It started in Quito and it should have finished there. We managed 26 of our scheduled 31 weeks overlanding around South America from September 2019 to April 2020 before the impact of the coronavirus pandemic dragged us back to the real world.
The full story from the start of preparations to the premature end of the road in Colombia and beyond.
Getting ready
Light Enough to Travel – Defying my own travel predictions to head out on another epic adventure.
Walking In The Air – Big decision, a long walk, going uphill and a fatted calf.
The Packing List – Does Papa need a brand new bag? The very long list of what might be coming with me.
Lying Down On The Job – Checking whether an old friend is fit for the journey.
Cien Dias – 100 Days before life on a truck
Best Laid Plans… – One month to go and it’s all going far too smoothly
The Wrong Trousers – A journey of a thousand miles starts in an errant pair of jeans
Ecuador
Extra Ticket to Ride – Getting to South America was easy, getting out of England was more of a problem
To Pee Or Not To Pee? – The burning questions of toilet etiquette floating down a river
Creating A Pong – Rising from my sick bed to seal sporting success
Peru
Please Look After These Overlanders – Cliff-diving monks, curses and dinosaur onesies
One Step Beyond – It’s all uphill from here – the eve of the Inca Trail
The Inca Trail – Four days walking to see not very much
Everything Is Coming Up Milhouse – Real world problems get in the way
High And Dry – Coming down from a great height and getting stuck
Argentina/Chile
Bed, Bugs and Ballyhoo – Why gripping a wine glass was harder than it should have been
Santiago – Crying into my beer amid Chilean protests
In Patagonia – Reliving a literary history in stunning scenery
My Favourite Dress – Coping with the scenery and conditions heading south
Ever South – Reaching the end of the world and turning round again
Our Lips Are Sealed – Drive days and flapping around with sea lions
Big Decision – Reunions, farewells and a little bit of politics in Buenos Aires
Brazil
Bite Christmas – Festive frolics amid the water and mosquitoes
In The Shadow of Christ – Explosive new year among the crowds in Rio
Filthy and Fried – Things we have learned in the continent’s biggest country
Wherever I Lay My Phone – Blaming boobies for gadget anxiety
We Got The Beat – Savouring the beat amid the cobbles and caipirinhas
Evening of Swing – Learning a new skill lying down
First 400 Pictures of You – Dodging and disrupting the Instagram poses
The Guianas/Brazil
Space Oddity – Counting down to lift-off on a brief return to Europe
Crossing The River Material – A journey of a thousand miles… is halted by a few inches
Rum, Manatee & the Mash – Getting back on schedule with the truck two countries behind
Amazon Primed – Six days swinging on a slow boat
Colombia
Imperfect Circle – The unscheduled final chapter goes viral
A Better Understanding – Started in Colombia, finished in England. Back when life was simple. And normal.
The Unravelling – The final few days and why they will always be overshadowed by what was to come.
First Among Equals – The unanswerable questions
Trans South America – The Best & The Worst – The good (and not so great) memories from six months on the road
