RE: Pub2Pub in the Americas!
Discussion
vsonix said:
I imagine the TVR must have got a lot of attention - I can't see it being on the radar much over there...
You're imagining correctly - there are many double-takes, waved camera phones and thumbs-ups. The Americans in particular loved it, maybe because TVRs haven't been sold in the US since the late '70s, and the Chim is still (just) too young to be imported into The States permanently, so it may well have been the only one in the country, depending on what Canadian Chimaera owners were doing for their holidays during our visit...In other news, anyone fancy an update? Because with 15,500 miles smashed out, we've just completed our second continent. We're currently in Nicaragua, making arrangements to ship the TVR down to Ecuador, ready for the dash to the southernmost pub. So that's Europe and North America complete; roll on November when we'll be picking the TVR up from the port in South America, and hitting the road to the finish line.
And in the mean time, beer. Because we won't be doing much driving in the next few weeks, and we've earned it. Cheers!
fivetenben said:
I'm guessing Guatemala simply wasn't ready for that level of awesome?
In other news, we're currently at the Hotel Brio, in Playa Gigante, Nicaragua, which is owned by Adam - a fellow PHer, who goes by the name of beach kid on here.
It's so cool that even in the farthest corners of Central America, these forums can bring like-minded people together...
An honor to host you and the pub2pub team!In other news, we're currently at the Hotel Brio, in Playa Gigante, Nicaragua, which is owned by Adam - a fellow PHer, who goes by the name of beach kid on here.
It's so cool that even in the farthest corners of Central America, these forums can bring like-minded people together...
We'll be watching out for your updates as we didn't make it past Costa Rica ourselves!
Its a real shame the TVR couldn't make it to CR, as we went to see some friends over the weekend and the roads around Lake Arenal would have been ideal in Kermit!
To any passing PHr's traveling the Pan American Highway, we'd love to share a tale or two over a cold beer at Brio!
Good luck with shipping Ben!
We're looking forward to seeing what your next support vehicle is..??..!!
Happy travels!
beach kid said:
An honor to host you and the pub2pub team!
We'll be watching out for your updates as we didn't make it past Costa Rica ourselves!
Its a real shame the TVR couldn't make it to CR, as we went to see some friends over the weekend and the roads around Lake Arenal would have been ideal in Kermit!
To any passing PHr's traveling the Pan American Highway, we'd love to share a tale or two over a cold beer at Brio!
Good luck with shipping Ben!
We're looking forward to seeing what your next support vehicle is..??..!!
Happy travels!
Cheers Adam, it was great to meet you guys too - thanks for a very memorable few days in Southern Nicaragua. As for the next support vehicle, watch this space ;-)We'll be watching out for your updates as we didn't make it past Costa Rica ourselves!
Its a real shame the TVR couldn't make it to CR, as we went to see some friends over the weekend and the roads around Lake Arenal would have been ideal in Kermit!
To any passing PHr's traveling the Pan American Highway, we'd love to share a tale or two over a cold beer at Brio!
Good luck with shipping Ben!
We're looking forward to seeing what your next support vehicle is..??..!!
Happy travels!
If anyone out there has been trying to visualise the obstacles which are keeping the TVR in Central America right now, here's a map which will hopefully make things clearer:
As the map hopefully illustrates, the first blockage to our passage south is the Costa Rican border. Late last year, Costa Rica began enforcing a law which bans entry to RHD cars, meaning our plucky British steed can go no further, without being trucked across the country to Panama; an option for which the quotes were rather eye-watering.
The second obstacle is one which has been stopping adventurers for decades - the Darien Gap - hundreds of miles of impenetrable jungle which separate Central America from South America, and which have only been crossed by vehicles on a few occasions. Here's a feature I wrote about 'The Gap' before we hit the road:
https://drivetribe.com/p/the-darien-gap-FKCdrtScRa...
The best option to get the TVR past these two obstacles seems to be shipping it from Nicaragua to Ecuador - something we're currently getting set up. So, if it looks like we've ground to a halt, rest assured it's for the greater good, and we'll be moving again on the next continent very soon!
An update for those who are interested - the Pub2Pub TVR is finally en-route to South America.
It's not remotely been plain sailing though!
First, the plan to ship the TVR from Nicaragua to Ecuador, which is described above, fell through when the shipping company cancelled the sailing.
So we decided to bite the bullet and put the TVR on a truck, to be transported across RHD-unfriendly Costa Rica, to Panama.
