Where was Dan?
Update: This adventure has come to a close. This map will remain to show where I journeyed.
View The Road Chose Me: 50,000kms of ebb and flow in a larger map
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172 Responses to “Where was Dan?”
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Heya Dan! Hope you are having a great time in Nica. I just made it out to the Carribean coast and will be in Corn Island by morning! It was really nice meeting you and spending time in Ometepe! Pura Vida, Tuanis, Hakuna Matata and all that jazz
Peace&Love
Meghaa
Hey Meghaa, thanks for the note! enjoy Corn Island, I’m jealous!
Dear Dan,
i’ve just come across your blog about your travel. i watched the film “into the wild” last evening and it really moved me, so when i was searching for information about it on the internet, your blog entry about the magic bus showed up. it was literally “magic” to read about your very own adventure with the magic bus. it must be an unbelievable feeling to walk that trek and stand in the same bus that chris spent so much time in.. i’ll start reading your blog as soon as i get some spare time – very interested in your adventurous travelling. is there a link where i can look at the photos you shot? and what’s the name of this blog-website? i’ve been to New Zealand in 2007 for an exchange year and did quite a lot of travelling there – planning on going back in a year, after my graduation from high school, so i might want to start a blog myself!
take care dan and enjoy every moment of your special time on the road
Anna
Hey Anna, I’m glad you found my site and enjoyed reading about my trip to the Magic Bus. It’s one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been in my life for sure. In terms of the photos I have, they are inline with every article. The first post for my adventure is here, so if you want to read everything in order and see all the photos that’s the best place to start.
Hello Anna and Dan,
We are working on our DVD production and book called “Back To The Wild: The Photographs and Writings of Christopher McCandless”. It will provide people interested in Chris’s story a glimpse into his world first-hand through his own photographs and writings to friends and people he met on his adventures! You can find out more by checking out our page on Facebook under Back To The Wild or checking out my blog here:
http://heatherhortonartwork.blogspot.com/2010/08/back-to-wild-photographs-and-writings.html
Have a wonderful day and happy travels!
Heather
Very, very cool Heather. I’m all over the DVD and book when they come out!
Thanks for the info.
Hi Dan
Our time in Jamaica was awesome. Lots of food, drink, entertainment, shows and Canadians. Absolute poverty outside the resort/tourist places. Went swimming with dolphins and visited Bob Marley’s mausoleum among other things. Weather was a little cool but T-shirt and shorts covered it. I managed a little sunburn on the last day. We don’t know how we’ll front work tomorrow – but it will happen. We have a rough plan to visit Mike in 5 weeks for the Easter break, then the big haul to the end of June when Ron visits and its 1 year down! Pru Joy is visiting early April and we have offered her a bed. We both have lots of work for the next couple of months and may stop worrying about the money soon.
Cheers for now
Love Dad
Great to hear all your news, so happy you had an awesome time in Jamaica!
Visiting Mike will be awesome, and Ron coming out will be great too.
I’m starting to look into getting from Panama->Columbia via a shipping container.. it’s going to be an adventure
-Dan
Hey Dan I like your blog. What program are you using? My wife and I will be traveling to Panama from Orlando and would like to Blog like yours.
Bill
Skype: b.parke
Hey Bill, are you in Panama now? we could meet up for a coffee/beer? I’ll be there in about 2 weeks I think.
I’m using wordpress hosted with a private company and I think it’s great.
All the best for your trip!
Dan, had to delay our plans for our trip to Panama. Going to wait until the rains are over and we are going to S. Africa first to my son’s wedding in October and will be staying for about 3 months there first. Our paths will cross I’m sure. Love reading your Blog and we hope to build one like it on our trip.
Awesome Bill, all the best in South Africa, I heat it’s amazing!
I look forward to reading about it on your blog
Hey! I just watched “Into the Wild”, wanted to read a little more about Christopher’s life, and ended up in your blog… I’ve been here for a while reading and reading about your road trip in all this countries. I think you might be crossing Costa Rica, if not now, soon, so if you have any questions please let me know because I am Costa Rican
Pura vida!
