I can’t believe it’s approaching the end of October already. Soon enough, another year will have passed in the blink of an eye; a year of dedicated focus on our upcoming adventure in South America. I keep wanting to write about all the camper projects we finished the last few months, but I fail to find the time and energy. We don’t seem to get a break from fixing, researching, moving, planning, preparing, shopping, running from weather, and logistical nightmares. And before I realize it, more months have passed and nobody really knows anymore what we’ve been up to or where we are.
I’ve emailed some friends and family members about our progress, I’ve alluded on social media what’s been up, but I have yet to share the details. Why? Because everything remains unclear. The details, the dates, the reservations, the plans (for this journey, we need some of those) keep changing. The lack of a schedule and the uncertainty keep us on edge, stressed, and sometimes frustrated. Here’s the scoop as we know it today.
The plan
Mark and I have been talking about our next open-ended adventure in South America for years. Readers of my travel memoir Plunge might remember the last words of the book, in the epilogue set in 2017: “South America.” We initially bought our 19ft Sprinter-Westfalia campervan Zesty with this destination in mind. Years later, we realized a truck camper would be a better fit for the journey and earlier this year we “swapped” campers, kept the trusted Ford F350 4X4 truck (Thirsty), and purchased our current Lance 830 (Bella), which has needed multiple months of TLC, modifications, and improvements.
We’ve always wanted to ship our vehicle RORO (Roll-on, Roll-off) as opposed to in a container, for which Bella is too wide, and fly ourselves from Texas, USA, to Cartagena, Colombia. Unfortunately, we could not travel with the ship or that would have been our preferred option. We picked Galveston, Texas, as a departure port, because it was the cheapest option leaving from the US. Many overlanders first drive through Mexico and Central America and then ship their rig from Panama to Colombia.
Mark and I aimed for a departure date the end of October 2022. With only one RORO ship a month leaving Texas, we set our minds on the October 25th sailing. We preferred to stay in Southern Colorado until a couple of weeks before that date, but a defected, brand-new fridge had us drive to Texas much sooner, because that’s where Isotherm could send a replacement. Due to this unexpected fridge event, extreme heat and humidity enveloped us for weeks and we had an extra – huge – project to contend with.
The logistics
When you ship your vehicle to a different country, it has to be dropped off at the port for Customs and other inspections at least four working days prior to departure. Usually, because of something called weekends, the drop-off time is a week out. The transport with our particular ship takes approximately a week and once it arrives, our camper sits at Colombian Customs for about four working days. It is safe to anticipate being without our home on wheels for at least three weeks. That’s a lot of logistics to figure out and expensive arrangements to make.
By the time we booked the October 25th ship, it was already delayed to November 3rd, meaning Thirsty Bella had to be dropped off on October 27th. She would arrive in Cartagena on November 10th and be released around the 16th. It is recommended that you don’t leave the country before your vehicle does. And that you remain “flexible.”
From the moment we received a booking confirmation from the shipping line (Wallenius Wilhelmsen) and our agent Martin McGowan from IVSS (International Vehicle Shipping Services), Mark and I spent a few days online researching and buying plane tickets for November 7th (Houston – Miami) and 8th (Miami – Cartagena) and arranging accommodation – ten days in Texas, a night in Florida, and a week in Colombia. Trying to do all this on a budget and with some “buffer days” was tricky, but we were happy with our choices, reservations, and accomplishments.
When Mark checked the schedule of our ship a few days later, it had been delayed by another week, then, by another two days. So much for those “buffer days!” The estimated departure date of the vessel – and our truck camper – as of now is November 12th with an arrival on November 19th and a release around the 24th.
After our initial disappointment and losing one leg of plane tickets because they weren’t refundable or changeable, we have learned our lesson: be more flexible ourselves and spend a chunk more money on flexible flights! Anybody who knows us, understands our feelings and frustrations when watching the airfares go up by the day – and not being able to do anything about it… More delays WILL happen.
