This is to transcribe, as best as memory serves, the events that took place between Friday October 24, 2008 and Monday October 27, 2008 aboard the NaviMag local. What occurred on Monday could not have been what any of the 90 passengers had in mind upon boarding on Friday-that is unless anyone was expecting to disembark 12 hours early via tugboat, 500 yards from the port while sporting damp life jackets under their backpacks. What exactly went wrong, no one can ever really know for sure. What we do know is that on the night of Friday October 24, those 90 passengers, albeit mostly eager coeds, boarded the NaviMag excited to spend the following 3 nights and 4 solid days gawking the beauty of the southern Chilean fjords.
Category Archives: Countries
A Rodeo is a Rodeo
November 10, 2008 – 12:45 pm
The world is full of differences and we have been very privileged to witness a tremendous amount of diversity throughout the course of the expedition. Differences abound at all levels of society and culture and learning about why people, cultures and countries do things differently and more importantly, appreciating that certain things are in fact done differently is an invaluable education. However, from time to time, you also learn that many things are quite similar and familiar to what you know and recognize from home, wherever that may be.
There is Definitely Something Cool About Chile
November 9, 2008 – 12:35 pm
Trying to decide which country one likes the most is a difficult task that necessitates a lot of reflection. Again, different countries on the expedition each hold different meaning to individual expedition members. Each country we have crossed through presents memorable moments that make impressions on all of us that will last a lifetime. In some cases, even a few of the bad experiences we have encountered along the way can sometimes transform themselves into positive memories over the course of time. Personally, the type of mood I am in at the time might also affect how I respond when asked what country I enjoyed the most on the trip. No matter what mood I am in though, there are certainly a few countries that always stand out in my mind above all others and one of those countries is Chile.
New Photos – Congo (Pointe Noire)
November 8, 2008 – 9:35 pm
Our original plan was to leave Dolisie and head directly to Brazzaville, however, our sources in Dolisie said that the road to Brazzaville was not safe and we would most certainly encounter rebels along the way. The only other alternative was to head west to Pointe Noire and get our Angola visas there. From Pointe Noire, we could cross through the Angolan province of Cabinda before heading south into the DRC and then continuing on into mainland Angola. This was the same route our friends the African Surfers had taken so we headed west without hesitation considering it would save us a lot of driving on poor roads, we had been offered a place to stay in Pointe Noire and assistance with our visas and I was still extremely ill with malaria.
New Photos – Congo (Road to Brazzaville)
November 7, 2008 – 5:35 am
The road to Brazzaville was probably one of the worst stretches of road we had encountered on the entire expedition for multiple reasons. It was the time of year when the rains were subsiding, but not yet completely over which meant that the roads would almost certainly be inundated with water and mud making the journey difficult at best. None of realized how bad the roads would be and how exhausting driving them would be. The stretch of road from Pointe Noire to Brazzaville is about 350 kilometers and it took us about four days to complete the journey. We were constantly getting stuck in mud that came up to your thighs, navigating seemingly impossible sections of road and at one point, having to rebuild an entire bridge in order to continue on to Brazzaville.
New Photos – Congo (Brazzaville)
November 4, 2008 – 5:36 am
Brazzaville also shaped up to be a new exercise in patience for The World by Road. We came into town expecting to get our Angola visas without to much problem, but instead spent about two weeks dealing with probably the most incompetent and confused diplomatic corps in the world. Again, we were forced to push on after a long and frustrating time ultimately without any Angolan visas in our passports. Unfortunately, upon entering Kinshasa in the DRC on the other side of the river, we were promptly deported for not having onward visas… a regulation that had only recently been put into place. Forced to return back across the Congo River to Brazzaville, we enlisted the help of the US Embassy. The embassy staff was outstanding and helped us to get into the DRC in a very round about way which included getting signed, sealed and stamped letters stating that our final destination was Zambia even though it is essentially impossible to travel overland from Kinshasa to Zambia.
Roadside Shrines
November 2, 2008 – 10:08 pm
Having your own mode of transportation has a lot of benefits. We have said countless times that there is no substitute for having the ability to explore a country free of the constraints of public transportation and on your own schedule. When you have your own transportation, I believe you become a lot more aware of your surroundings, especially the small details that might blur by the window of a bus or a train. One thing that I have noticed a lot of here in South America are roadside shires. If you ask any of the other members on the expedition, they might actually go as far as suggesting that I have become obsessed by these roadside tributes, especially when I slam on the brakes to go and take a closer look at them.
New Photos – Congo (Road to Dolisie)
November 1, 2008 – 2:30 am
Everyone was a little anxious heading into the Congo. We had been told that the roads were bad, that there were some potentially dangerous areas in terms of rebel activity and instability and that things in general would be a bit more difficult compared to what we had already experienced in Africa. Immediately after crossing […]
How To Drive Through Chile Without Breaking The Bank
October 27, 2008 – 9:18 pm
Even with the rising value of the US dollar and the dropping prices of oil worldwide, when you are on an overland expedition, you still need to be a little creative in order to conserve your budget. We have been on the road for about 20 months now and during that time, we have become pretty good at coming up with ways to stretch our money.