Hey Laura, thanks for the kind words and offer – I’m loving Costa Rica!
Hi Dan
All the best for your adventures. I too watched the film ‘Into the Wild’ and read the book about the life and adventures of Christopher McCandless. His life and pure passion were very inspiring. Although it is sad he is no longer with us, there are still adventurers out there living their dreams who we can acknowledge for their inspiration. So thanks Dan for the inspiration, and for sharing your adventures with the world!
Regards, Kim
Hey Kim, Great to hear you too are so inspired by Chris and his story.
You’re so welcome, I hope I too can inspire you in some small way.
keep up the great job.did you find shipping for the jeep yet?how much does it cost for shipping the jeep.
i would like to do the same trip in a couple of years in my land rover and just wanted to know the prices of shipping and basic expenses.we enjoy your blog.cheers
Hey Tevor, all the fine details are coming in my last post on shipping across the Darien.
Hey Dan!,
Dude, what an epic adventure this is! Truly inspirational! Its been a long time since I last saw you at Uni, and had always wondered what you have been up to since our RA days. Best of luck with your travels – I wish I was there to film it all, and make a documentary out it! Maybe we should get you on TV to tell your story once you’re back to Oz.
Cheers,
Amrish
Amrish my man! wow man it has been a really long time! I am happy you dropped by!
What are you up to these days? Still living in Melbourne?
All the best man.
Yeah, still leaving in Melbourne – in the CBD – adventures everyday!!
Worked to the Comm Games after Uni, then went to live and work in the middle east and ran the Asian Games there – was a great experience. Came back to Melbourne, and working in banking and finance. Taking a break to go to Europe for a month – 105 days to go! – can’t wait!
Best of luck for the rest of your adventure.
Hello Dan,
I stumbled upon your blog when I was posting my latest blog post about Christopher McCandless. I too hiked out to the bus and then flew out via helicopter the following week in 2008. Here’s my account of my journey in:
http://www.heatherhorton.blogspot.com/2008/09/journey-to-bus-142.html
I am writing a book with Chris’s parents…a book of my paintings and his photographs from his journey. You can see a painting study that I did of a section of his belt here:
http://heatherhortonartwork.blogspot.com/2010/03/diary-of-supertramp-study.html
I would love to chat with you about your experiences at the bus sometime when you are in one place! If you are interested, or perhaps people who follow your perambulations are interested in the book about Chris I would be happy to tell you some details as they become known to me. It is very exciting!
Happy travels and perhaps speak with you at some point! Share some happiness…..
Heather
Wow Heather, that’s amazing.
The thing that has always peaked my curiosity the most is Chris’ diary. Do you know if his family has the actual diary?
Is there any possibility of it ever being published? I think many, many people would be interested in this.
Thanks so much,
-Dan
Hello Dan,
Where do you live when you are not on the move, if that ever happens? I only ask because I definitely agree with your philosophy that you can do anything you dream of…my life is like that too! I love painting full-time and appreciate each day doing what I love. I recently came back from Turkey where I participated in a show hosted by the Canadian Embassy and am flying to Vancouver and Whitehorse to do photoshoots for more paintings as well as hike and explore. Down to Yosemite in July to hike and then up again to Alaska to hike in Denali and revisit the bus…then to France and the French Alps for work and to explore in September! So despite being far away we are similarly inclined I believe! Keep up the inspirational work Dan!
As for Chris’s journal, he kept a rather minimal journal, especially in Alaska. Thus we are using what we can and do have of correspondence and his other writings to help supplement narrative. It is VERY exciting and the book will be published hopefully by the end of this year! I would love to keep you apprised of any developments, especially because I think that people who are passionate about your projects/who you are are probably similarly curious about Chris and his life and adventures too…thus if you could help pass on the information about the book as it becomes available, I would appreciate it SO MUCH!!
You can reach me via the email address provided or I can write back on this template..whatever is easiest.