However, a mistake by the truck company at the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border meant the truck they'd sent didn't have the correct paperwork to take the car across the country. Then, Nicaragua refused the car re-entry too, because it's RHD (despite the fact it had just spent 5 weeks in-country, completely legally).
This left us trapped between borders, and so there followed 8 days of being trapped in No-Man's-Land, living and sleeping in the TVR, trying to find a way out of the predicament. Eventually, a new truck was found, which took us to Panama...
Where the TVR was denied entry, because the Costa Rican customs had contacted the border post and said it shouldn't be let in. Three hours of negotiations got us nowhere... however fortunately, the expedition had some friends in high places; you'd be amazed how quickly the attitude of a border post can change when the Office of the Vice President calls them, 'suggesting' they let in the little English car...
And so, banned in Costa Rica and feared in Nicaragua, the outlaw Chimaera arrived in Panama City last week, to be shipped to Cartagena, Colombia. Where we'll be picking it up on Tuesday, ready for the long drive south.
To celebrate, here are some of our favourite photos from the 16,000 miles covered so far:
Sweeping tarmac beneath the Arctic sun in Norway
Making friends in Aachen, Germany
Dropping into the Koenigsegg factory, Angelholm, Sweden.
Checking out Cuba's unique car culture.
Enjoying North Carolina's glorious, speed-limited Skyline Drive...
Enjoying the total solar eclipse in Tennessee.
Hitting readlines on race day at Amarillo Dragway, Texas
Exploring Utah's Valley of the Gods
Driving dried-up lake beds outside Area 51, Nevada
Shredding the American West with 1,035hp
Hitting 50 degrees C in the depths of Death Valley
Smashing out a dream drive - New York to San Francisco
Driving an aircooled, manual 993, roof down by the Californian coast
Taking part in the world's longest running cars & coffee event, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Chilling by the Pacific, on Mexico's glorious coastline.
Feeling at home as we rolled into Belize in a classic piece of Britain.
Cruising past active volcanoes in Guatemala
Making noise while being filmed on Belize's Hummingbird Highway
Exploring Mayan ruins hidden deep in the jungle.
Carrying out a clutch change in Managua, Nicaragua
Rolling into Panama City; the final stop on the North America continent
So, that's the last two continents. Roll on whatever adventures South America has in store for us...
And if you'd like more regular updates, take a look at www.facebook.com/pub2pubexpedition
It's not remotely been plain sailing though!
First, the plan to ship the TVR from Nicaragua to Ecuador, which is described above, fell through when the shipping company cancelled the sailing.
So we decided to bite the bullet and put the TVR on a truck, to be transported across RHD-unfriendly Costa Rica, to Panama.
However, a mistake by the truck company at the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border meant the truck they'd sent didn't have the correct paperwork to take the car across the country. Then, Nicaragua refused the car re-entry too, because it's RHD (despite the fact it had just spent 5 weeks in-country, completely legally).
This left us trapped between borders, and so there followed 8 days of being trapped in No-Man's-Land, living and sleeping in the TVR, trying to find a way out of the predicament. Eventually, a new truck was found, which took us to Panama...
Where the TVR was denied entry, because the Costa Rican customs had contacted the border post and said it shouldn't be let in. Three hours of negotiations got us nowhere... however fortunately, the expedition had some friends in high places; you'd be amazed how quickly the attitude of a border post can change when the Office of the Vice President calls them, 'suggesting' they let in the little English car...
And so, banned in Costa Rica and feared in Nicaragua, the outlaw Chimaera arrived in Panama City last week, to be shipped to Cartagena, Colombia. Where we'll be picking it up on Tuesday, ready for the long drive south.
To celebrate, here are some of our favourite photos from the 16,000 miles covered so far:
Sweeping tarmac beneath the Arctic sun in Norway
Making friends in Aachen, Germany
Dropping into the Koenigsegg factory, Angelholm, Sweden.
Checking out Cuba's unique car culture.
Enjoying North Carolina's glorious, speed-limited Skyline Drive...
Enjoying the total solar eclipse in Tennessee.
Hitting readlines on race day at Amarillo Dragway, Texas
Exploring Utah's Valley of the Gods
Driving dried-up lake beds outside Area 51, Nevada
Shredding the American West with 1,035hp
Hitting 50 degrees C in the depths of Death Valley
Smashing out a dream drive - New York to San Francisco
Driving an aircooled, manual 993, roof down by the Californian coast
Taking part in the world's longest running cars & coffee event, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Chilling by the Pacific, on Mexico's glorious coastline.
Feeling at home as we rolled into Belize in a classic piece of Britain.
Cruising past active volcanoes in Guatemala
Making noise while being filmed on Belize's Hummingbird Highway
Exploring Mayan ruins hidden deep in the jungle.
Carrying out a clutch change in Managua, Nicaragua
Rolling into Panama City; the final stop on the North America continent
So, that's the last two continents. Roll on whatever adventures South America has in store for us...
And if you'd like more regular updates, take a look at www.facebook.com/pub2pubexpedition
Edited by fivetenben on Saturday 9th December 21:07
Hola!
A quick update - greetings from South America. We're now back on the road, burbling our way south across Colombia, as we get to grips with Pub2Pub's final continent.
Predictably, there was another delay in getting the car around the Darien Gap from Panama to Colombia - this time caused by the ship which was tasked with transporting the car running almost a week late... but two weeks after dropping off the car in the port of Manzanillo, at the northern end of the Panama Canal, we were rolling out of Cartagena, heading south.
Colombia is extremely mountainous, meaning that it takes a preposterous amount of time to get anywhere. Average speeds on many of the main roads rarely break 25mph, due to a combination of twisting roads, crawling lorries and high altitude. So far, we've crossed just over half of the country, and have stopped in Colombia's coffee growing region for Christmas.
We've also been joined by automotive photographer Alvaro Andres Pinzon (www.andrespinzoom.com), who's already got to grips with documenting the TVR's journey across Colombia. Here's a few of his photos so far, taken on the rural backroads around Filandia:
Tomorrow, we're heading south to the town of Cali, to meet up with some like minded enthusiasts - it's good to see that even in this corner of Colombia, car culture is alive and well...
A quick update - greetings from South America. We're now back on the road, burbling our way south across Colombia, as we get to grips with Pub2Pub's final continent.
Predictably, there was another delay in getting the car around the Darien Gap from Panama to Colombia - this time caused by the ship which was tasked with transporting the car running almost a week late... but two weeks after dropping off the car in the port of Manzanillo, at the northern end of the Panama Canal, we were rolling out of Cartagena, heading south.
Colombia is extremely mountainous, meaning that it takes a preposterous amount of time to get anywhere. Average speeds on many of the main roads rarely break 25mph, due to a combination of twisting roads, crawling lorries and high altitude. So far, we've crossed just over half of the country, and have stopped in Colombia's coffee growing region for Christmas.
We've also been joined by automotive photographer Alvaro Andres Pinzon (www.andrespinzoom.com), who's already got to grips with documenting the TVR's journey across Colombia. Here's a few of his photos so far, taken on the rural backroads around Filandia:
Tomorrow, we're heading south to the town of Cali, to meet up with some like minded enthusiasts - it's good to see that even in this corner of Colombia, car culture is alive and well...
Thanks everyone... 
And greetings from the southern hemisphere! We crossed the equator in Ecuador today, and shortly afterwards, we were greeted by one of those moments which stay with you for your entire life; one of those moments it's worth driving 17.500 miles for. Rounding a corner on to be greeted by the mighty Cotopaxi Volcano - all 5,897m of it.
Sometimes, like is awesome. This was one of those moments...
And greetings from the southern hemisphere! We crossed the equator in Ecuador today, and shortly afterwards, we were greeted by one of those moments which stay with you for your entire life; one of those moments it's worth driving 17.500 miles for. Rounding a corner on to be greeted by the mighty Cotopaxi Volcano - all 5,897m of it.
Sometimes, like is awesome. This was one of those moments...
Hi folks... we're getting there...
With 19,000 miles driven since we left the UK 6 months ago, we're currently in Peru, 3,300m above sea level in Cusco, ancient capital of the Incan empire.
The past few weeks have been pretty incredible, and it's safe to say, they've provided some of the best driving days of my life.
Days like Thursday, when we covered 300 miles of from Nazca to near Machu Picchu.
Think perfect tarmac, light traffic, blue skies and roads which could've been designed specifically for a TVR. Think roaring past herds of llamas at 4,500m above sea level, to an almost Tibetian backdrop of snowclad peaks. Think sweeping up endless hairpin bends, and plummiting down into canyons which make Yosemite seem trivial. Think 7 non-stop hours of bounding along at 8/10ths on endless, well-sighted corners, watching one unforgettable vista after another sweep past the bonnet. Think the best bits of the Transfagaran, Stelvio and NC500, all merged together, then thrust into the sky in Peru's mountainous heartland.
All in a car which seems to be quite at home amid the hairpins and drops of the Andes...
The current leg of the journey is being documented by a Colombian Automotive photo-journalist named Alvaro Pinzon ( https://www.facebook.com/alvautomotiv /), and some of the images he's taken of the TVR's passage across South America are truly amazing. For example:
We're currently making pretty rapid progress down through South America, and are aiming to be at the southernmost bar, in Tierra del Fuego, in about a month, all going well.
We'll keep posting about our progress on here, but for more detailed, realtime updates on our progress south, feel free to take a look at www.facebook.com/pub2pubexpedition
With 19,000 miles driven since we left the UK 6 months ago, we're currently in Peru, 3,300m above sea level in Cusco, ancient capital of the Incan empire.
The past few weeks have been pretty incredible, and it's safe to say, they've provided some of the best driving days of my life.
Days like Thursday, when we covered 300 miles of from Nazca to near Machu Picchu.
Think perfect tarmac, light traffic, blue skies and roads which could've been designed specifically for a TVR. Think roaring past herds of llamas at 4,500m above sea level, to an almost Tibetian backdrop of snowclad peaks. Think sweeping up endless hairpin bends, and plummiting down into canyons which make Yosemite seem trivial. Think 7 non-stop hours of bounding along at 8/10ths on endless, well-sighted corners, watching one unforgettable vista after another sweep past the bonnet. Think the best bits of the Transfagaran, Stelvio and NC500, all merged together, then thrust into the sky in Peru's mountainous heartland.
All in a car which seems to be quite at home amid the hairpins and drops of the Andes...
The current leg of the journey is being documented by a Colombian Automotive photo-journalist named Alvaro Pinzon ( https://www.facebook.com/alvautomotiv /), and some of the images he's taken of the TVR's passage across South America are truly amazing. For example:
We're currently making pretty rapid progress down through South America, and are aiming to be at the southernmost bar, in Tierra del Fuego, in about a month, all going well.
We'll keep posting about our progress on here, but for more detailed, realtime updates on our progress south, feel free to take a look at www.facebook.com/pub2pubexpedition
Thanks guys.
We've spent the past few days cruising across the Peruvian Antiplano, at altitudes of up to 4,300m. As usual, the car seems to be taking it all in its stride; even if it doesen't exactly blend seemlessly into the typical antiplano town:
It's not all been pushing on though; a few days ago we took the time to meet up with the classic car club of Cusco - and quite a fine collection of metal they had!:
So all in all, with 19,000 miles completed and 6,000 still to go, Pub2Pub continues to be a petrolhead's dream trip.
And what's next? Why, our very own Bolivia Special... bring on the Death Road!
We've spent the past few days cruising across the Peruvian Antiplano, at altitudes of up to 4,300m. As usual, the car seems to be taking it all in its stride; even if it doesen't exactly blend seemlessly into the typical antiplano town:
It's not all been pushing on though; a few days ago we took the time to meet up with the classic car club of Cusco - and quite a fine collection of metal they had!:
So all in all, with 19,000 miles completed and 6,000 still to go, Pub2Pub continues to be a petrolhead's dream trip.
And what's next? Why, our very own Bolivia Special... bring on the Death Road!
So it's been an eventful few days, here on Pub2Pub. First, on Wednesday, there was Bolivia's world famous Death Road, which turned out to be not quite so deadly as its reputation implies...:
(photos by Alvaro Andres Pinzon Photography)
And then, on Saturday, we drove the equally famous Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia's mind-warping salt flats, which cover an area half the size of Northern Ireland:
As it's rainy season, the salt flats were flooded at the time of our visit, meaning we had to ford several small rivers to get onto the flats - a nerve-wracking experience in the TVR. However, we were rewarded with the chance to drive on the world's largest mirror; as when flooded, the surface of the Salar reflects the sky, the horizon disappears, and a strange sensation overcomes you, as if you're driving through the sky itself... definitely a memory to cherish! More pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/Pub2PubExpedition/posts/1...
(photos by Alvaro Andres Pinzon Photography)
And then, on Saturday, we drove the equally famous Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia's mind-warping salt flats, which cover an area half the size of Northern Ireland:
As it's rainy season, the salt flats were flooded at the time of our visit, meaning we had to ford several small rivers to get onto the flats - a nerve-wracking experience in the TVR. However, we were rewarded with the chance to drive on the world's largest mirror; as when flooded, the surface of the Salar reflects the sky, the horizon disappears, and a strange sensation overcomes you, as if you're driving through the sky itself... definitely a memory to cherish! More pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/Pub2PubExpedition/posts/1...
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