Tango dancers take to the streets in Buenos Aires.
(Photo by Neil Dana)

[Journal by Neil Dana]

Buenos Aires is definetely an amazing city! It is the ulitimate for a cosmopolitan lifestyle. People here love to dress up and look good. And boy o boy, do the people here look phenomenal. I am referring more to the women of Argentina. They are famous for being some of the most beautiful women in the world, and now having visited Buenos Aires, I would have to agree. I don't have any pictures, though; I usually don't go around snapping pictures of snazzy women walking around the city. I might get in trouble.

However, I did meet two cool girls today while I was eating lunch. They happened to be from Mexico, which was a nice change of pace from speaking to Argentinians the whole time. Argentines use many different Spanish words and have a very unique accent, which is the most difficult to understand of all the Latin countries we have been too. Anyway, these two girls were in Buenos Aires because they were on the "Fear Factor" show for Argentina, ha ha. That is pretty funny. One of them had already lost and had just had her last day on the show. The other girl was one of the finalists and was ready for tomorrow, the last day of the show. It wasn't a bad deal; they got flown out to Argentina, everything paid for, and the winner gets paid $10,000. Good luck!

Our days in Argentina have been pretty relaxing. I have been walking around Buenos Aires checking out all the shops everywhere. There is so much leather around it is wild. It is as if we were in Cusco, where all the people were ushering us into bars at night, but here we are given fliers and cues to follow people into their leather store. I didn't buy anything, but I can see why many people do. The prices are incredibly inexpensive. And talking about the cost being low, how about the Food!!!! Oh yes, the food in Buenos Aires is from heaven. I ate a meal with a prawn appetizer, glass of red wine, a selection of bread and mineral water, a main entree of a delicious filet mignon, and a chocolate fudge brownie with ice cream and some coffee, all for only $10. This was all in a fancy restaurant, too.

Our dollar is very strong in Argentina. About three years ago, they lost 2/3 of their own currency overnight. Because of this, Argentina has become extremely affordable for foreigners to come and visit. The economy now is doing better, and due to the low costs, there are tons of tourists year-round who come and buy merchandise and food and boost the economy. And now, since it is very difficult for the locals to travel outside of Argentina due to their dollar being worth less, they are travelling more within their own country, thus helping boost the economy.

If I were a city guy, I would love to live in Buenos Aires. It is a magical city. There are people in the streets dancing tango, people enjoy going out very late at night until the early hours of the AM, and there is always something to do. The people are very friendly, too. I give my thumbs up to B.A. You need to come and experience the famous Argentine steak in Buenos Aires sometime too, it is a real treat. Well, this is my last blog until I am in Brazil.

Caio,

Neil

Logbook for February 23rd Day 115
Start: Buenos Aires, Argentina
: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Finish: Buenos Aires, Argentina
S: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Mileage: N/A
Notes: The team is starting to spread out. Nancy is on her way to Australia, and the rest of the team is getting ready to take up temporary residence in Brazil and Argentina.(N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the earth's surface that approximately coincides with the 180th meridian (LONGITUDE), and separates the calendar date. Traveling east across the line takes the traveler back one day; traveling west takes the traveler forward one day. Without the date line, calendar confusion would result for the traveler. With the date line, Nancy lost an entire day when travelling to Australia from Argentina!

Journal by Nancy Olson

Today is Todd’s birthday. I woke up around mid-morning, and he and I headed out into the city of Buenos Aires for breakfast. His main mission was food; mine was finding an Internet café and a trailer for my bike tour.

We walked for 15 or 20 minutes before deciding on a place on Florida Street called “The American Café.” I mentioned that I was thinking of ordering a calzone, and Todd decided that sounded pretty good. They were about 14 pesos, though, and I decided to wait and get one at Speedy Pizza for 3 pesos. As it turns out, I ended up eating a slice of Todd’s crazy sausage-egg-cheese concoction (Boiled egg in a calzone? Honestly!). His “chico” was bigger than his head! It was big enough to feed three people, and the crust was heavenly!

Later, at the hotel, we hooked up with Nick and Chanda to depart by taxi to the house they had rented for the month. Todd and they are planning on working, while I’m planning to bike down the East Coast of Australia.

Once we had dropped our bags, we headed out to the streets to locate a bar for Todd’s birthday beer. Everything was closed, even at 4:00 p.m., so we went to the mall (Pacifico Mall) food court. Nick’s quesadilla was better than anything we’d eaten in Mexico—ask Chanda.

Later, something wonderful happened: Todd handed Chanda and me his ID and credit card and asked us to buy him some clothes that would be appealing to the ladies. We were personal shoppers! We labored for a couple of hours searching for the perfect items. In the end, we had two Mistral shirts, dark blue jeans, black shoes, and a button-down, black, short-sleeved shirt. Perfect! And all for under $100!

We found Nick and Todd in an Irish pub, and Todd put on the jeans, shoes, and black shirt. They fit like a dream, and he looked HOT! He was transformed. I feel so happy for him and his great new look.

After a beer, I had to rush back to the apartment to catch a cab to the airport. My flight was at midnight on Aerolineas Argentinas.

I had a pleasant ride to the airport, arriving with plenty of time to get my bike box wrapped in protective plastic, check my bags, have a gander at the duty-free shops, and board my flight, which had an intermediate stop in Aukland, New Zealand.

On the plane, I met a backpacker we had chatted with at Machu-Picchu! She was sitting just one aisle over. What a small world!

The flight was uneventful, with four wonderful movies that I slept right through. Just east of New Zealand, at about 12 noon Buenos Aires time and four a.m. New Zealand time, we crossed the International Date Line. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, we lost Monday entirely. I lost an entire day! I reset my watch for the 24th, and we just sort of skipped out on the 23rd.

Thirteen hours after take-off, we touched down in Aukland for an hour layover. After that, it was just a 3.5-hour hop over to Sydney. I passed through customs quickly and started calling hostels. It was 9:30 a.m.

I ended up at Kangaroo Backpackers in Surry Hills. I set out to find “Cheeky Monkey Multisport”, finally arriving by bus and purchasing cycle shorts and a jersey from nice shop-owner Adam. I’m out of luck for finding a bike trailer, though, so I resorted to ordering one online. I also booked a flight to Cairns and reserved a hostel room there.

I had some wonderful Indian curry and nan (bread) for dinner and went to bed early. Actually, I fell asleep in my clothes while reading my Lonely Planet Australia guidebook.

Tomorrow: Cairns!

Logbook for February 22nd Day 114
Start: Buenos Aires, Argentina
: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Finish: Buenos Aires, Argentina
S: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Mileage: N/A
Notes: The team is still in Buenos Aires. The most important thing about 22 February is that TODAY IS TODD'S BIRTHDAY! Happy birthday, Todd! This morning, he and I woke up and walked around the city until we found a place to eat, "American Diner." Todd ordered a Calzone as big as his face, and I helped him eat it. Then he mentioned that it's his birthday. OH! Shucks! I knew that, but I totally forgot. Happy birthday, Buddy. Calzone's on me! In the afternoon, Nick, Chanda, and Todd moved into their new apartment. It will be home for a month. Later, we went out for Todd's birthday beer, and he gave Chanda and me his credit card with instructions to buy him something nice to wear. We hooked him up with shoes, jeans, and three shirts...all for barely more than $100! He looks hot in his jeans and black shirt. I ended the party early by rushing off to catch my flight to Sydney. What will we all do without our teammies? (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A guard minds his post at the wall of a memorial in Buenos Aires.

Journal and photos by Justin Mounts

I haven’t been in a car for four days. I mean four whole days. No cars, no traffic, no borders, no maps scattered across my dashboard and lap. My GPS is stored in my backpack, now silent. My radio has been safely packed up and is on the slow boat to China—I mean Australia. I have even slept in the same bed four nights in a row, that is, when I have actually gone to bed. For the next 6 weeks, I have nothing but work and time.

Where do I begin?

Buenos Aires is a city that is filled with incredible beauty, not only its architecture and parks, but also its people. I have had my jaw dropped in many places on this earth, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I've found the winner. The women in Buenos Aires not only turn heads, but they also make you stop in your tracks—literally. When you walk down the street, you have to be careful not to run into men standing still on the sidewalk, dazed by another passerby. Now, the qualifying statemen: Argentines also have the attitude to back up the beauty. You will have better luck at winning the lottery than you will have starting a conversation with one of these goddesses. My advice is to save your breath and keep buying your weekly lottery tickets. While you’re at it, buy one for me, too.

I am very happy to be here, because I always find cities more interesting than beach resorts. And large cities like Buenos Aires are particularly interesting to me, because I get the opportunity to observe and participate in its unique lifecycle. For a brief instance in time, I get to try to find out as much as I can about the qualities that make it tick. Of note here, it has nightclubs that close at 5:00 AM, steaks that will make the most faithful vegetarian crave a little bit of cannibalistic gluttony, and a requisite community of street performers that always seem to find a new angle for extracting a little bit of change from my pocket. For me, part of truly experiencing a city is to not only breathe it in with the suit-and-tie crowd during business hours, but also to feel the city’s pulse after these folks have long retired for the night.

Buenos Aires is also the home of the Tango. Given all of this information, how am I to make the most of my short time here? Well, tonight the team is going out for a celebratory dinner, capping off the last 113 days. Our destination is a place called Senor Tango’s, located in probably the most undesirable neighborhood in Buenos Aires, whose name I don’t even know. The show has hired doormen who keep the crowd that arrives early from leaving the immediate 50-square-foot area in front of the theatre. Literally, the neighborhood is that bad. But Senor Tango’s is rumored to be the birthplace of the Tango, and it has hosted countless people since its opening. After the show, I understood why.

The Tango is an incredibly sad, yet romantic dance. The music evokes incredible passion and emotion from anyone who hears it, and to observe this combination of movement and sound can only be described as a roller coaster ride that combines stiletto heels and heartbreak. In an instant it is sensual and sexy, yet every move is consumed by sorrow and devastation. I also find it educational, and for me, it also evokes a new understanding. It is an understanding of the pride felt by the Argentine people for their history. It is an understanding of the subtle sadness that each of them seems to have and can be observed if you watch them closely.

Earlier in the day, I explored a part of the city that all Argentines eventually visit, and some stay forever. It is the fabled cemetery for anybody who is anybody in Argentina, and it is the burial place of Eva Peron. I couldn’t find her grave, but I didn’t really try that hard. And it doesn’t really matter. The fact that she is buried here had nothing to do with my visit. I find that cemeteries are important to visit regardless of who is buried there, and even the smallest of cemeteries always make for points of reflection along my way. They are always filled with ancient monuments that capture the morbid and dark beauty of a city or culture, and they are filled with a lot of people who probably spent too much time at work, and not enough time enjoying life. It is unimportant to me whether they were rich or poor, or where they are buried, because they’re all doing the same thing now. I guess visiting these landmarks reiterates the shortness and uncertainty of life. And I think everyone needs that reminder from time to time.

Work and time.

These are things we all have, whether we’re in Washington, D.C., Wichita, Kansas or Buenos Aires, Argentina. In my former life, I learned that my office is wherever I happen to be talking on the phone or plugged into my laptop. Some things never change. The only difference now, after three-and-a-half months of a traveling, world education, is that I better understand the importance of making the most of my time first.

Until next time, I wish you all well from the far side of the world.

Logbook for February 21st, Day 113
Start: Buenos Aires, Argentina
: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Finish: Buenos Aires, Argentina
S: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Mileage: N/A
Notes: Today was sort of a recovery day after last night's team party. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: The team enjoyed an evening at Senor Tango's, where they saw professionals tearing up the dance floor.]
Journal by Colin McAuliffe, Photo by Neil Dana

Last Days of Argentina

Im here in Buenos Aires having a blast. Adam and I are going to work
on a quick video for Nick, our leader, to show to sponsors. The cars
are on the boat and now Im free to do whatever I want,so, Im going to
brazil. I figure a month there should definately calm things down a
bit. Since I am an american, it is costing me 110 dollars to get into
brazil, but i think it will be worth it. Also, I ran out of pages in
my passport, so I had to get some new ones at the US embassy before I
could get my Brazillian visa, but now that is all taken care of and I
am basically free. Tonight the team goes to a tango performance and
then all I have to do is finish that promo video, and then I'm free!

-Colin

Logbook for February 20th, Day 112
Start: Buenos Aires, Argentina
: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Finish: Buenos Aires, Argentina
S: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Mileage: N/A
Notes: Today we all did our own thing, including a lot of work. This evening, Nick and Chanda treated everybody to an amazing night out at the famous Senor Tango, a dinner and tango show in an old converted fire station. It was an amazing show. The dancing, the music, the accordion playing...it was phenomenal. Thank you, thank you, Nick and Chanda, for a night we will never forget. The evening served as a sort of end-of-the-first-third-of-our-journey celebration. It was also a sort of farewell, as we will all be going to the winds soon while our vehicles make their way to Australia. After Senor Tango, we all went out and did some salsa dancing. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: Buenos Aires, Argentina, at night ]
(Photo by Neil Dana)

Journal by Nancy Olson

This morning, we awoke in time to have ourselves and our luggage ready to jump into a hired van that was standing ready to take us from our Palace Hotel in Azul to our hotel in Buenos Aires.

After quite a bit of bickering with the driver, who was incapable of achieving efficiency in packing, we finally realized that our weight problem (he had said eight people, plus all of our baggage, were too heavy for his van, and that we would need another) would go away if we offered him an additional 20 pesos.

We all packed in just fine and had a comfortable ride to Buenos Aires. On the way, we brainstormed ways of meeting our Feb. fundraising goal of $25,000. The bottom line is, we need to compel more people to go to our website and donate. The question is, how? It's a question we will be trying to answer during the final 5 months of our expedition.

When we arrived in Buenos Aires, I busied myself in the quest to find affordable airfare to Australia. As we were making our marathon drive from Ushuaia to Azul, I decided I will fly to Australia with my Santa Cruz mountain bike to cycle the east coast, from Cairns to Brisbane, while our vehicles are in transit. Other team members are heading for Brazil (Adam, Colin, Neil, Justin) or staying in B.A. (Todd and Baggarlys). More on all that in a future update.

As it turns out, flights to Oz are super-expensive, and I'm feeling a little discouraged about my big plan. I will still carry it out, however, as I have already fallen in love with the notion of biking 1100 miles down Australia's beautiful coastline.

G'day, ya'll,

Nancy

Logbook for February 19th, Day 111
Start: Zarate, Argentina
S: 34*05.879
W: 59*01.341
Finish: Buenos Aires, Argentina
S: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Mileage: N/A
Notes: We met our van at 10:00 a.m. and somehow managed to get everybody and everything inside of it. During the hour-long drive, we had a brainstorming meeting to try to find ways of reaching our fundraising goals. There's a lot of work for us to do, yet. We arrived at our hotel in downtown Buenos Aires in time for Justin and the film guys, Colin, Neil, and Adam, to go to the Brazilian embassy to apply for visas so they can go to Carnival. We got settled into our hotel and did a little exploring in the city. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: The Drive Around the World team drives their four Certified, Pre-Owned Discovery vehicles onto a Willenius Wilhelmsen ship, the Hume Highway, for passage to Australia.]
(Photos by Neil Dana)

Journal by Todd Borgie

Finally, after years of dreaming, planning, and execution, we have reached one of our first major milestones on this expedition: sending the vehicles to Australia. Although we love traveling in the vehicles, the whole team has looked forward to our forecast 6-week break from the daily rigors of the expedition, especially the grueling last month. Neil has talked about going to Brazil from the day I met him, and with a big smile on his face he realizes the day has almost arrived for him to go. There’s just this one last task to do.

Although it might seem easy to put a vehicle on the boat, there are really a lot of things to consider. There are three major ways to ship a vehicle: LoLo (load on/load off), when the vehicles are loaded by crane, RoRo (roll on/roll off), when the vehicles are driven on and off the ship, and finally container shipping, where the vehicles are loaded into a container (like the trailer bed of a semi). The most common type of vehicles that are shipped are vehicles straight from the factory. In this case, everything in or on the vehicle is bolted or screwed down, so LoLo or RoRo is the most practical. In our case, however, our cars are loaded with gear, so RoRo or LoLo is not the best option for us. You have to remember that if they are driving the cars on and off the ships, the car is going to be open for a certain amount to time, and this is a significant security risk.

On the last expedition, we learned the hard way. After driving around the world and having no problems, our vehicles were robbed in New Jersey. Although we had been subtly warned, we didn’t want to have to carry everything with us while we crossed the Atlantic by plane, so we left quite a bit of stuff in the vehicles. Yes, we lost lots of stuff, but the most amazing story was the story of the videotapes. All the videos we had shot over the course of the expedition were stolen! Yes, we were dumb to leave these tapes in the vehicles. We could blame one another for leaving them there, but nothing changed the fact that they were gone. Nick did what he could to get them back, but we resigned ourselves to lamenting their absence. Eleven months later, Nick received a phone call from a fellow in the New Jersey port. Apparently, he had seen the reward signs and was holding the right information. He quickly shipped us the tapes, and we still remain delighted and amazed. Anyway, lesson learned.

Container shipping is what we prefer, as the vehicles are locked and sealed into a freight container, and the only people holding the keys are the property owners. When the ship arrives, you go down, do the paper work, open the container for the customs people, and then you are on your way (sounds more simple than it actually is; sometimes this can take days). If we have a container, we can pack all of our valuable belongings into the vehicles, knowing that they will be safe; furthermore, we would not have to lug around extra things. When you know your stuff is safe, it is nice to only tote a small bag around, as now you are relying on subways, taxis and buses.

Our freight forwarder, Mercomar, did everything possible to obtain a container for us, but this was not a container ship. Cargo ships are laid out to hold the maximum amount of cargo. Our ship, the Hume Highway, would be holding more then 3,000 cars. There was not a convenient place to put a container that would not interrupt the flow of loading and unloading of the other cargo. It is amazing how fast they can load this amount of cargo; this ship would be loaded in about 6 hours.

We needed to be to the port by 6:00pm. The team spent the morning and afternoon buying chains, cables, and locks to secure our gear, packing and repacking gear so it would safely and securely under the locks and chains we had purchased. The best thing to do would have been to remove everything from the vehicles, as I mentioned earlier, but this was not the practical thing. We have big bins of camping gear, parts, office supplies, and other assorted bulky items. It would have been frightfully expensive to ship separately (most likely it would not have been accepted on an airplane), and a huge pain to deal with, so we decided to take our chance. We removed everything that couldn’t be replaced but left most of the gear. Also, to increase security, Nick made an agreement with the shipping company. This agreement was for the Captain to keep a special eye on the vehicles, and they agreed that he would be the sole person in possession of the keys to the vehicles. This was also important because this ship was due to arrive in Manzanilla, Panama, March 9, the day our other ship was to leave for Brisbane. This is cutting it close, but it was the best thing available. Arrangements were made in order to secure a quick release of the vehicles once the ship arrived in Panama.

Six p.m. rolled around, and we set off for the port. The whole team went along, as we had made arrangements to film the vehicles boarding the Hume Highway. It was loading time for the ship, so we saw the thousands of cars, which, yesterday, were sitting in the parking lot, buzzing onto the ship. We drove the Land Rovers onto the second floor of what must have been a six-story ship. I was totally impressed with this ship! The floors were almost clean enough to eat off of! The people were great, and the cars were secured off to the side. I must admit they looked pretty cool, loaded and waiting for their next adventure.

We bid the vehicles good-bye, and all walked off the ship like we had just completed a mission to the moon. It was kind of a weird feeling, as we now had to flag taxis back to town.

We spent the remainder of the night eating Argentinean meat at a Parilla. This place is packed full of meat, steaks, sausages innards, you name it. All will be served up here, and cheap! We just can’t figure out why people aren’t huge here. We have much to do over the course of the next 6 weeks, so the team looked ahead and began developing strategies for how we could go into the second half with renewed energy and efficiency.

Logbook for February 18th, Day 110
Start: Buenos Aires, Argentina
: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Finish: Buenos Aires, Argentina
S: 34*33.000
W: 58*30.000
Mileage: N/A
Notes: We miss our vehicles. It's hard to believe we'll be without them for 6 weeks. To mark the occassion, we all went to a "tenedor libre", or all-you-can-eat steakhouse for dinner. We ate all kinds of weird meat, including blood sausage, intestines, some other icky organ, and some other nasty stuff. Tomorrow, we head to Buenos Aires. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

The team drives their Certified Discoverys in through the stern of the Hume Highway. This is ro-ro shipping. Roll 'em on, roll 'em off.

Journal by Adam Burgess, photo by Neil Dana

We spent a few days outside of Buenas Aires in the suburb of Zarate, close to the shipping port. It was considerably calmer here, and it offered me the time to begin soaking up what Argentina has to offer. It quickly became evident that the women are strikingly more beautiful here than almost everywhere I’ve been. Even the less attractive women have figures and dress in a style that draws your attention. Eyes dart everywhere, as the national pastime appears to be eye flirting. Seldom will you find a person overweight despite the lack of apparent exercise.

We spent most of the time preparing the Land Rovers for their 40-day ship ride to Australia. Unfortunately, we discovered quickly that our shipping sponsor only offers roll-on-roll-off, or “ro-ro”, service. This means that they have no containers for the cars, which results in no protection against theft, and if you saw the inside of these rigs you’d understand why that would be a concern. Thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment, computer equipment, GPS, camping supplies, and clothes cover every square inch of available space. Nick broke the news to us the next day and said that we have to take everything with us out of the cars.

The three of us were headed for Brazil in a week, and the number of cases we had couldn’t be carried by seven people, let alone by three travelling alone. So the obvious answer was to do our best in securing what we do have in the back of the cars. Neil and I headed for the local hardware store and bought 60 feet of heavy chain and 5 locks. Back at the hotel, everyone ripped apart all four cars, cleaning them out entirely except for what we were to store in the back. Our Pelican camera cases made it easy for us to thread the chain through the handles and lock to the D-rings on the floor of the bed. The rest of our stuff, clothes, toys and guitars, were then covered in heavy-duty cardboard in which Colin cut several holes and threaded the last 10 feet of chain through and locked it down. The final stage was 10 feet of black plastic wrapped over the entire package to deter the “roll-off” driver in Panama or Australia from even considering dipping their hands in there. They have little time between rolling the cars off of the cargo ship and parking them in the lot for rummaging through your loose odds and ends, so hopefully this triple-wrap blob isn’t mistaken for a Christmas present.

Logbook for February 17th, Day 109
Start: Lujan, Argentina
Time: 9:30 a.m.
S: 34*33.627
W: 59*07.278
Finish: Zarate, Argentina
Time: 9:00 p.m.
S: 34*05.879
W: 59*01.341
Mileage: 169
Notes: We filmed the loading of our vehicles onto the Wallenius Wilhelmsen ship today. It was a special moment. We drove the vehicles aboard the giant floating parking lot amidst the hundreds of new cars headed for new-car lots and the beginning their life's voyage. Our vehicles are headed for the Panamal Canal and then Australia. We'll meet them there about the first of April. Bon Voyage, D1, D2, D3, and D4! We'll miss you! (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: On the road to the port at Zarate, the team encountered an emmense rainbow.]

Journal and photos by Neil Dana

We have been on the road hard for the last two days now, and this is our last stretch towards Buenos Aires. We woke up this morning and it was raining, and, unfortunately, last night there were no signs of rain, so none of us put up our rainguards on our tents. So when we awoke, we all awoke to wet tent bottoms, pads, and sleeping bags. That's not always the greatest way to wake up, but oh well. We also woke up two hours later than expected, so we were already behind schedulel. The great thing is, none of us were in a bad mood. We were all ready to charge forward and get to Buenos Aires. We all welcome the challenge of driving nonstop for days on end to meet our shipping date. And to tell you the truth, it is really fun.

While on the road, we tell jokes, drink our mate tea and coffee, and also learn all kinds of new interesting information about the areas we are travelling through, as well as random trivia facts. It is really funny to see what people come up with to talk about after travelling with each other for 3 months, especially locked in cars together most of the time. With our radios, which span more than 10-20 miles at times, we can fall behind or get way ahead of each other and still communicate. It is awesome, and we never lose each other, which is always a convoy's worst nightmare.

What I really love the most about our long drives is the solitude. We are travelling together all the time and always doing group activities and talking and having great times; however, time alone is something I cherish as well. And when we are driving all day long for days on end, one gets plenty of solitude. Colin and I were driving together for this three-day stretch, and he would sleep in the back while I drove. And that is a perfect recipe, for two reasons. One, obviously, is so after 10 hours of me driving, he is well-rested and ready to take over. And the other reason is that while he is sleeping, I can get in my cruisin' music landscape mode. I adore soaking in the landscape and just looking at everything and being completely filled with amazement of where we are and all the beautiful surroundings. And coupled with groovy tunes, I am in paradise. It is very relaxing. In fact, many times when the team is playing games over the radio or doing other things on these long drives, I prefer to turn down the CB and eveyone else's voice, and get into a driving groove. And sometimes, I am the opposite, and get giddy and talk and talk and talk.

So anyway, we drove all day today and watched the landscape
change from desert brush to farmland and green fields, with towns growing bigger the further north we came. Half of the drive, it was raining, which slowed us down, yet the sky really filled up with beautiful clouds and colors. At one point, the sun was out to our left, and on the right side of the road was a huge rainbow that went from one end on the ground all the way up and down to the other side. It was beautiful. And, not only was there one amazing rainbow, but there was another rainbow on top of it, a bit more faint, but there. It was a wonderful moment.

As we kept heading north, the people were starting to have more fashion and style as well. We were entering a much more industrial and cosmopolitan area. We were under a time crunch as well today to drive about 700 miles, as well as stop for some time in a town that had internet so Justin and Nancy could get some information out online. Justin has an article that is being printed in the largest English newspaper in Argentina! And Nancy had some press releases to upload. And we accomplished both in a town a few hours outside of Santiago. The stop ended up taking us a couple of hours and by the time we were back on the road to head to Buenos Aires, it was almost midnight.

Also, while we were in the internet cafe, a local radio station reporter came up to us and wanted to interview us. So he interviewed me in Spanish and we were supposed to be on the radio that night. We weren't able to listen to the radio when we were supposed to air, we were all preoccupied with other activities. But I am sure many people in Argentina were listening and hopefully are on our website right now donating money to Parkinson's.

Around 11PM after we finished eating some yummy ice cream, we left the internet cafe and were on the road and heading to Buenos Aires. As we got closer, I was sleeping, and I guess I was talking outloud as I was dreaming of finding surf. Colin was laughing and telling everyone on the radio that I was telling him to look for Island Azul, and that I saw some waves that were really crowded, and to keep searching. I guess I can't get surfing off my mind, even when I am sleeping.

So we finally did reach Buenos Aires at around 3AM, and headed to a town called Zarate
, which is the port town from which we are shipping our vehicles. We found a hotel and crashed out. We were all exhausted from three days of nonstop driving. We were stoked to finally make it, and we were ecstatic to go to sleep. In fact, sleeping in a room with Colin and Justin, whom were both snoring in full force didn't even keep me awake at all. We made it!!

Now we are heading in a few different directions over the next month while our cars are at sea to Australia. I will be heading to Brasil and chasing Carnaval, Samba, and Surf, so until next time, Ciao!!!

Neil

Logbook for February 16th, Day 108
Start: East of Nuevo Leon, Argentina
Time: 9:00 a.m.
S: 40*42.829
W: 69*32.031
Finish: Lujan, Argentina
Time: 3:30 a.m.
S: 34*33.627
W: 59*07.278
Mileage: 628
Notes: Well, we made it! We drove for three days straight, and we covered 2000 miles, and we made it. We met with Merco Mar, who is handling the shipping of our vehicles for Wallenius Wilhelmsen. Everything is set. We will bring the vehicles to the port to bid them bon voyage tomorrow morning. We'll be without vehicles for six weeks! (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: Most folks don't realize the lengths designers at Land Rover will go to ensure worldwide acceptance. They formed the cup holders to hold anything from 7-11 Big Gulps, to Argentinean matte gourds.]

Logbook for February 15th, Day 107
Start: South of Rio Gallegos, Argentina
Time: 7:00 a.m.
S: 51*17.873
W: 69*32.031
Finish: East of Nuevo Leon, Argentina
Time: 1:45 a.m.
S: 40*42.829
W: 69*32.031
Mileage: 877 (no, that is not a typo)
Notes: We're still pushing for Buenos Aires and our shipping date. Still working and driving. And driving. We had to stop at an Internet cafe this evening, where we remained until after midnight, updating our website press room. Justin did a good job writing a dozen or more news releases. After the cafe, we continued driving until we found a place to camp, just a few hours down the road. Tomorrow, more driving. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: Drive Around the World vehicles stopped at an Argentine radio station at the southernmost tip of South America, where the road ends.]

Journal by Colin McAuliffe

Tierra Del fuego, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the non-profit organization Drive Around the World… Their mission; To boldly go where no expedition based on raising money for Parkinson’s Disease has gone before. Blah blah blah…you get my drift.

So we’ve done it. We’ve reached the end of the road. We are now at the southern point of South America, two hours outside of Ushaia, where the road abruptly ends. And where does it end you ask? Because, if I was you, I would ask that too, and figuring on you (the reader of this here publication) being an astute individual I am going to assume that you (the astute individual) will in fact be asking that question of which I mentioned previously. The answer is not glorious or triumphant, but it is pleasing, at least to me, and also in some ways not really surprising.

At the end of the road lies a smallish white structure with a blue roof situated along a cliff overlooking the Beagle Channel (named for Charles Darwin‘s exploratory naval vessel which passed this way in the 1830's). The blue and white flag, flying on a pole behind the structure matches the building‘s color scheme, because it is the flag of Argentina and the structure is owned by the government of Argentina. A small wooden sign, on two wooden posts, sits in front of the structure, and reads “Perfectura Naval DTO Moat”

The structure is in fact a naval watch station, where Argentinean naval personnel can monitor the sea-going traffic traveling through the channel. A few Argentine navy men man the station in the remote spot and rotate monthly between their home and their workplace. Their boss, an amicable individual invited us in, gave us a tour and let us brew some coffee to boost our spirits. In response we gifted a can of Land Rover coffee, A Drive Around the World T-shirt and some Red Bull for him to enjoy. He is a HAM radio enthusiast and was excited when Nick divulged that he too was a fan of the HAM. Call numbers were exchanged along with pleasantries.

Across the way from the station lies Picton Island, the ownership of which, in the seventies, nearly sparked a war between Argentina and Chile, however the Pope came down here and set the matter straight by telling Chile they could have the island, so that’s that. I don’t think the Argentineans really liked the decision, but they can’t really argue with the ambassador of God.

Today in fact, marks two momentous occasions, not only Drive Around the World reaching the end of the road, but also a beloved team member leaving. Rolf Justin Potts, travel writer by trade and party animal by night, will be taking his leave of us tomorrow, moving towards Rio, where he has yet another writing assignment. Such is the life of a professional traveler. We will miss him and his sense of humor, which I heartily enjoyed. At some point in the future I plan on hunting him down and sleeping on his couch until he gets sick of me and kicks me out; such is the life of an amateur freeloader.

So there you have it, yet another deposition from yours truly. Rest assured that there will be many more, however none will be the same as this one, because today I am in a rare literary mood.

Rock on,

Sir Colin
colin@drivearoundtheworld.com

Logbook for February 13th, Day 105
Start: Ushuaia, Argentina
Time: 11:30 a.m.
S: 54*48.861
W: 68*20.494
Finish: End of the Road, Beagle Canal, Moat, Argentina
Time: 7:30 p.m.
S: 54*48.399
W: 68*18.337
Mileage: 159
Notes: We drove to the end of the road at the end of the world. Have you ever read Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends?" It pretty much looks like the cover art for that, only different. There's a naval radio station there, where we made two new friends, drank coffee, ate bread and jam, took sponsorship photos, enjoyed some Red Bull, used our Iridium and Telenor sat-phone to call sponsors, and then turned back around to return to Ushuaia. We were home by 6:30 p.m., and we moved right in to our new rented home. Later, we all met at an all-you-can eat (tenedor libre, in Espanol) steak house for Rolf's going-away dinner. We had grand plans for a party afterward, but Nick, after checking his e-mail, discovered that our shipping date has been moved up by three days. We have to start driving in the morning. No time for parties or for exploring the unexplored city of Ushuaia. We're in for a marathon drive. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: The sign speaks for itself]
Journal by Nancy Olson

We spent the night before last at Grandma's house. Well, Hospedaje Alicia's in Puerto Natales wasn't REALLY Grandma's, but it had a warm and inviting feel, and the kitchen smelled of fresh baking...and stew...

Alicia's was a bit of a contrast to where we awoke this morning in Rio Grande. We were in another hostel, but it wasn't so intimate, with bunkbeds and loud neighbors. But the poor elderly woman we'd rousted from her sleep at midnight to check us in was cheerful this morning, and were were warm, clean, and comfortable in our bunks.

We were slow to get moving this morning, choosing first to find a breakfast of chocolate, toast, and coffee, as well as a bank for changing Chilean money to Argentinian. Todd was kind enough to lend me a $50-peso bill that he had changed earlier, so I'm all set. I'll get him back when we hit a cambio later.

So, well after our scheduled 9:00 a.m. departure, we hit the road for a very windy drive east to Tierra del Fuego. Todd could barely keep the Discovery on the road, it was blowing so hard. We were driving across a flat and barren landscape, and, where rain water had flooded parts of a few fields, the wind created whitecaps on the puddles. After an hour-and-a-half or so of flat, barren fields, we hit mountains. Mountains, streams, and trees.

We wound up and around through high pass, and, as we drove, we filmed our convoy against backdrops of huge, ice-capped peaks. It was overcast, but it was beautiful. Such mountains!

Suddenly, at 2:22 p.m. on 2/12/04, the Drive Around the World LONGITUDE Expedition team arrived in the world's southernmost city: Ushuaia. For some reason, it reminded me of Alaska. Perhaps because of its ruggedness, its remoteness, or its "final frontier" feel.

Ushuaia is a port town, and it has a comfortable, outdoorsy quality. If it weren't so cold, I think I could live here for a while. It's summertime now, though, and I feel the winters must freeze the marrow of your bones. Brrrr!!! I can't imagine. We feel chilled each time the wind blows, and it is supposedly warm here now.

Well, our arrival caused quite a stir in town, of course, and we were happy to talk with a few curious people in town who had come to gawk at the four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discovery vehicles parked on the main street.

We all went in separate directions, some of us visiting internet cafes, others outdoor shops, souvenir shops (tourist traps), and the visitor center.

I had my passport and all of my postcards stamped with an "end of the world" stamp and then met Todd and the Baggarlys for lunch.

In the meantime, Colin and Neal had located a nice hostel for us just outside of town. We had a barracks-style, squad bay-esque bunkroom in the basement of the hostel, a house in a nice neighborhood. Everybody jumped to attention and sounded off Gomer Pyle-style when I walked into the room, and we all had a good laugh.

I found a single bed in the corner and located two huge wooden boards to put up as walls. I created my own little room, complete with a password.

Tomorrow, we will be driving to the end of the road and moving into a new house nearer the town's center.

Until next time,

Nancy

Logbook for February 12th, Day 104
Start: Rio Grande, Argentina
Time: 11:00 a.m.
S: 53*47.393
W: 67*42.505
Finish: Ushuaia, Argentina
Time: 6:45 p.m.
S: 54*48.861
W: 68*20.494
Mileage: 131
Notes: We didn't leave Rio Grande at 9:00 a.m., as we'd intended, because everybody went to breakfast and the bank. Once we were on the road again, we had a very windy drive East to Ushuaia. Our arrival at the world's southernmost city marks the ceremonial end of our southerly trek. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: Standing by to cross the Straits of Magellan]
Journal by Todd Borgie

Puerto Natalas to Rio Grande

Last night was heaven! We slept in a warm bed for the first time in about a week. Outside it was cold and rainy, and inside we were taken care of by a woman that looked like a perfect grandmother: radiate smile, rotund (like meals were her specialty), and slightly motherly, which is perfect when you are needing to be taken care of.

When I awoke, my bed was warm, my blankets were heavy, and I heard the sound of wind and rain outside. Unfortunately, I could not linger in the moment, because we were headed to Tierra del Fuego. After showers and some breakfast, we headed to the gas station. Adam, who had thrown out his back a day earlier, was convalescing in the back seat of D2 and in need of medicine. So, while the vehicles were getting washed, Chanda, Nancy, and I set out to find some Vikadin for our ailing teammate.

Combing the city for meds, we couldn’t find any Vikadin without prescription; therefore, we purchased a couple of strong anti-inflammatories and some muscle relaxers. Hopefully, his back will get better soon.

The cold, rainy weather did not let up as we neared the Land of Fire. It somehow seemed appropriate having dismal weather as we were heading to Land’s End. This land is called the Land of Fire (Tierra del Fuego). The name Tierra del Fuego was given to this place because the land appeared on fire due to large numbers of bonfires the Spanish saw from their ships. This area can get cold, so these bonfires were necessary to warm the native people, the Ona, Aush, and Yahgan, who are all pretty much extinct now. There is plenty of firewood around, as the heavy winds are constantly breaking branches, and driftwood is constantly washing ashore.

We hit the ferry stop at about 3:00 pm and needed to wait for the 4:00 pm ferry. Things seemed to go smoothly until they attempted to unload a bus, the second-to-last vehicle on the ferry. Unfortunately, the departure angle of the vehicle was less than optimal, and it scrapped and caught on the exit ramp of the ferry. It was caught in such a way that the back end of the bus was stuck, elevating the back wheels off the ground. Uffda? A solution needed to found! Soon, a semi was cabled up to the front bumper and it began tugging in order to free the bus, meanwhile the tide was departing, causing further problems, the worst of which could be a beached ferry. While the bus problem was being worked on, cars were loading up, some even bypassing the lines hoping for a quick cut-off. A mess would certainly ensue once the bus was freed.

Unfortunately, the Semi was only able to free the part of the bumper that held the cable, and nothing else. Now the bus sat there with a hole in its bumper, still stuck. Pieces of wood were jammed under the spinning tires, and a couple of other methods were tried, but to avail. The team met briefly to discuss the possibility of using our four Warn winches, but we couldn’t figure out a way in which we could define a common pulling point.

Anyway, with the big ferry stuck, a smaller one was brought in to avoid the large traffic buildup, trying to preserve some sort of schedule. All the waiting traffic pulled in and jockeyed for the best position. It was almost like we were playing a video game. The four vehicles pulled in tight, looking like a train. We got the eye of an attendant; sometimes it is great to have standout vehicles. He gave us a chance, and we wormed our way in and onto the ferry. T o be fair, it is important to realize that we were one of the first in line. We were forced to move as a result of the semi and long cable that was used to pull the bus. If those cables snap, there is no telling what that cable will hit, and they travel at considerable force.

Not long after the free-for-all, we were crossing the Straights of Magellan, named after the famed Portuguese explorer who first sailed through this area in 1520. I remember reading about Magellan and Cape Horn when I was in elementary school. It was pretty exciting to actually be here and see it! Who would have guessed, 25 years ago, when my third grade teacher Mrs. Halter was telling us all about these places, that I would actually be here? It really goes to show you can do anything you want!

The ferry ride took no more than twenty minutes, and we were on our way again. We enjoyed good roads for about 20 km, then they turned to gravel again. It was raining, which keept the dust down, which was nice. After about one hour, D2 came over the radio saying, “We just lost a tire”. It was raining out, and Nancy and I looked at each other. “Another one?” D3 and D1 wheeled around, and we quickly took care of the problem. It was one of my proudest team moments. The team acted as a fine-tuned watch. Nancy breaking out the jack and jacking up the vehicle, Nick and I removing the lug nuts from the spare and the downed tire, Chanda holding the nuts while we were exchanging wheels, and Neil looking pretty for the camera, giving the impression he was at the heart of the job. Seven minutes was the in-and-out time, thank goodness, because it was wet out there.

We continued on until the border, where we met a couple from Belgium who had been traveling for the last four months. We gave them a lift to Rio Grande, asking them about various aspects of Belgium. Rolf even provided a Belgium trivia contest; I don’t think they were impressed. In any case, it was fun to ask them about their country and travel experiences.

We finished the evening off 200 km short of Ushuaia, at about midnight. We are all eager to head to Ushuaia in the morning, and then to the end of the World!

Logbook for February 11th, Day 103
Start: Puerto Natales, Chile
Time: 10:00 a.m.
S: 51*43.597
W: 72*30.423
Finish: Rio Grande, Argentina
Time: 1:00 a.m.
S: 53*47.393
W: 67*42.505
Mileage: 344
Notes: We left Puerto Natales at 11:55 a.m., after getting a fillup and a carwash, and stopping at the drugstore for some painkillers for Adam. His back is still painful. We picked up a couple from Belgium on our way to the Argentine border, and we brought them to the town of Rio Grande. We arrived at midnight, ate dinner, nad found a place to stay. It was a hostel with two bunk rooms, and we were happy to have a warm and comfortable place to sleep. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: A Drive Around the World Land Rover in the famous Torres del Paine National Park of southern Chile.]

Journal by Neil Dana

Today was a dream. We woke up in the Patagonia desert in a dry riverbed alongside a hill and surrounding plains. We were just on the other side of Tres Lagos, a super tiny town in the middle of Argentina. The air was crisp and the temperature was chilly. The sun was shining and we packed up our tents, stopped at the gas station in town and tightened all the exhaust manifold bolts of our Land Rovers. The roads here are all dirt and the constant shaking for the past week or so is rattling our nuts and bolts loose. On each of our cars, we have 6 bolts that hold the two pipes into the engine block, and every single one of our cars has at least one missing. So we have to tighten them up every morning now. In fact, sometimes twice a day, these roads are brutal.

As bumpy as the roads are, the scenery is unreal. Like I said, a dreamscape. The Argentine desert is extremely vast and we drive on it for hours and hours all day and only see a car or two every hour. If we are off the main road, we won't see any other vehicles. We are in the middle of nowhere and I adore it. The relaxation you feel when driving for hours on long roads through arid desert is like meditation. We were also drinking hierba de mate which is a plant grown in Chile and Argentina that is similar to caffeine, but doesn't have the side effects. In fact, it is one molecule away from caffeine. So drinking mate for hours on the road out of our mate drinking gourds is quite a delightful experience. You pour the tea directly into the gourd and add hot water, then stick a long metal straw-like device into the cup. At the tip of the straw is a small oval pod with tiny holes that act as a filter for the loose tea in the cup. Then you suck it up and enjoy the bitter taste that fills your mouth.

So after we tightened our bolts, we got on the road and picked up Nancy about 15 miles down the road. She left a while earlier to go biking until we caught up. We drove for hours and passed some beautiful turquoise rivers and lakes along the way. The sky was scattered with puffy white clouds, nestled against yellowish green meadows and rolling hills with dust being kicked up in the air from vehicles and harsh winds. The winds were blowing anywhere from 20-35 knots and it was a bit sketchy on the road at times. If we had sails on the roof, we would save a lot of gas money.

We were heading towards Torres del Paine, which is one of the, if not THE most famous national park in Chile. And yes, Chile, so we had to cross another border today, again, into Chile. So we left Chile a few days ago into Argentina and now we were headed towards Chile one more time. At least the border crossings here are a piece of cake.

We arrived at the border, which is another very unique small town, or building in the desert. We exited Argentina in a jiffy, and then drove to the entrance of Chile and filled out the paperwork, and we were done within an hour. These South American borders are so mellow compared to Central America, especially the Chile and Argentina borders within the Patagonia region.

While we were at the border, we stopped to get a bite to eat and we ran into another film crew for a local Chilean TV channel, and we told them about what we were doing, and it turns out, they knew a guy in town who was a sheep herder who has Parkinson's. So Todd and our Drive Around the World guest, Sebastian went off to interview him and learn more about Parkinson's in foreign countries. Todd will have to write about that experience for you on another log. He did say the guy was amazing though!

After that, we headed towards Torres del Paine. On the way, we had an array of wildlife show itself to us. We saw some nandus, guanacos and a condor. The guanacos are like a mixture of a deer and a vicuna, but much bigger. They are gorgeous and make a very squeaky cute sound. We ended up filming them for a while, and then at one point I went to chase them to make them run, and they did run a bit, but then they just stopped and let us get really close. It was awesome. They are really beautiful animals. Then there are the nandus, which are similar to ostriches and have a really goofy walk. And while we were putting some of our fuel from our reserve jerry cans into our vehicles, we saw a condor fly by. And yes, reserve fuel cans, we were running low and had to fill up with our reserves. In fact, we just arrived to our campsite outside of the park of Torres del Paine, alongside a lake with a view of the Torres del Paine mountains. The towering mountains and glaciers alongside this lake are phenomenal. They are so vertical and just shoot into the sky! Tomorrow, we are heading further into the park, and then back out of the park, so we are limited to how far in we can go due to our gasoline. We are in the boonies out here, and it is spectacular.

Right now, we just set up camp, made a fire and had dinner. We are listening to music as I write. I figured I might as well write my log right now while the day is fresh on my mind. The moon is getting smaller and the stars are unbelievable right now. Have you ever seen the Southern Cross? Phew, what a sight, especially tonight, in the middle of the desert without a light in view for many many miles. It is also really windy right now and our tents are taking a beating, but this is fantastic, to feel raging winds against your face, you feel alive!! What a day, and what a night. I am going to get back to the fire now and enjoy this beautiful place. The Patagonia is a must see for everyone, truly magical.

Ciao,

Neil
neil@drivearoundtheworld.com

Logbook for February 9th, Day 101
Start: Tres Lagos, Argentina
Time: 7:15 a.m.
S: 49*36.020
W: 71*28.226
Finish: Laguna Armaga, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile
Time: 9:30 p.m.
S: 50*58.377
W: 72*43.859
Mileage: 256
Notes: We woke up to a beautiful pink sunrise in the dry riverbed. I was up early to get an hour or so head start on my bike. The ride was incredible, bisecting giant wild fields full of guanaco. It was also quite hilly and gravelly, so after 2 hours, I was happy to see the convoy. It was a good 20 miles, not bad for a morning in Patagonia. We had an amazing drive to the outskirts of the famous Parque Nacional Torres del Pine. We made camp on the banks of Lago Almaden, just outside of the park, and we enjoyed dinner and beverages in the intense winds of the lake's shores. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

[Above: Guanacos on the run in Argentine Patagonia.]

Journal by Chanda Baggarly

Ever heard of a guanaco, rhea, or a huemal? How about a pudu or chinchilla? Well, these are just a few of the animals one has to look out for while driving across Patagonia. Not the typical four legged obstacle we try to dodge in the US.

Although there are many of God’s beautiful creatures in Patagonia, animal life is less diverse than in other parts of South America because of the barrier to migration presented by the Andes. For more information about migration in the Andes please read Sebastian’s article about the Andes. http://www.drivearoundtheworld.com/education/sa/abouttheandes.htm

Here’s the scoop on some of the Patagonian animals:

Guanaco

Guanaco are closely related to alpaca and llama and are completely domesticated and friendly. You can walk up and pet most of them. We had several curious guanaco visit us at our campsites. Encarta Encyclopedia says they can swim too, which is not surprising because Todd and Nancy saw a few guanaco exiting a lake yesterday with their swimsuits and floaties. Even though we have seen quite a few herds of guanaco, the population is quickly diminishing because the locals use their fur and meat. Guanaco wool is course and is used to make bulky sweaters and hats.

Rhea

Rhea are ostrichlike birds. They are smaller than African ostriches and have three toes instead of two but who’s counting. The head and neck are completely covered with feathers. We have seen several dozen rhea just today. They are fast runners and I suspect they like to race---we had one running along side our car for about 200 meters. As it ran next to us it glanced our way every now and then as if to see who was driving or perhaps it was to make eye contact with its competitor, a classic antagonization tactic. We won, by the way (wooooohooo!).

Huemul

The huemul, or guemal, are part of the deer family. Haven’t seen one yet but we are on the look out. We will have to consider ourselves lucky if we do see one; they are on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Endangered Species list and they usually travel alone (not in packs) in the Southern region of Patagonia.

Pudu

Pudu are miniature deer. In fact, they are the smallest members of the deer family. We have seen only a few pudu so far. They have stout bodies covered with long, coarse, reddish-brown fur; short legs; and broad, rounded heads with small eyes and ears. They can be as tall as 17 inches high and they weigh between 13 to 29 lb. Truly a small deer.

Chinchilla

We have seen a couple chinchillas hopping on the road at night. The squirrel-like chinchillas are 9 to 11 inches long, not including their bushy tails, which can be up to 6 inches long. They have large ears and short front legs. Chinchillas use their front legs to hold the roots and grasses on which they feed; the long hind legs enable the animals to hop about with great agility. Chinchillas are also cute and I hear that they make okay pets.

