The team celebrated their reunion at the Palace Bar and Grill. Nancy and Todd are glad to be together again, apparently.

Journal by Nancy Olson

Today was a super-duper special day. Today was team arrival day!

I've been in Brisbane by myself for a week. Until Adam arrived yesterday, I was on my own. But today, the family has been reunited in the lobby of the Palace Backpackers on the corner of Edward and Ann Streets in downtown Brisbane, Australia.

I went for a run this morning, as has become my Brisbane routine, and then I did the shower/breakfast/Internet thing. I was anxious to make sure everybody was good to go concerning where to meet, since that decision and the dissemination of information was my responsibility. I sent the address out over e-mail yesterday, and I checked for replies this morning. Nothing from Todd, Nick, or Chanda, but Neil replied to tell me he, Colin, and Justin were in the know. See, I had a sneaking suspicion Nick and his gang would probably go to the Riverside Hotel, which was the last word he'd received before I sent the e-mail out yesterday.

I was in the lobby waiting to check into our new rooms when I heard a familiar voice yell my name. It was Chanda! Oh, frabzjous day! We collided in a joyful embrace, and then I was reunited with Nick and then Todd. They had gone first to the Riverside, but they figured it out and found their way to Palace. We stood in the check-in line for a few moments and caught up a little bit before Justin came sauntering in Joe Cool-style and said hello. Behind him, Neil ran in and hugged everybody, and then Colin. They were all laden with surfboards and bags and looked like they'd been having some good beach time in South America.

Adam returned from the gym, and the family was complete. We stood in line to check in and created some real stress for the poor backpacker/employee girl behind the desk. The Palace was kind enough to discount our rate by $3 per person, per night, but there was a little confusion about which room(s) we would get. Everything was smoothed out, and we all moved in.

Each did his and her own thing (I yapped my mouth off all day to poor Chanda, because this was the first time I'd had a teammate to talk to in two months), and then we met in the lobby at 2000 to go downstairs to the grill to celebrate our reunion and Colin's birthday. He turns 24 on the 17th, so his celebration began at midnight.

It was a festive evening, and we're stoked to be back together as a team. Now, what we really want to do is spring our vehicles from customs and hit the road!

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.

Nancy and Adam are reunited in Brisbane.

Journal by Nancy Olson

Tomorrow is team arrival day. Today is prep day. I went for a run in the morning and then hit the Internet to let the team know where to meet. I'd decided the Palace Backpacker's, although a couple dollars more per night, would be a better bet than the hotel on the other side of the river, because this place is convenient to everything. There're four Internet cafes on this block, there's a kitchen, and there's refrigerators. I think those things are key, so I sent a message to everybody to come here.

I spent much of the day updating journals, and then I grabbed Adam and we headed to the gym. There's a "rewards card" inside of Special K cereal that gives the bearer a free week at a gym down the street from the hostel. I joined a couple of days ago, and Adam joined tonight. He lifted while I did a cycling class, and then we got cleaned up and went to dinner. Falafels!

Since we'd stayed up late yacking last night, we called it an early night tonight. We have to be well-rested for the arrival of our teammies tomorrow!

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.

April 14, 2004

On location: Film: Lord of the Rings. Nick and Todd under the Hobbit party tree in the shire.

Journal and photo by Todd Borgie

Did we take a wrong turn? Is this Hawaii?

New Zealand is great! We arrived last week and have been driving around the whole north Island. We arrived last Friday (because of the international date line, we lost last Thursday), and have been driving ever since. We rented a car as soon as we got in at 5:00 a.m. and began our drive. It was the start of the Easter holiday, so, apparently, everyone is traveling. In New Zealand both Good Friday and the Monday after Easter are national holidays, so a lot of people, especially students, are traveling.

New Zealand is full of natural beauty. It seems like everywhere I go the place just makes me happy. Whether it is a seaside stroll, a country drive, or a cruise through the winding mountains, the scenery is striking.

This island has come about as a result of volcanic and seismic activity. I felt like we were back in California with the number of earthquakes we felt while staying there. At first when they would rumble through, I would question my judgment, “That can’t be an earthquake, it must just be a big truck,” I would think. But there were no big trucks, just small earthquakes.

We also had a chance to bathe in the thermal mud baths. We felt like we were six years old again, covered in warm mud. As I mentioned, there is volcanic activity around here, and as a result, there are a lot of hot springs, and in many places the air smells like sulfer.

While driving through this country, we just managed to visit the North Island. It’s obvious why they would film the Lord of the Rings trilogy here. I guess to compare it to a place in the U.S., I would have to say this place looks the most like Hawaii, Polynesian influence and all (the New Zealand natives, the Maori, are Polynesian in origin). The native carvings and artwork all make it seem like we are in Hawaii. The only difference is the size. In the course of a week, we drove more than 2000 km, encircling the North Island (most people say we haven’t seen New Zealand unless we have been to the south island, but we will save that for another day). Since we were able to drive 2000 km-encircling part of the North Island, you can see that New Zealand is considerably larger than Hawaii. The reason it looks similar to me is the fact that the mountains are rough and jagged as opposed to the smooth hills of the Midwest. These hills and mountains reminded me more of the type you would see on the US West Coast; however, unlike the mountains of the West Coast, these mountainous hills were covered in lush-green grass, and many areas did not have any trees.

New Zealand has sort of a Midwest feeling to it. Life seems slower, lots of farming, and the sheep and wool industry here are huge. New Zealand is one of the largest exporters of wool in the world.

While cruising around New Zealand it struck me that I didn’t know where Zealand was. For every new place, there is generally an old place: New Mexico – Mexico; New York – York; New Jersey – Jersey, was there a Zealand? One of the Kiwis (slang for New Zealander, named for a unique bird there) told me there was an island in Europe called Zealand. Sure enough, there is an island in Denmark that is called Zealand. In fact, this island is where Copenhagen is situated.

It was great being in New Zealand because Nick, Chanda and I officially took time off, for the most part, from Drive Around the World stuff. On most days we were carefree and never had any specific place to be. I don’t think any of us expected to drive around so much; we were just captivated by the scenery. We had a lot of fun, especially Nick, looking at all the different Lord of the Rings stuff; in fact, he was able to connect with people from Weta Studies (the studios that did most of the work on Lord of the Rings), and they are allowing us to conduct an interview with someone at the studios. That will be soon to come.

I will definitely be back to New Zealand; after all, I have to make it to the more scenic South Island. Until then, New Zealand will have a fond place in my memory.

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.

While in Byron Bay, Neil, Justin, and Colin hiked to this awesome waterfall.

Back in OZ mate!! Tooooo eeasssy!

In fact, Australia is too easy!! After speaking Spanish and Portuguese, and dealing with customs officials, and looking forward to all the times ahead after going through countries where we can't understand the language, Australia is definitely too easy, Mate!

Justin, Collin and I met in the Santiago airport in Chile and flew for 13 hours-or-so to our first stop in Auckland, New Zealand for a layover, then to Sydney for another layover, and then on to Brisbane. We left at 11PM on the day before Easter and arrived in Australia on the day AFTER Easter!! What!! We missed Easter. Oh well, maybe on the drive back across the dateline, we will celebrate July 4th twice! The flight was long, but enjoyable nonetheless. I haven't watched many movies on our journey, and to see FIVE in one sitting was quite nice.

Once we hit Brisbane, we rented a car and headed towards Byron Bay, which is a super fun, chilled-out town on the East Coast of Australia. We still had a few days to kill before our team was to arrive to all meet in Brisbane. So we ate Mediterranean kebabs, which are all over Austalia, and of course, some tasty meat pies, mmmn.

We have been having a good time in Byron; it is hard not to when you are staying in a hostel, each room having 16 people, and everyone is very sociable and from all over the world. We had a blast. I didn't surf at all, as the waves were small, and I am still letting my foot heal, which is making great progress now! We also went on a two-hour drive inland from Byron to Nimbin, a small town, and listened to a guy play guitar for a little while, then we went into the forest a bit and hiked to a waterfall. The countryside is spectacular around Byron.

Other than the fun of Byron, there are also a few shocks we are experiencing. One is the COST!!!!! Yikes!!!!!! Australia is the most expensive place I have been. This is my third time to Australia, and the first two times, the cost here in Australia was a bit lower, and our dollar was much stronger then, giving us a 2-to-1 rate back then. But now, it is extremely expensive. For example, a burrito is $7, or to stay a night in a hostel, sharing with 16 people in a room, is $25 a head. Having a full breakfast costs about $13, or even buying a candy bar costs $1.60. It is a tough shock to handle.

And of course, the fact that everywhere I look there are Caucasian and Asian people all around and speaking English, is quite different. I am used to seeing brown people everywhere speaking Spanish or Portuguese. Not to mention, when you go out at night, no one knows how to dance either. Oh, the differences between Latin America and Australia. Although, I guess if our team is camping in the middle of nowhere anywhere in the world, and I look around, they are all Caucasian, speak English and can't dance either, HA HA HA(excluding Adam of course, the dance master)

Well, we are in Australia and will enjoy being able to communicate with everyone around us for a while, with no translation necessary. I know we are all looking forward to getting our vehicles and heading up north along the beautiful coast and into the outback.

Cheers Mate,

Neil

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.

Just like the sun will continue to rise over Rio, so must Justin continue to trek across the globe.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

When one thinks about traveling around the world, one conjures up all sorts of images of exotic locations filled with unique, interesting people and experiences that will make the most timid travelers spring to life and learn more about their world and themselves.

I am here to tell you that all of that is true.

But after traveling for more than four months non-stop, I can also wax poetically about the hidden drawbacks of long-term world travel. Most of the time, I keep these bits of information carefully hidden inside my head, because I think the fantasy of travel is something that must be held onto by everyone. Travel is something we need to aspire to for numerous reasons, each one usually being as unique as the person who has the aspirations. However, eventually you reach a point in your travels, an emotional pinnacle of sorts, where you must let some of your personal emotion free in order to maintain order in your psyche and continue down your chosen path in life.

Today is day 162 of the LONGITUDE Expedition, and I am on a 31-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Brisbane, Australia. I am excited to land in Oz, to see a place I have dreamed about visiting since I was a small child. And at the end of this leg of the journey, one of my travel fantasies will spring to life before my eyes. But I am filled with saudade. Saudade is a Portuguese word for which there is no literal translation in English. It is a combination of emotions sandwiched somewhere between longing and remorse. I have consulted with many people on how to properly translate this word for everyone, and at each turn I come up with the same response: it doesn’t translate. It’s just something you feel. So now, as I bounce from Rio, to Sao Paolo, to Santiago, to Aukland, to Sydney, and to Brisbane, I have 31 hours in a middle seat to dwell on my thoughts and sort through my emotions.

And I have come to one conclusion:

The unfortunate truth of world travel is this: you’re always leaving something or someone that you care about behind, and no matter how much you travel, it never gets any easier…

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

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.

Grasshoppa, you must depart Brazil and fly away to Australia...

Journal and photo by Colin McAuliffe

So, my trip in Brazil is coming to an end. I've returned to Rio, and I am once again staying with my good friends Erika and Duda. Had a leisurely day yesterday, hung out on the beach by myself for a while and read half of Swiss Family Roinson. I spent today running errands, such as picking up my plane ticket to Australia and mailing a bunch of things home. I think tonight we are going to a big samba concert thingamabob, which should be pretty cool. Anyhoo, I guess this is it for Brazil. If anything else extraordinary happens in the next twenty-four hours, I'll make sure to record it here.

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.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

I decided to take the last ten days of our departure from the cars back in Chile. Yesterday was my birthday, and I spent it rather peacefully here in the second largest city of Chile, Concepcion. I found myself wandering the streets with a couple of people I met in Pucon, Chile, when we drove through the country two months ago. This city is rather banal and holds very little for any architecture whatsoever. Sort of a characterless urban sprawl. This scared me since it boasts being the second most important city for Chile after Santiago. But my company here with two very warm and entertaining Chileans is some of the best I have had on this entire trip.

It’s been a rather luckless week. The busses here make a game of drenching people with massive muddy street puddles during downpours, as I found out during one umbrella walk. I was completely drenched from head to toe in one massive dark grey wave of gutter water. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes…

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.

Surfer Neil can't help but smile while taking in the beauty of Pichelemu.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana

So I have left Brasil, boo hoo:((((((( Brasil was the coolest country I have been to so far. The people are so friendly and full of life. They also are very passionate people and love their music, which is so fun to experience. Listening to Bossa Nova and Samba, dancing, and eating great food and tasting delicious blends of tropical drinks, like acai and guarana, is just paradise. And then being able to explore the coast and surf is a dream as well, not to mention the fact that we got a cyclone swell while we were there, which is literally unheard of in Brasil. It was the first cyclone they have ever had. Brasil was everything, and much, much more than I had ever anticipated. I am definitely going back.

So now I have flown back to Pichelemu, which is on the Pacific Coast of Chile, where we as a team spent a night during our drive down through South America. Adam and I caught great waves that time, so I was hoping that when I returned, I would get some more great waves, as the time I am returning is the beginning of the south swell season. So, as I was looking at the satellite images over the last week, I saw a large period swell moving toward the coast. So I was expecting some good surf. And now that I am here, good is an understatement. I am scoring right now! It has been double-overhead a couple of days and solid 6-8 feet the rest of the time. AND, unlike the last time we were here, there are only a few people in the water! In fact, one session I had, I was completely alone in the ocean surfing solid 8-foot waves for 300-400 yards.

I am staying in the town of Pichelemu, but actually taking a bus for 15 minutes in the morning to Punto de Lobos, where the surf is bigger and more powerful. You can rent a place in Punto de Lobos, but it is more expensive. Pichelemu is a nice town to sta, with all kinds of little restaurants and shops around town. There is a park overlooking the ocean and also a very large beach for people to enjoy. They even have a small track for small ATV's for children to enjoy on vacations. It is closed right now, but when Easter hits, the town will fill up and everything will be open with food and merchandise to sell. I even saw a man taking a llama out of his pick-up truck, getting ready for the Easter weekend. There are also men who have horses with carriages for people to ride around town, although they’re empty right now. Easter is an immense holiday and I am sure they will fill up soon for the holiday.

Being back in Chile is nice, and the surf is great. I surfed for many days and it was fantastic, but now my feet are really hurting and not healing, so I must stay out of the water and let them heal. But even as I sit on the coast and watch the waves instead of surfing them, I still have a smile on my face, chilling and relaxing amongst the beauty of the Chilean coast, while I remember all the good times I have had over the last 5 months of our epic journey. And also to wonder about the times ahead of us, as we are about to embark on the most thrilling part of our expedition yet.

Hasta Luego,

Neil

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.

Justin shows off his new haircut on the streets of Rio.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

Welcome to day 156 of the LONGITUDE Expedition—I am bald.

Well, almost bald.

After weeks of deliberation, I have decided to do something some may consider drastic: shave my head. Now, I didn’t go all the way to skin, simply because I have one more week in Brazil, and I hope to get at least another day or two at the beach. Plus, I think if I shave my head, I would quite possibly be the most frightening gringo these Brazilians have ever laid their eyes on, and I wouldn’t want to subject them to that type of fear after they’ve been so nice to me.

Many of you are probably asking, “Justin, why on earth would you shave your head?” And you know, that would be a very good question. I’m not sure if I have a very good answer. But I’ll try.

Here’s the public relations answer:

Before I left on this nine-month expedition, I conducted a simple survey among my friends and family. The choices in this survey were very simple: should I grow my hair out the entire length of the expedition, or should I shave my head? The reaction to this survey was overwhelming, and the responses received made for a very close race in this matter of utmost importance. But in the end, I had to support the decision that was made by the people. It was decided that I would grow my hair out the entire nine months of the expedition.

Flash forward forty-six days, 8 hours, and some-odd minutes. I was sitting down in a barber chair in a strip mall in Panama City requesting a haircut in broken Spanish. I hated to let all the people back home down, but I could not stand to let my hair grow out one more day. The truth be told, I really did want to grow my hair out the entire length of my travels, but due to high temperatures and even higher humidity levels, combined with the need to look presentable for various speaking engagements along the way, I decided I had to get a haircut.

When the stylist was finished, I decided my hair looked better before I sat down.

Come forward with me another 110 days and another two time zones, and you will see me sitting down in a barber chair very similar to the one in Panama City; however, this time, the instructions are given in Portuguese instead of Spanish, and fortunately, they were much simpler. “Shave it off, por favor.”

I had decided that since I had failed those of you who voted for me to grow my hair out, I would give the other group their chance as well. I thought this way everyone comes out a winner.

Additionally, the team will be camping a lot more in Australia, which means I’m not going to be showering as much. Plus, it will be hot in the Outback and very humid in Southeast Asia. Hot equals sweaty, and humid equals gringo-fro. Not good for public appearances. Once again, I must do everything I can to represent the organization properly.

Are you buying all this? Okay, here’s the real answer:

Someone asked me to do it, and I said, “What the heck?”

So, I hope you enjoy the picture of my new dome. It doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would (now that it’s growing back in), and it’s definitely better than my experience with the Panamanian coiffeur. Besides, I think I’ll fit in better with the monks in Tibet this way. Maybe I can get a special on one of those robes…

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

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.

I am a wuss

I've done it. I am officially a travel wussy. Out of pure laziness I guess, I went and bought a package tour. I think it was just because I couldn't be bothered to take the 25-minute bus ride to the bus station to buy a ticket to Lençois, home of Chapada Diamanta, a huge national park. Anyway, I was at the travel agent buying my ticket back to Rio, and discussing what I might do for the rest of my time up here in Salvador, and he sold me on a three-day package with tours in the park, bus fare, and hotels. He also pointed to a few people my age in the agency and said that they were going on the tour too, dispelling my thoughts of spending three days with old farts.

This kind of goes against everything I stand for, but hey, what the heck, you only live once, and a twenty-five minute bus ride is a pain in the butt. It was cheap, anyway. The park is supposed to be amazing, so I'm looking foward to getting some great pictures.

So, that solved my dilemma of what I was going to do with myself. I leave in two hours, and I'll be there for 5 days. Then it's back to Rio and onto Oz.

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.

Ok, so, I didn't get a picture for this day. So here's what my new Sexie Coffee mug looks like.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I was up at 0800 and out by 1000.

The ride was good, but there was no shoulder, and that makes me a little nervous. I stopped at a place called Sexie Coffie about 13 km from Maryborough, because I was in the mood for good coffee and a good way to waste some time. I was feeling happy and lazy. It was a good decision, as it turns out, because the coffee was excellent, and I will definitely bring the team here on our journey north.

I arrived in Maryborough by 1330 and found a nice pub to stay in. I was just really craving a pub room after spending a week in my tent. Max at the Red Roo Hotel hooked me up with a big room for all my gear. I'm the first Marine Max has ever met. That means I had to be on my best, most impressive behavior.

It was still early in the day by the time I moved in and had a shower, so I went out to peruse the nearby mall and drop of my film. There's an Internet place at the local cinema, so I spent two hours there and then did some more perusing at the mall after picking up my photos.

I also decided to see a movie: 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. I was pretty disappointed. Their other collaboration, The Wedding Singer, was so much better.

I went back to the Red Roo and was asleep by 2300.

Mileage: 60
Weather: Sunny/Hot/Nice
Final Location: Maryborough

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.

Neil and Adam enjoyed the beach and the waves in Florianopolis.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

Today Erica, our friend from Rio whom we met through Rolf, came to visit us down here for the weekend. It’s funny really how we all became acquainted. I guess Rolf, the writer who was with us, has a few published books out there. One of which is “Vagabonding”, a travel guide for the major budget traveler. Well, one of his fans wrote to him when she read in his daily online “blog” (online journal). He talked about going to Brasil for Carnival. She told him to contact her friend out there who lives in Rio. So Rolf dropped an email to Duda. Duda got the email and said to her roommate, “Hey I got this email that says, “Hey I am a friend of one of your friends, and I’m coming out there, would you like to meet me?” Duda was pretty confused and said to her roommate, “Do you want to meet this guy, Rolf, I don’t really know who he is and I think I will go away this weekend?” Erica said. “Ok I will meet with him.”

Rolf shows up to their house and brings a friend with him. They meet the two girls and then leave after a week of Carnival and hanging out with Erica. Soon after this, Rolf gives us her phone number and says, “Hey you can call my friend in Rio; she will show you around”. We call her up and say, “Hi, we are a friend of your friend Rolf” and later meet. She was extremely nice, and over the period of a week she showed us many different parts of the city and various night-spots.

One night we decided to cook dinner for the two girls and their neighbor. Over the table, it was revealed that the girl who originally sent Duda an email was just an American girl that met her once or twice during Carnival the year before. Erica didn’t know her, she didn’t know Rolf, and here we were sitting at their table thinking we were cooking for a friend of Rolf’s. So, although those sitting around the table had no connection with each other, we all spent a perfectly good week together, and Duda and Erica turned out to be very helpful and considerate. We saw a Rio and some of Brazil that other visitors would never see, the streets of the Lata, fountains above the city, and hidden beaches north of the city.

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 cyclone south of where Neil and Adam were surfing in Brazil made the surf on their beach outstanding.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana

We are on our last week in Brasil and our friend Erika from Rio showed up to spend a few days with us. Adam, Erika and I have been going to the beach, walking around different areas, and exploring the terrain. All the walking is a bit difficult for me right now since my feet are torn up, but oh well. I am still surfing, but not as much, since I am trying to heal my wounds. Unfortunately, since they are deep, it will take many consecutive days, if not weeks, out of the water until they completely healed. The beaches around here are so beautiful, with green trees everywhere and white sand beaches lining the coast.

We are in a smaller town, renting a nice house, and we buy most of our food from the market and have breakfast at home. For lunch, we have been eating at this all-you-can-eat buffet. They prepare fresh fish or beef for you upon request, and then you have your choice of all kinds of various salads and vegetables, among rice and potatoes and beans, etc. And all this for 9 Reals, which is $3 in the U.S. Erika also made us some great pies too; one apple pie and one banana pie, mmmn, that was a treat.

And of course, the surf has been great, too. Unfortunately for people down south, there was a cyclone that destroyed many houses, but we were far enough north to receive the swells from the storm and benefit with great waves. We really got lucky the past few weeks with the surf. It usually is flatter during this time of year.

Well, this is a short journal entry, as we are just chillin', playing guitar, and enjoying our last week in Brasil. Adam and I are flying to Chile for a week before we head to Australia to meet the team. Until then, Ciao!!

Neil

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.

More than 100 years ago, at Barrio La Boca's start, the residents painted their homes with bright paints given to them by the shipyards. The bright colors are still used today.

Journal by Chanda Baggarly

With little resistance, Nick, Todd and I broke away from the chains of the Ethernet and spent the afternoon in La Boca.

La Boca is one of Buenos Aires' best tourist attractions. In the 19th century, when scores of Italians immigrated to Buenos Aires, some settled in La Boca barrio (neighborhood) and began a colorful tradition that is still carried on today. La Boca is a port city and there are many fishing boats and ships. One hundred years ago, for economic reasons, the residents of La Boca used left over corregated metal from the ship yards to build their homes and also used the excess paint from the ship yards to paint them. The ship yards sold them many bright and colorful paints, all of which were used by the residents. The neighborhood quickly became one of the most colorful neighborhoods in the world. This tradition is still carried on today, and at some point La Boca become a major tourist spot. Being tourists, we we grabbed our tourist gear----cameras, sunblock, and map---and headed out to see La Boca.

We happened to visit the barrio on a soccer game day. La Boca has their own team and thousands of proud fans. We saw some of the more zealous fans on the streets as we entered neighborhood---it was easy to spot the decked out fans in blue and yellow Boca colors. The stadium is just two blocks from the touristy area where we were, so we could also hear the game's high and low points. Boca fans take the game very seriously and have been known to go a little crazy after a game. In fact, our afternoon in Boca was cut short when the soccer game ended. At 3:00 the shopkeepers, cafes, and restaurants closed up quickly around us minutes before the fans---defeated or victorious---flooded the streets. We were sitting at an outdoor café, enjoying a cup of coffee, when our waiter packed up all of the tables and chairs and offered us a cab ride home. We reluctantly took the cab offer. Would have loved to hang out there a little longer just to see what happened.

La Boca won, by the way.

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.

Rio's famous Pão de Açucar and beaches.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

Today is LONGITUDE Expedition day 149, and I have found redemption…Actually, I’ve finally found time to go to Corcovado to see statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer).

This famous statue of Christ with his arms outstretched has sat atop Corcovado (Hunchback) Mountain since 1931, and it is visible from everywhere in Rio, night or day. It is particularly impressive at night, simply because the way it was designed and lit: Jesus appears to hover over the city in the darkness, granting his protection and guidance to all Cariocas below.

After beginning my day by visiting the Flemengo futebol training camp (my new favorite team, if you remember), I borrowed a car from a friend and headed off to the Parque Nacional da Tijuca. The drive through the park and up the mountain provided ample opportunities to see not only the greener side of Rio, but also some spectacular peeks through tree lines to the city spread out beneath me.

Arriving at the base of Cristo Redentor was nothing less than amazing. Here I am face-to-face with the icon of Rio, a 30-meter tall sculpture of Jesus. His arms are outstretched, welcoming visitors from all over the world to the fabled beaches of Rio. In short, it is an awe-inspiring place. Immediately, you recognize the pose from postcards of Brazil, with the statue facing Pão de Açúcar. To his right, you can see the Jardim Botânico gardens, Ipanema, and Leblon, while to his left the city expands beyond Maracanã with the Serra dos Órgãos Mountains in the distance.

Another sight from Corcovado is the collection of favelas, where the poorest four million of Rio’s population live. In a city that contains immense amounts of beauty and culture, it is difficult to imagine a group of people so destitute that they almost exist as a community of exiles. These shantytowns that blanket many of Rio’s surrounding hillsides have no schools, no doctors, and no jobs. What they do have is copious amounts of violence and drug abuse coupled with police brutality and corruption.

In spite of knowing all of Rio’s problems, when you look down on the Cidade Maravilhosa, you are immediately filled with a sense of peace. You are separated from the noise and pollution that accompanies every large metropolis, and you are alone with the city and her aura. Corcovado is a placed revered by all Carioca’s, and it is only after visiting it that you feel Rio. It is then that you began to understand a small portion of the Carioca’s spiritual fibre.

In my time in Rio, I have had the opportunity to meet people of every different class. I have met poverty-stricken families that live in apartments the same size as some peoples’ closets, and I have met Brazilian celebrities from an Oscar-nominated film, and what I learned is that every person, regardless of his or her social status, cares deeply about Rio, about Brazil, and about other Cariocas. The rich regularly give to the poor, and the poor regularly give to the poorer, because the social infrastructure does not exist to provide assistance to those who need it.

