While in La Punta, biking and walking around town, and in Callao, I became facinated with their doors, and the ornate bars which often protect them. I know I have seen an exhibit by some famous photographer somewhere dedicted to doors, and probably doors in Latin America, so I guess I am not alone in my fascination with doors and bars. So, below some images of doors in La Punta (and a couple from Callao).

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Not long after I got back from my trip to Cusco and the jungle, my van arrived at the port, Callao, but still no luck getting advanced clearance with Customs. It was not until the 21st of October, over a month after I arrived in Peru, that I finally got my van, just pathetic. I had already planned that once I was able to get my van, I would move from Miraflores to La Punta, which is adjacent to Callao, the port, where the van was located, and where I still had much business to attend to in trying to get my gear. So, I moved to La Punta.

I had reservations at Villa La Punta, really a bed-and-breakfast, not a hotel, at the end of the peninsula that is La Punta. Place was nice, even if a bit expensive, as cost S/.120 per night, or about US$40, depending on the exchange rate that day. My room was nice, private bath, and a ceiling that must have been 25 feet high. Also, hallway was open to the sky, and the breakfast area was covered, but open-air. Obviously, weather stays pretty nice in La Punta, all year long. Luisa owns Villa La Punta and is very nice, as were Vilma and her son Diego, both of whom live at the property. Villa La Punta is right across the street from the Peruvian Naval Academy, so I figured it was a very safe place to park my van, even if parked on the street. So the day I picked up my van, I dropped it off in front of Villa La Punta, then raced back to Miraflores to pick up the rest of my stuff. I was very happy to get my van, and La Punta was nice, and different from Miraflores, and I was ready for a change. I just did not realize how long I would be there.

La Punta is a pretty exclusive place, even if adjacent to Callao, which is a pretty scary place. There is much security, and you cannot even get into La Punta without passing through a checkpoint. La Punta is dominated by very nice houses, a yacht club, or two, a rocky beach and large intertidal wetland, a huge sea wall and park, many restaurants all serving lots of ceviche, and the Naval Academy. It is a nice place, safe and secure, and it turned out that I met a number of very nice people there. I was in La Punta so long, I made friends, I was basically a resident of La Punta, lovely La Punta.

As it turned out, I spent almost a month in La Punta, and as I mentioned, I made new friends. It was nice to meet people, to be able to hang out, drink a beer or two, to pass the time, and just to chat. I was very frustrated with what had happened in getting my van, and in dealing with trying to get my gear, so making new friends was a welcome distraction. Ricardo Bermudez, though a Peruvian, lived and worked in the US for many years, as did Luis. I enjoyed hanging out with Ricardo, and his lovely family, wife and daughter. Pizza Charlie is from Boston, he runs a small pizza business in La Punta, and Vaughn is a retired Ex-pat who is married to a Peruvian. Elmer runs a small bodega and it was always fun to stop by for a cold Cusquena and visit. I hope to keep in touch with the folks in La Punta, they were, are wonderful people. I also met many wonderful people who passed through Villa La Punta, including a wonderful young German couple (saw them twice, when they began, and ended their visit to Peru, good luck with med school!), a woman from Montreal, some Aussies, more than one couple from Holland, other Germans, a lovely young, Swiss woman, and more. It is too bad that my stay in La Punta was not about enjoying an extended vacation, and meeting some great people, it was about Customs, stupid people, difficult and very frustrating times. I was not happy, but did enjoy spending time with my new friends in La Punta. I do not like Peru, but there are a number of very nice Peruvians, including those I met in La Punta.
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 It was now time for the reason so many people, from around the world visit Peru, it was now time for my trip to Cusco and the Lost City, Machu Picchu.

My trip started with a short flight on StarPeru from Puerto Maldonado in the jungle up into the Andes and the the city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas (I think), and the tourist capital of the Sacred Valley, which includes Machu Picchu. There is lots to say about Cusco, bottom line, I liked Cusco, oh so many tourists, and vendors selling what looks like all the same stuff, probably all made in the "Inca" factory in China, but who cares. I liked Cusco regardless of what is really going on there, really enjoyed my few nights there. The city is an ancient city, but modern in some ways as well. Cusco sits at 11,500 feet (3,500 m) elevation and for some, this is a challenge. So, trust me, take it easy, drink lots of water, and chew coca leaves like it is your job. I spent two nights there before heading to Machu Picchu, to both acclimate to the altitude, and to chill, drink a few beers, eat some alpaca and enjoy being out of Lima and the insanity of customs, my broker, etc. I liked Cusco, though my first night accomodations were less than even I expect for US$25 per night, so moved, Inti Wasi Hotel, bit more expensive, but located between the Plaza de Armas (there is one in every city and town in Peru), and another, smaller plaze, definitely a happening place. There is obviously much history to be experienced, absorbed, Inca and Spanish, amazing cathedrals, couple of interesting museums (Museo Inka and Museo de Arte Precolumino to name two I visited), narrow hilly streets, bars, resaurants, and those ever-present vendors selling lots of Inca crap. I had fun. After two nights, it was then time to head to Machu Picchu.

