Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2003 11:57 AM

Dear friends of Drive Around the World,

Greetings from Panama City! In a matter of hours, we will board a Copa
airliner bound for Quito, Ecuador, to begin the South American leg of our
expedition.

For now, a new set of expedition journals has been completed and posted
online! For individual stories, follow the links below. To catch up on
the very latest from the road, surf to (and bookmark):

http://news.drivearoundtheworld.com/

Here are our newest road dispatches:

"The waiting is the hardest part"
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000334.shtml
Justin Mounts reflects on the art -- and joy -- of waiting in Panama City.

"A report from Isla Grande"
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000332.shtml
Colin McAuliffe reports on a "Rest and Relaxation" run to the surprisingly
small getaway of Isla Grande.

"Ship's Ahoy!"
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000333.shtml
Nancy Olson loses her ATM card, stocks up on Red Bull, loads the Land
Rovers into shipping containers, and heads for the islands in Panama.

"Monkey business on Isla Barro Colorado"
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000335.shtml
At a research station in the middle of the Panama Canal, Todd Borgie
experiences the wild life.

"Rolling on to Panama City"
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000330.shtml
Neil Dana observes daily life on the roadside at the Drive Around the
World team heads into Panama's capital.

"A big blowout in Panama"
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000316.shtml
When Adam Burgess drove into a Panamanian construction zone, little did he
know that the real repairs would come to his vehicle!

"Exploring the wilderness of the Osa Peninsula"
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000328.shtml
Justin Mounts stalks crocodiles in the dark on Costa Rica's beautiful Osa
Peninsula.

"A Land Rover reunion in San Jose (Costa Rica)"
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000326.shtml
Nancy Olson reports from our reception at the Costa Rica Land Rover
dealership.

"Life on the coffee plantation"
http://www.bootsnall.org/datw/archives/000325.shtml
In Costa Rica, the Drive Around the World team discovers that drinking
coffee is a lot easier than picking coffee. A report by Todd Borgie.

And, elsewhere online, my own Drive Around the World series has been
completed at Slate.com. It is entitled "Virgin Trail: Travels in the
Other Central America", and can be found here (be sure to click back and
read the "Monday" entry first):

http://slate.msn.com/id/2092474/entry/0/

From the Drive Around the World team, happy holidays -- and look for us
in South America!

Best,

Rolf Potts