So, more than I have seen in other places of the world, the people are looking out for the people. Through a conscious choice, they are all linked together as a community, and many feel guilty for having an easier or better life than the others. Sure, less help is given to those who have self-inflicted problems, but for those who simply have not had the opportunity to make a better place in the world for themselves, the others are there helping, even if only in a very small way.

The Encarta Dictionary (it’s the only one I have available right now) defines redemption as, “the saving or improving of something that has declined into a poor state.” Whether it’s the Carioca way to make up for the gluttonous celebrations they have, the governmental deficiencies, or something more personal, it seems to me that Christ the Redeemer is the perfect role model for the city, and perhaps Rio is a good source of inspiration for us all.

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

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.

Colin and friends have rented this house on the beaches of Jericoacoa.

Journal and photo by Colin McAuliffe

Ok,
Well, I know I keep talking about how I'm going to write this big thing about my first horseback riding experience, but it's just too hot, and I'm on vacation. I'll just say that it was tons of fun, and since then, I've been riding horses almost every day. In fact, when I'm done with this email, I'm going to go riding.
Lee and Rob(aka Dave) left this morning on a buggy going up the coast toward Belem. It was a sad departure, and I'm going to miss those guys. We had lots of fun together, many a joke was told, many a good time was had, and many a hammock was laid in. I think I laughed more in the last week than I had in the last four months of my journey. Now it's just me and Jasmine, the Isreali girl. Apparantly, John, the crazy American I met in Salvador is on his way up here, but who knows.
So now my main question is, where do I go from here? I really don't know what to do. I suppose I should fly down to Sao Paulo for a while and see my buddy Leo, one of the subjects of the film I made in Australia, or I could just go back to Rio and hang out with Erika and Duda, but 10 more days in Rio would be a little extreme, I think. I could also hang out on one of the islands outside Salvador for a few days and then go back to Rio. The Sao Paulo deal sounds like the best one, but I have a feeling it would be a little costly. Ah, I just can't make any decisions right now.

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.

It was difficult saying goodbye to new friends Suzanne, Maddie, Sam, and Chris Dougall.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I had a lazy wakeup at 0800 and met Suzanne and Chris downstairs for breakfast. Suzanne made a wonderful Texas dish of egg, cheese, and tortilla chips scrambled together and placed inside of a corn tortilla. Last night, Suzanne and I discussed the difficulties of finding proper Mexican-food ingredients in Australia. Her biggest regret is that she cannot get Velveeta, and it is impossible to import it. Actually, you can't even find orange cheddar cheese here. It's all white. She said it's also impossible to find ingredients for making real tamales, which is a bummer because I wanted to give her a good recipe.

I really did not want to leave my new friends. I just felt a real connection with them, and it is sad to have to move on. I think I'll see them again, and the Realfs, too, when my team comes back through Miriam Vale.

Suzanne surprised me with a CD by Shannon Knoll, runner up for Australian Idol (their version of American Idol), and they gave me an "I love Australia" koala keychain, too. I gave them my Nora Jones "Feels Like Home" CD, and it was a very teary-eyed farewell. We have a very special connection, and I am so thankful to have made such a wonderful new friendship.

On my way through town, I stopped by the visitor's center to say goodbye to Greg Realf. There, he gave me the name and address of some friends near Baffle Creek and said I should pay them a visit. Since the other introduction he made went so well, I said I'd stop in on Ajay and Gabbi at Baffle Creek.

My chosen route will take me off of the Bruce Highway (YEA!) and along a smaller country road to the coast, and then it will shoot me back onto the Bruce Highway to the south, at a town called Childers. Childers is three days from Miriam Vale that way.

I enjoyed biking along a quiet country road for 50 km until I came to Baffle Creek, where Greg had told me I was to make a right onto the driveway just over the bridge.

I turned onto a driveway covered in tall grass and came to a closed gate. I went through the gate, closing it behind me, and greeted the goats I passed along the way. About a hundred meters up the drive, I came to another gate, behind which stood a small storage shack and a house under construction.

I timidly yelled out, "Hello? Ajay?" I was praying Greg had called ahead to warn them of my arrival.

I needn't have worried. Ajay Parmanand came out of the storage building, which was converted into a cozy one-room home, and introduced himself. He gave me a generous lunch and then we did a short tour of the property. Ajay has several head of cattle, a couple of horses, five goats, and two dogs. He and his partner, Gabbi, have planted all sorts of fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs, and are working on getting certified as an organic farm. Ajay impressed me with his knowledge of grasses, insects, trees, and all the species of plants and wildlife on his property. Ajay's ethnicity is Indian, and he is from Fiji, where his ancestors were brought to mind the cane fields. I asked if his knowlege of farming comes from his life in Fiji, but he said it comes from reading books, researching on the Internet, and experimenting.

By the time we finished the tour of his property, Gabbi had returned from town, and they invited me to stay the night. I accepted, and Ajay and I went down to Baffle Creek, which borders his property, for a swim. The water was refreshingly cold and full of jumping fishies. Tomorrow, we will try to catch some.

After our swim, we each enjoyed a hot outdoor shower and a delicious meal prepared by chef Gabbi. I set up my tent and went to slept under a big mango tree in the yard, thankful for all of my new friends. Missing the Dougalls, I fell asleep to the CD they gave me.

Mileage: 50 km
Weather: Perfect
End Location: On the Baffle Creek, just shy of Rosedale

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.

Chanda, Todd, and Nick, out and about in B.A.

Journal by Todd Borgie

Work was on the agenda all day today. Yes we are fairly boring here in Buenos Aires, working on Education stuff, sponsor deliverables, and generally anything that comes up. Nick, Chanda, and I are trying to get ahead of the game so the next half of the expedition will be a lot less demanding. We are certainly looking forward to all the upcoming sights.

I have been working on the educational pages, trying to get a better format that will be easier to use, and a more straightforward design in terms of navigation. After traveling for four months, I have realized the difficulties in keeping stuff updated from the road, and also what I have to do to get ahead of the game in the future. I have also had time to reflect on what has worked, what is confusing, and how I can improve the site. The education program is a lot of fun, but web work is extremely tedious.

In the mornings, I am usually the first one who wakes here; occasionally Chanda will wake up before me, but not usually. Chanda has been patiently waiting for her laptop to be repaired; a mishap with gravity has led to great agitation for her. She has to wake up before Nick in order to use his laptop; Nick usually gets up at about noon, as he is synched up with the workday in the United States, in particular he is synched with California, which is five hours after us.

Anyway, after five or six hours working on the computer, three cups of coffee, two cups of mate, and a Roquefort calzone, Chanda sprung me from this cyber jail. I am the Spanish speaker for all of us, so I get to go on all the cool and not-so-cool errands. Today we were headed to the American Airlines offices, trying to secure inexpensive flights to Australia for the team. The great thing about these errands is when I go with Chanda, we always get coffee and desserts; when I go with Nick, we either get coffee or a beer. Besides the treats, I think it is just nice to stretch the legs and check out this beautiful city. I am always up for the adventure, and I love quests.

Anyways, we started out with dessert; a nice lemon merrangue gave me enough juice to talk to the airlines. Unfortunately, American Airlines couldn’t help us out unless we were to fly through the United States, kind of a long way around to go from Argentina to Australia. They were sorry and sent us off to Lan-Chile and Qantas airlines, as they have direct flights. Unfortunately, the airlines keep more regular business hours than other stores. Oftentimes, stores close here in the afternoon for a siesta, and then reopen at about 4:00 p.m., at which point the stay open until about 9:00 p.m. Unfortunately, this was not true of the airlines, which closed at about 5:30 p.m. We got directions to the other airlines, but found them all to be closed.

There is a giant obelisk in the center of town. It looks a lot like the Washington Monument in D.C. A couple of weeks ago, we met a fellow named John who said there was a hostel here called the Lime House that was a lot of fun. Getting tired of hanging out with the married folks, I decided we should figure out where this place was. All we knew was that it was somewhere around the obelisk. We walked to the obelisk and started asking around. Once I ask more than two people, it becomes a mission to find whatever I am looking for. Much to our dismay, no one had heard of it. We started asking in the Internet cafés, frequent hangouts of travelers, but after two of them, we found no love. Finally, we ran into a fellow that sent us in the direction of a number of hostels, a couple of blocks away, but we still couldn’t find this seemingly fictitious Lime House. It was then that we ran into a Norwegian woman and guy from Saratoga, CA. After talking to them for about 10 minutes, we told them of our mission to find the Lime House. They said that the Lime House was just around the corner, less than twenty yards away. Having gone this far, Chanda and I ducked in to see what it was all about.

This place, although not very fancy, was great. It had a big common room where everyone could hang out, a pool table, and couches that various people were sitting in reading books. It was not hard to strike up conversations with fellow travelers, despite the loud music playing on the stereo, and before I knew it there were about eight of us in the front room playing guitars and chatting. There were people from England, Germany, South Africa, Peru, Australia, Ireland, and the United States. We all spoke English, and sometimes we would slip into Spanish. We had a ball just hanging out, being goofy, and swapping stories from all over South America. Talking to travelers is always fun and informative. Everyone has wild stories, and laughs are guaranteed.

Topics ranged from politics, the plummeting dollar, to travel spots, and making fun of each other’s countries. Chanda introduced the topic of birth order and found that the crowd was mostly made up of youngest kids, which in psychology is characterized by a do-your-own-thing, playful attitude. Hanging out with the young ones is always fun, sometimes much to our older siblings' dismay.

I began giving a guitar lesson to a Brit (British person) named Jo; we had a lot of fun just goofing around. Suddenly hunger struck, and people began to filter out for dinner. I had no idea what time it was, but I had caught the hunger vibe as well. Jo and I had to complete our guitar lesson, but we said we would meet up with everyone a little later. Chanda went home at one point, but I was having too much fun to leave. Apparently Jo and I missed the rest of the group but found another corner restaurant and had raviolis and grilled cheese. I am always surprised at the hours people keep here, because as Jo and I were walking home, I looked up to see a clock reporting 4:30 a.m.; I was surprised but then remembered were I was. The restaurant had just closed at 4:00 a.m. We got back to the hostel and things were still in full swing with at least half-a-dozen to a dozen people hanging out.

Jo is heading down to Patagonia, but she offered to let me take her guitar while she is traveling down south. Great, I hope she has a wonderful trip there, and look forward to seeing her when she returns. Soon after, I was on my home, with a guitar and another great evening under my belt. I love traveling!

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 country ant (left) and a city ant (right) each have five cents. If the city ant steals the country ant's nickel, how much money does he have now?

Journal and photos by Adam Burgess

I’ve got a newfound interest in ants lately and confessed to Neil the other day that I could spend a lifetime analyzing them in all their differing forms. Or lets say if I were to wake up an entomologist tomorrow, I would choose them as my focus. In Rio, the sugar was extremely fine grained, and the ants were minuscule, absolutely tiny and jet-black. I drew the conclusion that ants had evolved to the size of sugar grain around the world, but Praia Do Rosa threw a wrench in the theory. The sugar is the same grain as Rio here, but these ants are among the largest I’ve ever seen and have legs so long and powerful that they belong on a spider. Their heads are huge and black, while their bodies are a wicked red. This flaw in my sugar-grain theory led me to draw a new conclusion.

The city ants have it really easy, and the need of such a machine-like body has become obsolete. Instead, they work in shear numbers almost effortlessly through your tiled sink crack, pouring through in throngs, invisible in size. Whereas; in the countryside, the terrain is a little more demanding what with dirt roads and wild animals. The lack of infrastructure offers less shelter, and so when it pours, these hybrid ants need long legs to hold their torso and massive heads above the puddles.

The benefit to these massive walking heads is that they take away that chunk of food by the sink almost immediately and single-handedly, while the city ants call in an army and work on it for a couple of days. For this reason, I have more respect for the larger brothers, whose ant trail consists of two or three workers. Obviously I’ve got time on my hands. Little is happening here other than relaxing days of surfing and the occasional email.

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.

Neil Dana shredding it on the outrageous surf of Brazil. (The name of the surf spot is being withheld to protect the sanctity of the location...)

Journal and photos by Neil Dana

Alright, this is Neil coming at you from Brazil on a beautiful cloudy day filled with epic surf!

The day started out in the early AM, about 5 a.m., to be exact, when the generous pousada attendant knocked on our door to wake us up. I told him the night before to wake us up this early so I could go walk up and down a huge hill for an hour to reach the surf before anyone else did. Adam wasn't feeling so hot; his back has been bothering him for a while now, and even though the surf has been helping his back, today he took the day off and decided to be a bro and take some photos of me surfing. We awoke and Adam grunted and moaned a few times before we grabbed our grocery bags filled with bananas, apples, crackers and water and headed out the door. It was pitch dark when we left. We actually took a bus to a different town than we are renting a house in right now because the swell picked up and there is a surf spot that picks up the swell and, quite frankly, GOES OFF!!! ("Goes off", for those of you non-surfers is surf slang for when the waves are epic, fantastic, unreal, dreamlike, or incredible.) This town is closer to the surf spot than where our house is situated. If I were to take the earliest bus from our house to the town that is an hour walk from the surf spot, I wouldn't arrive until 9:30-ish, and that is unacceptable when the crowds arrive a little after dawn.

So it was an hour before dawn, and we were walking up the dirt road to this great surf spot, and I was hoping to be the first one in the water. The walk was long but fresh and filled with biting mosquitos, soon to be called "mozzies" once we're down unda. A quarter of the way there, a car passed, and a big "darnit!" resounded through my head. I guess I wasn't going to be the first in the water; oh well. We finally arrived, and the surf was cranking, and to my amazement there were already 6 people on the bluff getting ready to go out. By the time I ate some bananas and apples and waxed my board, there were two people in the water. So I gave Adam the lowdown about my camera and told him to click away.

I headed out towads the point, which is lined with boulderous rocks that are slippery and encrusted with barnacles and moss. It is really beautiful and set up perfectly for waves. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't exactly sure where to enter the water, so I headed down to one section of stones that looked like a good place to try and jump in the ocean. Jumping in the ocean may sound easy; however, when you have waves smashing against the rocks and you have to time your entry just right in order to jump in as the wave is crashing on the rocks, it becomes a challenge. Also, part of the game is that you can't get too close to the water's edge when the waves are smashing or else you will get pummeled. So you need to wait for an opportune time, and rush down slippery rocks to the jump-off point before a set comes. Well, when I chose the moment to go, I rock danced down to the edge of the rocks, but there were still too many rocks just beneath the surface, and it wasn't a good place to jump in, so I had to turn around. But before I turned around, I was checking out another area to jump off from. A wave was coming in, and I thought I was clear of any danger, but sure enough, the ocean wanted to slap me in the face, so she crashed on the rocks and swept me off my feet and slammed me into the rocks. It all happened pretty quickly, and I stood back up and jammed back up the rocks out of harm's way. I felt fine, a bit shook up and angry with myself for being an idiot, but I wasn't hurt...well not really...as I looked at my bloody feet!! Oh well, I had a big gash on one side of my left foot and other pieces of fresh, gleaming flesh (tongue twister) shining into the sun on the backs of both of my feet, and one slice on the bottom of my right foot.

One of the nice things about surfing ist that if you get cut up by reefs and rocks and your board, you can still surf and not feel the pain and have just as much fun. So I looked at my wounds and laughed at myself, and also watched a few other people get in the water 50 yards up from me, so I saw the good entry point and headed over there. Once I was there, I waited for the right moment and scurried down the rocks and jumped in the water, simple and easy.

So I paddled out to the boil on the point and tried to get some waves. Now, I say "try" because the locals here are pretty cool and friendly, but they still own the surf spot and will paddle around you every single time and sit deeper than you no matter what. And that is cool, and to be expected, I am just a foreigner there for the day. Everyone has to pay their dues. And sure enough, I caught plenty of waves! The first hour-and-a-half was the best; there were no more than 10 guys out, and it was possible to get a fair amount of waves. Once 9 a.m. rolled around, it started to get more packed. It just becomes a fierce arena to get the set waves, and I don't really dig being super aggressive trying to get waves. I'd rather find a spot with fewer people. But I had a blast out there and surfed until I was exhausted, then walked in the blazing sun for an hour back to town. Not to mention, I had to wrap a plastic bag around my foot to keep my sandal from rubbing into my wound. It makes you feel alive, I tell you!

I could describe the waves and the day in even more detail, how it is right point break and hollow at the take off, and describe how the locals here drink mate too, and all the other subtleties. Oh, and how the sun sets beautifully and the local restaurants are empty, and the children are practicing capoeira, even doing flips, and young young kids are jumping off of benches having fun carrying their homework, etc. But, I will leave the pictures to describe many of these details for you. It is yet another day and time for me to go and be a part of it in a more pleasing way, mentally and physically, than sitting here reminiscing about past events in front of the computer screen. Oh, and I am sorry I didn't name the place I surfed. Some things are better left unsaid.

Ciao,

Neil

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.

Nick, Chanda, and Todd play near the shore in Colonia del Sacramento, Uraguay.

Journal and photo by Chanda Baggarly

Nick, Todd and I went to Uruguay for the day. A three-hour boat ride across the River Plate from Buenos Aires can get you to a little town in Uruguay called Colonia del Sacramento.

We left Buenos Aires without a clear plan. We decided to just wing it; I knew of a good hotel and had read about some good restaurants. The historical town is small; you could walk through it and stop for ice cream in an hour, so there is not much to think about planning-wise.

We arrived at 4:00 a.m. Although there were a few people out and about, the town was quiet and calm. We walked about 8 blocks to Posada Don Antonio and knocked on the door. Pablo, the owner, greeted us with a smile as if he was expecting us, and let us in. The Posada Don Antonio is a 200+ years old, fully restored, Spanish villa. Beautiful. And only $15 USD per night.

Colonia is a UNESCO historical site. It is a charming little coastal town dating back to the 17th century. Colonia has wonderful old Portuguese colonial architecture, sycamore-lined streets, cobblestone lanes, and the oldest church in Uruguay, the Iglesia Matriz del Santisimo Sacramento, which dates from 1699. We hear that there is an old bull ring worth checking out, too, but we didn't make it. The bull ring is the only one in Uruguay and apparently never used, as bullfighting was abolished shortly after the ring was built.

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.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

As part of my life in Brazil, I have started a new chapter this week. I am officially taking Portuguese lessons. Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I’m not really the type of person to go sit down in class for two hours a day to learn a language. I prefer my guerrilla-phrasebook tactics that have served me well all over the world. Rather than spend a couple of hours in a class with people who probably know less than I do, I would rather go to a local market and struggle through my interactions with the merchants, forcing myself to learn as rapidly as possible. I have found one thing to be true when you are in a foreign country that uses a different language: when you learn how to say something that is essential to you, you remember. Period. I don’t know why the brain works this way, but I imagine it is closely related to our sink-or-swim mechanism.

This is the second language I have studied so far on this expedition, and I know that soon I will be learning bits of Malay, Thai, Burmese, Hindi, Nepali, Mandarin, Uyghur, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Nepali, and Russian. As the navigator, I frequently have conversations with people on the fly with three other cars waiting to hear what I found out. As such, my ability to absorb a language quickly has become paramount. While in Australia, I am spending time every day studying the essential things I may need to say or hear. I learned a lesson the hard way in Latin America. I knew for months that I would be traveling in Spanish-speaking countries, but with everything going on before the expedition departure, I neglected to study any Spanish. That came back to haunt me many times, and I stared at people blankly while trying to receive directions. In fact, I never even bought a phrasebook before we left. I will never go anywhere that unprepared again.

Volta a Portuguese…Portuguese, when written, is very similar to Spanish. And truthfully, as I thumb through my Portuguese/English dictionary, I am amazed at how many English words translate directly. Sure the pronunciation is different, but that’s the rub. Portuguese sounds very different from Spanish or English if you haven’t had any exposure. I am also finding that my Lonely Planet guidebook is correct when it says that, “most Cariocas speak little or no English.” I feel comfortable saying that ninety-nine percent of the time, if I can’t say something in Portuguese, I can’t get what I want. Similarly, if I can’t understand what is said back to me in an exchange, the lines of communication break down instantly.

Many of you are probably thinking that sign language or body language probably come in handy, and while that is true, I usually find that I feel dumb or that I am insulting the person I am talking to if I can’t keep going in Portuguese. You can only give the thumbs-up of “Tudo bem” so often before you just look like another grinning idiot who learned how to say one phrase before coming to Brazil.

So, determined to overcome my Portuguese deficiency, I have taken it upon myself to go back to school. Classes are four days a week from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, and I have 6 other people in my class. As it turns out, the studying I have been doing on my own (I currently own 4 books on learning Portuguese), combined with the pocket dictionary that I carry with me more (I actually carry it more often than my passport) have resulted in me learning a wealth of Portuguese. Granted, when I speak, it is all in present tense, but people understand what I am saying. And on a handful of occasions, I have actually been asked if I was Brazilian. Now, before you even have a chance to ask if I am kidding you, I’m not. And let me tell you why…

I have mastered the art of looking Brazilian. When I am in a conversation with a group of people, I look them in the eye and make all of the appropriate body language to indicate that I am listening and that I understand. I have also learned one other secret that is widely used by Brazilian men everywhere. When listening, all you have to do is grunt every now and then. When combined with an effectively timed, “uh-huh,” people have no reason to suspect that you are not Brazilian. It’s as simple as that.

Of course, it could also be this great tan that I’ve gotten here, too. Regardless, I will continue my classes at 8:00 am, four days a week, until I learn to correctly conjugate at least one word. I think I have enough money for that. Of course, conjugating one word requires learning 20 different variations of that same word. Good thing I have so much time in Rio.

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

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.

Colin (center) enjoys beautiful Jericoacoa, Brazil, with new friends Lee and Rob.

Journal and photo by Colin McAuliffe

Well, I'm in a new locale, a small town called Jericoacoa. Its a cool little place surrounded by huge sand dunes and ocean. I'm having tons of fun. I've rented a house with two crazy English guys, Lee and Rob, an English girl, Beckie, and an Israeli girl named Jasmine. Tomorrow we are going to try and find a place right on the beach, but for now our crib is pretty sweet. Anyway, I think I can throw some new pictures up soon.

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.

Bill Duguid (pronounced "do-good") stands in front of his Rockhampton pub, the Fitzroy. Bill provided me with several free nights accommodation and lots of wonderful new friends and memories.

Journal and photos by Nancy Olson

I awoke in my lovely new surroundings at around 0800, did my laundry, did some quick window shopping, and hit the library to try out the Internet.  Wouldn't you know it, my e-mail was down.  That was a bummer, because I had big plans to get some much-needed work done!

I called Bill over at the Fitzroy pub and went over there to try my luck on the net again.  Still no luck, so I went downstairs to hang out with the people in the pub.  Bill bought me snacks and refreshments all day until he decided to show me Yeppoon.  Yeppoon is a beautiful city on the ocean, not far from Rockhampton.  I drove, and we had a nice tour of the area.  It was really strange being behind the wheel after riding my bike for so long, and it was stranger still driving on the wrong side of the road!  In a right-hand-drive car, everything is reversed.  Even the lights and windshield wipers are on the opposite side.  Every time I went to activate the turn signals, I ended up turning on the windshield wipers instead.  It was a big mess, and I just couldn't get it right.  Without fail, I turned on the wipers every time I went to make a turn.  Ugh!

I was getting tired, so we finally headed back to Rockhampton.  Bill dropped me at O'Dowd's by nine.  It was then that I had my first Australian beef.  I ordered a steak, and it was the size of my plate.  It was accompanied by delicious mashed potatoes and vegetables, and it was more than any human should consume in one sitting.  Delicious!

Tomorrow, I will move into the Fitzroy and, hopefully, work all day.

Mileage:  0
Weather:  Hot
End Location:  O'Dowd's Irish Pub, Rockhampton

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.

Todd was invited to make a presentation at a school in Buenos Aires.

Journal by Todd Borgie.

Yesterday and today, I had the opportunity to go to Lincoln International School, located in a suburb of Buenos Aires called La Lucilla. This was an amazing experience! Yesterday, I visited a high school biology class and a couple of third-grade classes, and today I visited several high school science and philosophy classes.

This school is amazing. I began the presentations asking each of the students where they were from; Columbia, Israel, Canada, Italy, the United States, India, and Argentina were all represented. I was blown away. I told the students that our education program was focused on the geographically challenged people of the United States, and they all kind of smirked. I also said that we were promoting cultural awareness. I said that most people in the United States don't know much about other countries. I speculated that most people would think that if you were speaking Spanish, you were probably eating tacos as well. A student, kind of irritated, said, “We don’t eat tacos here!” I asked him where he was from, and he said the United States. At that point I asked him if I was unrealistic in saying what I had said, and he said, kind of embarrassed, that I was probably right on in my assumption.

At that point, an Italian student said that things were not much better in Italy. He said that people were not very aware of international geography and of other cultures. That took the heat off of the students from the United States and opened up a number of new conversations. Chanda and I asked students about life in Argentina and were surprised to hear that students stayed out until sometimes 7:00 a.m.; they could go to nightclubs and such, and it was ok. They didn’t seem to question their safety, as many of them had cell phones, and many families had accounts with remises (personal taxi services). Buenos Aires seems to be a fairly safe place, and people seem to live on different sides of the day. I can go to an ice cream place, like 31 Flavors, at 12:30 a.m. on a Sunday, and the place would be packed with people of all ages. On a Saturday at 2:30 a.m., I saw parents with young kids and teenagers and older people strolling the streets. It is truly amazing. I digress.

The presentations were fun, and the school was amazing! During the course of the day, I heard students switching between English, French and Spanish, almost flawlessly. I must confess that this is not a typical school in Argentina. Many people who work here from other countries send their students here, and some wealthy Argentines send their students here. The facilities were amazing, and the spirit great. I saw a poster on the wall which said, “The world would be a better place if we limited the amount of self pity to ½ hour a day.” I thought that was interesting. The students were interesting and engaging.

The teachers were also a lot of fun. There is a real circuit of international teachers. The teachers here are mostly couples from the United States and Canada. They all had stories of many places they had lived, and many of them had ideas of where they wanted to live next. It seems like most of them go from country to country just to check things out. Apparently there are annual international school fairs that recruit teachers from around the world to come teach. It sounds like an interesting prospect to me for future employment.

The reason we were able to give a presentation is we were invited by an American fellow who had just moved down here from New England. He has four kids, two of them in school. He read about us in the local newspaper, went to our website, and invited us to give a presentation at the school. His oldest child, Henry, was in one of the third-grade classes.

Before I did the presentation to the third graders, a number of them were in the library looking at the site. I felt like a real celebrity walking into the library. The students saw me and starting smiling and pointing.

“There he is, that is one of the guys,” he exclaimed. Henry walked over to me and said, “My father brought you here.”

“Yes, he did,” I said as I smiled.

We will definitely visit more international schools on our route. I was just great to see students face-to-face. I had the opportunity to give a talk about Parkinson’s Disease, its symptoms, and many of the trials that individuals fighting this disease face. These are they days that make all the hard work worth it; the heart definitely fills recharged, and I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing. Smiles.

Todd

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.

Adam tastes the "forbidden fruit" on La Praia.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

We caught a flight to Salvador in Bahia (northeast Brazil), home of the Brazilian Rastas and Capoiera, the Afro-Brazilian Martial arts. I think we sort of followed Colin’s suggestion on this one. It turned out to be a pretty annoying place filled with drug dealers, raunchy hookers, and constant pestering from the street locals. Tourism had destroyed this place, and it was evident from the start. According to an old French fashion-shop owner, the place is now riddled with crack addicts that replaced the previous flow of cocaine. He proclaimed his sadness by telling me he was trying to get his young local girlfriend off of the stuff by sending for doctors from Europe. I looked at his face and realized despite his aged and experienced mind, he was naïve when it came to the modern drug age. She was doomed.

In order to surf, Neil and I had to catch a bus for an hour outside of town. The waves were no good, so Neil and I bailed on Colin so he could enjoy the Rastas, while we evacuated south. We tried one small town, Olivencia. The surf was OK, but I got a mean sun burn, because Colin lost the new bottle of sunblock just before we left town. So, to add to Colin’s ever-growing list of lost items, we can put sunblock, an underwater spear-gun, his custom’s exit document from Brazil ($60 replacement), and the $3000 HP laptop computer lent to him by Nick and DATW.

Neil and I have decided to leave Salvador and head 20 hours south via bus back to Rio. From there we’ll catch a flight to Florionopolis, an island/city that is surrounded by surf spots and quiet beaches. Obviously Neil and I are trying to get in as much free time as possible before joining the crew back in Australia in April...

A secluded beach north of Rio.

...Later that day...March 16...

South of Florianopolis, Brasil

I’m convinced tonight I’ll find him. I’ve hunted the room from wall-to-wall and window-to-window, but regardless of his engorged and laden state I can’t find the little rascal. Last night I smashed his buddy and had two swings at him, but regrettably missed. Thinking positively, I went to sleep with the sheet over my head to prevent the buzzing in my ears, but accidentally left my right foot hanging out. This morning, while walking the beach with Neil on his morning routine of pulverizing surf, I noticed a trail of 7 red bumps from the big toe up to the ankle. The little bug sucked and walked inch-by-inch. Revenge? Perhaps, but I’ll get mine sooner or later. Tonight I’ve stuck a fan next to the bed, and am hoping that he’s still full. It’s been pretty mosquito-free in Brasil, until we hit Praia Do Roso, south of Florianopolis. It’s a small surfing town set up with a maze of dirt roads that weave in and out of the hills backing up to a few long, beautiful, white sand beaches. In the summer, this places rages as a surf/party town for tourists from Florianopolis in search of a little retreat, but right now it sleeps, really sleeps. You see a few people a day, usually the same ones, and the shops are open all day with no visitors. Regardless, it’s a pleasant stay. Neil and I rented a two-story house for 40 Reais, or $13 per night.

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.

Women in Salvador, Bahia, wear the traditional skirts. These traditionally clad women are known as Bahianas.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana.

Well, we decided to head north, all the way up to Salvador, Bahia. We ended up staying in the old colonial part of Salvador, called Pelourinho, which has been very built up in the last ten years for tourism. The town itself is beautiful, with brightly colored buildings and vibrant people and instruments everywhere. This is also one of the towns where slaves were bought, sold, and whipped back in the 1800's, so it remains a very Afro-Brasilian community.

I was a bit dissapointed at how Pelourinho has turned out due to mass tourism. It seems as if it has lost the natural charm and soul it once had. I met a lady on a bus who grew up in Salvador, and she told me how in the past ten years, it has changed completely, and they painted all the buildings, weeded out certain types of people, and geared it up for tourism. And because of all this tourism, you cannot walk around without people trying to sell you things, all kinds of things, from clothes to food to drugs to themselves. It is a bit sad.

However, there are still plenty of wonderful things to see and do. There is a massive amount of reggae, and one night we ended up in a favela, which is a shanty town, more or less, and it was filled with hundreds of people dancing to reggae music. There was also a reggae band playing in front of a house, vibrating with everyone surrounding them. It was a very tranquilo scene. At one point I noticed that Adam and Colin were the only whit- skinned people there. But color didn't matter; everyone was having a blast and dancing to the reggae music.

And of course, not only was there reggae, but there were people all over the place practicing capoeira. This is a martial art and dance that was created back in the slave days by slaves. They also perform this art to a very unique instrument, called the Berimbau. And also around town, were a few of the Bahianas, which are women dressed up in the old traditional Bahian clothing, which is dresses that are white and extremely large and wide. And yet another fiber of Pelourinho is the braids that women have. There are women in the streets with chairs set up to give anyone braids and extensions. And then, here too, as in Rio, there is quite a bit of samba and drum troupes in the streets. On all the street corners there were shops selling all kinds of hand drums. Throughout any part of town at any given moment in a 24-hour period, you can hear someone or a group of people beating on a drum.

Bahia is a place full of rhythm and beauty, and also of hardship. There are mass amounts of people who are extremely poor. And the sad thing is that public education is very poor in Brasil, and only those with money can afford to send their children to good schools. So the chance of someone who grows up poor staying poor throughout their life is very high. It is a huge problem and a difficult one to solve.

So, we ended up staying in the north for a few days. We also went to three different beaches for surf as well. None of the beaches had really good waves, but all of the beaches were nice to hang out at and eat some caldo do camarou, which is shrimp soup…mmmnnnn. And of course, those delicious caiparinhas are a treat.

Adam and I are headed way down south now, south of Florianopolis, to a town called Garopaba, where the surf is supposed to be outstanding. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Pray for surf.

Ciao,

Neil

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.

White tigers at the Buenos Aires Zoo.

Journal and photos by Chanda Baggarly

Beautiful day. Went to the Buenos Aires Zoo. One of those days where you just don’t want to work.

Met a pack of furry cats. The cats are rare white Bengal tigers born at the Buenos Aires Zoo. They were named recently after a contest where hundreds of children submited suggestions. The winning names were Blacky, Lola, Luna, Manuel, Tomy and Rayitas (Spanish for ``Little Stripes''). Super cute.

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.

Flemengo (red) and Botafogo (black) prepare to go head-to-head.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

There is one word that seems to have the ability to unite millions of people all over the world. It a word, when said properly can bring throngs of people to their feet cheering in an emotional frenzy. A word, that when spoken, is understood regardless of what language you speak. That word is gol. Or, perhaps more appropriately:

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!

Brazilian soccer, or futebol, is perhaps the most imaginative and exciting sport in the world. Complementing the action on the field are the fans. The stands at these games are filled with fanatical supporters who cheer their team on in all sorts of ways.

It is day 135 of the LONGITUDE Expedition, and since I am not one to miss out on participating in cultural ceremonies, today I entered the enormous temple of the sport, Maracaná, to witness these modern-day warriors do battle for the glory of victory and for the love of their fans. Maracaná is perhaps more revered by Cariocas than all the cathedrals and churches in Rio combined. It is also the largest soccer stadium in the world. This spectacle, for the uninitiated, is sheer lunacy. Fans singing, shouting and waving banners are accompanied by the sounds of huge samba drums beating rhythmically. It’s not uncommon to see roman candles or other larger fireworks shot off by enthusiastic fans during this athletic ritual.

Having been in Brazil for a few weeks now, I must admit that even I am somewhat addicted to the sport. As such, I have chosen a favorite team, and now it is my duty to scream like a lunatic, boo bad calls, and do everything in my power to ensure that my team emerges victorious. Today’s game is a classic battle between two neighboring barrios—Botafogo and Flamengo.

I am now such a dedicated fan that I have learned the Flamengo chants (more or less), so that while I am at the game I appear less of an outsider. It is better to be marginally accepted into the inner sanctum of the true fans than to appear indifferent to the teams playing, or worse, be mistaken for a Botafogo fan. There are other more practical reasons to this sudden injection of passion for a team I barely know. First is a matter of safety. Skirmishes often break out in the stands of these games. If there’s going to be a fight, I want to be on the side of the bigger fan base (more people to get involved while I get out of there). The second, and more truthful, answer is that the girl I have started dating in Rio is a die-hard Flamengo fan. So is her father. So was her grandfather. It really is a generational thing in Brazil. The last reason is purely selfish. Going to a game, any game, is more fun if you have a small stake in the outcome.

So, on this muggy evening, I experienced my first futebol game. And it was spectacular. The fans, the players, the night—everything was perfect, except for the score at the end of the game. Botafogo won 1-0. It didn’t bother me that I was running a low-grade fever and felt terrible. And truthfully, it didn’t bother me that the refs made some lousy calls and that we lost. I was participating in an event that is deeply rooted in history and is much greater than I am. For a brief instance, I was one with my Brazilian friends.

Before I go, there’s one thing about the game, or more appropriately, the stadium, that I don’t understand. Perhaps one of you out there knows the answer to this question.

Why are there pay phones located down on the grass just beyond the end of the field?

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

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 city streets of Salvador, Bahia, are crowded with tourists.
[Photo by Neil Dana]

Journal by Colin McAuliffe.

Well, I'm still here in Salvador, having blast as usual. Adam and Neil have headed south to surf, so I'm on my own. But readers, don't fret, for I have met plenty of people to hang out with and occupy my time. John from Chicago, and I have been sharing a room, and he's a hilarious guy. He has some similar qualities to me as far as being an uncensored speaker, only he's even more unfitered than I am. Rob, from South London, is another crazy friend I've made, and It looks like I'll be travelling up north with him and his friend Lee, and possibly renting a house in a town called Jerico Quiaia, which I just horribly misspelled.

Yesterday John and I went with Marike and Sarah (Dutch and English, repectively) to the mall, of all places. I needed to buy a few things, but after 20 minutes in that oasis (kinda) of North American consumerism, I had had more than enough, so I beat it out of there ASAP. I spent the rest of the evening eating and wandering the cobblestone streets of Pelirinho.

It is, however, time for me to leave this place. The area we are in, which is kind of the most touristy, is pretty gross. At night, beggars work hard to rope gringos. I’ve adapted a new personality to replace El Gringo Loco , and that is Supergringo, so that when I or someone I'm with is being bothered, I tell them that I'm Supergringo, and they leave me alone…sort of. At least, they think I'm wierd and know that I won’t give them anything, so they leave. Laugh all you want, but it works.

Anyway, so, tomorrow night, which is Tuesday, is always a huge festival here in Salvador. I'm going to enjoy the live music of Olodum, one of the most famous drum groups in all of Brazil, and then I'm going to hop on a plane at 4:00 a.m. to go to Fortaleaza, where I am going to meet the English guys and then head up to Jericocioua, which is supposed to be remote, fun, and unbelievebly beautiful.

That’s all for now,
Colin

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.

Journal by Todd Borgie

I've got my running shoes on, and I am off to see the city!

Jogging is a great way to get in shape. It is also a great way to see a new city, and it is a great way to get the brain refocused after sitting in front of a computer writing organization stuff for too many hours. Besides, if Nancy is riding her bike every day, I have to be doing something so that she won’t be stronger than me when we meet up in Australia! Having a car mate that is tougher than me--that would be horrible.

I began jogging, and I had myself quite an adventure. Generally on my first run after not running for a while, I like to start out slow, maybe twenty minutes of good, strong running and a ten-minute walk to cool down. I like to take it easy on my knees and not cause my body too much pain.

My exercise program all started out great with stretching in the apartment. I confided to Chanda that I thought it would be cool if I could do the splits; she said she could, and she could also show me how. So we stretched for a while.

After completing my stretches, and imagining being able to do the splits in another week or so, I set out down the elevator and off to the park for my run. We live in an area surrounded by parks, so it is a perfect place to get in shape. Running, running, running, feeling good, and feeling proud of myself, running, running, running, looking down and being proud of my new Ace Freely running shoes (if you saw them you’d know why Nick calls them my Ace Freely shoes).

I dashed through the park and began to cross a six-lane, one-way street. I was surprised to hear a car accelerate in the distance. Yep, this one was in the far left lane and accelerating towards me. As I ran across each lane, he tracked me, getting closer and closer. I kind of laughed and shook my head as I stepped back onto the curb to his honking about 20 yards away. “What is up with that,” I thought.

I continued my run down the street, past a house that looked like it was a part of Fantasy Island set, and onto the shoreline of a small lake with paddle boats. “This place is beautiful,” I thought, as I curved right, under a brick railroad bridge where something was being filmed.

The only problem with parks, lakes and windy roads is the fact you just don’t know where you are going to end up, and this is what happened to me. I thought I was headed back to the flat, but quite the contrary, I ended up running up a freeway ramp and ran right up onto the freeway. Figuring that I would be able to jump off fairly quickly, not really accepting the fact that I was on a freeway, I kept going. Unfortunately this took me past were I need to go and off into a new area with which I was unfamiliar. Generally having a good sense of direction, I figured I was headed the right way back; however, I was not recognizing anything. Despite this, I kept going, figuring that something familiar would turn up just around the next bend. At this point, I would jog for a while and walk for a while; I didn’t want to kill my feet with a new set of shoes, or at least I thought that was an adequate excuse.

Past the airport, past the golf course, and past a bunch of things I had never seen before, I ran. Should I retrace my steps and get back on to a familiar course? No, this was turning into an adventure...besides, I knew that at any moment I would realize where I was.

Seeing the river, I decided to follow that down south. It's the muddiest river I have ever seen, the mighty Rio de Plata, which brings the eroded tropical soil down to the Atlantic Ocean. Seeing the river, I knew I had to be going the correct way. I followed the river south, trying to find the huge street called La Libertador, which we live next to, but I couldn’t find any passageways leading to the right, where I needed to go. I was in the shipyards. At this point, most of the jogging stopped, and I was just walking. I had no money for a cab, if I really got lost, but my resolve and sense of adventure were still strong, despite the sunburn my shoulders were taking on. Things were just getting worse, and it made me laugh. I decided to tempt the fates, because I just didn’t believe things could get worse.

I walked up this wide street in which trucks were slowly travelling up and down, and I looked at the many different types of ships docked in the river. Am I really going the right way? Is this the river I think it is? How far should I go before I turn around? All these questions and many more were running through my mind. I also figured if I got mugged that all someone could take were my running shoes, and a sweaty pair of shorts and a tank top. I knew I stood out, as I was the only blond guy in the area, but my luck just had to change.

I kept going. Soon I found a place to make a right turn, but that only took me so far. After another 15 minutes, I saw a sign to Puerto Madero. “Uh oh,” I thought, “I went way too far.” At the first fork I could find, I took a right. Unfortunately, this was a freeway off-ramp! Not again! Where am I? I saw some road workers, so I thought I would ask them how to get back to Palermo. They looked kind of puzzled at me and asked me where my car was. I pointed to my shoes, and said I was jogging. I have no idea what they thought, but I knew that they felt a little sorry for me. At this point, I had been so fully committed to forging my own trail back, that I would have been devastated if I would have had to retrace all of my steps all the way back to apartment.

They looked sheepishly one way and then anther, and then they motioned to me to come over to a chain -ink fence. Two guys lifted up a stretched area in the fence and told me what I had to do. After climbing under the fence, I was now in the train yard. I knew where I was and what I had to do; however, I didn’t know what I would have to climb to get where I was going. Through the yards I went, running at this point, climbing a few trains, and speeding down the tracks. Pretty soon I saw some guys running toward me. I wasn’t going to be thrown out of here. I had to make to Palermo. I made it to a railroad bridge and up and over, across eight sets of tracks I went, losing my pursuers at some point. (Maybe they weren’t pursuing me at all????) Running down the edge of some buildings, I noticed an area opening up; I even saw some cars driving through. Was I home-free? I ran down this road, not really knowing if I was out of the train yard or not, knowing that I still had to cross two more sets of tracks. I saw a small little train building and two cops standing just outside of it. Was I supposed to be there, or not? Down the way I saw and older women walking towards me with a couple of shopping bags, just on the other side of the tracks. Apparently I had made it to a pedestrian crossing and was home free. Yes, Yes, Yes! I was back home within ten minutes, feeling quite proud that I had actually made it. A 20-minute run had turned into over a two-hour adventure. What was really funny was that Nick and Chanda were in exactly the places in which I left them, both sitting in front of the computers having quite a different experience than I'd had. I kind of felt like a character out of one of the Chronicles of Narnia books, returning to reality after a life-changing experience.

The rest of the day was quite uneventful after that. However, I especially enjoyed my dinner that night.

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 view of beautiful Ipanema from above.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

Our last night in Rio was spent neighbor fishing. It was 10 p.m., and Colin and I were sipping a few Antarcticas. From our 7th story apartment I could hear quite a fiesta blaring out five stories below. Of course it required a little attention, so I took my bed sheet and, contrary to Colin’s deterrence, I began tearing it into long strips. After about five minutes, I had a pile of red, heart-covered lengths. I grabbed another cold Antarctica from the fridge and tied it on the end of one strip along with a note that said in poor Portuguese, “a cold one for your party.” From there Colin, and I began making a long rope, and as I lured the drink out the window, Colin continued tying lengths to the fishing line. After a few minutes of weaving the can through various lines of laundry strung up by neighbors below, I managed to get the drink to hang outside the party window below. I took the gamble that it was the one on the right and began to swing the lure. Slowly it oscillated further and further back and forth until it eventually banged against the glass. At that point the window opened up, and screams of excitement came bellowing up from below. After a few minutes, the line was finally released, and with it was a reply. We hauled it up and it read in Portuguese “We are 8 cute girls, our names are…” and they listed them. We were on our way out to a samba bar, and so we thought we’d drop in and say hello, but by the time Colin and Neil motivated the fiesta had moved on.

Rio has an excellent nightlife, and with the recent discovery that our cars missed their boat connection in Panama, that meant another two weeks of Brasilian adventures. Rio is a relatively clean and beautifully situated city. Sheer, jungle-covered mountains drive upwards all around the city allowing for breathtaking views of Ipanema beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand that attracts sun worshippers from early morning ‘til sunset. The old women hit the beach from 8 a.m. until about 10 a.m., when the college students start filling their days with sun. Despite complexion, everyone is dark here. There aren’t too many bulging muscle guys, but most are trim and are either juggling soccer ball in circles, playing smash ball (they love that game here and are quite good), or drinking caporienas in chairs. As for the girls, they come tanned and toned with thong bikinis. I guess it’s the new fashion. But contrary to the stories, there are no bare chests exposed here, because toplessness is illegal in Brazil. Culture booms from this city, and mesmerizing live samba, bossanova or jazz can be found every night, be it in the streets, clubs or small cafés. It really is all about the music and dance in Rio. Rio has now entered my favourite places on this drive, along with Cusco in Peru, and Costa Rica.

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.

Iguazu Falls, on the Argentina/Brazil border.

Journal and photos by Neil Dana.

Iguazu Falls. You really need to see these waterfalls up close yourself to know how impressive and powerful they are. These waterfalls define the border between Brasil and Argentina, and they are the finale of a river that is a kilometer-and-a-half wide! It is a pretty shallow river, which makes sense since it is over a kilometer in width, but when all this water culminates at the "Devil's Throat," one gets to witness the ferocity and untamed beast that mother nature unleashes in this majestic display of a waterfall. The Devil's Throat is only one of hundreds of the waterfalls of Iguazu, yet it is the most impressive. Thousands of people come from all over the world to a border town, of all places, to see this waterfall. In fact, my parents came all the way out here to see the falls, and I was fortunate enough to share the experience with them. People tend to steer clear of most border towns, but not this one. Foz de Iguazu is a beautiful town that is next to a nature preserve, which hosts the Iguazu Falls. And "Foz" is Brasilian for “final” or “end”, meaning the end of one river, and turning into another river, which is exactly what happens here. The Parane river turns into the Iguazu river at this point in geography, and it is a magnificent turning point.

These are also the falls that a scene from "The Mission" was filmed, with Robert DeNiro, I believe. Do you remember the scene where the main character must climb up the falls carrying a gigantic sack on his back? Well, those are another one of the falls at Iguazu. There are also many rainbows at the falls, created by all the mist that hovers around constantly from the pounding water. It is a very spectacular place.

My parents and I stayed on the Brasilian side of the waterfall the first night, which was amazing because, although they close the park to visitors in the evening, the one hotel that is inside the park, ours, was right smack dab in front of the falls. So we were blessed with the opportunity of seeing the falls for sunset and sunrise without tons of other people around. However, in the morning there were some other friends around, the coatis, and they were not fearful of people at all. The coatis are similar to a raccoon, but a bit cuter. They were scurrying all over the place in the morning, climbing guayaba trees, and filling themselves up. They are really used to people and will just walk on by you, not even budging or hesitating at any of your movements. Iguazu also has quite a few flowers, as well as butterflies, which you see flying around, and they have all kinds of different colors. The morphos, or the blue butterflies are my favorite, they are so brilliant and striking to see.

So, during the morning, we strolled around the Brasilian side of the waterfalls, and man, let me tell you, shooting photos of waterfalls is a difficult task. It is practically raining with mist 100% of the time, so you have to wipe your lens every minute, and keep your camera guarded from the water. So while shooting in the mist from the Brasilian side, you really get to see an interesting perspective of the falls. You are on top, across from the falls at one point, and at another, you are actually at the base of the falls when you get near to Devil's Throat. It is really impressive.

Then we headed over to the Argentine side, and walked about a mile over the river on a bridge to the actual top of the mouth of Devil's Throat, and WHOA!! That was definitely the most epic view of them all. You are standing on top of these waterfalls. These falls are larger than Niagra Falls!! This takes your breath away and puts you in awe.

We also went and saw many of the other falls, and it really is too bad we didn't have more time to hang out. It would have been nice to hang out there for a few days and really soak it all in. You can take a boat up the bottom of some of the falls and let the water nail you on the head. I talked to some people who did it and they said it was their favorite part of the Iguazu experience.

For me, one of my favorite experiences was being on top of Devil's Throat and watching all the water heave itself over the cliff into the cloud of white mist where no bottom could be seen. It was AWESOME!!! Right, Mom, awesome!!!!! My Mom told me that I needed to use the word awesome more in my journals, so here it is one more time, Iguazu Falls was truly awesome! Hee hee…

But the best part of all was being able to share such a scenic location with my mom and dad. We had a really good time together. We spent about 5 days together. We hadn't seen each other in over four months. They flew down to Rio, met me there and then we cruised to Iguazu. They are on a three-week vacation through South America, and luckily, it coincided with me being in Rio at the same time. Now that is awesome!!!!!!!

Until next time,

Neil

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.

Even a visit to a local cafe requires attention to the fashion of the day when in Buenos Aires.

Journal and photos by Chanda Baggarly

Buenos Aires is a fashionable city. In some neighborhoods, like Recoleta and Palermo, you can confuse the sidewalk for a catwalk. Women wear everything from DG to Prada and wear it well, as do the men. And why not? The local shops are chalked full of these amazing clothing creations at a fraction of the cost we would pay in the US---if we could even find them in the US. (Mental note...when going to Buenos Aires don’t bother with packing, just bring money.)

A matching outfit is a big thing here. Your shoes absolutely must match your blouse, even if you are just wearing a t-shirt. If you are a flip-flop wearer, you are in good company, and you have a choice of about 20 different colors to choose from. This is a good thing, because you simply must match. Really: no excuses for non-matching outfits here.

Another fashion curiosity worth mentioning is the matching underwear…never seen before as an accessory until now. If you are part of the low-rise club, that is you can wear the low rise jeans, shorts, or skirts with or with out your bum showing, you might as well make sure that your underwear matches the rest of the outfit. Who are you kidding--while wearing low-rise jeans, your underwear is going to show, if not while you are standing, then definitely while sitting--no matter how clever your descent.

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.

Exploring Rio Niteroi, Garota de Ipanema, Copacabana, Beach, Fresco ball

Daybreak in Rio.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

Spending long lengths of time away from home in foreign countries is a liberating experience. You learn volumes about yourself—your likes and dislikes, and you learn to be comfortable without many of the comforts of home. You also spend a lot of time thinking about what your life is about. What are the things that make you happy? Were you happier before you started traveling, or have you found out something new along the way that will change you forever? Where do you belong?

Today is day 128 of the LONGITUDE Expedition, and I have spent the last 12 days adapting to my new “home” in Rio de Janeiro. I have often been overheard saying, “Home is wherever I happen to be standing at the moment,” simply because my life has always been full of travel. And, when you travel as much as I tend to, you really don’t become attached to any particular place as home. You think of the world as your home. However, this week I have decided to make Rio my home and spend my entire break away from the team in the Cidade Maravilhosa (the Marvelous City) with seven million of my newest friends. Escaping to Rio has always been a far-fetched travel fantasy for me, but I have to tell you that the real thing is much, much better. Recently, I read that the most beautiful cities in the world are Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, San Francisco, and Hong Kong. Rio de Janeiro was ranked number one. I believe they’re right.

Rio’s full glory starts early—around 5:30 a.m., when the sun begins to peak over the horizon. Its golden rays delicately illuminate this gloriously exuberant tropical setting, sandwiched between the mountains and the sea. As the blue begins to fill the sky, the sand on the praia (beach) starts to warm—anticipating the throngs of sun worshipers that will visit today. The streets are already alive with people jogging or biking, the beaches dotted with groups of people playing volleyball, and the ocean is alive with swimmers, surfers, and fisherman. Every morning in Rio is a good morning.

Today is no exception. The only difference, today, is that I am committing myself to a home for the next six weeks. I am signing a lease on an apartment. It is modest, of course. I have found a small studio apartment that is about 250 square feet two blocks from the ocean. It is nestled in between the boroughs of Copacabana and Ipanema—one made famous in a song about a girl and the other in a song about a club.

I’ve decided to stay in Rio to do some soul searching and to answer a few questions about myself. First, how will I fair living in the heart of a big city? Will I like it? I have lived in various forms of cities before, but never one this large. Second, how would I fair living in a foreign country by myself? Can I adapt? Will I be happy? I have often dreamed of taking up residency in another country, and this two-month break is as good of a chance as any to try it out and slip into a new life for a while. Maybe when this experiment is over, I will have a better idea about where my place in the world is.

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

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 Brazilian butterfly that stopped by to say "hello" to Colin.

Journal and photo by Colin McAuliffe.

Well, I made it to Salvador, in the state of Bahia, and it’s great up here. We are in the city right now, but soon I’ll be heading out for some sweet beaches where I can string up my hammock, kick back, and relax. For now, we are enjoying the African culture and reggae music.

Today, I went to a crazy market with this guy from Chicago, John, with whom I’m sharing a dorm at our hostel. The place was crazy: miles of stalls and shacks full of so much random stuff. I bought my kid brother Charlie a slingshot to cause some trouble with, ate some random wierd sour fruits, and then had a hearty snack of assorted mystery meats that included a pig ear. You know, I always try to eat the local food when I travel, but sometimes I just can’t do it. That’s what happened with the pig ear; one bite and I’d had enough. Anyway, now I’m here, in an Internet cafe, writing in the blog, and I am finished, because the sun is setting and I am going to go watch it.
-Colin

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.

Todd is welcomed to a Parkinson's Disease support-group meeting in Buenos Aires.

Journal and photos by Todd Borgie.

As I mentioned last time, I have been conditioning myself to stay up late, trying to adjust to the Argentine schedule; however, today I had to be up early. We had tracked down a Parkinson’s Disease support group, so I planned on joining them today at their weekly meeting. The meeting started at 10:30am, and I arrived right on time.

There were about 10 people there, and more straggled in as the meeting progressed. The group asked me a lot of different questions, most of which I didn’t have answers for. People that show up at these meetings, I imagine, who do not have Parkinson’s Disease, are generally doctors, so they addressed me like I was a doctor. I managed to convince them I was a fundraiser, but our expedition is somewhat difficult to explain. People in South America have difficulty with the concept that we are soliciting donations per mile. They can’t imagine why someone would pay us to drive. What we are doing is creating an extraordinary event so we can refocus the attention from the expedition onto Parkinson’s Disease. Anyway, they asked me about the stem-cell research, what were the exact causes of Parkinson’s, and how they should go about choosing a good Parkinson’s doctor, all of which I really didn’t have answers for. I felt sort of helpless, getting all these questions for which I don’t know the answers. At times I thought they might think, “Why are you even here?” Anyway, I told them I didn’t know, but managed to share with them a few of my father’s experiences, and mentioned people I had met along the way, but I did say that I could look up the answers to some of their questions.

It was interesting to hear them talk. They talked about the many things that were now happening to them and their bodies. They also discussed how they could help other members of the community who were unable to come that day. They were all keen to the degrading effects this disease has on the body and the depression that runs parallel to these effects. One woman was asking about stomach problems caused by her medicine, another was asking about disjointed sleep habits, and another topic was about one of their fellow members who was dying of cancer. They all recognized the depression in this particular patient and were discussing strategies on how to help her. It was a fascinating meeting, and they invited me back for tomorrow’s meeting, where they will meet with a psychologist.

I was grateful that they let me into their world. Diseases like these are very personal things. We all try for so long to pretend that we are not different from everyone else, that we can make it on our own, that these diseases really don’t bother us. But is disconcerting to see the fear they cause in other people. The minute you say you have a certain disease, you can see the change of expression on the other person’s face. It is like all of a sudden you are different, and there is a wall that goes up.

It seems like a whole new set of fears spring up, for the person without the disease, thinking to himself, “Can I get this disease? Am I going to say something stupid that will be insensitive to this person? I really should know more about the disease, but I don’t. Do they suppose they know they are shaking? Maybe I should just ignore them. Yes that is what I will try to do--ignore it…ignoring it…ignoring...” And, finally, “Oh gotta go!” It seems like the thinking process gets so overwhelmed that the conversation is stifled and ultimately dies.

The person with the disease thinks, “They are kind of looking at me funny. Do they suppose the see something strange? Maybe I should change the subject. Oh, they look uncomfortable. Oh you have to go? It was nice talking with you.”

Maybe this is over the top, but often times there is a general uncomfortable-ness when a handicapped person or someone who is not deemed “normal” walks into a conversation. There was one woman at the support meeting who didn’t have Parkinson’s Disease, but her husband did. After being diagnosed, he moved back in with his mother, and has virtually not left the house in two years because he is too embarrassed. Some of this problem lies with the general public, and some of it lies within the particular patient’s perception. In any case, we all have to learn to accept these things, and to ask questions about want we don’t know about.

I have learned that the hardest thing about Parkinson’s Disease is accepting it. One lady I talked to went to 10 doctors before she even thought about accepting the diagnosis. The group told me that, after accepting it, they try to live in the moment and not in the future. Many victims of Parkinson’s get caught up in the future, what is to become of them. It is true that this disease will slowly debilitate your body, but they say you should focus on what you can do today, not on what you can’t do tomorrow.

I am happy that we are spending time here. It will allow me the time I need to get to know these people. These experiences are great! I have been learning so much through these wonderful people

When I got back to the apartment, I was both excited and exhausted. It is difficult to go to those meetings by myself, speak another language, and be a focus point. But the first one is always the hardest, and I am looking forward to going to the meeting tomorrow to see how these meetings are run.

I wanted to relax when I returned to the apartment, but there is still a lot left to do. I began walking towards Ricoleta, because I wanted to see Evita’s grave, but I got about a quarter mile and then turned around. I need to run some errands, and they have a way of taking longer than I imagine they should. I managed to purchase a bus ticket to Bahia Blanca, to see my friend Marcela. I met her in San Francisco when she was studying cooking and English. It will be fun to see her and meet her family. Stay tuned for that story in another journal!

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.

Brazilian colors in the sand.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

Feeling the affects of muscle relaxants for my bad back and overly sweetened black coffee, I’m rolling south with Neil in the back of a huge coach. We spent 14 days holed up in a rented apartment in Rio de Janeiro finishing the video and planning our next moves. Well, at least Colin and I were. Neil, on the other hand, delved into local customs by purchasing tank tops and shopping for a mystery item. This time he came home with yet another surprise: green Speedo trunks. They love them in Rio; 80% of the guys strut their stuff on the beach and sometimes through the streets of Rio. The other day I was sipping a capoirena (local liquor mixed with crushed lime and sugar) on Ipanema’s beach boulevard. Strutting by was a belly-toting man holding his shirt and trousers folded on top of his head. His shoes and socks remained in place, and so did what appeared to be a bright white pair of speedo trunks, but as he approached I noticed they were merely a pair of tighty-whities. So I assumed that this guy was taking a lunch break from work and decided to catch a few rays. Speedo or not, I guess nothing can get between a Marioca and his addiction to the sun.

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 famous giant Christ overlooking Rio in Brazil]

Journal by Neil Dana

Alright you all, I haven't written in a while, but what do you expect when you arrive in Rio on the last day of Carnaval!!! And because so much has happened and still is, I must summarize it all for you.

Justin and I left Buenos Aires on Fat Tuesday and landed down in Rio, Brasil, headed to Ipanema to stay at Rolf's apartment, and witness Carnaval's last hoorah! And what a spectacular evening, which started off with a "Bloco," which is a block party. And this is no ordinary block party, this is a bloco in Rio on Fat Tuesday, which meant that the streets along Ipanema were closed off to drivers, and were filled with thousands of people parading down the main street. It was an immense parade of transvestites and homosexuals, as well as percussionists and other musicians. It was helarious to see all the transvestites. They were all dressed up in the finest costumes they could conjure up. There were a few small floats, but mostly just people and musicians parading and singing Brasilian songs, while sweating and dancing like it was the last day on earth. We drank some caiparinhas, which is a drink made in Brasil with lime, sugar, and with a local sugar cane liquor. They are very strong and very delicious. So we had a blast watching and parading amongst the bloco for a few hours. It was similar to what I had imagined, streets filled with so many people that it is difficult to move, literally. We were there for a few hours and then the parade finally moved on out of our neighborhood.

After the parade, a local friend of ours, Erica, invited us over for dinner and made us Feijoada, which is a local Brasilian bean dish, and it was scrumptious. She lives in Le Blon, which is a very nice part of town, next to Ipanema. Erica is what you would always dream of a host being, super friendly, fun, and desiring to show you her country. I think that is the Brasilian spirit in general, very open and proud and always willing to show you a good time. She also told us of a great place to go later that night, which was called Monte Libano, an old country club turned into dance club, and this place was filled with over a thousand people dancing samba to a live drum troop up on stage. The stage was filled with 30 or so percussionists and a few other instruments as well. It was nonstop until the sun came up. I have never seen anything like it before, just intense samba and everyone dancing samba, everyone!!! The way these Brasilians move is heart stopping. There were some women up on pillars and on stage who had glittery carnaval costumes on and were dancing nonstop. It was amazing to see how long they can dance samba and not pass out. It is tiring to dance samba.

So anyway, in the following days, Adam and Colin showed up and Erica also brought us to her parents' beach house in Angra, which is a few hours south of Rio, and is breathtaking. The tropical foliage comes right down to the coast, which is littered with small islands. It is supremely scenic. She also brought us a few more hours south to a beach called Trinidade, near Ubatuba. And on our way back, she brought us to another gem, called Praina. Actually, Praina is only a 40 minute drive from Rio, so it was really crowded, but still fun and a great place to hang out for a day. The color of the ocean was pure blue and there were little huts on the beach you could get some food and drinks from. We chilled on these beaches all day everyday. It was very relaxing.

And to top all that off, Erica also brought us to Lapa, a town in downtown Rio which had live Samba and Bossa Nova! This is what I have always dreamed of, listening and DANCING to Samba and Bossa Nova, and we did this the last 3 nights. And of course, all the music is performed by live musicians, and is heavily drum dominated, so the intense rhythms and grooves are hypnotizing. We had some friendly locals teach us the Samba steps, and we haven't stopped since. It is an amazing dance, extremely fast and very fun. One girl told our friend, just do these few steps and keep practicing them for the next 12 years and keep speeding up, then you will be a samba dancer! She is right, the gracefulness and speed at which most of the Brasilians dance has been in their blood since childhood; I am envious.

So anyway, Rio has been a great time so far. However, the best part is that my parents just started a vacation to South America and we were able to meet up in Rio. It was really special to spend time with my parents in South America. We ate some really delicious food and saw some interesting sights in the city. We of course saw the grandioso Jesus Christ, which overlooks Rio. And we also spent some nice relaxing time on the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. Brasil has been even more than I had anticipated, and I am looking forward to the rest of our time here. I shall write again soon, as my parents and I are going to Iguazu Falls, which are larger than Niagra Falls! Imagine that.

Ciao,

Neil

Check out Neil's Rio photo album!
(Click on description to view photo)

Let it begin. Justin boards Rio-bound airplane
Angra, South Brazil
Adam relaxes on the beach in Angra
One of Brazil's crowded beaches
Ah, a pristine beach
Rio, a city on a hillside
Brasil's metro
Rio's colonial-style apartments
Brazil's endless beach

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.

Journal and photo by Justin Mounts

Five days ago, I made a decision to fly to Brazil. Now, this decision wasn’t one of life or death, that’s for sure, but it was a decision that came with a great deal of uncertainty for me. First, I had not done my normal amount of research on a country to know what to expect. Second, I don’t speak Portuguese. Finally, I don’t know a single person in Brazil. I am quite accustomed to traveling to new places where I don’t know anyone, but it is exponentially more difficult when you don’t really know anything about the country or the language. This should be interesting…

Today is day 120 of the LONGITUDE Expedition, and the team has split up to the far corners of the earth for the next 6-7 weeks while our vehicles ship from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Brisbane, Australia. More importantly, today is my first day of Samba lessons. I was presented with a great opportunity to start learning samba the other night while I was at Carioca de Gema, one of Rio’s smaller venues for live Brazilian music. I met the choreographer for the Mangueira samba school, and having just completed the rigors of this year’s Carnival festivities, she was more than happy to teach a few steps to a neophyte.

The samba originates from rhythms African slaves brought with them to the sugar plantations in Brazil, and it is the heart and soul of Brazilian music. Almost everywhere you go in Rio, you will hear samba playing in the background. I was quick to realize that Brazilians are passionate people and passionate about their music. The music of Brazil is that of a vibrant country, and the music reflects the complex mix of races and nationalities that make the people of Brazil who they are.

The samba is an amazing dance to watch. Feet are moving in a full flurry, while hips shake at a velocity that makes your head spin. At first sight, it is actually quite difficult to believe that a human can move that fast. When you break the dance down, it is actually a series of very simple steps that are repeated. For men, the basic samba is made up of only 6 steps. Even I, a 6’ 3” gangly gringo can dance this one, I think. The thing that worries me is the speed. Brazilians are taught to dance when they are children. So, most samba dancers you see have 10-20 years of practice on you. “Don’t be intimidated,” I was told. “Once you get the rhythm down, your speed will increase right away.”

Yeah, right…

After dancing to the first song, I was in a full sweat. After dancing the second song, I was exhausted. After 30 minutes of dancing, I was praying for death. But I am determined. One way or another, before I leave Rio, I will know how to Samba.

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

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.

View image
A little boy whom Colin met.
Journal by Colin McAuliffe

Well, I guess I'm starting to get into the Rio vibe. I've been here for a while now, and I'm starting to feel at home. We've got our sweet little apartment near the beach, and I've been working my butt off during the day editing a promo video, but I still have a little time to explore at night. There's tons of live music here. Our first venture was to a live samba/bossanova club, which was really cool, and last night we went and saw what I guess is like a new kind of samba/rock/reggae hybrid band. The rocked. Halfway through the show they brought out a huge drum troop and two carnivale style samba dancers, you know with the feather headdress and all. It was very cool. A lot of the venues here have this interesting system where when you come in you get basically a check list, and as you drink and eat, they check off what you have bought. Then, at the end of the night, you settle your bill. I like it. Anyway, I'm having lots of fun, but I wish this video thing would be finished already so I could have some more time to explore.