Most take a train from Cusco (or really Poroy station outside of town) up to Aguas Calientes, otherwise known as the town of Machu Picchu, the jumping off point for the bus ride, or hike, up to Machu Picchu, but I made my arrangements so last-minute, I took a bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo instead, where I would then catch a train the rest of the way to Aguas Calientes. Bus, much cheaper, and not one of those huge Greyhound things, this was a small bus, probably would seat 20 people max, very enjoyable ride one afternoon up to Ollantaytambo.

Ollantaytambo is a small village in the Sacred Valley, with some history, and ruins, of its own. Many stop here, even spend the night on the way to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, I wish I had the time, an afternoon was it for me. I very much enjoyed my afternoon there, there are ruins to see, less impressive than what Machu Picchu has to offer, but with like, 99% fewer people. I hiked up to an Inca food storage facility overlooking town, did not make it to the fort (long story, but some general had the hots for the daughter of the Inca ruler of the time, they had a disagreement, and fortress was build, and defended, and to be honest, not really sure what happened, expect the fortress exists today). And while waiting for my train, wandered around, up alley streets, had a beer, or two, and my first alpaca, in burger form, great. Then early evening, boarded my train for the ride to Aguas Calientes, too bad it was getting dark, and was dark for most of the ride, not much to see. Got into town around 9:30 pm local time, it was raining, this only significant because this was the only time I experienced rain in Peru, and later in Chile, for well over two months. Wandered to my hotel, pretty unimpressive, but again, what do you expect for US$25, and beside, I was just sleeping there, planned to get up very early to catch a bus to Machu Picchu. Off to bed. 

Up just after 5:00 am local time, quick shower, pack, and off to wait in line for a bus, buses start heading up the mountain at 6:00 am. Thank heavens there are smart vendors who get up early as well, able to buy a cup, or two, of hot coffee while waiting in line for a bus. Pretty much all guide services get their clients up early and in line, get up there early before the crowds. My turn finally came, boarded a bus after about a 40 minute wait, and up the mountain we went. 

This is not a history blog, not my job, you can look it up. Obviously, Machu Picchu is an interesting place, first "discovered" by Hiram Bingham from Yale in 1911, Inca city high in the Andes. There is still uncertainty as to why the city existed, but, whatever, pretty impressive no matter that the purpose. For me, was all about the views, the impressive position of this small city on top of a mountain, so steep on two sides that I swear if you stepped wrong, you would plung at least 500 to 1000 feet before you hit something. The views are amazing. The Inca civilization did some cool things, some crazy things as well, they were not necessarily nice people. I enjoyed my time wandering around, and photographing Machu Picchu, but must say, place just gets crazy, and this really affected how I perception of the place. They allow 2,500 people per day to visit, and I swear, by 11:00 am on the day I visited, there were close to 2,000 people, place was just nuts. Was it worth it to visit, yes, should this place be on your bucket list, I am not sure. The views are impressive, the history is very interesting, at least to those who are interested in that sort of thing. But, I am more about natural history, not cultural, human history, and while I am glad I visited, I feel that Machu Picchu, is, well, a bit over-rated. It was an interesting place to visit, I simply feel there are other places on this Earth of more interest to me, places without the imprint and impact of man. This is just me. 

I left the Lost City before noon for the hike down, only bought bus ticket for the ride up, thought I would enjoy the hike down. Hiked down, many stairs, and surprising warm and humid. Got down with enough time to wander around Aguas Calientes a bit, grab a bite, before bording the train for the ride back to Cusco. Aguas Calientes actually pretty cool place, all about Machu Picche, hotels, hostels, shops, bars and restaurantes, all tucked into a narrow valley along very nice river, Rio Urbamba, many riffles and rapids, small falls, high-gradient, my kind of stream. Then around 3:30 pm or so, headed to the train station to catch my ride back to Cusco, or really Poroy station, just west of town. Boarded my train, PeruRail, nice car, seat to my self across the table from a couple of ladies from Peru, not very friendly, but whatever. Very much enjoyed the train ride, though expensive, paid more for my train ride to Poroy than I did for my plane ticket back to Lima from Cusco. Enjoyed the ride, great fun, beer, food, beautiful views as we wandered down the river valley back to Cusco, and, entertainment. They had local dancers, and a fashion show. I enjoyed the ride. I might think in-and-of-itself Machu Picchu is a bit overrated. But if you include a visit to Ollantaytambo, time in Aguas Calientes and Cusco, and the train ride back to Cusco, together, a worth-while experience.

