Notes From the PanAmerican

[upcountry]

Great posting. I really appreciate the details and perspective. I truly LOVE Central America and the people. I am born and raised in Hawaii (north shoreof Maui) and have found so many similarities in the culture of C.A. and that of the REAL Hawaii-Ne. I now live in Seattle with my wife and two small children.

After your trip is over and you are faced with a dull return to the states (if you choose to go that route!), I would suggest joining the Peace Corps for a few years.

After meeting my wife while spending the last semesters of our senior year in College in Beleize on a foreign exchange program (coastal reef dynamics course - she was fromt he east coast and I was from the west coast), and then through traveling C.A. by bus for around 6 months from Beleize to Panama, and getting married when we got back home (we eloped and pissed off our familes), we immediately joined the Peace Corps together (have to be married), got stationed in Bocas Del Toro in Panama (Comarca Ngabe-Bugle - near Kusapin), and spent three years calling Panama home and making side trips all over C.A. and S.A. .

In addition to the travel perks of Peace Corps, we got to work with people, and felt like we had enough time to actually begin to understand the culture and make friends. All I can say is the Peace Corps experience is different for everyone, is what you make of it, and it has provided me with such a rich catolog of mental capacity to deal with bad situation in life if feel I can draw on these memories. This experience coupled with travels has allowed me to cope with exactly what you described as your reason for making the trip - inability to deal with day to day life in a cubicle.

Anyway, enough on that, just keep it in mind as an alternative.

My sincere appreciation for your description of your travels!

Chao.

 

[rockandroll]

Great posting. I really appreciate the details and perspective. I truly LOVE Central America and the people. I am born and raised in Hawaii (north shoreof Maui) and have found so many similarities in the culture of C.A. and that of the REAL Hawaii-Ne. I now live in Seattle with my wife and two small children.

After your trip is over and you are faced with a dull return to the states (if you choose to go that route!), I would suggest joining the Peace Corps for a few years.

After meeting my wife while spending the last semesters of our senior year in College in Beleize on a foreign exchange program (coastal reef dynamics course - she was fromt he east coast and I was from the west coast), and then through traveling C.A. by bus for around 6 months from Beleize to Panama, and getting married when we got back home (we eloped and pissed off our familes), we immediately joined the Peace Corps together (have to be married), got stationed in Bocas Del Toro in Panama (Comarca Ngabe-Bugle - near Kusapin), and spent three years calling Panama home and making side trips all over C.A. and S.A. .

In addition to the travel perks of Peace Corps, we got to work with people, and felt like we had enough time to actually begin to understand the culture and make friends. All I can say is the Peace Corps experience is different for everyone, is what you make of it, and it has provided me with such a rich catolog of mental capacity to deal with bad situation in life if feel I can draw on these memories. This experience coupled with travels has allowed me to cope with exactly what you described as your reason for making the trip - inability to deal with day to day life in a cubicle.

Anyway, enough on that, just keep it in mind as an alternative.

My sincere appreciation for your description of your travels!

Chao.

Thanks for this solid advice. The "after" aspect of the trip has not yet hit us yet, but we do have a lot of thinking and planning to do and this right here is brain food.

 

[rockandroll]

We're back! / Canyon Del Pato Peru

After a 5 week "vacation" with friends and family visiting us in Peru we're back on ExPo and regular web updates! Enjoy,

Canyon Del Pato (Peru)

After making our way through the altitude wonder known as Black Mud Pass (our route into Peru), we were more than happy to land on the coast in the little beach town of Huanchaco where we stayed at the much celebrated Huanchaco Gardens "RV park."

We met some new northbound overlanders: Nessie Adventures. Their bush camp listing and country beta are second to none.

After Huanchaco, we made our way south east toward the many tunnels of Canyon del Pato. The scenery changed slowly from desert to deserted.

Mars?

In the morning our campsite, tucked deep within the valley, the rising sun ignited the spectacular shades and colors of the surrounding desert. Coffee in hand, we entered the deepest part of the canyon (1000m) where the Cordillera Blanca and Negra fight for dominance separated only by 15 meters and the Rio Santa. Due to the precarious nature of the canyon and it's towering walls, all 35 tunnels were carved out of the imposing mountainside by hand. :Wow1:

Each tunnel bares a sign reminding drivers to honk before they enter. We edged around approaching traffic (about seven trucks in one day's worth of driving) only when the road allowed. At the end of this spectacular drive, we ended up at the base of the Cordillera Blanca in Caraz. Exactly where you want to be.