But it is wisest to just “wait and see” at the moment, and hope we can still find decent plane tickets and accommodations later on and that we all get out of here before the Thanksgiving holiday rush and rates!
Why ship to South America?
Most people don’t know that there is no road connecting Central and South America. That’s right, the Pan-American Highway, which runs from the top of North America (Prudhoe Bay in Alaska) to the bottom of South America (Ushuaia in Argentina), has a gap in… the Darien Gap. Inhabited by indigenous people, this 66-mile (106 km) stretch of jungle is pretty much impenetrable, dangerous, and a no-go zone. Mark and I learned this first hand in 2006, when we came to the end of the road in Yaviza, Panama, in our first truck camper together.
Lonely Planet back then told us that the Darien Gap is one of the most dangerous places on earth, due to venomous animals, drug and human trafficking, rebellious activities, tropical diseases, and an unbearable climate. Read Wikipedia’s info about the Gap here. And if you’d like to get a better feel for what crossing the Darien Gap really is like, have a look at this YouTube video. The part about this area starts a little bit before minute 25:00. We came across this documentary a few days ago; very timely!
Of course, Mark, Maya, and I could drive to Colon in Panama (or Veracruz in Mexico) and ship Thirsty Bella from there, but – as mentioned before (above and in Chapter 2 of Plunge) – Mark and I (with our previous dogs Kali and Darwin) explored Mexico and Central America overland for a year in the past, and we also sailed through the Panama Canal and immersed ourselves in this country’s islands for another year. So, we’d rather save the time, distance, and fuel and get started in South America proper.
Another cargo ship tantalizes us…
Preparations
I’m bound to write a separate blog about all the preparations for this upcoming journey, but needless to say, this is not an easy drive down or flight out. It requires a decent amount of planning and prep work.
If we would have kept our Cirrus 820 camper, Temp, our estimated preparation time would have been a couple of months, as we wanted to install extra solar panels, a composting toilet, and a 12V compressor fridge regardless. Because we decided to sell the Cirrus and buy a more basic, cheaper truck camper, three extra months of work were added, all to save a bunch of money and create a rig more suitable to dog ownership and our living and traveling standards.
Apart from modifications and conversions that allow us to be self-contained for substantial stretches of time, preparations involved getting ourselves and our dog ready for extended travels abroad (health check-ups, inoculations, prescription meds, supplements, …) as well as our car (what to do about insurance and registration?). Lots of research was involved. We also bought new gear and replaced worn items that are difficult or expensive to get in South America, like new car tires, robust hiking shoes, a gas grill, a small oven, jeans, … We are doing preemptive truck maintenance and stocking up on spare parts.
Before we ship our truck camper, the pickup truck has to be entirely empty, so we need to store everything that’s located on and under its back seat inside the camper, ideally behind closed doors. We are not allowed to bring food items, medicines, cleaning products, and valuables onboard, so we will have to eat, donate, or discard what’s left in our fridge and pantry by departure time and carry all our electronics, meds, and other necessities with us on the plane.
Extra precautions
Then there is the issue of break-ins and petty theft, a common occurrence on sailing trips like these and why shipping in a container is safer. The shipping company nor the agent takes any responsibility for items lost, broken, or stolen. Yes, you can buy marine insurance, but this only covers the vehicle and comes with a notable deductible. Personal belongings (meaning everything inside our home on wheels) are NOT covered. It is our job to secure and hide items we care about. But Customs needs access to them; a catch 22. So, Mark and I have been thinking about ingenious ways to store certain goods and gear and prevent damage to our windows. More about that after Bella arrives – hopefully safely and intact – in Cartagena! Another month from now. Hopefully.
PS: As I am reviewing this post, Mark lets me know that the ship has been delayed by another day, pushing everything out further. One more day in steamy Texas – if only there were mountains nearby we could escape into… On a positive note, I should have time soon to do some reading and writing! 🙂
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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October 22, 2022 at 12:46
The logistics of your SA adventure are mind blowing. You and Mark are amazing and so resilient with all the set backs.