I just could not sit around Lima, Miraflores for days and days, hoping the ship comes in, hoping to work with Customs and my broker to facilitate advanced clearance, I had to get out of town. So, threw together a spur-of-the-moment plan to get to the jungle, part of the greater Amazon Basin, and Cusco and Machu Picchu, all in the same trip. Plan, fly from Lima to Puerto Maldonado in the jungle, spend 4 nights there, then fly to Cusco, get to Machu Picchu, and return to Lima, and then hopefully pick up my van. Got a last-minute ticket on StarPeru to fly to Puerto Maldonado, stopping in Cusco on the way, less than US$100. Also made reservations, again via Booking.com, to stay at a place along the Rio Tambopata a few km out of town, Bungalows Vivencial Parayso. Really wanted to stay at one of the more isolated lodges upriver, really be in the jungle, but these places, very expensive, often approaching US$200 per night (and more), and I just could not afford that. Plan came together quickly, and off to the jungle I went.

Airport in Lima is just nuts, but StarPeru was great, and stopping in Cusco on the way very cool, city in a valley surrounded by high peaks. Plane passes by, then after a steep bank, you are suddenly on the ground, and airport seems like it is in the middle of Cusco. And this flight, almost like being on a bus, as we landed, the flight attendants herded people off, and almost as quickly as more than half the people on the flight deplaned, a bunch of people boarded, were quickly herded to their seats, and we were off. I bet we only spent 20 minutes total on the ground before we were gone, a bus with wings. After a short flight, we landed in Puerto Maldonado, and what a difference. From the noisy insanity and low humidity of Lima, to the heat and humidity of the jungle. I got a kick out of a bunch of tourist from China who boarded the plane in Cusco, obviously after a visit to Machu Picchu; they were wearing down jackets. Baggage came off quickly, and I jumped in my first mototaxi ride of this part of the trip. There are few 4-wheeled vehicle in Puerto Maldonado, the place is dominated by motobikes, scooters and 3-wheeled vehicles they call mototaxis, kind of like a rickshaw with a motorcycle, one wheel in the front, two in back. I was in the jungle, and just excited to leave my hassles in Lima, and get out of town. I needed an adventure, even if just a little one. What an interesting little place, hot, dusty, noisy, gritty port town in the jungle. I quickly felt better than I had in days. I was someplace different, and different is always good.

Puerto Maldonado about 310 miles (500 km) east of Cusco, across the Andes and into the greater Amazon River valley. This inland port city lies at the confluence of two rivers, the Madre de Dios and Tambopata. This "jungle" town of 60,000 people dubs itself the "biodiversity capital of the world", as the town lies close to the Tambopata National Reserve, and the nearby Manu Biosphere Reserve. The Tambopata Reserve is also adjacent to the Bahuaja-Sonene Natural Park, which together protect 3.8 million acres of wilderness. There are 620 species of birds, over 1,200 species of butterflies, a biodiversity rich area which also includes red-and-green macaws, three-towed sloths, squirrel monkeys, red howler monkeys, and many other species. I did not see as many different species as I would have liked, but, I was not deep in the jungle as I would have liked to be.

Got to town quickly, and off to the Bungalows, where Percy was waiting. There are four small bungalows, nice porch, lots of screen windows and mosquito netting and a bath, no hot water, but in the heat and humidity, no problem. Percy also sells beer, and after along journey, and now in the heat, a cold Cusquena tasted great. Had some time, off to town to explore, and get dinner, so another dusty ride in a mototaxi. Puerto Maldonado a bit hard to describe, is dusty, and in the jungle, so humid as well. Looks like most live a pretty hard life, tourism, some logging, and even think gold mining still going on. There was not much to see, or do in town, wandered around, quick dinner, and back to the Bungalows for an evening beer on the porch overlooking the river. I was not in the jungle, mototaxis cruised up and down the road long after dark, but slept well, as I was not in Miraflores and Lima anymore.

I was in the Puerto Maldonado at Percy's place for four nights, three days. Tried to kill myself my renting a scooter one day, let me explore outside of town a bit, hung out in town one day which included an afternoon at the local swimming pool, and went to the jungle one day, trip down river and a hike to Lago Sandovol. Had hoped to visit salt lick and see all the parrots and parakeets which visit the licks at dawn, but couldn't arrange anything, at least not anything I could afford, so settled for a long day trip to Sandovol. We didn't much, a tortoise, a couple of caiman in the lake, some birds, no monkeys (at least not wild), and I saw an agouti while I was walking back with a French woman who booked the same tour. We did not see much, did not seem like the Amazon Basin, but was a very enjoyable day none-the-less. I do need to explore the Amazon one of these days, guess do something upriver in Brasil.