Exiting a hand-carved tunnel in the Canyon del Pato Peru

 

[defrag4]

welcome back from "vacation" :sombrero:

that Nessie vehicle is a damn beast

 

[rockandroll]

Peru Mountaineering

After the Canyon Del Pato we arrived in Huaraz where our non-overlander friends would fly in to join us for the start of our 5 week break from overlanding.

First up, 7 days in the Cordillera Blanca knocking out three peaks: Tocllaraju at 19,790 feet. We would also climb Ishinca at 18,143′, and Urus, 17,782′ in preparation.

If you'd like to read the blow by blow account of our ascents, read all about it out here.

Climbing the 3rd class rocks on Urus

In summation it was a glorious success having summited all 3 mountains. We had arranged for a cook and guide since it was our first time climbing in the tropics. Quite a luxurious experience, we don't think we'll ever eat a freeze dried meal again.

The summit of Ishinca

Ice climbing up Tocllaraju wearing everything I own and still cold


After our week in the mountains another friend joined us and we spent the better part of two weeks getting pleasantly knackered in Huaraz and camping in the mountains.

Pleasantly Knackered

Mountain Glamping

 

[rockandroll]

Machu Picchu & Cusco round #1

Here are some pictures of our journey to Cusco and Machu Picchu during phase two of our break from overlanding. Fear not, Next up we return to the land of overlanding and arrive at Camping Quinta Lala, an old overlander favorite.

The road to Cusco

Our apartment overlooking Cusco

The unavoidable and cliche Machu Picchu shot

The extensive terracing - the soil was hauled up from the Sacred Valley below.

 

[unURBAN]

the unavoidable and cliche machu picchu shot

Yes! Yes! Yes!
GPS coordinates..? ;-)

 

[rockandroll]

Cusco, Camping Quinta Lala, and the Jungle Boogie

Saying goodbye to my parents, we head to the old overlander favorite, Camping Quinta Lala outside of Cusco.

Arriving at Quinta Lala and guess who was there camping?

We spent a week catching up with old friends and making new ones. Each day started with good intentions of errands to be run and laundry to be cleaned. Each following day was our supposed departure. Instead the mornings were filled with coffee talk, the exchange of camping spots, mechanics with reputations to be sworn by, and GPS maps.

Afternoons and evenings were reserved for BBQ bonfires and intercultural exchange. As if we weren’t even in Peru, we learned about the Swiss’ black Santa (who will beat you with a stick!), the proper etiquette at an Argentinean asado, and why genuine German schnapps isn’t to be taken lightly.

Campfire + schnapps

The scene at camping Quinta Lala

Unfortunately the campground is rumored to be closing at the end of this year!

Into the Jungle

Months ago, when crossing into Peru at the furthest east border crossing, we were in the Amazon Basin, but there was no forest to be seen. Manu National Park, because of it’s past isolation and more recently it’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, now boasts the title: worlds most biodiverse area. This small protected chunk of the rainforest is home to a host of yet-to-be discovered species and un-contacted tribes.

What a jungle looks like from 13k'... clouds

After a bush camp on the 13k' pass, we were winding our way down muddy tracks into the jungle, dropping nearly 8,000 feet in a day. Our surroundings turned increasingly green and lush with each switchback. After our descent, we continued through rock tunnels and under waterfalls gushing over the road (free car wash!).

Accessing the jungle

Green, green, green

The conditions slowed us considerably so we opted for our first jungle bush camp and set out to explore via foot. Jumping out of the truck we were swarmed with large curious insects. Seemingly bored with humans, they left as quickly as they came, but not before one could take a chunk out of my arm.

We walked around the lush forest crawling with life. Spotting a number of odd plants and animals, we unfortunately couldn’t name a single one. So we made up names such as the vintage metallic couch-patterned hummingbird.