Chanda
chanda@drivearoundtheworld.com

Logbook for February 8th, Day 100
Start: Perito Moreno, Argentina
Time: 9:30 a.m.
S: 46*35.740
W: 70*55.547
Finish: Tres Lagos, Argentina
Time: 9:15 p.m.
S: 49*36.020
W: 71*28.226
Mileage: 282
Notes: We departed the hotel at about 9:25 a.m. and were immediately stopped at a military checkpoint. The nice officials waved us on at 9:40, and we were on our way. At 11:13, the team pulled over for a pit stop in order to tighten the exhaust studs on each vehicle. The gravel roads here will rattle and vibrate everything loose, and nuts have to be checked and tightened regularly. While Todd and the guys were playing mechanic, I took off down the road on my bike. An hour later, they picked me up, 10.9 miles down the road. That was a fun hour. Back on the road, we spotted a condor at about 12:50. At 3:00, we caught a baby armadillo. We found a place to camp for the evening in a dry riverbed beneath some hills, and did some exploring on foot. Littering the ground all about on the hill were guanaco skeletons. Dozens of them. We found caves, and the bones were in the caves, too. We figured the pumas killed the baby guanacos and ate them in the caves. There were no fresh carcasses, so my guess is that the pumas live there in the rainy season, when the river is full. They would have shelter, readily available food, and water. Glad it isn't the rainy season! (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

A Drive Around the World Discovery takes in the view of Lago General Carrera in Argentina.

Journal and photos by Justin Mounts

Frequently when you travel, you are forced to make a series of decisions that could negatively affect your plans. At each point, you must weigh your priorities to determine what is most important to you. Additionally, you must consider the impact of your decision. If you decide to omit a visit to a location, does that really free up more time in or schedule, or does it cause you to miss seeing the most beautiful site in the world? Maybe it does both. Misinformation in these situations is a huge problem, and misinformation comes in many forms. It can be something as small as incorrect directions to a restaurant, or it could be information from a local describing a little place along your route that your cousin’s uncle’s nephew’s wife once heard about and said was amazing. As the navigator, misinformation is the bane of my existence.

This week has been no different. We are on day 99 of the LONGITUDE Expedition, and our route today takes us from Lago General Carrera in Chile to the amazing site of Perito Moreno, Argentina. Unlike most border days that call for a 6:00 am departure, our campsite from last night was so beautiful, the team took it easy this morning--our first decision of the day. We know that our route today will take us approximately 100 miles over rough and twisty gravel roads out of the mountains and into the high plains of Argentina.

The drive begins like any other day’s drive. The convoy slowly begins gaining momentum through the hills as we carve our way around the southern edge of the lake. As we continue to gain altitude, the bright-blue sky dotted with clouds has resulted in a mirror effect on the water that is beyond blue. The wind creates small crests in the water, and the reflected images of the surrounding snow-capped peaks dance for all to see. The best thing about this drive is that we are alone. In the 3 hours that it will take us to cross below this lake into Argentina, we will see about 6 cars, 2 horses, and one team of oxen, driven by a husband-and-wife team, pulling a cart. But for right now, this view is all ours. And it is spectacular. The road continues to narrow as we pass small settlements with houses built into the side of the mountains. Every place you see a large boulder that has fallen down from above, you see a small shack extending out, using Mother Nature’s gravitational reminders as permanent walls to conserve building materials.

We continue to the right past the bright-green sign that says Chile Chico, indicating that our border town is near. On the way, we pass a Land Rover Range Rover on the side of the road. It comes complete with middle-aged man, his wife, his son, and a cargo bay filled with new camping equipment. This is their first trip out, and their first flat tire with this car. This poor fellow unfortunately has never experienced the pure joy of changing a tire on an empty stretch of gravel road when it’s 90 degrees, and he has never had to operate a bottle jack in his life. So, we stop to lend a hand--our second decision of the day. Changing a tire is something everyone should know how to do, but through one reason or another, not everyone learns before the skill is actually needed. After a quick tutorial and some help, he is a pro.

Our border crossing is relatively quick, and after 90 minutes of filling out forms, we push on into Argentina. With very little ceremony, we have entered our 12th country of the expedition. The lake is now called Lago Buenos Aires in Argentina, and rumor has it that there is some very good fishing here. After some discussion on the radio, Nick and Nancy decide that they are going to pull over and try their luck while the rest of us continue on to set up base camp.

All of the information we have been given by people indicates that Perito Moreno is a “must-see” destination in Argentina. Our Lonely Planet guidebook says something different. According to the book, there is not one, but two Perito Morenos in Argentina. One is a small gateway town to the beautiful region of Chile we just left. The other is a park, complete with glaciers and wildlife, that is not readily identifiable on any map that we carry. After a considerable amount of studying three different maps, I find the second one. It is a park nestled against the Chilean border approximately 300 miles south of our actual destination town. The actual town of Perito Moreno is a bit of a dust bowl, inhabited by a couple of thousand people at best. It is no resort. It is no must-see destination. In fact, it’s not even a place that we’re sure we want to stay in. It is a pretty darn ugly place. Now, what do we do? We have to make a decision. Our options are stay here, backtrack to the lake where Nick and Nancy are, or continue further south to another yet-undetermined location. Given that it is almost 6:00 pm, there are no substantial towns on the map south of here, we have no place to stay, and only half the team is in convoy, we decide to find a place to camp and make the best of the situation. The reality is that tomorrow we have to cover a lot of ground, anyway. It will be an early start and a long drive.

Our decision to stay did not go unrewarded, however. We arrived in town on the night of the annual Festival Cueva de las Manos (Festival of the Cave of the Hands--a local archeological site), where we shared live music with the community. This is the type of experience that you cannot plan for. Virtually no information on the festival exists outside of this town, and our arrival here on the same date as the festival was based more in luck than on conscious decisions. It is certain we will not have time in our schedule to visit the fabled park of Perito Moreno that we have heard so much about, but sometimes you trade the cost of one decision for the reward of something much more special without even knowing it.

Logbook for February 7th, Day 99
Start: Lago General Carrera, Chile
Time: 11:30 a.m.
S: 46*44.751
W: 72* 31.163
Finish: Perito Moreno, Argentina
Time: 8:00 p.m.
S: 46*35.740
W: 70*55.547
Mileage: 97
Notes: Today at 6:09 p.m., we were officially stamped in and leaving the Argentine border to drive through our newest country. We had fun talking to locals at the border, and then Nick bought a rod and reel at the gas station in town. Here, Logo General Carrera became Lago Buenos Aires, Argentina's name for the same huge lake that is shared by both countries. On the way into our day's destination at Perito Moreno, Nick and I stayed behind to fish on the shores of Lago B.A. And would you believe it! I caught a trout! It was bigger than 2 feet long. Nick gave me a hard time for releasing it, but I just couldn't see the point in killing such a beautiful fish. Now ol' Walter will live to swim another day. Most of the gang went to a musical festival in town this evening called Festival Cueva de los Manos. The team is looking forward to eating steak as big as our faces! (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.