Leo's Retreat is the best budget hostel in Cairns, boasting tropical air-conditioned accommodation in the heart of the city. It has a swimming pool, pool table, internet, café, and a games/video/TV room. The original historical Queenslander building captures a friendly atmosphere almost like home, and the staff calls your by name!

Journal by Nancy Olson.

I was able to sleep until about eight this morning, which was a welcome improvement over yesterday’s 4:00 a.m.!

I put my bike together last night, so it was ready for sorting today. I went to the Laundromat and tried calling USAA (my insurance company) and Qantas this morning. Good luck with the laundry, but no luck with the bike problem.

Later, I ended up biking to a nearby shop, whereupon I discovered damage to my front brake pads and shoes. I was directed to Edge Bicycles, where Vince set about fixing the brake. He is the Santa Cruz dealer for Cairns.

I left the brake with him and went to my favorite Internet café, Global Gossip. There, a cool employee named Hayden admired my sweet Santa Cruz bike and invited me for a ride on some local trails. After my snorkelling excursion tomorrow, I’ll stop by to meet him at 4:30 for some trail riding.

I also finally reached USAA, and they said they’ll contact me about my claim. I have my fingers crossed.

Business settled, I went to the mall to waste time in the A/C.

Later, I showered, had a free dinner at Leo’s, and then went back to the mall for a movie, “Stuck on You”, with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear. Not a bad flick!

I went to bed early after watching a little tv. The gang from Leo’s is meeting tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. for a snorkelling excursion to the Great Barrier Reef!

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.

Chanda, Nick, and Todd work from the comfort of their Buenos Aires apartment.

Journal and Photos by Todd Borgie.

This was catch-up day. Traveling so much and so quickly makes it hard to get all that needs to be done, done. There are several articles that I need to write, people I need to contact, stuff to update, and errands to run. Today, there was nothing on the official agenda, just a threatening to-do list. Already, Neil, Nancy, and Justin have left, leaving Adam and Colin here until Thursday working on film stuff. Nick, Chanda, and I will spend the duration of the break in Buenos Aires and the surrounding areas, which we are all looking forward to.

People in Buenos Aires live at a different side of the day than I am used to. Usually the nightclubs and disco techs close at 7:00 a.m., and Neil read at one point that it’s uncouth to show up at a certain Brazilian club here before 2:00am. This is tough for me, a morning person. As the hour gets later and later, my intelligence gets lower and lower. At about 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 a.m., I am a blooming idiot. Nick and I have been working at staying up later, although he needs no practice. The day dawned for us at about 10:30 a.m., and we hit the computers. I updated answers to questions and began to face the work that had been building up. After a while, Nick and Chanda rolled out of bed and began working on sponsorship stuff.

We are patiently waiting for our new Internet connection that will be coming on Friday, as then we will be fully resourced in order to prepare for the second half of the expedition.

We now live in a high-rise apartment on the 7th floor, Apt B (for Baggarly and Borgie).
It is nice to live in a place for more than a day or two, and I am looking forward to exploring the neighborhood and the surrounding areas of Buenos Aires, which I have been very impressed with, so far.

This city strikes me, and I think it has been called the Paris of South America. The city is very spread out. In our part of the city, Palermo, we have a huge park, or a series of connected parks, where you can see people walking, running, or just hanging out drinking mate (a type of Argentine tea that is very popular). Wide streets run through this city, making crossing them very difficult in any other location than at a light. Some of these streets are even eight-or-more lanes wide. Of all the countries we have visited, this one seems to be the least Latin. If you were secretly transported here, when you awoke you would be convinced you would be in Europe, because even the Spanish language (Castelleno) is different then the rest of the continent. Well, more investigations will lead to more discoveries another day.

Driving here is crazy, although my only experience driving is sitting in the back of a cab (we bypassed the city on our way to the port). Despite the fact they have so much room, they use lanes more as general guidelines than rules of the road. They seem to straddle lanes and tuck their way in and out of traffic. There have been more than a few times when the car I have been riding in has been only inches away from the one next to it, moving at 30 mph down the road. Sometimes there are only inches on both sides of the car. Surprisingly enough, I have not seen many accidents.

Chanda and I had some errands to run today, so we were out and about around 9:00 p.m. We had to give Adam and Colin money so they could survive in Brazil (sounds rough). Actually, I was traveling as Chanda’s muscle. It is fun running around and doing errands. You always stumble upon something new, and there is always a reason to drink coffee, which we did.

We got to Adam and Colin’s hotel room, and they were getting ready to go. Colin still needed to get a steroid shot. The doctor in Chile prescribed this for the problems he has been having with his ear. Chanda, our team nurse, said she was willing to it. However, as she looked into the steroid package, there were a couple of different needles and vials and no directions. A little nervous, she thought it would better if someone else did it. Apparently that someone else was not me.

Moving on, Chanda agreed to go on a goose chase with me. I always like to look for Parkinson’s facilities wherever we go, and Buenos Aires no different. I found a group in Argentina off the www.wpda.org website. They had a chapter here in Buenos Aires, so I decided to track it down. All I had was an address, figuring it was going to be in an obvious place. We arrived at the address, but there was no big sign or anything, just a tall apartment building with a locked security door…hmmm... There was a panel of buttons I could ring to the individual apartments, but I was not sure of the number; all I had written down was 6-9. A young woman was waiting at the door for her mother, so we asked her some questions. She really didn’t know what we were talking about and knew nothing of any kind of Parkinson’s facility here. When her mother came down, she didn’t know what we were talking about, either, and looked like she just wanted us to leave. In fact, she wouldn’t let us in, so we had to leave.

We went down to the local Internet café so that I could verify my information. Apparently what I had written down was correct, but I didn’t know what it meant. Six-9 meant Apartment 6 on the 9th floor. Armed with new information, we went back (only a few blocks). The same lady was there, looking kind of annoyed that we had returned (probably she is the type that just always looks annoyed). Again, she wouldn’t let us in, so we tried our luck at the brass calling panel on the front of the building. We rang what we thought was the correct room, but nothing…shoot!

I had one more address to check out, so we jumped into a taxi and headed across town again. Once more, we ended up at the front of a large high-rise apartment. We meet a few guys at the front door, in coveralls, and they quickly told me that the people we were looking for were on vacation and wouldn’t be back for another month…hmmm. Who was this guy, and why did he know that? He had a cement trowel in his hand and he was working on the sidewalk.

Two strikes, and we figured we’d have lunch,. Later that afternoon in my quest for running shoes, we needed to go back to the first area we were in. Shopper Chanda noticed that there was a Nike outlet there. After buying my shoes, Nick, Chanda, and I decided to give it another go at this apartment. As luck would have it, there was a fellow there that knew exactly what I was talking about. After a quick call, a shaky woman came down the stairs. After exchanging information, she told me that there would be a Parkinson's support-group meeting the following Wednesday at San Nicholas Debario Church. Great; we will see you next week.

This was terrific, as I was well on my way to finding more about the Parkinson’s community in Buenos Aires. She told me there were more than 60,000 people that suffered from Parkinson’s disease in this country alone; wow! We will see what next week brings. This is an interesting city; I look forward to learning more about the city, its history, the Parkinson’s Community, Evita, politics, and immigrant life in this booming metropolis. I am sure the Parkinson’s Community will offer a lot of insight into all of this.

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.

Journal and photo by Adam Burgess

Buenos Aires has proven to be one of the cheapest places on this trip and ironically a nation’s capital. Internet is often an indicator, and at 30 cents an hour, you can’t beat it. When we hook-up online, we often take our laptops because we use Outlook Express to write emails at the hotel, and it allows us to attach photos from the expedition. Usually the process goes something like this: We walk in, bust out the laptops and say “notebook”, or “laptop”, esta possible? They usually say yes and help you connect by offering you the LAN configuration numbers. Other times we just walk in, detach the phone line, check their computer in MS DOS for the numbers, and plug in and roll. Neil pointed out to Nick, Nancy and I that he had found a really large three-floor café that had cheap Internet. We all headed down there, laptops in hand, and walked in. They gave us numbers for the machines, and we went our separate ways. Nick and I were near each other, and I was asking him if he can connect here (he’s a computer nerd and knows everything about them). He asked the attendant if he was allowed, and the attendant said wait a minute I will ask the owner. A minute later he comes back to say that the price to use a laptop would be 10 pesos per hour. Ten times the normal price! Not only was this the first time ever but also the most expensive ever. We didn’t really like that answer and requested to talk to the owner. The guy looked like a German immigrant or a Nazi in disguise, but was from Argentina. He was tall with a square jaw, scrawny and snippy. After trying to renegotiate the price by telling him we are nine people staying for 10 days and would use his service for hours a day each day, he didn’t seem to give. Nick then busted out the Drive Around the World for Parkinson’s story translated through the attendant who spoke excellent English. He was interested, and then Nick remembered that we were in the Buenos Aires Herald that day for our Expedition. We showed him the article, “270 days Around the World”. He fumbled through the words a little, smiled, and came off with a pleasant demeanor, but would not budge. At this point I suggested I’d find another place because it’s not worth the hassle. So, I left and went around the corner 30 feet away, where I was lured in by a sexy woman wearing a billboard that said “Internet 1 peso/hr.” I followed her and entered a tiny little hole-in-the-wall shop run by a young Indian-looking guy. He was very pleasant and even hooked up my laptop for me. Quickly I went back over to Nick and told him to abandon his efforts. He tromped back over with me, and as we left, some guy at the desk said I owe money. I replied, “Por que?” and walked out. Ten minutes of peaceful email checking went by, and then I randomly peered up through the window. Marching into the shop was Heiss and two SS troopers. He barged into the shop and started screaming at me in Spanish. I was so flustered that what Spanish I had learned got me nowhere here. He wanted me to pay for using the Internet. I was totally baffled and angry at the same time that I had little to fight back with. His words continued to fly and morphed into something about “Policia!” I said “fine, Policia por favor!” And he yelled OK and headed towards the door. At this point, Nick was becoming scared and exclaimed, “Adam don’t get worked up, just pay the guy. You don’t want to go to jail over this!” Of course I ignored him and waited for the next entourage of policia. Fifteen minutes passed, and no sign of him. Nick asked me to get Neil to call our shipping company for an urgent message. The problem? Neil was at Heiss’ café. Regardless, I went over there. When I entered, the nazi came up to me and was yelling and demanding his money. Through the occasional moment of comprehension while the moronic English-speaking assistant looked on, I managed to gather that he wanted 1 peso for using the computer. He said that the meter started when we sat down, despite the fact that we never used the thing. I said that was his problem not mine, and then he hit the roof. At that point I had the assistant translate. In the end I was told to leave if I didn’t have any money. I left, went back to the small café, and talked to Nick about it. From our brief discussion I learned that Nick had actually logged on while trying to configure his laptop computer, hence the Internet charge. So after all that I went through, and the surrender pleas from Nick, it was all his doing. Weasle!

For 14 days Colin and I edited together a video for Nick and ourselves in Buenas Aires and a few days in Rio. It’s a concise, five-minute piece that is plastered with “money-shots” and cheesy music. You can see it at www.drivearoundtheworld.com (click on “Movie” at the top).
Once we got started, Colin was a pretty hard worker…I guess he’s just got a bad starter motor. Now we have something to show different people. Recently, Land Rover has expressed interest in pitching the project to several channels and shows. We’ll see what becomes of that one pretty soon…

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 prepares to bid farewell to their vehicles, which will be on a wallenius Wilhelmsen ship for six weeks.]
(Photo by Neil Dana)

While LONGITUDE's 2003 Certified, Pre-Owned, Discovery expedition vehicles are on a Wallenius Wilhelmsen ship for a six-week voyage to Brisbane, Australia, Drive Around the World teammembers are planning separate adventures of their own.

Nick and Chanda, winners of the team's "Hardest Workers" and "Most Appreciated" awards, have rented an apartment in a nice Buenos Aires neighborhood for a month. There, they will work on team sponsorships, fundraising, www.drivearoundtheworld.com, and expedition logistics.

Todd, winner of the team's "Most Underappreciated" award, and close runner-up for "Hardest Worker," will join Nick and Chanda to work on the LONGITUDE Education program. He will also be working on fundraising for Parkinson's Disease. Later, he might visit friends in Chile and will take several side excursions to destinations unknown.

Adam, Colin, and Neil, the "film guys," will hole themselves up in a hotel for several days to edit together some of the footage they have been shooting. Later, they will enjoy Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After Carnival, they will seek out some surfing in a few of South America's hot spots.

While seeking out adventure, Justin will also be working hard on some of the team's media and logistical requirements. First, though, he will visit Brazil and Carnival with the film guys. After that, he will follow his free spirit wherever it takes him.

Nancy is planning to fly to Cairns, a tourist destination located in north-eastern Australia, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. There, she will hole up for a week of editing work before setting off down the East Coast by bike. She plans to bike 1100 miles down the coast to Brisbane on her Santa Cruz mountain bike, camping equipment and gear towed behind in a B.O.B. bicycle trailer.

At the end of March/beginning of April, the team will meet up again in Brisbane, Australia. There, they will have a reunion with one another and with their dearly beloved Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rovers.

Don't stop looking for journals. If all goes well, Nancy will be posting updates and photos from the team as she receives them. If she doesn't receive them, all you readers will continue to suffer with nothing but Nancy's relentless banter to read.

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.