Fingers crossed it will all go to plan soon.
October 22, 2022 at 13:02
Thanks, Gilda. I feel the days to decide on a destination and “just” drive there are over, now that we want to leave this continent! But hopefully we will soon reap the benefits of this year of planning and prepping and working and buying and stressing. 🙂
October 22, 2022 at 12:47
Hey Liesbet! Wow! I admire your determination to get this done because it clearly isn’t an easy thing to do! I’m sure once you finally arrive in SA and look back it will all be worth it…but for now, just keep on keeping on. Thanks for the updates! ~Kathy
October 22, 2022 at 13:03
Thanks for the encouraging words, Kathy. Part of me wished to publish this kind of post after everything is done and over, but, as you can see, that will still take a while. The planning and waiting is all part of the game. 🙂
October 22, 2022 at 13:16
I can’t even imagine the stress and frustration! Your drive and determination amazes me – I would have thrown in the towel long ago if confronted by the same obstacles. Then again, I’m not much of a traveller; so I guess it’s all about being excited about your destination. Here’s hoping you have an amazing trip with lots of wonderful experiences when you finally get there!
October 22, 2022 at 14:17
Hi Diane,
This trip – for some reason – takes much more prep work and planning than anything else we ever did, it seems like. Setting off with our sailing catamaran from Maryland required a bunch of logistics as well, but in any case in our past, we could always “just” drive or sail off. It’s when we are dependent on others that things become more tricky. In my opinion, anyway. The unprecedented delays and issues of the shipping companies don’t help, of course. Blame Covid, once again. But we don’t have much of a choice right now than to wait and “suck it up.” We’ve planned and worked towards this goal for so long. That being said, after the first weeklong delay, we did try to come up with alternatives. All of them would take more time, hassle, and money.
October 22, 2022 at 15:42
Oh my word. What a nightmare, Liesbet. I hope things fall into place for you soon. xx
I had no idea about the Darien Gap. Thanks for sharing. I have made a mental note in case we ever decide to ship The Beast across the pond!
October 22, 2022 at 15:56
Haha. Sorry for the negative mental note. Usually, these sailings and shipments are more straightforward, streamlined, and on schedule. I’ve quite a few friends who have shipped their rigs internationally with not much of a hitch. All of us have had setbacks in our nomadic lives because of Covid – as you two know first hand – and this ordeal fits into that category for us.
October 22, 2022 at 16:43
Liesbet, I actually Googled ‘can I drive to South America’ a few weeks ago after one of your posts and read about the Pan American Highway and the Darien Gap. The whole thing sounded onerous to me and I wondered where you would eventually ship Thirsty Bella from. Thanks for answering that question and more. It all makes perfect sense. No doubt you will overcome the setbacks and enjoy your new adventure once it begins.
October 22, 2022 at 21:31
Hi Suzanne,
How nice that one of my blog posts made you do a Google search. I love your curiosity and zest for research and understanding! Funny thing about the whole ordeal is that we usually are quite flexible and can handle a challenge or two, but for some reason, all these delays are throwing us off. Maybe it’s because we were so close to actually getting there and now having to “bide time” in a place we don’t enjoy? I guess once in a while, we feel happier with a date, deadline, and schedule, so we can actually plan and prep around it. 🙂
October 22, 2022 at 17:35
You are far more adventurous than I. Then again, knowing all the dangerous animals, bugs, and diseases, I’d never go to South America anyway.
October 22, 2022 at 21:32
Haha, Alex! If we let our fears get in the way, we never leave our backyard. Luckily for me, my backyard is the world. 🙂
October 22, 2022 at 17:56
Hi, Liesbet – The planning, details and coordination for this trip are staggering. You and Mark continue to inspire. I honestly do not know how you do it all!