Even if I did not really experience the Peruvian Amazon how I would have liked, I did have fun. And to cap things off, the last evening, just after the sun had set and I was enjoying a nightcap, yes,  you guessed it, another tall Cusquena, I saw some movement at the base of a tree just across the trail which lies between the bungalow and the bank down to the river, no more than 5 m from where I was sitting on my porch. And there, slowly but steadily was a sloth climbing up the tree. I thought about racing inside for my camera, but is was pretty dark, and sloths are not the quickest animals out there, I was afraid if I moved I would miss it. Sometimes experiencing nature is just that, it is about the experience, and not every event can be captured in an image. So, I just sat there, and enjoyed, enjoyed the experience of watching the sloth slowly climb up the tree, cross over into another tree, and then disappear into the darkness of the canopy above. If was nice, just to sit there, enjoy my beer, and watch a very cool animal, an animal few people ever get to see. I had seen, and photographs slots before, in Costa Rica, but is still always nice to see such critters in the wild. In some ways, this event made my trip to the jungle. Now, off to the Cusco and Machu Picchu.

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Ok, title a little harsh, but, based on my experience, 2 months dealing with total incompetence, stupidity, and what I consider to be totally unethical behavior on the part of many I dealt with trying to get my van and my gear, this is unfortunately how I feel. But to my many new Peruvian friends, people I like and hope to keep in touch with down the road, this does not reflect on you, as people, as friends, as Peruvians. But the people I dealt with, in Peruvian Customs (Aduana, part of the largest criminal organization in Peru, SUNAT), my customs broker/clearing agent DASA Logistics, and people who run the warehouses and storage facilities associated with the ports (like Neptunia SA, bunch of total criminals), are Peruvians, so, how I was treated is a serious problem for all Peruvians. The people I dealt with never seemed to get it, I am a tourist, that is all. I did something which I guess the folks associated with the port of Callao, port next to Lima, simply did not understand. Their stupidity, and total lack of logic and flexibility just astounds me. There exist a certain type of corruption associated with the port and shipping, corruption involving customs, the many, and I mean many customs brokers who facilitate the clearing of imports through customs, and the different warehouses and storage facilities where imports reside until they clear customs. I am a tourist, yet I was treated like a criminal, like I was importing something into the country. Every chance I got I asked why I was being treated differently from a tourist who entered the country by driving across the border, from say Ecuador. They just didn't get it, even idiots I hired, whom I paid, my customs broker. I sensed this problem early, when I was trying to get advanced clearance of my van before it arrived in Callao. They, Customs, were asking for information and documentation which was not required based on the information provided in their own regulations for bringing a vehicle into the country as a tourist. Their own regulations state that all is required is a valid passport, proof of ownership (original title), and nature of entry to the country (which in my case was the bill of lading from the shipment), all of which I had all along. You can take care of this at the border upon entering Peru with a vehicle registered in another country in an hour or two; it took me 3 weeks. The process was simply unbelievable, I just couldn't understand how people could be so stupid, just amazing, and expensive, as every day I was delayed, and living in a hotel, cost me money. Now I must be honest, part of the initial delay was the fault of no one, as the ship was delayed 9 days from the initial ETA, but after that, it still took over 2 weeks to get my van through customs. And the crooks who run the warehouse where vehicles go from the port until they clear customs, they charged me US$250 to drive my van maybe 5 km. Plus, my broker was late in submitting some paperwork to customs, and, made a glaring mistake on one document, and one thing I quickly learned is that if you make even the smallest of mistakes, customs agents would find it. It was a very difficult and stressful time, and I was stuck, imprisoned in Peru, and not happy. So, I do not hate Peruvians, but I do hate Peru, and this is unfortunate, as there are many wonderful people in Peru, and there are many interesting places to visit. I was treated so poorly by so many, Peru does suck. The majority of Peruvians, including many who I now consider as friends, deserve better.

The adventure had finally begun, and I was on the ground in Peru, staying in Miraflores. Greater Lima, like many larger cities, is made up  of neighborhoods, or almost separate municipalities, and Miraflores is very popular with tourist. Miraflores sits right along the coast, though steep bluffs separate it from the Pacific Ocean. There are a great string of parks along the top of the bluffs, and occasionally, there are stairs down the bluffs and across a major roadway to the beach, stony beach, but surfer's paradise. The plan was to stay in Miraflores for a couple of weeks until my van, and a bit later, my equipment arrived. But significant problems quickly surfaced, and I will document these in later posts. I do not want to rant on and on about what happened, how I was treated, how much it cost me, and how stupid and corrupt everyone associated with the port of Callao is, but people do need to know some things. The system is broken, and they, customs officials, my customs broker/clearing agent, others, never seemed to understand that I was just a tourist, a tourist who apparently did something so different that the idiots here in Peru simply couldn't understand. Now I am not saying all Peruvians are idiots, I met many wonderful people, people who became good friends. But I could not get officials and even my agent (who I paid) to understand that what I was doing, shipping a van and equipment into the country via a ship, was no different from driving across the border. I was still a tourist, a temporary visitor to Peru, I was importing nothing. I quickly became imprisoned in Peru, for two months. More on that later.

I had made reservations though Booking.com for my place in Miraflores, Casa de Baraybar, one block from the parks and bluffs. The room at first was nice, but small, though they eventually moved me to a nicer room; I never imagined when I made the reservations that I would basically be in Miraflores for almost a month, though did escape for 8 nights to get out of Lima during the continuous delays. The breakfast, included, was fine, and there is a bike path that runs from park to park along the coast, from the edge of Miraflores to Barranco, the next "town" up the coast. Miraflores very middle-to-upper middle class, and has many restaurants and bars, though scattered about a bit. It was a nice place to start, and so happy I brought my bike, let me explore, and also, do business associated with troubles I was having getting my van, and later, my equipment, into the country and through customs. I road places I should not have ridden (according to many locals), I got chased by more than a few dogs, crashed twice, but at least was able to explore. Peruvians are very proud of their food, especially their seafood, which was excellent, but could get expensive eating out every night. And I did discover La Mar Cebicheria, a ceviche place, guess operated by famous chef in Lima, just wonderful, would eat there every Sunday for a month. Basic ceviche dish, S/.30 (that is 30 soles, or about US$10, plus a couple of Cusquenas, my favorite Peruvian beer at US$2.50), very affordable. As you will learn, I grew to hate Peru, but if you have to go there, have to see Machu Picchu or whatever, Miraflores not a terrible place to start, or end your visit.

It seemed to happen quickly, I boarded a plane in western Pennsylvania, stopped in Atlanta, and then 6 hours later we landed in Lima, Peru. It was late, everyone one was tired, and the lines were brutal. I think we all waited in immigration for over an hour, many flights must have arrived at near the same time, it was late, hot, and nobody was in a good mood. But I survived immigration, collected all my baggage, including my mountain bike and SUP without issue, and headed for customs.  Is funny looking back, especially based on troubles I had with customs later, how easy this process was at the airport. You fill out your declaration form, which I feel no one actually looks at, you wait in another brutal line, they scan your baggage, and off you go. Too bad my later dealings with customs would not go nearly as smooth. I had made arrangements with my hotel for a ride, dude hanging out with a sign with my name on it, nice, and 40 minutes later I was checking into Casa de Baraybar in Miraflores. It was late, I was tired, but nice to have a smooth and uneventful trip from the airport. By this time, it was after midnight.  Thus began the Miraflores days, and I mean days, many of them. I was in greater Lima, I was in Peru, the adventure had began, I just did not realize how long it would take to really start the adventure, and get out of Lima. 

Finally, I was ready to go. I had moved out of Maine and put my belongings in storage in Pennsylvania. I had to bounce back and forth a bit to get both my Nissan Xterra and van to PA, but made it happen. I had hoped to have a real shakedown trip out west in my van, but, just did not happen and instead took a leisurely cruise from Maine, through New Hampshire and Vermont and into the Adirondacks. Was nice "camping" in my van, really liked my memory foam mattress. I also was able to stop for a quick visit with my good friends Randy and Grace Fuller who now live a few miles from Hamilton, NY; he is a professor at Colgate, which I attended as an undergraduate. Van ran great, except on the hills, but I was happy to be on the road.  Spent some time living with friends, Doug and Sheila, in the town where I grew up, Grove City, PA (thanks guys!), while organizing my gear and getting some mechanical issues taken care of with the van. I also finished the conversion, painted the desk, bed platform and cabinets, installed the roof rack and awning, and constructed and install the observation lounge. Then, on the 2nd of September, we were off to Baltimore to drop off the van at the port, then spend the night in Baltimore, check out the Inner Harbor, drink a few beers, and eat some good seafood. Things went very smooth with the drop off, showed up on time, met my escort, drove around the huge port grounds in Baltimore, and dropped off the van, no problems.  Doug, Sheila and I then checked into our hotel in Baltimore, had an enjoyable evening, before heading back up north to PA. I was a bit surprised how easy things were with the drop-off; too bad things on the other end were just horrible. Then the next week, they picked up my gear, loaded onto a truck to head to the Port of New York.  Again, I had to ship my van RoRo, which meant that my gear had to ship separately, costly and as you will learn later, created a real nightmare in Peru. And finally, on the 15th of September, Doug drove me to the Pittsburgh Airport, and off I flew for Lima, Peru. The adventure, and nightmare, had begun.

