South America
May 4, 2023 – after we had paid for the Luis and sorted out all the formalities, we went on to Barranquillo and then to the Hotel El Prado, our cold demanded a break
May 6, 2023 – Minca, Finca Simon Bolivar near Santa Marta, at the foot of the Sierra Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain range in the world with the highest mountains in Colombia, thanks to the constant haze we didn't see any of it
May 8, 2023 – Drive around the Sierra, along the border with Venezuela, stop in Barrancas
May 11, 2023 – Guatape – the impressive rock in the middle of the landscape surrounded by a huge reservoir
May 13, 2023 – Continue to San Rafael and spend a few days in the mountain forest
May 15, 2023 – Medellin, here we spend a few days and immerse ourselves in the city
May 19, 2023 – we spent more days than expected in Medellin, the city that impressed us so much. But we continue on towards Villa de Leiva, the old capital in the mountains.
May 21, 2023 – we stayed until Sunday and got to know Ivan and his family and met Antonita and Henk from the Netherlands again, what coincidences there are
May 22, 2023 – Visit to Zipaquira, the Salt Cathedral, a cathedral carved into a huge salt seam
23.05.203 – Arrival in Bogota and again more days than expected
May 28, 2023
– Departure from Bogota towards Honda
May 30, 2023 – Salento and Valle de Cocora, we met Simon and Lucie again
1.06.20223 – Popayan, a beautiful city in the south of Colombia
June 3, 2023 – Ipiales – Las Lajas, the famous church on the bridge over the gorge
June 4, 2023 – Finca Sommerwind, Ibarra Ecuador
June 6, 2023 – Mitad del Mundo, the center of the earth, from now on we are in the southern hemisphere
June 6, 2023 – Quito, the capital of Ecuador, the second highest capital in the world at 2,850 meters
June 8, 2023 – Cotopaxi, the famous volcano that Alexander von Humboldt described but did not conquer
June 10, 2023 – we are in the jungle/Amazon region, this is where the famous river originates. The area is huge and stretches from Colombia, Ecuador to Peru, which means there are many springs that flow into the river
June 12, 2023 – Rio Verde, the famous waterfalls “Pailon del Diablo”
June 14, 2023
– Riobamba, we are back in the Sierra, in the height
June 14, 2023 – Overnight stay at the foot of Chimborazo, opinions differ as to whether Humboldt reached the summit
June 15, 2023 – Visit to the Inca ruins in Ecuador, Incapirca, a very beautiful site
June 16, 2023 – Cuenca in Ecuador
June 20, 2023 – we drive to Peru, border crossing in Macara/Ecuador and then straight on to Piura. Overnight stay in the beautiful Porto Verde resort
June 22, 2023 - Caraz, we drove along the coast until just before Chimbote and then turned into the mountains towards Huaraz, driving through the Canyon del Pato (Duck Canyon) and having some adventures. We stayed two nights with Erik in the Apu Ecolodge.
June 25, 2023 – Drive through the Cordillera Blanca (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordillera_Blanca) to Catac, visit the ruins of Chavin de Huantar https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chavín_de_Huántar
June 26, 2023 – Lima, a few days of rest, no kilometers
July 4, 2023 – Ica, visit to the oasis Huacachina – sand, lots of sand and a small lake with palm trees, like in the best film
July 6, 2023 – Nasca, visit to Maria Reiche's museum. In 1986 we met her personally, a remarkable woman who dedicated her life to the Nasca lines
July 7, 2023 – Overnight stay at Casa Lena. A project born from the initiative of a young couple who care about the development of disabled children.
July 8, 2023 – Cusco, a few days on the trail of the Incas, to Machu Picchu, but normally by train and not on foot along the trail
July 15, 2023 – Arequipa, the white city at the foot of the Misti, we drove from Cusco to the Rainbow Mountains and the Canyon del Colca to arrive here
July 20, 2023 – Departure towards Bolivia
Another big part of our journey is over. We are moving further and further away from the equator and are travelling further in the southern hemisphere. A new section begins with Bolivia and continues to Chile. The average altitude of our journey is around 4,000 metres above sea level, it is indescribable.
here is the link to the current Polarstep route - Follow us on Polarstep
https://www.polarsteps.com/KaiOlafDammenhain/5161546-panamericana
https://findpenguins.com/4bghekcxvpogd
July 20, 2023 – Puno on Lake Titika/ Peru-Bolivia border
July 21, 2023 – La Paz Bolivia
July 24, 2023 – Sucre
July 26, 2023 – Uyuni, overnight stay at the Hotel Flamingo
July 27, 2023 – Trip to the Salar de Uyuni, overnight stay at the Isla de Incahuasi
July 28, 2023 – Overnight stay at Laguna Canapa
July 29, 2023 – Overnight stay in a hostel at Laguna Blanca/Bolivia Chile border
July 30, 2023 – San Pedro de Atacama
August 2, 2023 – Departure from San Pedro de Atacama, swimming in the Laguna Baltinacha
August 3, 2023 – Calama - a pure mining city with the largest mines in the world
August 4, 2023 – Antofagasta
August 5, 2023 – Visit to the ESO Paranal Observatory, the southernmost observatory of the European Union...
August 8, 2023 – La Serena and Vicuna in the Valle de Elqui, visit to the Pisquera ABAhttps://pisquera-aba.cl/
August 9, 2023 – Casablanca – Casas del Bosque winery
August 10, 2023 – Santiago de Chile – we are staying here a little longer and from here we are also making a short trip to Europe, more precisely to Birmingham for our daughter’s wedding
August 20, 2023 – Flight to London
August 21, 2023 – Landing in London and drive to Birmingham/ short stop in Luton at Ashcroft Transmission and handover of broken gearbox
August 28, 2023
– Trip to London and departure to Santiago
August 29, 2023 – Landing in Santiago
September 6, 2023 – Departure for skiing in the Valle Nevado
September 10, 2023 – back in Santiago
and then we continued south ....
September 17, 2023 – Gearbox and Luis ready, trip to Mendoza Argentina
September 18, 2023
– Visit to the winery “Ojo de Agua” by Dieter Meier
September 22, 2023 – Return trip to Chile
September 23, 2023 – Vina del Mar
September 24, 2023 – Valparaiso and back to Santiago in the evening
September 25, 2023
– Departure from Santiago to the south on Ruta 5
September 26, 2023
– Constitution
September 27, 2023 – Concepcion
September 28, 2023
– Salto de Lajas
September 29, 2023
– Termas de Trancura at the Villarrica volcano
September 30, 2023
– Camping Hans - Pucon and Villarrica (Villarrica National Park) and the 7 Lakes in Chile
October 1, 2023
– Moncopulli, the car museum of Don Bernardo near Osorno
October 2, 2023 – off to Argentina to Bariloche, we stayed here for 3 days, hike up Cerro Otto
October 5, 2023 – Return to Chile, Puerto Montt, start of Ruta 7 – Carretera Austral
October 5, 2023 – Puerto Montt, start of Ruta 7 – Carretera Austral
October 7, 2023
– Hornopiren – ferry ride to Leptepu and finally Cateta Conzalo (5 hours ferry) – Ruta 7 is a bimodal road, which means it goes over land and partly only by ferry, about 1,500 km through wild nature and fjords...
October 9, 2023
– Caleta Tortel, a small town off the Ruta 7
October 10, 2023
– Villa o Higgins, the end of Ruta 7, Carretara Austral
October 11, 2023
– Start of the adventure at Paso Rio Mayer, overnight stay at Lago Christie
October 12, 2023
– Overnight stay in the mud hole in the no man's land between Chile and Argentina at Paso Rio Mayer, re-entry into Chile on October 13, 2023, adventure canceled
October 14, 2023
– Overnight stay in Argentina in Perito Moreno
October 15, 2023
– El Calafate, visit to the glaciers
October 18, 2023
– Arrival Torres del Paine back in Chile, visit to the national park
October 20, 2023
– Arrival in Puerto Natales
October 21, 2023
– Punta Arenas/Puerto del Hambre/Estrecho de Magalanes National Park
October 22, 2023
– Punta Arena City
October 25, 2023
– Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina and next to Puerto Williams/ Chile the southernmost city in South America – we have reached our destination, Alaska Prudhoe Bay to Tierra del Fuego Ushuaia
here is the link to the current Polarstep route - Follow us on
Polarstep
https://www.polarsteps.com/KaiOlafDammenhain/5161546-panamericana
https://findpenguins.com/4bghekcxvpogd
October 30, 2023 – the journey north begins. From the southernmost point of our journey, Ushuaia, we begin the journey towards Buenos Aires and then to Montevideo/Uruguay. From Montevideo, Luis travels in a container with a colleague to Antwerp.
We will spend two weeks in Buenos Aires and fly home on December 15, 2023. Let's go...
October 31, 2023 – Drive to the Argentine side of the small border crossing Bellavista. Unfortunately the crossing is still closed and will not open until December 1st, 2023
November 1, 2023 – San Sebastian, back in Chile for a short stretch. The border lines down here are very torn, none of the countries can travel overland to their southernmost point.
November 2, 2023 – Visit to the King Penguins at Povenir
November 3, 2023 – Visit to Monte Leon National Park
November 4, 2023 – Puerto San Julian, where Magellan had set up his winter quarters
November 7, 2023 – Peninsula Valdes – an entire peninsula as a national park
November 9, 2023 – Las Grutas
November 10, 2023 – Visit to the parrots, Balneario el Condor
November 11, 2023 – one last time thermal baths – Termas de Medanos via detours we drive further north and then have to go to the workshop again
November 13, 2023 – Villa Ventana – Pampa Taller Land Rover, Santiago and his family take us in and we straighten the front axle of the Luis
November 15, 2023 – a short visit to Dieter Meier's cattle farm Ojo de Agua
November 16, 2023 – Visit to the Juan Manuel Fangio Museum in Balcarce
November 17, 2023 – Montevideo – Paraiso Suiza with Heinz and Sylvia, our last campsite before shipping home
November 21, 2023 - Trip with Luis to the port of Montevideo
November 21, 2023 – Arrival in Montevideo, we first move into our quarters for the next few days and then we head to the port. Luis goes into the container. Everything is wonderfully organized. Many thanks to Alejandro from Overland Embassy and Rachida from Wave Logistic. Everything works out wonderfully, Luis fits in and we close the container after his buddy has parked another Land Rover.
We will now explore Montevideo until November 30, 2023. We immediately bought concert tickets for two events at the Solis Theater.
December 1, 2023 – Take the boat from Montevideo directly to Buenos Aires. We thought about taking the route via Colonia del Sacramento. Definitely worth the trip, but it's easier this way with all the luggage
December 1, 2023 – Arrival in Buenos Aires, Selina Hostel and now more days enjoying culture and museums. And we will see many new friends again.
December 15, 2023 – Departure from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt with a change in Madrid. We will all work out
December 16, 2023 – Aidlingen, we are back home. Jan-Frederik picked us up and brought us home safely.
End of the adventure, end of the journey!
and then we can pick up Luis in Antwerp in the new year
here is the link to the current Polarstep route - Follow us on Polarstep
https://www.polarsteps.com/KaiOlafDammenhain/5161546-panamericana
https://findpenguins.com/4bghekcxvpogd