October 22, 2022 at 21:35
Hi Donna,
Thanks for remaining inspired by our adventures! We manage to “do it all,” because it’s all we do – and have been doing for many months. So, yes, it’s been very busy, but it has had our focus and was our priority and that’s fine. My issue has been that nothing else gets/got done. Now that we have to be around Texas for a while longer, it might be the perfect time to catch up on the other parts in our life – writing, reading, communicating with others, and so on. 🙂
October 22, 2022 at 18:10
What a trip! I decided to watch the trek across the Darian Gap, ended up watching the entire video. What an amazing trip! I love where one guys said he’d like to quit but didn’t know how. He just didn’t quit stuff.
What a great video, Liesbet.
October 22, 2022 at 21:37
I’m so glad that video caught your attention, Jacqui. Now, those guys are real adventurers and take discomfort to another level! I really like that moment you describe as well, where the guy realizes he never would want to quit anything. It sounded a bit like me. Not sure if it’s stubbornness, determination, or – sometimes – stupidity! In my case… 🙂
October 23, 2022 at 13:24
It did sound like you. I read how stuff breaks on the van/camper/etc or stuff is delayed and you just go with it. Other people might get frustrated!
October 25, 2022 at 12:40
This lifestyle isn’t for everyone, especially the challenging parts. I’m very happy that Mark is a hands-on person and we do okay if things are in our own hands. We are, however, frustrated and uncomfortable when the weather – or people we are reliant on – is/are uncooperative.
October 22, 2022 at 22:10
Hi Liesbet, Well done with your plans and preparations! You’re moving your home (physically) from North to South America during COVID times so it is definitely more challenging than pre-COVID. Having been to Central and South America, I’m aware that the Pan-American highway has a gap. I hope everything goes well for you and soon you’ll be in South America enjoying wonderful adventures.
October 25, 2022 at 12:30
Thanks, Natalie! It’s been tricky, but, honestly, when does anything go according to plan? Never, when you live a less-than-stable lifestyle with many moving parts! 🙂
October 23, 2022 at 00:54
You and Mark are true adventurers. All of that uncertainty would make me (someone who likes a concrete plan) worry and on edge. I don’t know how you guys do it, but I continue to be fascinated.
October 25, 2022 at 12:33
Hi Pete,
This time around, it is bugging us as well that we have no clue when we will be able to get to Colombia and if everything will be okay with the camper. In general, we are quite flexible, but, again, most of our annoyance has to do with finances. The sooner we could have booked our plane tickets and accommodation, the more affordable it would have been. We have a hard time adjusting to “having to pay” the price, whatever it is; something we can usually play around with, because we have time and patience. We don’t like being dependent on others. It grandly cuts into our sense of freedom and decision making.
October 23, 2022 at 08:42
Something you mentioned in a comment above hit the nail on the head – it’s the waiting on other people that is the worst part. With our move, we would get things done and move things along and be feeling good, right up until we had to rely on someone else doing something and then all progress would stop. It’s incredibly frustrating because you just don’t have any control over it. These international moves are such huge undertakings, but at least when we had OUR list of things that WE need to get done, we could just start at the top and continue moving down the list. But when you suddenly have to rely on other people, or businesses, or the government – Ugh! Such frustration. I feel for you guys. Hang in there. It’ll come together.
October 25, 2022 at 12:38
You totally get it, Laura! We don’t see ourselves as “control freaks” but there is something to be said about being in charge of your own life and decisions. That’s hugely important to us and a big part of our chosen lifestyle.
Like you and Kevin, we would and could make visible progress as we check to-do and to-buy items off our list (parts of this are nevertheless challenging without a home base, the right tools, or an address to get things shipped to). But relying on people – or needing to count of them being professional and timely – is something we truly hate. Covid or not, customer support and the interest of a lot of people to actually do their job has been dwindled a lot!
October 23, 2022 at 13:31
Whenever I click on your posts, Liesbet, I know you are still living the life less ordinary.