The build , the conversion finished, but there are a few other things to mention, gear inside, and out. I will keep this very short, too many of these early posts just go on and on and on .... There were a few other important pieces of equipment that went into or on the van which I want to mention, so here goes.
1. Roof rack. Bought a great roof rack from Vantech, H1 3 Bar Steel, for Sprinter (US$440).  I needed a rack for my observation lounge and to support my awning. Plus, never know when you might need to lash something to the roof.  Rack went up well, really like the way it attached to the rain gutters, very secure.
2. Portable, 12v refrigerator/freezer, real important piece of equipment, especially if off the beaten track.  Plus, not sure if I have seen any place which sells ice in South America, at least not in Peru. There are actually a number of options out there, choices to make, but I went with an Engel Eclipse MR40F, made in Australia (US$800). Model I chose is 38L chest fridge/freezer, which runs off a car battery. Also, this model has a lid which opens more like your classic ice chest, cooler, which I felt would work better in my kitchen cabinet.  I just hope I actually get to use it, serious issues with Peruvian customs, my customs broker, and just the insanity which is Peru.
3. In order to preserve the charge of the starter battery, I bought an IBS Dual battery system (US$350, about).  Idea here, from the overlanders, is to get a second battery, deep-cycle battery, and use this system to connect the two batteries together, and, protect the starter battery from losing its charge.  A deep-cycle battery is designed to be discharged fully, and then recharge. I will connect the fridge to the second battery, and the IBS system will keep this operational, while protecting the primary battery. Sounds like a great system, hope it works.
4. You got to have some shade, and outdoor living space, so you need an awning. Awning I chose, another product from Australia, ARB, great stuff for the overlanders. I bought an ARB 2500, the big one, 2500x2500 mm (MSRP US$305). It mounted ok on my roof rack, but most of minor issues had to do with the mounting hardware and system used for this awning. Got it work though, and think it will be very cool, and very useful.
5. One very important piece of equipment which many just do not seem to discuss, is the toilet.  I went with a Dometic 972 ( think), portable toilet (about US$80 for 2.6 gal model, US$120 for 5 gal model). Have not used it yet, but I think is very important not to always worry about where to take care of business, and these portable, chemical toilets are supposed to work great. I did also have to buy special toilet paper, and chemicals for the holding tank, but no big deal. I will pee in a bottle as I have done many times before (i.e., in a sea kayak, just cannot always get to shore when nature calls).
6. And to sleep on, I bought a 6" memory foam mattress from Wayfair.com (about US$70), full-sized which I cut to fit my bed platform (70"x43"). I have slept on it a number of times so far, very nice.
7. And lastly, I bought a ladder for the back, in order to get to the roof, and the observation lounge. I was not happy with this company, though ladder fine. When I opened the box, was missing hardware and gaskets, plus, they charge me almost as much for shipping as the cost of the ladder. When I remember the name, I will post later. This total cost, ladder and shipping ended up being almost US$150, way more than I think I need to spend.
There are a few other pieces of equipment which I had, or bought, but those listed above are those more specific for the van.  Below, some images of the equipment.  I "borrowed" these images from the web, mostly manufacturer's web pages, imagine they won't mind, free advertising.  The van was ready to go.

Obviously crucial to this adventure, and beyond, was the van, my Sprinter.  As I mentioned earlier, part of the inspiration for this trip, and hopefully others to follow, are those many individuals who came before me, who bought used Sprinter vans and modified them as RVs.  There are too many resources to name, too many webpages, blogs, and YouTube videos out there to mention them all, so I will only mention a few at the end of this post, a few which might provide ideas and inspiration for others out there looking for an outdoor adventure vehicle. Now, there are other vehicles which would definitely make for a better adventure vehicle (like uh, the new 4-wheel drive Sprinter Mercedes now has), various SUVs, 4-wheel drive pick-ups and campers, but for me, the Sprinter was perfect, high roof made it very livable, and flexible, and the overall size made for lots of options in terms of the conversion. So, I went with a used Sprinter. I bought a used Freightliner Sprinter van in February 2016, from a guy outside of Sanford, Maine. And unfortunately, guy was a criminal, and lied to me about a number of things, such as the noise from the rear end, recent work on the transmission, and code for check engine light. So much selfish, greed these days in the US, I will unfortunately trust no one, ever again. Ok, back to the van. This Sprinter was obviously used, just over 200,000 miles which is a lot for some vehicles, but everything I read suggested this 5-cylinder diesel Mercedes engine good for at least 350,000 to 500,000 miles. Plus, many suggested the automatic transmission also good for at least 300,000 miles or more. I had been looking for a Sprinter for many months, and this was the first one which really fit the bill, used, but not abused (or least so I thought, was fleet maintained, company in Maryland, until purchased by crook in Maine), and affordable, only US$8,000.  I figured I would probably have to put some money into it (which I did), but looked nice for an old van, just beat up enough to be stealthy, yet still something I figured would last for a number of years. The problem was, the former owner lied to me, and well, I had to put more money into it than planned. First, it needed a new rear end (US$1800), and eventually a new turbo (US$2600), along with shocks, brakes, glow plugs, and fuel filter. When all was said and done, I figured I had about US$15,000 in the van, and this did not include additional equipment such as the fridge, roof rack, etc., all of which are mentioned later. This trip was beginning to get very expensive right from the start, but I looked at the van as an investment, something I could use even after the trip to South America, and something I could sell if I wanted to, get at least some of my investment back. Dealing with mechanical issues was expensive, and not fun.  But the build, the actual conversion, now that was fun, even if frustrating at times, and occasionally a bit more expensive than planned as well. So here goes, step-by-step conversion, with a slide show to follow. And as always, if there are any more specific questions, please contact me, and I will see if I can help.
1. Removed bulkhead behind seats, cleaned things up a bit, and removed some random hardware scattered about the walls and floor.  Annoying job, especially removing the bulkhead, with 24 rivets along the top and sides,  plus 10 more along the bottom. Only way which worked for me, cold, steel chisel and a small sedge hammer. Lucking to still have all my fingers.
2. Added Rattletrap to deaden the sound a bit, heavy stuff, and surprisingly expensive. Was easy to work with though, adhesive backing, just cut and stick.
3. Reflectix insulation went next, walls and roof.  I used 3M spray adhesive for this, more difficult than I thought it would be, especially on the ceiling, was difficult to get things to stick.
4. Next layers, denim insulation and plastic vapor barrier.  These layers only went on the walls, not on the ceiling.
5. I put the flooring down at this point, thin, brown, textured rubber flooring ordered from Home Depot.  I used two-faced tape along edges at doors and at the front behind the seats.  Did not stick great, but I did not remove the original fiberboard flooring in the van as I figured this would help with insulation as well.
6. Next came the ceiling vent. I installed a Fan-Tastic Vent, Model 3350 (US$230), 3-speed, power lift dome, reversible air flow, and rain sensor. Cutting a 14"x14" hole in the roof of the van very traumatic, but actually went in great.  And so far, no leaks!
7. And finally, I installed 1/4" tongue-and-groove cedar siding on the walls and ceiling. I first installed 1"x2" "studs" with self-tapping wood-metal screws, these went in very well. I then used a nail gun with #18 (I think) brads and wood glue to attach the paneling to the studs. It was a challenge in some spots, and took much longer than expected, but looked really nice when it was done. The paneling was a bit expensive, but think it looks (and smells) a lot better than plywood. I think things turned out pretty well up to this point.  

The last thing which I needed to do was to build the living space in the van, including the bed platform, my desk, the kitchen cabinet, and overhead storage. While there were challenges, and some things worked out better than others, it was fun, I always did enjoy working with wood, even if I am no master carpenter (Thom from SJC would not really be impressed with the final product). I used mostly popular for much of work, 2"x4"s for the bed platform, and some pine for bottoms and sides of some cabinets when I realized that popular is bit heavy and expensive, pine is light and cheap. Wood screws were used throughout, along with some wood glue to put together all cabinets, and all were firmly attached to the van via self-tapping metal screws. I wanted everything well anchored, do not want a bunch of wood flying around if I happened to have an accident. I tried different closures for the doors before finally settling on hooks and loops, simply, and seemed more secure than other options. I stained the inside of the desk, but everything else was painted nice, bright primary colors.  I did this as a way to celebrate Latin culture, as when I was in Costa Rica for example, many houses were painted bright colors, yellow, blue and green. That is about it for the conversion, the build in brief. I am especially thankful for the help of my neighbor Joe at Shaw Acres in Maine, he really helped out a lot. I also consulted with a number of people, mostly staff in Facilities at Saint Joseph's College where I was working at the time, Chris, Thom, Mike Ward (thanks for wiring the vent fan), and others. While far from perfect, I am really happy about the way things turned out, especially considering that I did basically all of this myself (though thanks Joe), and I generally did not know what I was doing most of the time. I will discuss other aspects in the next post, such as the roof rack, and equipment for inside the van. Below, a few web pages for information and inspiration, and a little slide show starting at the beginning of the build.  As always, thanks for reading.

Resources
Sprinter-rv.com, stealthsprinter.com, traipsingabout.com, sprinter-source.com, sprinterlife.com, and many more, plus lots of cool and informative videos on YouTube, plus a couple of Ambassadors at Outside Magazine who converted Sprinters.
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While logistics of such a trip, planning, and more, very complicated, so many things to think about, to do, thought I would at least touch on a few things which I thought were important.  I must also mention, that some information I will briefly discuss came from others, especially folks like Matt ("Nomadic Matt"), Matt Karsten ("Expert Vagabond"), Dave Dean ("Too Many Adapters"), folks who have way more experience traveling the world than I.  I must give credit where credit is due, though might not be able to do so after every bit I discuss here.  I should also mention that the webpage, "Drive the Americas" is also a great source of information on Latin American adventures, though more about where to go, where to camp, and shipping a vehicle. There are also many webpages and blogs out there, adventurers, overlanders, who provide much information which is often very useful.  I will mention some of them, if I can, as I go, both here in this post, as well as in subsequent posts.  And finally, I will try to keep this as short and sweet as possible, touch on a few key elements, without necessarily providing all the details, that could, would, get boring.  If you would like more information, please leave a comment, and I will try and get in touch.

