American Family overlanding through South America

[roboter]

Welcome and Thanks for looking! We're the Garrett' from Bremen Germany and Detroit Michigan USA.
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I'm an American expat/Engineer in Germany on a quest to see as much of the world as possible with my family before settling back down in Europe for a more rooted life with our 2 year old daughter. We have a lot to share and learn along the way. My initial concept was to make only video of our trip on our site, but I think a mixture of video, photos, and text is still optimum. We have a lot to learn about iMovie and creating quality substance with video, but I'm sure we'll learn quickly.

Our truck is here in a few days
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and I will make as much doc about the retrieval of the truck out of customs as possible before the customs officer tells me to turn off the camera. :-)





www.knowledgetrot.com

[haven]

Welcome, Roboter! Thanks for letting us know about your web page.

The option to ship from USA to Colombia is looking attractive to overland travelers for two very different reasons. First, it allows people to tour Mexico and Central America in one trip, driving down and back to USA. Then the trip can resume in Colombia after a break to visit family and refit the vehicle.

Second, shipping to Colombia or Ecuador bypasses potential problems in Mexico and Guatemala, two countries whose names seem to appear in USA media only when there is a violent incident. Personally, I think the safety issue is overblown, but some people choose to bypass the region and start their trip in South America.

Please tell us the port you shipped your vehicle to in Colombia, which carrier you used, and the name of the shipping agent. If you don't mind, please tell us the approximate cost to ship.

[Christian P.]

Haven

I believe they have shipped to Ecuador, not Colombia.

I am with you about this option being attractive. We drove down to Panama (a couple times...) but next time we may just ship directly to South America. I like the idea of preparing my camper here, putting it a container in North America and having everything ready when we arrive there.

[haven]

Oops. So tell us where you shipped to Ecuador...

[roboter]

Hey guys!
We used a company in Los Angeles. International Container shippers. Great communication and service. I got about 20 quotes and theirs was the cheapest and they had the best communication.

www.exship.com
4640 Sperry Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039
(818) 265-9700

Ask for Katty... she was the best at getting back with any questions I had.


The port in Ecuador is Guayaquil. We liked it for the low cost of living and using the USD as a currency helped us have a better overview of our budget. Total cost for shipment of the truck in a 40' can was 3,349.00 USD. It included loading and all paperwork. ETA is 18-20 days. The broker here in Guayaquil, Ecuador will cost circa 500~700 USD to get it out.

From Ecuador we plan on heading directly towards Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and then crossing over to Cordoba, Argentina. So far our daily spending has been cut in half since we left the USA.

[roboter]

Ive recently updated the site. More about the people and us than a gear head and his truck. We have a lot to input! Please subscribe and I will inlay our site to an ExPo trip report! I hope you all had a great holiday! More later....

Josh

[trailsurfer]

i am really looking forward to your trip report.

[roboter]

Hey everyone!

Any thoughts on bring backpackers along while overlanding? Here in the Hostel we met some amazing intelligent people that would seem to tread lightly while riding with us and respect our space as they would be riding in the back and camping outside instead of in our rig where it warm and toasty. I know a lot of websites offer find a ride ideas i.e. Lonely Planet, but unless you meet them personally you have no idea who might come. And since we have been here for 3 weeks we have befriended some really great friends. Anyone ever do it and have experiences to share? Check out the first post again.

[roboter]

Now that we have settled into the neighborhood here in Guayaquil I have had time to ponder what actually has been happening around us since we've landed. With the paperwork of importing our truck and just settling down to a relaxing mode of life after working 85 hours a week for 5 months I haven't had time to even think. So let me explain some personal observations.

Now I don't want to sugarcoat our experiences here in South America. I'm not just going to tell you about beautiful waterfalls with rainbows and beautiful beaches all of the time. When overlanding in a foreign land I believe there is much more to it than just sun tans, gas prices, and local cuisine. Sharing adventures should have a little more depth on topics such as a country's Infrastructure, environmental impact, education, and unique rituals in each culture we experience for example. I'm not an expert on these topics but I can share what I observe.

What I first noticed here in Guayaquil Ecuador is that it is simply a dangerous place. For example, the fenced in 10' walls around home owner's yards are secure and difficult to scale, and if you are able to scale 10' or 12' walls a high-powered electric fence on top is there to stop you. Private security companies are everywhere and not just a guy sleeping in a booth with a black and white monitor with a view of the entrance. These guards are pacing the perimeter and have a shot gun in hand ready to pull the trigger at any moment. Also, walking into any place of business will have an armed guard with a bullet-proof vest and at minimum a revolver holstered. My theory to all of this private security is that the police are corrupt and under-funded by low tax revenue and unstable government. So the people take security into their own hands and essentially the police are just traffic cops handing out seatbelt, parking, and speeding tickets. Thats where the money is at anyways. Tickets and bribes by traffic cops here in Ecuador are what help feed them, not salaries. If an armed robbery or break in does occur, chances are it will never be resolved and will most likely go unreported.

It seems China has ALL the markets cornered here from motorcycles, cars, electronics, clothes, to construction products and raw materials such as plastics and building material. Nearly every juice stand and food stand is owned and operated by the Chinese. Cheap labor in Ecuador can not even come close to compete against the cheap labor in China. So goods from China are so cheap even an Ecuadorian on a 260 dollar a month salary can afford to buy a pair of knock off Prada sunglasses. That my friends is a recipe for utter destruction of a country. Since Ecuador is already struggling to build a manufacturing sector in an already impoverished society, it will never see any real long-term growth as long as imports from China continue.

Prescription drugs are essentially free here. No doctors prescription are required and prices are a fraction of what US prices are. Being self employed in the US meant I paid cash for doctors and prescriptions, so for one particular prescription that cost me 85.00 USD in the USA costs me only 9.40USD here in Ecuador! Private practices such as dermatology and dentistry are all fractions of what US and Europe cost. So coming here for a root cannel might just pay for your ticket and a week at the beach instead of having it done in the US. Most doctors here practiced medicine in the US as well, so quality is up to par with the US IMO.

In summary, the personal observations in this post are only for Guayaquil and not the rest of the country. We have yet to discover the rest of the country for ourselves. Our truck will be here in less than 24 hours and the expedition will soon begin! Stay tuned!

[MicroOverland]

THANK You!! for your honest feelings about 'real' life there. So many trip reports only include the highlights. I hope you have many wonderful highlights to share, including waterfalls and secluded beaches, but please continue to share your impressions of 'everyday' life along the way. Oh, and kudos for the courage to just GO.

[roboter]

Backpacker A: "Hello! Where do you hail from?" Backpacker B: "I'm from Bahia Blanca.". BackPacker A: "Oh very Nice. I'm from Sevastopol.". These were the sounds coming from these very foreign people on my first excursion 16 years ago as a 19 year old boy from Detroit while in a hostel in Mexico City. As an American all I knew was that Canada had Maple leafs and Mexico had Tequila. Back then I was thoroughly geographically challenged as a lot of Americans are. Geographically we Americans are isolated from the rest of the world in a first world country and thanks to the UK's English colonies around the world, they gave us the luxury of not having to learn a foreign language while abroad.


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A group of backpackers in our hostel in Guayaquil, Ecuador

So I want to explain to those who don't know what the backpacking culture is like. To sum it up in one blog post is like summing up every civilization in the world. It is simply not possible. Backpackers come from every corner of the earth and nearly all socioeconomic status'.


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Writing back home with post cards from his journal.

The backpacking culture is for the most part very civilized. A lot of backpackers have traveled around the world and have become open-minded and I must admit beautiful! Their beauty comes from their environment. They look very natural, earthy, but not much as the stereo-typical "hairy armpit hippies". You could also say they are comparable to indigenous people. They are expert gatherers and have picked up survival techniques from around the world. Cooking meals with irons on the ironing board and identifying vegetation from around the world. They offer insight about the world no news station can offer. The other day I was having drinks with an Argentinian, Dutchman, and a Frenchman talking about US politics (that always comes up for me since I am an American). The depth of information in those types of conversation are unreal. You are not limited to your own limited knowledge of the world. In a conversation with people like that you are able to get a broad spectrum of what the world is like from the eyes of the people that are actually living it. No blog, website, magazine, or movie can give you that sensation. You have to go out and attain it for yourself. Here's how to do it. Apart from what the US media is saying, Mexico is a safe spot especially in the Southern part and still cheap to visit. My first suggestion is to see Tulum, Mexico to get some warm beach time, see Mayan ruins, and meet people from around the world. Book a ticket to Cancun, but don't waist your time and money in Cancun, just continue on. Take a bus from Cancun to Tulum (3 hours) and stay at the many hostels available on the beach! While I was there I had my own cabana on the Ocean and at night I was surrounded by tiki torches and drums in the distance. Try it! You won't be disappointed.