Take care and speak with you soon perhaps! Safe travels and like Thoreau says “Life near the bone is sweetest”. I’m sure you would agree…
Heather
Wow Heather, wow!
I will absolutely spread the word about the book when it comes out, and I’m first in line to buy a copy
With regards to where I live, well, that changes too. I’ve just been living all over Nth. America for 3 years, Calgary for 2 of those. I don’t think I’ll go back to Canada or the USA, and I won’t go back to Australia any time soon either (where I am from)
I’ll go somewhere new to live for a while. Someone recently suggested Spain to continue my Spanish, and I thought that was a great idea
Hey Dan!
WOW just watched ‘Into the Wild’. It very much opens your eyes and shows you how much Chris got to see on this beautiful earth. I love reading your blog. I came across it looking for research on a school project. I hope to one day do even half the traveling you have done. Reading your blog really opened my eyes to how much im missing out on.
Thanks so much for your words of encouragement and showing me and every other person who has been on this website exactly what every person should do
Peace, Sierra
Hey Sierra, I’m glad you enjoy reading about my adventures so much
The whole point has been to show people that they too can do anything they want.
Hi Dan, glad too see your adventure is going well, stay safe buddy.
If you ever come to europe in your travels pop by a small island called Malta would be great to meet up.
Tc mate
Jaymz
Hi Dan,
Im Sharna. Aaron’s ex girlfriend. Azz told me i should get in contact with you at some stage. I love your webpage, your travels sound amazing, I have always had a soft spot for South America and will one day get there
Im heading over to London in late August and I hear you might be hanging in Spain around that time? I am moving to the UK with intentions to live in London to begin with then onto France/Italy/Ireland with stops in all your ususal and hopefully some unusal European suspects..
Wanting to make as many contacts over there as possible as will be there for next few years.. Would you mind If I looked you up when I get over there? Ive never met you but Azz tells me your a good guy and you sound like you have plenty to chat about!
Hopefully talk OS
Sharna
Hey Sharna,
Thanks for the words of encouragement, it really means a lot.
Great to (kind of) meet you
I actually have no idea if and when I will be anywhere in the world. A friend suggested I should move to Spain to finish off my Spanish learning and I thought that sounded like a great idea. Will it actually happen? I change my mind every day.
I hope you do great living in London, and I will get there sooner or later and we’ll catch up for sure.
All the best,
-Dan
Good day and keep going. I completed this trip late 1960’s taking just short of 3 years with almost 47,000. I would have given 3 spare wheels and a set of shocks for a web site and blog back then.
On the return trip back north go up the Atlantic coast just south of BA turn west across the Pampas for a month or two then north right up the centre of Argentina in to Paraguay then East over to Iguazu falls and the Jesuit mission before continuing north to Brasilia –Porto Veloho crossing the Amazon at Manaus into Venezuela for the boat back to the USA at Caracas.
It’s a bit late now I know but you have missed a load off the front end of your tip from Nova Scotia across Canada via Hudson bay before you when up to Prudo bay to start the way down south.
Bridget is looking for an all terrain truck get her to look at http://www.unicatamericas.com/ for the very top end then down to http://www.maximog.com/ middle of the road trucks but for good value try http://www.sportsmobile.com/ultimate.html this way you get great trucks with worldwide network of service agents and great warrantees.
Will be following you closely from now on. Have a great time and don’t rush it. Stop more often for 2 nights at a time to take a breath and fell the air.
I am intrigue with your good fortune at border crossing. You must have a touch of the Irish in you.
Hey Tom,
Thanks for the info – it sounds like you had an amazing trip. I imagine things were a little more adventurous back then than the paved roads I’ve been traveling.
Those vehicles you posted up look amazing – somehow I think they’ll break my budget though and I think Bridget is looking for something “green” for her trip.
All the best, keep in touch.
Thanks for the heads up. Just keep going. I have a few suggestions for the southern trip but I get the feeling from your blog you are further south than you map indicates. (Quito). How much behind you is the map? Do you also do a day to day general travel blog? I am having trouble getting the chronological order of things moving from section to section on the web. Don’t be cross with us pensioners, my grandson tells me I know nought about computers and we ask too many questions.