We ventured out a second time to experience the jungle on a moonless night. Our headlamps revealed wildlife desperately escaping the spotlight. We caught a glimpse here and there but the true marvel was the physical feeling all around us, a thriving ecosystem, an independent pulse. Afterward, we settled into the camper and fell asleep to the foreign sounds of the amazon enveloping us.

 

[rockandroll]

The Last of Peru

Heading out from the Jungle and Cusco we took our time taking the back road to Arequipa and the world's 2nd largest canyon, Colca Canyon.

Camping on the Peruvian altiplano at 14,000ft

The road to Arequipa took us over mountain passes in excess of 15,000ft!

Bush camp #2 near Colca Canyon

Since Ecuador we've gotten comfortable with bush camping and like to make 1/4 our of camps in the wild. In this part of the world finding solitude is very easy.

We spent a week in Arequipa and found it to be a wonderfully charming city. Yet another town with constant springtime temperatures and mountain views.

We took a guide and went mountain biking on day down Misti

Just the start of Colca Canyon

Looking out on Colca Canyon

After Arequipa and the Canyon we hit the backroads again heading toward lake Titicaca where we met up with Tom and Jan (Adventurous Spirits) to camp for a while at the pre-Inca ruins of Sillustani. The four of us were very excited for Bolivia and spent the days planning and sharing our excitement.

We spent three months in Peru, as much as our visa would allow. Peru was are all-time favorite so far. The back roads, wilderness, and mountains of this country are second to none.

 

[zeke2.0]

Before this thread, I had never even considered Peru. Now I have to go there.

 

[rockandroll]

Before this thread, I had never even considered Peru. Now I have to go there.

Peru was a surprise for us - so much to see and do. We loved it and already want to go back! Thanks for your comment.

 

[rockandroll]

Bolivia Part 1 (of two)

Our 1.5 month route through Bolivia

We entered Bolivia from Peru and our first night on the shores of Lake Titicaca had us buzzing with excitement. Bolivia could easily be considered the wildest place in the Americas. An overlander's heaven, Bolivia is often referred to as the Tibet of the Americas due to it's mountains, height, and isolation.

Lakeside bush camp on our first day in the country

After a stop in the mountains near Sorata, we noticed our front drive axle boot was punctured and leaking grease. To replace the boot we would need to take apart the entire front axle. Not a job I'm equipped to do with my single jack and 200 piece tool set. So we headed to the capital city of La Paz to stay at Hotel Oberland and find a reliable mechanic.

Popped up with company at Oberland

Our extended stay in the metropolitan area of La Paz had us anxious to explore Bolivia's wild frontiers. In that spirit we referred to our paper map and marked Sajama along the Chilean border as our next destination. With it’s plains sitting above 14,000 feet (4350m) the park houses the world’s highest “forest,” and Bolivia’s highest peak, Volcán Sajama (6542m). The forest may be underwhelming as the dwarf queñua trees more resemble bushes, but the landscape consumes the senses. Sajama was Bolivia’s first National Park.

Entering the park

In Sajama, $4.00 gets you unbridled access. Drive, camp, hike wherever you damn well please. This is Bolivia, wild and free.

We do love water crossings

Our first night we camped alongside 95 degree hot springs and among the mountain majesty. For two days we proceeded to empty the contents of our food-poisoned stomachs outside the camper. We wish we could swear off those golden crisp salteñas, but we know we’ll be back.

Recovery in the hot springs

Here the wind runs icy cold, the afternoon sun blazes, and a hard freeze takes over each and every night. Our only company were the herds of alpaca, not sure what to make of a camper meandering along their desolate prairie. Returning to the wilderness we shed our illusions of grandeur and invincibility. We come closer to something more genuine, a more primal self.

camp.

Riding the good vibes from Sajama NP, we continued the bush camp marathon with a stopover at Ojo del Inca. Just north of Potosi, this is one of those spots that should not be missed.

Inca del Oro hot springs

Next up is Bolivia part two where things get ever wilder.

 

[RMP&O]

Good to see a fairly recent update....

As I say on FB, really looking forward to more of your Haters Gonna Hate ten parts series.

Great stuff Brianna & Logan, keep it up!

 

[sKunk]

[/CENTER]

Do I spy a Nebraska Huskers shirt!? :victory: