Barbara and David

Names

Barbara and David

Hometown

Vienna, Austria

Reason for taking this trip

Holidays, experience, surfing and to see what this part of the world is like.

Why did you decide to drive?

Surfing (transport boards and get to hidden spots)

What type of car did you drive?

1998 Jeep Cherokee

How did you save up or finance your trip?

We worked really hard in the last year to save up for this trip.

How long do you plan on traveling?

Almost one year.

Where do you plan on driving to?

South America (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia)

What were your family’s and friends’ reactions when you told them about your trip before you left?

Most were happy for us and even a little envious, some worried about dangers.

Did you speak Spanish before you left your home country? How much Spanish? Are you taking more Spanish lessons as you travel? If so, where and for how long?

Barbara spoke quite well, David very little, we took one week lessons in 'Escuela Brio' in Playa 'El gigante' in Nicaragua.

Do you have a favorite place or country that you have visited during your trip?

Guatemala, is the most authentic country for us, we had a lot of nice experiences there

What was the weirdest thing you experienced on your trip?

Buying the car in Mexico. Even more bureaucratic than Austria!!

What was the worst border crossing?

Nicaragua-Costa Rica, lots of paperwork and time.

Do you have any advice for others who may be considering driving the Americas?

It is much more comfortable to travel this way and you will see much more with the car.
But we don't feel truly 'free', because we always have to look for safe places for the car as, for many people here, owning a car means that you are obviously rich.

We wouldn't buy the car in Mexico next time, because you need residency there to register the car. So David had to get his FM3 permit there - it took 3 weeks for everything to get processed!! Some traveller on a motorbike told us it is much easier to buy a car in Guatemala.