Please just go and wonder at the Nazca lines in the Nazca Desert of Peru. How old are those?? Don’t drive off the road or your tracks will stay forever.
A little North and East of Santiago on R60 toward Uspallata (Important to find secure hotel here) as you go over the mountain ‘Eva Peron’ there are a set of wonderful switch back – hair pin bends from around 200 to 3,800 meters with the must visit Cave of Hands. I understand the road has been widened to take two lanes in most places except the worst bends. Oh yes and the bandits have for the most part been put out of business. Now it’s just the tax men.
Also Trips to Valley of the Moon staying in the village of San Pedro de Atucma.
But then there is so much to see and with the much better roads today – go on – take the time, feel the wind. (You will when you get a bit further south. It blows and I mean blows at 90’ to the main southern highway.
If Bridget is looking for a green option get her to take a look at Dave Bars (Ride the wind) site. He is a Vietnam vet who lost both legs above the knee and did this on a 50 year old harly or Lois Price a teenager who also did the Pan Am on a 125 dirt bike.
Sorry to be so long winded but on the question of punctures have you seen the Goodyear Dura Seal tyres capable of taking multi 5 – 6 mm bolts / nails
Hey Tom,
Thanks for all the great advice, I really love hearing from people that have been to these amazing places.
I’ll keep track of all of those places for sure.
I’ve been blogging here on dangrec.com since I lived in Calgary, Canada before I set out on this journey. You can read back through the whole site by clicking “Previous Entries” on the left near the very bottom of the main page.
There sure are lots of people doing the trip on motorbikes, which is a good gas saving technique if you are solo.
Those Goodyear tires sound pretty cool – again you are looking at all the expensive gear! I intentionally wanted to show people how easy & cheap this journey can be, so that coupled with my very meager savings means I shy away from the expensive toys
Thanks again,
-Dan
Hey are you sponsored by jeep?
No. All the books I have ever read about people doing amazing adventures around the world seem to involve sponsorship and tens of thousands of dollars, if not more. I wanted to show that an average guy with no training, no spanish, no sponsorship and very little saved personal money can achieve an adventure just as grand.
When people say to me “I wish I could do what you are doing”, it is so easy and true for me to say “You can!”.
I daydream about sponsorship for my next adventure, wherever that may be.
But thats a different story.
Good day Dan. I bet you wished your Jeep could glide as far with one bust of power as those Condors.
I have just spent a few very pleasant hours reading through all pages and sections of this web site being particularly taken with your ‘Magic Bus’ encounter (July 12 2009) so much so I have put in a request to our local library to find me a copy of the ‘Into the Wild’.
Having spent 50+ years travelling in some of the most remote places on the planet for months on end your re-reflections and comments by others on the apparent suicide of Chris McCadless are most surprising. Anyone having survived the first six months on a journey such as yours or Chris’s and is pressing on with a more fervent attitude is not likely to commit suicide unless one experiences a dramatic trauma. My experience is that long remote Isolation can do strange things to people but personal isolation in a crowd is traumatic. I have found it is not the place that causes the trauma it’s the people.
Latter you expressed the need to rest up for a few months perhaps in Peru or Bolivia. Pop into one of the South American Explorers Club offices / hostels http://www.saexplorers.org/club/home they provide very low price accomadation and advice on local employment for ex-pats together with the latest on what’s happing all targeted at the pack-packer or low budget traveller. Failing that, try one of the world class ski resorts in the Argentina / Chilean Lake District and Glacier parks.
Just keep on keeping on.
Old Tom
Wow Tom, thankyou so much for the great advice. I was actually thinking of your comments this past week and decided on two different occasions that once my tent was set up, I should stay for a couple of days as per your advice.
Thanks, it was awesome
I will have a look into the South American Explorers Club, it sounds just perfect for me.
yo dude, made it through most of S. America. Central looked AMAZING! Noticed you haven’t posted anything in a while, hope everything is going good. My “little” brother just got called to serve a mission in Guatamala, any tips or suggestions for him? stay safe, have fun, Jeff
Hey buddy, great to hear from you!