[defrag4]

digging your trip report, will be following along. Ar eyou guys heading north or south?

[roboter]

digging your trip report, will be following along. Ar eyou guys heading north or south?

We are torn. Everyone says not to miss Columbia, but Bolivia and peru are really nice this time of year, so we've been told....

What do you suggest? I see your're here now.

[roboter]

We rolled through Peru a few days ago without any preparation and a 1/4 tank of gas. We crossed the border away from the Gringo trail in Loja. Within an hour we were out of customs and nervously waiting for the traffic police to pull us over demanding money, but as we saw them they purposely waved us by and went back to their newspaper. Curious about why they weren't even the least bit curious about us I did some research online and it is said that they have strict orders not to harass the tourists traveling through. They are trying to retake a good reputation after being labeled as a country that eats tourist for breakfast. We needed to get gas and instead of pulling out pocket change to fill the tank like I did throughout Ecuador I was sitting down with a loan officer looking for a good rate on a loan to pay for gas. At the border we paid 6.50 per gallon which totaled to about 125.00 USD to fill our tank. Our daily budget was shattered that moment and the air in the cab of the truck while pulling out of the gas station was quiet. I set the eco tuner to maximum savings and just idled down the road feathering the pedal.

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The terrain turned from wet foggy mountains to dry open desert within 3 hours from Ecuador into Peru. Happy to be back in the desert where bush camping is easy compared to steep mountain roads we looked for the first opening into the desert off the road and crawled about 10km into the desert until nobody could spot us or even try to spot us. We were tucked away behind a little sand dune and tree. I decided to move the camp 20 meters to a more level spot and as i did I hit a big bowl of quick sand and buried the truck! We were stuck and nothing was going to get us out except us. So I tried everything to get us out without having to deflate our 2,000 dollar tires to 10psi, but after winching and digging I had no choice. Once all four wheels were at 10psi the truck literally lifted itself up and effortlessly idled out of the hole into more solid ground. Before we got stuck I was a bit nervous of locals sniffing around our camp site, but after getting us out of a potentially bad situation like that I quickly hardened up and welcomed any would be guests form the local village in the desert. We all some how went native out in the desert as we fought to survive. My wife started to gather wood for a fire and Lotta sharpen a spear to hunt for the day's dinner. On the menu was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...
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The next day we pulled out of camp and back on the road towards the beach and we luckily stumbled upon Lost World Expedition (www.lostworldexpedition.com) here in Huanchaco, Peru. Awesome knowledgeable couple that has been nothing but hospitable. Tonight we will grill some Peruvian burgers, mix some world-famous gin and tonics before setting off to the mountains together in the morning. Luis of LWE will take us by the hand up into snow-capped mountain roads with views of glaciers and indigenous people. Stay tuned to www.lostworldexpedition.com and Knowledgetrot.com for a full report.

[roboter]

More Pictures. Movie is coming up in a moment.

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[zeke2.0]

Nothing like having your food stare back at you :-).

[roboter]

TO GO WHERE THE AVERAGE OVERLANDER NEVER GOES


The time we spend looking for secured parking in an urban area is waisted time that could be spent taking in the back country scenery of this amazing continent, and so the desert and sand has always been good to us offering protected bush camping, as few people and vehicles can enter such areas. We reached Ica, Peru late in the evening laced with world-famous sand dunes. So out came 35psi on each tire and away we went deeper than we have ever gone before. The tracks you see are from the buggy tours offered by various local companies.

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We are now circa 3000ft above sea level in the most purest sand dunes I have ever seen. And might I add the most dangerous sand dunes I have ever seen, as the dunes all have gradual slopes on one side and on the other side of the dune has a 500ft drop straight down, so caution must be taken at each hill. So far this spot has hit our number one bush camping spot of all time. As the local sand buggy guides took tourist around the dunes, people would drive by in awe as we sat at our camp sipping wine while Lotta played in the sand and we soon turned out to become the main attraction in the dunes. When we made our way down into the village people were running to us asking questions about our travels and tour. It was very fun!