Lodged in the back of my mind was the thought that there is “no road connecting Central and South America,” a fact your’ve mentioned here. Hence all the extra planning and logistics behind this grand journey. If any pair can pull this off, it’s the two of you. I believe you both would do great on a few episodes of the Survivor TV show. It would be a cinch!
You will make it through, I have no doubt. May your plans materialize in the best possible way–sooner rather than later. I mean it! 😀
October 25, 2022 at 12:44
You are right, Marian, it is because we can’t “just drive” to our next destination that these extra factors play such an important role, adding extra frustrations and hassles to the mix. We will get there, one day…
We don’t watch TV, but if I get it right, “Survivor” is a bit more tense than how we live, where contestants have to sustain, support, protect, and feed themselves in nature. Neither Mark or I would be any good with that. That is hard-core living, surviving! We live cushy lives compared to “survivors” – and I can’t kill anything! 🙂
October 23, 2022 at 14:14
Hi – I hope the delays do not continue to get extended – and also benign good vibes your way that everything will stay safe and protected during transport.
and once all this gets worked out – it sounds like you will be on a majorly exciting adventure – wow – so cool
and hope your rest of October is enjoyable too
🙂
October 25, 2022 at 12:47
Hi Yvette!
Delays are part of this game. If it wasn’t for plane ticket prices rising by the day and if we wouldn’t be in Texas (the temperature and humidity did actually drop today, temporarily!), we would deal with it all better. You would think I’d know by now, after all these years of living an uncertain lifestyle, that nothing works out smoothly and that I have to be super flexible! 🙂
Thank you for the sweet wishes!
October 23, 2022 at 17:50
I hate that you are having all these delays! But at least we get to hang out with you longer before you leave this continent and hemisphere!
And you can always change your mind and travel through Mexico with us and then zip down to Panama.
See you tomorrow!
BTW – your blog hates me. At least I remembered to copy the comment this time.
October 25, 2022 at 12:51
Hi Duwan,
I’m so sorry my blog hates you. I really have no clue what’s going on with that, since you have a WordPress blog as well… I actually only saw your comment here, as I didn’t get notified in my inbox – and it wasn’t in my email spam folder either, which is where some commenters end up.
Driving south through Mexico and Central America is a viable alternative, but even more hasslesome and pricey… We really considered it, but since shipping from Panama to Colombia is not much cheaper than from the US, it doesn’t make sense to cross all those borders overland and deal with the delay, hassle, and costs involved. Let alone, with Maya.
It’s so nice to have you and Greg as neighbors again for a week!!! I’m looking forward to lots of good food and drinks and conversations!
October 24, 2022 at 18:56
I am overwhelmed just reading this. I applaud you two for your stamina and eagerness to travel in this tumultuous world. Thank God you weren’t leaving during mercury retrograde! That Darien Gap sounds a frightening thing, but I would be petrified to even driving through Mexico and Central America. And while you’re stocking up, better buy 2 spare tires. Who knows what will even be available to you there, besides many things not as available as in America, but some things are even harder now to get or keep in stock – everywhere. I am glad you realized that being the travellers you are, you should always take the flexible ticket. I like to think like ‘one never knows’ and happy to pay a bit more for change of flight availability. I’m sorry you lost the ticket and will get hit with higher cost for sure. I wish you both safe travels my friend. <3 xx
October 25, 2022 at 12:58
Hi Debby,
I feel that this entire year has been a mercury retrograde! You know, usually, we don’t mind spending months of our time, energy, and effort into preparations for a massive undertaking, but this one doesn’t seem to end. I think Mark is right when he says “We won’t have any peace until the three of us have arrived in Cartagena and our camper is on its way.” We still find little issues, parts that need to get ordered (without having a fixed address), and little jobs that need our attention, especially when we discover sand in all our hinges, wardrobe, and surfaces again! More cleaning… 🙂
Flexible plane tickets are always so much more expensive than the standard ones. Being on a budget our entire lives, it is a difficult step for us to spend more, especially since we don’t have a (fixed) income. Luckily, one of our legs is with Southwest Airlines and they allow changes and cancellations for free! But they don’t fly internationally.
