We cooked some meals at home, often packed sandwich lunches. and ate out every other day or so. This routine kept the trip affordable.

From Enzklösterle, we made daytrips to the surrounding villages and natural sites. Our rough schedule during those ten days was to leave around 9:30am and return by 5pm; quite busy for Mark and me.

Day one:

  • A viewpoint over the region

First view over the Black Forest

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – September 2024 (Belgium, USA, Argentina)

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

After spending three months in Europe and the US over the summer, Mark, Maya, and I returned to Argentina on September 21st, the first day of spring (primavera) down here. While the initial three weeks of the month had been cheap, thanks to the generosity of our parents regarding food expenses and car use, we immediately blew the budget once we moved back into our truck camper, Thirsty Bella . The flights had been paid for last March.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

So, September 2024 was an expensive month for us, especially since we spent it all in the final ten days! Some of the high costs were expected, like Maya’s export permit, storage for our camper, an official campground, and renewing our car insurance for South America; others were not only surprising but also scary…

One of the mechanics needs to lie on the engine to work on it.

Our low-mileage F350 truck engine developed a serious issue – factory induced – when we did some maintenance on it upon our arrival in Argentina. A miss-threaded sparkplug (one of the sixteen) was difficult to remove and appeared to have damaged threads. This made it impossible to replace with a new one and caused profound worries about how to fix the issue. Especially since the spark plug hole was hidden, so out of view and difficult to access. We were stranded!

Long story short: we needed to hire professional, cautious, and capable mechanics who wouldn’t only be willing to drive to our campground an hour and a half outside Buenos Aires, but who could also solve our predicament. The pair came out twice and managed to install the new spark plug without damaging the engine block or anything else. The price tag: US$600 (reduced to $570, since we paid some in the local currency). It would have been cheaper ($500) if we would have possessed the full amount in pesos.

We renewed our Mercasur countries liability insurance for another year for $358, which was three times as high as six months ago! Yes, prices keep rising in Argentina. The storage fee for our camper at Julian’s place was cheap. He charges only 25,000 pesos a month, so we tipped him another 30% to make the bill exactly $100. We also paid $3 for toll roads.

To reach that whopping $1,079 for the car category, we also ordered tools to work on the sparkplug and ignition coils projects, bought fuel for my mother-in-law’s car in the US, and paid $2 for parking at Salisbury Beach, which is very close to our home base in Massachusetts, but I’d never been.

Our camper pantry and fridge were totally empty when we returned to Buenos Aires, so a giant stock-up was needed. On our first day back, we stopped by a small shop for necessities, before reaching the Zapparancho campground, where we’d regroup and prepare for the rest of our South American journey.

After the weekend, we drove to the town of Lujan to visit two supermarkets for a first heavy-loaded run. We immediately missed the diversity and quality of goods we’d gotten used to in the US and Belgium. It will take a few more grocery stops to fill the camper up.

Maya needed a new international health certificate from the US to enter Argentina, so there went another $225. We are super happy that vet fees and shots are much more affordable down south!

Another thing I did back in Massachusetts was reclaim my Plunge books from the local bookstore, where the owner had “archived” them in the storage room, because none had sold in the last two years. Better to distribute them from our camper!

Reclaiming my Plunge books from a local bookstore. The owner had put them in the storage room!

On the first day of our return to the continent, we filled our camper with potable water, installed a new part on the water heater – which leaked and needed a few tightening attempts; we hate plumbing! – and discovered the bathroom faucet was leaking. We use this handle in the sink and as a shower head. Wasting water in a small camper is detrimental.

Who would be returning to Buenos Aires soon as well? Our US motorcycle friends Katherine and Brandon! And, yes, they could bring back the small and light replacement part. We paid more than normal to ship it to their address in time. A few random other parts rounded out the camper category.

In general, our health and fitness category is low, since we rarely go to hair dressers or buy health products. But, a visit to the US is the opportune time to stock up on specialized toothpaste (which I now rely on), a bottle of aloe vera, and nine months’ worth of vitamins.

Mark and I always fly with carry-on luggage only, unless we have a huge amount of gear, products, and/or parts to bring back. In this case, we checked one bag for $60 and donated it afterwards. Many packages waited for us in Massachusetts after our break in Belgium. Most were Vine Voice items, which we order for free in return for an honest review. We brought back a lot of useful products!

