Colombia is always a place that has intrigued me for several different reasons. Maybe it is the lure of the jungle, maybe it the element of danger due to the longstanding presence of guerillas and revolutionaries, maybe it is the images of Juan Valdez and his coffee carrying mule, or maybe it is the curiosity generated by Pablo Escobar and the numerous cartels that put Colombia on the international map for less glamorous reasons.
Category Archives: Trip Thoughts
Keeping It Clean and Somewhat Dangerous
January 10, 2009 – 12:29 pm
Traveling around the world gives you an unparalleled view into the daily lives of people in countless cultures around the globe. In many ways, people throughout the world do a lot of the same things, but the interesting part is how they go about accomplishing those things. Take for example the simple task of taking a shower.
Getting Closer to Home
January 7, 2009 – 5:07 pm
We can all tell just by looking at the calendar and by looking at the odometer on the Toyotas that the expedition is drawing to a conclusion. We are so close that border crossings and navigation around the infamous Darien Gap aside, we could probably drive right back to the US in less than a week if we did it in a straight shot from our current position in northern Ecuador.
Lost World
January 4, 2009 – 6:10 pm
Machu Picchu, The Lost City of the Incas, one of the seven wonders of the world. The name Machu Picchu alone conjures up romantic images of exploration and historical discovery. Unfortunately for me, Machu Picchu only aroused a mild level of excitement, mostly due to its aforementioned notoriety.
Feliz Navidad
December 24, 2008 – 4:25 pm
It is that time of year. My mom regularly asks me for more info on what Christmas is like down here. How do they celebrate? What are you going to do for Christmas? This is now the second Christmas that we have been on the road. Last Christmas was in Europe so the similarities made it feel a lot like home.
La Paz – la ciudad más loca del mundo
December 19, 2008 – 8:40 am
There is no doubt about it. La Paz, Bolivia is one of the craziest, most interesting cities I have ever been to. No other city seems to generate as many questions or spark more curiosity than La Paz. Sitting at just under 12,000 feet above sea level, the altitude alone makes La Paz a unique place and as a result, it is home to the highest pretty much everything.
Things To Be Avoided
December 8, 2008 – 6:10 pm
We get quite a few questions from our followers about overseas shipping. How we got our vehicles across the various oceans along our route is actually the most frequently asked question. Unfortunately, we have not been able to identify any easy answers when it comes to shipping vehicles abroad.
Reaching New Heights
December 4, 2008 – 11:40 am
Headache, insomnia, breathlessness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, loss of appetite and in more serious cases, lack of coordination, confusion, difficulty breathing and coughing up frothy, bloody phlegm. These are all the signs and symptoms of altitude sickness.
Farewell Mi Amigo
November 25, 2008 – 8:22 am
As with most good things in life, they all seem to come to and end sooner or later. For the World by Road, one of those good things was having Fernando Bischof (aka Nandor, aka F-Dude) as part of the crew. Unfortunately, Fernando’s stay with us on the expedition has come to and end and it was time to say goodbye. It was tough to see Fernando go because he has been with us longer than any previous crew member on the expedition, over three months, and we all got to become pretty good friends.
Out of This World Off Roading
November 24, 2008 – 7:01 am
Even though some of the toughest and most stressful segments of our expedition have revolved around the conditions of roads we have traversed, traveling down those difficult sections of roads can also lead you to some amazing places. Places that are hidden and inaccessible to someone without a 4×4 and in some cases a large set of balls. In a lot of the countries we have been through, we did not have a choice of whether we wanted to go off road or not. Going off road in many places is simply the only option to get from point A to point B.
