The road chose me

It’s a surreal moment in Customs in downtown Buenos Aires when all the papers are finally signed, and the Jeep is officially transferred out of my name. Less than 15 minutes later I book plane tickets, and have just over 24 hours remaining in Latin America.
Not for the first time in my life, I give away stuff and condense my worldly possessions until they fit inside my faithful backpack.

I jump in the driver’s seat for the final time and make the journey to the airport, trying to soak in every last minute of time I have with my much-loved Jeep. For a year and a half I’ve been saying “Ella está mi novia” (She is my girlfriend), and we all know breakups are difficult.

Saying goodbye

Just before midnight on April 12, 2011 the wheels come to a stop for the final time after 64,517km.
That’s a touch over 40,000 miles in 667 days, or 1 year nine months and 28 days.

For the next twenty-nine hours I wait, read, write, think and sleep while moving through different airports, never feeling present in any of them. I’m greeted by my always-grinning brother & his girlfriend, holding a huge banner they made for my welcome, complete with Jeep pic and map.

Welcome Home Dan

Together, we cross the final border of the adventure.

The familiar words uttered by the friendly customs officer make me realize how much I’ve missed this place.
I think I’ll stay for a while.

“Welcome to Canada”.

-Dan

I’m currently writing up posts about trip stats, total costs, gear reviews and more.
They’ll show up over the next couple of weeks.
If you have any questions you want me to cover, just ask.

With all the madness involved in my attempts to sell the Jeep I’ve been very remiss in my photo taking duties, so I don’t have a lot to show for the weeks I’ve put in.
Over the last while I…

• Spend almost two weeks in and around El Bolson & Bariloche. Many Argentineans want to buy the Jeep, though the paperwork is never going to happen. There are also a lot of foreigners here, so I wait expectantly for something to turn up.

Los Alerces National Park

• Hike to the top of Cathedral Alta, the ski resort in Bariloche. There is no snow yet, but that doesn’t top me from imagining snowboarding all the different features.

Cathedral Alta

• Drive across to Buenos Aires, where there is a solid buyer on the line. I make around 800km three days in a row, which is too much.
• Hang around BA again, moving from Customs offices to attorneys and back to customs.
• Take a ferry to Uruguay because the buyer doesn’t exactly have a “legal” status in his passport, so we head over and back just to get a new stamp in his passport. From the little I see it feels like a really beautiful, friendly place. Country number 17 for the journey, although without the Jeep, I’m not sure it counts.

Beautiful sunset at the final campsite

Things are very close now.

-Dan

A looooong time ago, in a faraway land I spoke to a guy driving a Google Street View Car (the ones with all the cameras on the top). I’ve wondered ever since if they snapped a couple of pics of the Jeep at that gas station, and finally sat down and found them.

Check it! – not only the Jeep, me as well. This might be my favorite photo of the trip yet!
(it’s worth zooming in one step)

View Larger Map

It looks like the Jeep is right on the join between two photos, so it’s kind of blurry.  Moving south on the highway there are 3 or 4 more similar snaps, though they are from further away and more blurry.

I know I passed one on an open stretch of highway in Alaska too, but it’s going to take a while to find that one.

-Da

While I’m still working on selling my Jeep I want to mention a new hangout for overlanders on the road in Panama City.

Panama Passage is a new Overlander Resource Center, providing absolutely everything we could possibly need. And more.

The courtyard at Panama Passage

Beautiful hotel rooms, camping space, a locked yard for parking, a workshop and tools and a ‘container matching service’ are really just the beginning. Their extensive knowledge of the big city is crucial to point you in the right direction for all your needs, from spares and repairs to pesky Customs and Police.

If you’re headed to Panama City, this is the place to stay.

-Dan