The Ultimate Road Trip!
*EDIT*
Write up with pictures begins on page 4!
Pictures & video courtesy of and owned by:
Ian Westmoreland
Jaime Sharp @ http://http://worldwildadventureexp.blogspot.com/
Alyssa Englund
Shannon Gullett
Denise Ouellette
John Franzen
Thanks to them all!! Warning: some video contains foul language!
December 18th, 2009 - March 20th, 2010
Wyoming to Panama and back!
Wyoming to Oregon to California to Baja Mexico. Baja to mainland Mexico via ferry then all down the west coast of Mexico on the Mex200. Cross Mexico at Salina Cruz and then cross the Yucatan. Enter Belize from the north. Lay up in Dangriga, Belize a week and make vehicle repairs ect. From Belize into Guatemala then into El Salvador then Honduras then Nicaragua then Costa Rica and then into Panama. Spend near a month in Panama including 6 days spent camping on an island and then return through Central America on the Pan American HWY (so no Belize on the way home). Drive through Chiapas in Mexico and then hit the east coast of Mexico. Up the east coast of Mexico to Brownsville, Texas. Across Texas, New Mexico, Colorado (through a huge snow storm in New Mexico & Colorado) and finally home to Wyoming!
Nearly 15,000 miles driven! Less than 15 days staying in hotels or hostels. 4,300 miles covered from March 8th to March 20th. 11 straight days to get home from Panama. You could do it in 8-9 days but I took my time a bit.
I took my 2004 Toyota Tacoma which is modified and supercharged. Not once was I unable to find 91 octane or better fuel. I had very few problems or breakdowns. My throttle body failed and I replaced it in Belize. I was plagued with air bag suspension problems but eventually they worked out. I did nearly 14,000 miles using air bags that have tire repair plugs in them! I couldn't run without the air bags due to weight of my truck, it would ride on the bump stops with out the air bags.
I met hundreds of people, vastly imporved my Spanish, learned to surf, dealt with everything you might expect tp happen on a trip like this from corrupt officels (bribes to flat out robbery) to break downs to being very lost to being rear ended by another driver in a huge city! I saw more amazing sunsets and sun rises than I can rememebr and I saw three full moon rises over the most beautiful places! I spent my 37th birthday camping with friends on an island in Panama, they even made me a cake! I saw incredible wildlife, kayaked with turtles and dolphins, went snorkeling with sharks and ate every kind of food available in Latin America including fish tacos from fish I caught!! I drank beer in every country and got to try them all! We fell in love with Zacapa rum which is aged 23yrs and is made in Gautemala, needless to say we went through 7 or 8 bottles of it! I also discovered how good a shot of rum is in a beer!
My dog went with me for every bit of the journey including a tour of an old prison!
The entire trip was done without a GPS using only a few maps of Mexico and Central America.
I am working on a write up with maps, pictures and video. I will post it up when it is presentable....
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by kcowyo