Going great here, just sitting still for a while to get my head on straight again.
Guatemala is an awesome place, though I wasn’t carrying a gun or getting shot at.
All the best for you guys,
-Dan
Dan,
You’re a beacon to us all. Just finished running the eastern portion of the TAT and was thinking hard about doing Central and South America, but thought I didn’t have enough Jeep until I read about you…Mine is a stock ’01 TJ with unmolested 4L gas motor. I haven’t read about any modifications you may have made, is your Jeep stock?
As to points of interests, long ago and far away there was a book called the “South American Handbook”. It was loaded with useful information on places to see, where to stay and things to do.
John
Hey John, My 2000 TJ is totally stock except for 31″ tires and it’s been more than enough Jeep for the task.
Go for it man!
I’ve heard of the south American handbook, but have not found a copy yet. I’ll keep my eyes out.
Dan, You have 31″ tires on your TJ tires with no lift? What size and brand? John
Hey John,
I have Dunlop Radial Rover RVxTs, but reading on jeepforum.com shows that all 31″x10″ tiires will fit with no problems on a TJ.
The only thing I did was put a washer behind the steering stops to stop them rubbing at full steering lock.
Hello Dan! We’ve been following your travels via this website, but July 19 we’ll be following the same road. We’re leaving the US from our home base in Tennessee, and aiming our ’84 Landcruiser for Bolivia. We have found lots of good info and ideas as you record your travels. When you get to Bolivia, look up “Ron, the banana bread man” in Rurrenbaque. He’s a friend of ours and can direct you to our friends homestead that neighbors the Madidi National Park. They offer tourist lodging in some pretty neat thatched roof huts and Mervin can give you a one of a kind tour of all things wild. Hope your travels continue to choose you well.
David & Kristi VanderZon and daughters Kindra & Kacie
Great to hear from you guys!
Thanks for the great advice for Bolivia and all the best on your adventure. If there is any way I can help, just ask
I just happened upon your website. I hope you took the Cuenca road rather than going east. I went through an attempted robbery in that neck of the woods about 12 years ago. A tree was pushed over on my rent car, breaking the the windshield before bouncing off. Before the people rushed the car I was able to drive off. I had to drive over 50 miles to find a police station.
Well, just wanted to check; no posts for a month!
Good Luck.
Hope you made it
Hey Chris,
I’m not sure exactly which road you at talking about, but I’ve not had any problems
Going along just great!
-Dan
That’s an amazing adventure, Dan! Good luck on your trip; have fun and head safe back home!
oh noooo, i avent checked out your blog in a while and youre in argentina already!! please tell me youre still in buenos aires! i want to talk to you! hope all is good
I left BA on the 8th of Jan… Now in Puerto Madryn, moving south today.
Hey dan keep on tramping down the road.. keep it up. Chris woud be prode.. I should know I got to meet him once. I was 15 and working for the caranival in south dakota.. I hope to one day to make it up to the bus..
Your new friend on the road.. Michael.
Anoka MN.
Michael, that’s very very cool. I think so many of us hold Chris’ ideas close to our hearts, having met him must make that extra special!
Absolutely, you need to visit the bus. It truly is an awe inspiring place!
All the best, -Dan
Hi Dan,
I will be leaving friday to Miami to pick up the Rubi at the dealer and begin preparing it. I will be back in Brazil by the end of March. Let me know if you dedice to keep going and enters Brasil!
Happy trails and godspeed.
Renato
Thanks Renato!
At this stage Brazil does still not fit in, though as you know anything is possible
Just keep going, I’ll keep following!
Hello intrepid traveler.
So, you’re gone from one end of the Western Hemisphere to the other. Now that you’re on the Island of Fire… where will you go next?
I’ve enjoyed following your travels; nicely done! Have you considered writing a book about it some day?
Hey Richard, Great to hear from you.
After that, I’m still thinking !