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[roboter]

Stay tuned for more on our site!

[roboter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxLzoLBMoWA&context=C3fc5969ADOEgsToPDskJH5d_SKYc37VwT-8-27ZJW

[lostworldexpedition]

Nice spot... Send some waypoints our way and we will hit it up :) have fun!

[roboter]

Okay, but heed warning. I went up with a Dodge Ram 2500.... I'm not so sure a Toyota would make it up. :sombrero:

[roboter]

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Lotta's Sandbox
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[roboter]

Chile is incredible. Its so nice, that I'm too lazy to write anything. Back to the beach. More later.

[roboter]

http://knowledgetrot.com/2012/02/iquique-chile/

[roboter]

We are taking a break from South America and heading back to Europe for a bit. Andrea is a crime fighting detective in Germany and so she needs to work at least 3 months per year to maintain her position as an *** kicking woman cop in tight leather pants. And since we are all there I will go back to being a prostitute for the Machinebau/Automation industry to add a little more cold cash to put in the bank so we can keep the "bums with money" title.

The first thing I will do when I land in Europe is order a coffee and sip it like it's from the fountain of youth. I miss my coffee breaks. I also cannot wait to separate my trash when I get to Europe! It is painful to put aluminum and plastic, and bio-waste into one container like they do here in South America.

To keep our car here in South America for a long period of time requires us to beeline across S.A. from Chile to Uruguay because they allow tourist to keep vehicles in the country longer than 90 days. 365 days to be exact. So we won't feel so pressured to hurry back if more time in Europe is needed and since we will be in Northern Europe in the summer, I don't think we will be hurrying back to S.A.

Thats all for now. I haven't posted on here for a while. Be sure to see our earlier posts on our website.

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

Josh and family,

I'm really enjoying your trip report. I hope you will add some of Eurpoe to it and keep the Blog going.

[roboter]

Sorry for being off the grid for so long, but we’ve been creating some exciting things here in Germanyland. Firstly, Our beautiful daughter turned 3 last week and it seems just only yesterday I was cradling her in my arms with a bottle. Her German is outstanding, but sadly she lost her Spanish. However, her English is up to par for a three-year old and the teachers at her school in Germany thinks it’s absolutely endearing when she answers with a “Yes” sometimes.

Andrea has returned to work full-time as a detective with an office in the roof of 120 year old police station and she is very excited to get back to and cleaning Bremen’s streets. Most importantly she has her gun back, which I really enjoy having in the house. She still won’t let me carry it though…. so the orange plastic one will have to do.

Now I’ve been in the automation and robotics industry for nearly 15 years and I have finally come to the end of the ROBOT chapter in my life. It has given me a beautiful life and the chance to travel to exotic locales like Birmingham Alabama and Mexico City for example……….. but it has also set the stage for my new career. Designing, building, and selling custom-made cargo utility bicycles throughout Europe and beyond. (Details to follow in the coming weeks)

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Early production marketing units start in 4 weeks and before that I will have 18 hour days ahead of me. I have done a lot of research and business parallel to my current job so I will hit the ground running when I start. Most importantly though, it allows me to be home with my family and help raise Lotta while Andrea works full-time.

Our truck is still parked in Uruguay and I will be down there shortly to pick it up and arrange for it to be shipped to Germany. Once there, we will have a lot of material to write about as we trek across Western Europe sharing the wonderful things of that great continent.

Thanks for reading!
The Garrett’s

[cyclist]

Sorry we didn't get to meet up, as we are still pretty far south. The cargo bike looks awesome, and is an interesting configuration I have not seen on any of the commerial cargo bikes available in the states. As a fellow engineer, and bike nerd I look forward to learning more. If you have suggestions on good places to mtb in Chile, Peru or further north I would love to hear about that as well.

[haven]

While uncommon in USA, this style of two wheel bike with cargo area between the handlebars and front wheel is fairly common in the low countries, northern Germany, Denmark and Scandinavia. The generic term is "Long John" bike, after the Danish company that made them 70 years ago. Google "long john bike" for information and photos.