{jcomments lock}Here we go again friends. I know you love shipping posts almost as much as you love budget reports. This time, we’re headed home, Santos, Brazil to Galveston, Texas, roro style.
As usual before we begin, a few general bits of information:
Roro stands for roll-on roll-off. It means “without a container”. It’s great because it’s a fraction of the cost of a container, and for those of you with large vehicles, it is the only option. It’s bad because you must hand over your keys. Your vehicle will be parked, usually unlocked, at various ports around the world. Anything in the inside that isn’t bolted down is likely to be stolen.
This article is part of our Accommodation Listing series. {jcomments lock}
{jcomments lock}This article is part of our Border Crossing Report series.
Border name: Iguazu Falls
Closest major cities: Puerto Iguazu, Argentina and Foz do Iguaçu, Brasil
Cost for visas: US$160 for US Citizens (must apply in advance) Free for South Africans
Cost for vehicle: $0
Total time: 45 minutes
Date crossed: Wednesday April 3, 2013
Start: April 7, Florianopolis {jcomments lock}
Finish: April 25, Santos
Cookbooks Sent to Publisher: 1!!!
World-Famous Beaches Walked On: 2
Pounds of Crap Given Away: 50
Types of Meat Eaten Off a Sword: 12
Well, this is it. The last trip update from South America. In a mere week we'll be flying home. Jared to start interviewing for work, and Jess and Kobus to meet Blue several weeks later in Texas. Before we return to the grind we'll have one last adventure as Team Life Remotely in Flagstaff, Arizona where we'll be attending Overland Expo to hang out with the cool kids and promote our new cookbook.
But I get ahead of myself. We've spent the last three weeks hopping along Brazil's spectacular beaches. After spending 10 days in a rental house in Florianopolis to wrap up work on the book, we head north to Rio de Janeiro for three nights of sightseeing before backtracking to Santos, our final destination in Latin America.
Start: April 3, Iguazu Falls, Argentina{jcomments lock}
Finish: April 6, Florianopolis, Brazil
Countries to Date: 17
Border Crossings to Date: 23
Portuguese Words We Know: 3
We are nearing the end my friends. According to our original plans we should have ended two months ago, but the lure of Brazil proved too strong to overcome. Never fear we have at least a month left on the books, and although Brazil is our last stop on our 19-month tour of Latin America, you haven't seen the last of us.
Before experiencing our final border crossing, we have one place left to visit in Argentina. Iguazu Falls is a long drive out of the way, adding three 8+ hour road days to our schedule, but by all accounts people say it's a worthy detour. We brace ourselves for mobs of tourists, but are much looking forward to catching a glimpse of a spectacle that makes Niagara Falls look like a leaky backyard sprinkler.
Start: November 18, 2014, Fish River Canyon, Namibia
Finish: December 5, 2014, Torra Bay, Namibia
Number of dunes climbed: 4
Number of flat tires: 1
Number of weaver finches recruited as minions: sadly zero
After crossing the border of South Africa to Namibia we head north in search of sand dunes and deserts. We have our first flat tire, try and tame some finches and rediscover some spectacular campsites.
Start: August 1st, Knysna, South Africa
Finish: November 17th, 2014, Cape Town
Number of days spent in Casa Ridiculous: 107
Bins purchased: 5
Trips planned: 1
Our last update was back in May just before we left South Africa to return to the US for Overland Expo. It was during Expo that we started talking about returning to South Africa. Jess and her Google-Foo found us a house that would be cheaper than the rent we would pay in Seattle. So not long after returning to the States, we bought new tickets and hopped on a plane back to South Africa.
We spent the last 3 months in Casa Ridiculous, in Knysna South Africa. Overlooking the Indian Ocean, watching the whales cavort in the surf in front of the house and feeding hundreds of birds. We even tried to start a little herb garden.
{jcomments lock}Four months ago Jessica and I set out on a journey of rediscovery. A journey that would crisscross through South Africa in hopes to find what I missed about my home country. What we stumbled upon were memories long forgotten, of foods, people and places most spectacular. Pinpointing what I missed about South Africa is no easy task.
Looking back at the months leading up to our trip, I have the same feeling as I did when we left Mexico. The stories and news had a common theme. Theft, rape, armed robberies, smuggling... the list goes on. Enough to put anyone on high alert.
During our four month, 5,000 mile journey, not once did we experienced any type of crime or encounter any bribe attempts, muggings, pickpockets, shakedowns or theft.
I am not saying they don't happen, but I can't help think that South Africa is not as treacherous as it is made out to be. Like most places in the world, a little common sense goes a long way.
After 4 months rediscovering South Africa, and now back in the States, I can tell you much more clearly, what it is that I miss about home...