I’m going to spend a couple of months driving “up” through the mountains on the Chile/Argentina border. Hiking, camping and generally unwinding sounds like a great summer to me
As for a book – I certainly think about it a lot, and I imagine there will be one.. someday.. probably after I’ve had a few more adventures
-Dan
Hi Dan,
Love your whole site and blog. Wonderful and your Jeep also. Thought I’d mention that Terra Del Fuego is about 100 miles north of the furthest point on the southern continent. The furthest south is of course, Cape Horn.
http://www.victory-cruises.com/maps.html
Been down there on the Argentine side and it is certainly the “Roaring 40s”. Had to be buttoned up and wear parkas and the wind………oh the wind………brutal place.
Robert
Hey Robert, Thanks for the info.
I met a few people that made the trip over to Puerto Williams – it sounds absolutely beautiful! Because Ushuaia is such a tourist place, it costs the same to go from there in a couple of hours as it does to go from Punta Arenas in Chile in 4 days!
Gotta love those tourist prices.
-Dan
Just landed on your site, coming from God knows where on this wonderfully intrinsicate web, and was about to recommend El Calafate instead of Ushuaia but it seems you went past it all already… To me El Calafate was more like the end of the world than Ushuaia. These claims to fame bring about too many curious people… shame. Anyway enjoy every moment… that is what life is all about a collection of special moments. Is your map up to date? Are you still in Chile? Going up? Keep us posted… I will be on my own next adventure in the Yucatan and central america soon… safe travels… Helena
Hi Helena,
For me, the adventure is all over. I flew away from South America a couple of months ago.
All the best on your adventure, I’m sure you will have a blast!
Yes, yes so agree. Insane. I love it our way as we do it. I think for me, as I have been there a few times, is at Cape Puerta, I look up at the “Tower of Paine”, agape, and wondeer if I am still on Earth. My heavens, what a place.
Also, Can you flesh out the details on your rig? And also, been banned on all the sites so started my own forum and would you like to post there also? A lot of the dissenters on the standard forums have began to flock there? Lastly, I am a field Archaeologist-Artist for NASA and have been in 123 of the Earth’s 195 countries–I mention this in that have you been out here to southern NM? And do you plan or need funding to go on any expeditions down south. I am trying to put together a team that has rigs that can make it, finally, through the Darien Gap, successfully, without rescue help.
Thanks in advance and love your site here totally–fabulous.
Robert
Hey Robert – Wow, it sounds like you’ve been on some adventures! very, very cool.
My Jeep is actually totally stock – well, 31″ tires is the only thing. No lift, no winch, nada mas.
What is the address to your forum, I’d love to check it out.
Some days I dream about a “next time adventure” and some times I wonder if that’s what I want to do. If I do go down that path, I would like to seek sponsorship, though I really don’t know exactly what form that might take. For now I’m looking forward to having a stable place to live, cooking well, going to the gym and having some solid friends around.
Drive the Darien you say? Very, very cool. I’ll be all over that one!
-Dan
Hey Dan, just a follow up and to say hello. The forum is here:
http://behold-jeep.lefora.com/
Let me know oif you get down this way to NM. Any luck selling your TJ yet?
Robert
Hey Dan!
My fiancee and I are travelling through South America soon and your blog has been such great help and inspiration! Especially as you camped so often, we are crazy about camping and would chose it over any other accommodation and was therefore very happy to see it is possibly throughout the continent.
It seems like you have decided for now to settle down for a while but if the travelling bug ever bites you again I strongly recommend travelling through Africa, or some of it at least. And if you do, let me know and we can show you some amazing spots in South Africa!
All the best!
Maryke
Awesome – I hope you guys have a fantastic trip. You will find plenty of camping opportunities.
Checking this online list of camp sites in South America: Dare 2 Go camping list South America
I don’t need to dream about Africa any more than I already am
Have fun!
-Dan
Hi Dan,
We have just set up overlandsphere, and were wondering if you would mind us using your feed for our site, have a look and let us know.
Martin & Nicole
Thanks for the comment Martin, I just sent you an email.