We counted on a week at an official campground to get ready for the road again – unpacking, organizing, shopping, cleaning, filling with water, fixing issues, engine maintenance, catching up on sleep, and researching a route and upcoming destinations. Our unexpected engine issue extended that stay, so we paid around $50 for eight nights at Zapparancho.

Two of our three website domain name registrations were due for renewal in September and the monthly subscription fee for our Starlink satellite internet service went up. Depending on the exchange rate, we now pay about $80 a month, half of which is taken care of by our business.

Within an hour of arriving in Bella, after getting Thirsty’s engine started with an extra boost (first things first), Mark unpaused our internet service and reregistered our Starlink account in Argentina instead of Peru, where we’d bought the unit. The fees in Peru had risen enormously and being registered here works better if the policy of only being allowed two months outside of the host country will be enforced.

A nice evening with friends at their lake house in New Hampshire

Money also went to alcohol/wine ($29) in the US as gifts for friends and in Argentina for ourselves, an Uber taxi from the airport in BA to our camper 45 minutes away ($22), shared meals at Zapparancho and a food stand choripan ($18), a new doormat and baskets from Dollar Tree ($4), and laundry ($3).

The chocolate we brought back and our share of the Airbnb we rented with our German friends in Liege was paid for with my Belgian funds, which are not part yet of our bookkeeping records.

While our total amount for September is well above average, we did manage to stay under $2,000 despite the extra expenses. We boondocked after leaving Zapparancho and are cooking all our meals at home. Having been “sponsored” in Belgium, I did realize that Mark and I never went out for a meal just the two of us, there or anywhere else, in the last four months.

On the plane back home to Bella, I promised myself I would become less frugal when it comes to spoiling ourselves, which includes eating out. It’s something we thoroughly enjoy and, you know, cooking and doing dishes every evening gets old. Then, we faced that extra $600 bill for the engine (the world’s most expensive sparkplug), and my intentions went out the window! Give me a few months without unexpected bills and I might reconsider again. ????

September 2024 Overview:

Car  (rep.: $581; ins.: $358; parking: $102; fuel: $35; tolls: $3):

Groceries:

Dog (US health certificate):

Camper:

Health & Fitness (toiletries & vitamins):

Travel (checked bag fee):

Camping:

Computer (hosting fees):

Utilities (Starlink internet):

Alcohol:

Transportation (Uber airport):

Drinking out (shared meals):

Household:

Laundry:

 

TOTAL:

 

$1,079

$235

$225

$98

$66

$60

$48

$44

$39

$29

$22

$18

$4

$3

———

$ 1,970

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: A one-week vacation in the Black Forest of Germany.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

A Dental Hygiene Story from a Midlifer

After two months in Belgium, Mark, Maya, and I passed through Massachusetts (USA) for another week. To deal with dog Maya’s export paperwork, to visit family and friends, to pick up heaps of gear and parts, and to spend two days at the dentist for me. Something that wasn’t planned before we booked our flights.

Here is my dental story, which might help some people but bore others to death. You have been warned.

The past

As a child and teenager in Belgium, I was taught to brush my teeth twice a day. After breakfast and before bedtime. My parents were adamant about that schedule and took us to the dentist as needed. 

As an adult, I stuck to the twice-a-day brushing and added flossing to my evening routine. In the US, I discovered tongue scrapers, more a breath improvement than a dental one. I learned about teeth cleaning, too. In Belgium, my dentist always remarked how well I brushed my teeth and no plaque was found to remove. When I became a US citizen, I attended yearly cleanings.

My trusted tongue scraper

My MassHealth insurance plan covers dentist visits, but doesn’t offer the greatest selection of dental clinics, so I’ve enrolled and “derolled” as a patient three times in the last decade. Since I didn’t return to the US in 2023, I skipped my annual teeth cleaning, so went without help for two years. Not a good idea! 

The present

Mark and I found a new dentist this past summer and he appeared to be a caring, meticulous, and professional one. Mark had his cleaning done – in and out within an hour – and my appointment took place the week before Independence Day. What was supposed to be a routine check-up and cleaning turned out quite differently. Plus, I was leaving to Belgium ten days later.

Alepmed Dental Group – my new dental clinic

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