Start: February 1, Cape Town {jcomments lock}
Finish: March 15, Olifantsfontein
Number of ostriches that can fit in a truck: 84
Cutest baby animals: Cheetahs (followed by miniature horses)
From the beaches and Indian restaurants of Cape Town we head east along the coast to explore the rest of the cape. We spend weeks in the middle of nowhere, track down Kobus' ancestors, and stand in awe at the diversity and beauty of South Africa.
Start: January 1, Joburg{jcomments lock}
Finish: February 1, Cape Town
Bottles of wine purchased in one day: 18
Sailing vocabulary words learned: Millions
Best food in Cape Town: Chicken Vindaloo
After a few weeks in Joburg, hanging out with the fam, we were ready to get traveling again. We packed up Blue #2, and hit the road first thing New Year's Day. Good to be headed south again. We spent a week touring the cape area, drinking wine, and basking in the beautiful African sunshine.
Start: December 5, Seattle WA{jcomments lock}
Finish: January 1, Johannesburg, South Africa
Types of meat eaten: at least 10
Animals seen: 50 +
Trees with pubs inside: 1
Money spent on illegal fireworks: not allowed to say
{jcomments lock}The past several months Jess and I have been preparing for our trip to South Africa, working on projects and getting things squared away for our journey of rediscovery.
Two days before our flight, our trusty 4Runner, Blue, started misfiring. Our efforts to fix the problem failed, and we ended up at a mechanic. The conclusion: we needed new fuel injectors. Cost to repair $1000 and a weeks time. Greeaatttt. Thankfully family nearby let us borrow cars to get us until flight day... and poor Blue is parked until our return.
On our flight from Amsterdam to South Africa every other passenger was reading a newspaper headlined "Farewell Mandela". All I could think of were his words “When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.” That is all I wish for Madiba.
Our arrival in South Africa was as expected, hugs, kisses, laughs and tears. There were definietly some moments of "wow this place changed" but mostly Jess and I were tired and dirty from flying for 31 hours. A hot shower, some beer, food and a good nights rest was pretty much all we wanted.
{jcomments lock}It has been a little under five years since I have been home in South Africa and a little over 15 since I have been home for the holidays. And while I know things change, I secretly hope that this pretty little picture in my head is not lying to me.
Throughout my travels around the world people have asked me what is it that I miss the most about home, about South Africa. I used to answer without hesitation “the meat”. That all changed once we entered Argentina, where the beef was better than any memory of beef back home.
It was not until then that I realized that I no longer knew what I miss about South Africa. I felt like I had lost a part of what made me, me. All of a sudden I felt that I could not call myself a South African, that I was without a country I call my own. I have been struggling with this.
Start: June 19, Escondido, California{jcomments lock}
Finish: June 26, Seattle, Washington!!!
Tents Skunked: 1
Overlanders Met: 14
Beer belly weight gain: Too much
From San Diego we head due north to return home to Seattle. We stop off in as many breweries as possible and do our best to survive the combat camping style of California.
We left Stone Brewery just after 2pm, full on delicious food and having soaked up most of the beer samplers. Unfortunately our next stop was 50 miles the other side of LA and little did we know, traffic in LA starts promptly at 2:30. We sat for 3 hours crawling along and stopped at the first available campsite around 7pm. They were full, and so was the next one and the next one. The 4th camp ground told us it would be $103 for a site, but they were also full.
Start: June 10, Galveston Texas{jcomments lock}
Finish: June 19, Escondido, California
Beers Tasted: 21
Hotest Recorded Temperature: 112F
Back from Overland Expo, we hang out with the family for a few weeks while waiting for news that Blue has arrived in Galveston.Then we swelter in the Texas heat for a few days, and head west on a mission to finally enjoy the delious microbrews we've so missed traveling south of the border.
Our original plan was to drive from Flagstaff to Texas to get the car. But the ship was delayed so much, it was actually cheaper to fly back to Seattle for a few weeks and then return to Galveston when the ship was in.
Start: May 16, Phoenix Arizona{jcomments lock}
Finish: May 18, Phoenix Arizona
Books Sold at Overland Expo 2013: 124
Star Wars Conventions attended: 1
New Friends made: Lost count
Our last few months in South America were crazy busy, especially getting the cookbook finished and printed in time for Overland expo. Leaving Blue sitting at the port in Santos Brazil, we fly back to Seattle, say hi to the family and three days later fly down to Phoenix Arizona. We pick up a rental car and have a much deserved burger before heading over to Walmart to buy some supplies for our exhibitors booth.
We receive word that Blue has been loaded onto the shipping vessel, have a great time expo and finally wrap up a crazy weekend with a little fun.