South America??

robatthelake wrote:
... although presently there is a Couple in Our RV Park who are Australian/Canadians who are intending to take their 34 foot Class A Motorhome all the way to Patagonia.

That'd be my wife and me.

I'm learning as I go so at this stage can only offer some links:

http://www.drivetheamericas.com/content/planning-your-trip

https://birdsofpassage.wordpress.com/traveling-resources/travel-links/

http://www.ioverlander.com/

Also, on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/groups/panamtravelers/

As to language issues: go to your smartphone appstore and look for "Google Translate", downlaod and install it. It's free. It will translate your spoken or typed words into many other languages but most importantly spanish, will translate someones spoken or typed spanish into english, and will also translate text that you scan with the smartphone camera, like a road sign; simply scan the sign and it will translate it into english. Fabulous. Almost don't need to learn another language. BUT SHOULD TRY!

PM me if you'd like more.


Note: Edited to make the links clickable
Admin

tony lee wrote:
Spot on Lynn

I've posted this before



We stayed at a free parking place along the Andes in southern Patagonia and again, caught up with a few of our new-found friends. This lady is Italian, 72 years young and a very experienced solo traveller. All over Africa and now in S America. Diff-locks front and rear and well used diff locks at that, and a high lift jack strapped to the front bumper mean she doesn't often get stopped by terrain.

We have met 80+ year olds travelling around in South America and they say they wouldn't want to be anywhere else but on the road.

Have to say that North Americans are vastly unrepresented way down south on a per capita basis and it sometimes seems there are more Kiwis there than travellers from the US. The imbalance needs redressing

Thanks Tony, I find that very inspiring!!

Take a visit to ExpeditionPortal.com and visit the forums section and those currently in progress. Far more current information and blogs. One of the best current blog, with GPS locations is SongOfTheRoad.com.

We have found a universal method for communicating in any language. Works in China, many countries in Europe, USA and of course anywhere in South America. If at first they don't understand, just speak louder.

Spanish speakers have a different method to counter a puzzled look - talk faster.

One way that usually works - as it gets around accent and talking speed problems - is to write things in English rather than speaking. Most are lacking in confidence to listen or speak but writing gets over that hurdle

English is taught in some schools, if not you can always learn to mime your needs, a lot of people will be glad to speak English with you, although a little broken, with patience you will communicate in Spanish and Portuguese(Brazil), some Latin Americans speak English and several other languages from Europe.

If you can go for it, then tell us here with pictures.

navegator

Wow, thanks for all the excellent info.! Makes me want go pack our bags right away and leave tomorrow, lol.

I know there are things you should and shouldn't do and places or situations to avoid, but as some have said, it's generally a safe place to travel if you've done adequate research in advance and I'm not worried enough not to go. SA just seems to be such a absolutely fascinating place and like no other on the planet.

I know someone who went to Peru with a buddy and visited the Machu Picchu and Sacsay Huaman Inca ruins. He loved his visit there.

I only know a handful of spanish words and don't know if there is a language barrier as one travels around. I started studying spanish a few years ago but didn't get very far as there were too many other things in the way.

There are lots of people RV'ing thru Central and South America. I have spent considerable time (months) in Venzuela, Bolivia, Ecuador Chile, Columbia and others.

Don't pay too much attention to those that tell you not to go.

There are literally millions of tourists every year traveling in every conceivable manner to all of the countries in SA. Many many people have driven the Alaska to Tip of SA (Tierra Del Fuego)in everything from campers to motorcycles.

Many of the roads are just fine. Most locals take their vacations by car. Services are readily available and generally very good (gas and hotels/campgrounds)

There are many Expedition sites and other sites on the web where you can read about peoples experiences.

Try Googling "Driving South America"

There are also at least two books written by those that have done this but the titles escape me...again go to amazon.com and search driving South America.

In general the people are extremely welcoming, friendly and like most other places are honest hard working people.

Just GO.

There are other places off interest to visit, the Machu Pichu area, flying over the Nasca lines, the telescopes in Chile, the area of the giant balls in Colombia, and travelling on the Amazon river, Patagonia, Tikal in Guatemala, and just seeing the ships transit the locks in Panama is interesting, or watch the monkeys in the jungle in Costa Rica.

It is to bad that the road has not been connected between Panama and Colombia, then it would be easy to traverse the whole of America from Alaska and Canada to Tierra del Fuego in Chile and Argentina.

I meet dozens every year on their way to SA. They stop at our campground in Quintana Roo. Here is a link to dozens of their blogs.
SA Blogs

The ferry is not running so shipping from Panama is the only option.

The vehicles I see go are all built with solar panels, diesel, heavy duty tires and usually under 30'

Read their blogs and you will find all the information you need including border crossing info for each country.

Spot on Lynn

I've posted this before



We stayed at a free parking place along the Andes in southern Patagonia and again, caught up with a few of our new-found friends. This lady is Italian, 72 years young and a very experienced solo traveller. All over Africa and now in S America. Diff-locks front and rear and well used diff locks at that, and a high lift jack strapped to the front bumper mean she doesn't often get stopped by terrain.

We have met 80+ year olds travelling around in South America and they say they wouldn't want to be anywhere else but on the road.

Have to say that North Americans are vastly unrepresented way down south on a per capita basis and it sometimes seems there are more Kiwis there than travellers from the US. The imbalance needs redressing