During 2021 we decided it was time for a new adventure. Taking advantage of good health and still feeling the call of overlanding we started preparing. And the truth is, over the years, we´d become comfortable, maybe even too comfortable, somehow caught up in daily routines and to do lists. This led to the start of our second “worldtrip”, though this time only half – from Cartagena, Colombia to Ushuaia in Argentina. And of course, travelling in the same trustworthy, and so far, unstoppable, however sometimes temperamental, Toyota Land Cruiser (HDJ80, 1997).
A couple of things, however, are different this time. We are now only three since the others are “stuck” in their professional and personal endeavors, with Alex in Berlin, Caro in London, Kris in Oslo while Adri is keeping up the homestead in Barcelona. Our new team member is Black, our black German shepherd, whose job it is not only to make sure we get enough daily exercise and take a rest every few hours, but also to continuously protect us.
Before leaving Barcelona, Spain, we installed a modern, light, and quick to mount, 2-person roof tent. We also removed the back seats to make room for Black, who now inhabits a roomy area in the mid-section of the vehicle, mounted 2 large drawers, a simple camping kitchen, and a refrigerator in the back. Preparing the 26-years old land cruiser, we also updated the suspension and changed the radiator before leaving Spain and later the clutch before leaving Bogota. We also packed a camping table, 3 chairs, some tools and spare parts including consumables such as engine oil-, brake liquid, diesel- and air-filter. All in all, a quite minimalistic set-up with no luxuries, but still functional with easy access to everything.
Though good preparation is important, and planning worth its while, experience has also taught us to take things as they come. It´s simply impossible to plan in detail and forecast everything that might happen. We´ve learned, that it often is better to roll with the punches and focus on finding solutions when surprises and problems occur – because they do. And often when you least expect it…
The following are some anecdotes from our journey from Cartagena to Montevideo. The narrative is in the form of travel notes not really intended for a wider audience nor aiming for likes or smiles. It’s a story based on our perceptions. The sequence of the narrative follows our timeline and highlights some of our experiences.
Maybe our story serves as an encouragement for other potential nomads.
elworldtrip 
Posted on June 15, 2023 by elworldtrip
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