One of the reasons we are heading to lesser developed countries is because we soon won’t be able to afford life in the US anymore. Or, we would have to leave our lifestyle and find “real” jobs again – and then, most of our income would go towards housing and utilities, which doesn’t make sense anymore.
October 25, 2022 at 13:49
I get it all Liesbet. And at least you guys are going somewhere where it is cheaper to live, because much of North America is choking now on the cost of everything. Godspeed! 🙂
October 26, 2022 at 10:25
Thank you, my dear friend! xx
October 25, 2022 at 22:12
Wow, what an ordeal. Delays, higher prices, and frustrations are a sign of the times, I’m afraid. I’m curious to see if things will be better, the same, or worse, in South America. Wishing you both the best of luck. Sounds to me like you could write another book, including a chapter or two on all the preparations you had to endure just to reach SA.
October 26, 2022 at 10:29
You and us both, Deb… Yes, we will see if the annoyances of these times will follow us – and others – around the globe. The difference is that we are a bit uptight and fed up right now, so hopefully our mentality changes once we leave the country and that might be the new start we need and crave.
About that new book, I’ve been saying often these days that we are living through chapter one and chapter two. But, like I said before, I’d have to get in a different mindset before I even start writing again as my mood is not ideal right now (we are both pretty exhausted with the lifestyle and the discomfort) and I need to avoid too many complaints. We will get there. 🙂
October 27, 2022 at 15:00
Dang, so much frustration, Liesbet! You guys are so tenacious and determined to make this work, so fingers-crossed that you get to your destination with little trouble.
October 28, 2022 at 21:45
Thanks, Terri. This will be a more challenging episode in our roaming lives. And one that lasts quite a long time – patience, determination, planning, flexibility, and finances play a huge role these months. But, one day we will be ready for the next step, the next episode, the next chapter, the next adventure. 🙂
October 28, 2022 at 11:18
I have heard of Darien Gap. It was featured on a TV show here in the UK where six groups of travellers had to get from Mexico to the Southern tip of South America on a budget of the cost of flights without flying. The Darien Gap was the only part where they were allowed to fly because of all the danger the area posed to the travellers. I can’t remember how long it took the winning group, but they had to e
I can’t help but wonder of there have been any further delays to the ship sailing, Liesbet? It must be very frustrating, and comes over in your post. My fingers are crossed that it won’t be long before it sails, although the insurance of all your possessions and equipment in Bella also sounds a nightmare. I’m keeping everything crossed for you.
October 28, 2022 at 21:49
Very interesting, Hugh, to watch that TV show. I had no idea it existed (of course), but it is great that you are learning a lot along the way. And that you remember it, too! Sounds like a program I might like to participate in, one day. 🙂
As of now, the departure date of “our” ship is still November 13th, but it has been at sea for a while now and usually the delays happen – or get reported – when the ship is in port. We know it is at least heading back north from Brazil at the moment.
On Monday, we need to make a decision about what to do, because Maya needs an international health certificate maximum ten days before departure… Many pieces to the puzzle; many moving parts!
October 29, 2022 at 06:40
It was called ‘Race Around The World’, Liesbet. In the first season, participants had to get from London to Singapore, and in the second season from Mexico City to the southern tip of South America. It made great viewing.
I hope all those moving parts come together.
November 9, 2022 at 20:45
In the States they had (have?) a program called “The Amazing Race,” which sounds similar to the one you mention in the UK, Hugh. When I first watched this when visiting Mark’s family, ten years ago or so, I was intrigued by the concept and played with the idea to get US citizenship just so I could participate in this game/program. 🙂
Now that I’m a citizen, I don’t have the time or desire to leave my loved ones and our lifestyle for a TV show.
About those moving parts – most have come together, but there are still some major forces at work and things to figure out or wait for…