Malena, Ezequiel, Lucila, and Tomás
Names and ages
Malena (2.5), Ezequiel (35), Lucila (34) and Tomás (5)
Hometown
Boston, MA, USA
Reason for taking this trip
We (the adults) wanted to drive rather than fly back home to Argentina after finishing grad school. The kids and work got in the way so we are doing this trip a few years later and in the reverse direction. Now is good timing because T has not started school yet.
Why did you decide to drive?
Flying is too fast and public transportation not ideal with kids.
Are you also taking along children?
Yes. Tomás and Malena. We are really impressed at how well they are doing this first month. They (sometimes) look forward to getting in the car to our next 'home'.
What type of car are you driving?
A 2010 Toyota 4Runner. No one in the family knows much about cars so we decided on getting a new car for the trip hoping it would make it without problems. So far, so good.
Did you make any modifications to your car for this trip?
Not really. We have a rooftop tent that has not seen much use yet.
How did you save up or finance your trip?
We didn't save specially for this trip. We are using the kids college savings :)
How long do you plan on traveling?
Eight months.
Where do you plan on driving?
We shipped the car to Buenos Aires and started North from there. We are planning on driving until México or the US. We are driving through Chile, Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador, Colombia and all of Central America.
What were your family’s and friends’ reactions when you told them about your trip before you left?
We weren't taken very seriously in the beginning (just like when Ezequiel first proposed this trip to Lucila). As we got closer to departure I think some people were jealous and some other thought we were crazy. Most people are concerned about safety which so far has not been a problem at all.
Did you speak Spanish before you left your home country?
Yes. The adults are argentineans and the kids are bostonians but speak spanish at home.
Do you have a favorite place or country that you have visited during your trip?
So far the landscapes crossing the Andes through the 'Paso de Jama' and going from Chile to the Salar the Uyuni through Laguna Colorada and the salt flats themselves have been amazing.
What was the weirdest thing you experienced on your trip?
Being stuck on the road from Sucre to Tarabuco (market) in Bolivia because of a road race. On the way to Tarabuco the police had block the road and we were stuck for an hour. On the way back to Sucre the race was still going on and we were stuck for another hour. Not even the bolivians seemed to be happy about it.
What was the worst border crossing?
None yet, Argentina-Chile and Chile-Bolivia were easy. If you enter Bolivia through 'Hito Cajón' you will do immigration right at the border but have to do customs 'further on' in the middle of the desert. We didn't find customs (no signposts in the desert…) so we had to do the paperwork in Potosí. We are still not out of Bolivia so we don't know if this will work.
Do you have any advice for others who may be considering driving the Americas?
Just do it. Don't plan too much. We were careful about distances and hours of driving because we didn't think the kids would be happy for too long in the car.
Would you do it again?
Before doing it again we would probably do other big trips through other continents.
Do you have a blog or a website describing your trip?
meltamerica.wordpress.com