First, shipping the van and equipment.  Because my van is a high-roof Sprinter van, my only option was to ship RoRo (=roll-on, roll-off).  This can be less expensive than shipping in a container, but, you cannot leave anything in the vehicle, so you much ship your gear separately, which as I found out, got pretty expensive.  Also, not all ports handle RoRo ships, but there are still enough options to work with.  I should also mention that at one point, there was a car/truck ferry between Panama and Columbia, but that was suspended in early 2016.  This sounded like a great option to get around the Darien Gap, without paying for shipping on a boat. But at this point, the future is uncertain, must ship your vehicle between Panama or Costa Rica and South America, at least for now. You cannot drive to South America from the US, you must ship your vehicle, to somewhere. Ok, a few details.  I sent out e-mails to about 7 shipping agents in the US, heard back from only 4, ended up going with All Shore Forwarders, a freight forwarder from New Jersey. Working with them was actually very easy, via e-mail, and things were surprisingly straight-forward. Gave them dimensions and curb weight, plus make and model of vehicle, they sent me a quote, which included their fee, along with port fees, etc., in the US.  Their estimate was what I paid, something like US$2900 total, Baltimore, MD to Callao, Peru. I chose to start my adventure in Peru for a couple of reasons, more on that later. I also considered Cartagena, Columbia, and even Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Costs were surprisingly similar, though Argentina was a few hundred dollars less.  Now, to ship my gear, also very easy, and while the actual cost was considerably higher than the estimate, I guess considering that I had lots of stuff, still didn't seem that bad (until I got to Peru).  The initial estimate, door-to-port (Pennsylvania, USA to Callao, Peru) was US$579.00.  But, after they picked things up and finalized the shipping cost at the port, things went way up, to about US$1100. They added a fuel surcharge, and "packing fee", and a bit more as I underestimated total volume of my gear.  I was totally pissed, but what could I do at that point?  They had my gear at the port, in NY, pretty much had me by the you-know-whats (this will become a theme, especially after I got to Peru).  I went with ShippingQuest, think actually out of Georgia.  I requested quotes from 3 or 4 different companies, and these guys, at least based on my initial contact and quote, seem like the company to deal with.  My bad.  Also, I tried to get at least some idea of estimated costs in the port of Callao, Peru, so that I could get an estimate of total shipping costs, even before I decided to go on this adventure. I could find nothing on Peru specifically (other than a couple of Canadians who shipped motorcycles), so went with cost estimates which others provided on web pages like Drive The Americas, for other ports in South America such as Buenos Aires and Cartagena.  Again, my bad.  The total costs was almost twice what I had budgeted for, but, still felt that the trip was economically feasible, and having my van to sleep in would give me flexibility and save on the cost of getting a room. And having my gear, well, planned to keep busy, biking, hiking, paddling and exploring, plus living in my van, so needed lots of gear.

Shipping clearly the biggest logistical element, but were a few other issues to deal with before heading to South America for 5 to 7 months.  First, there was the issue of insurance, both health insurance in the US, as well as travel insurance.  As I was unemployed, I went through the Healthcare.gov marketplace, got a descent policy, about US$320 per month.  It would go down in 2017 as I still worked for 8 months in 2016 so had income for the year when I signed up. I went with World Nomads for travel insurance, recommended by Nomadic Matt, and others. On paper, seems like lots offered with the policy, and affordable, 8 months for less than US$700.  For details on what is covered, visit their web site.  

There are two more issues which are worth mentioning, as both are very important. First, communication.  I bought an unlocked cell phone, Motorola MotoG (think 3rd generation, but not positive), love it.  Once I got to Peru, bought a local sim card, lots of data, though took me awhile to get right codes to call US.  But, WhatsApp the way to talk to folks around the world anyway, or Skype, either way, no reason to call unless an emergency.  I have been able to maintain e-mail contact with everyone via my sim card, from Claro, works great, and piles of data, for only S/.80 (that is 80 soles, or about US$26).  This is definitely the way to go, and my MotoG works great. I pretty much just used it for e-mail, which worked everywhere, though most of my time was in greater Lima. As for money matters, I went with a Schwab investment account debit card, no international transaction fees, no ATM fees, worldwide.  Has worked well in Peru at every bank except Scotia Bank for some reason, and, can withdraw local currency, or US dollars if you need them. I also notified one of my credit card companies that I was traveling, in Peru, but I have rarely used a credit card, is a cash economy in Peru (found the same thing to be true in Costa Rica to some extent), so really need to find ATMs, which so far, have not been an issue, banks everywhere, at least in Lima and Miraflores.  There are limits to the amount you can withdraw each time, but some banks will let you withdraw more if you go to the counter, present a credit card, can get up to US$600 or $700 if needed.

There are other issues which had to be addressed in the US before I left, but do not want to bore folks with all the details.  Again, if you have any specific questions, please give me a shout.  I will have more information on gear later, some good stuff.  Thanks again for reading.
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First, the justification for this outdoor adventure.  I have already discussed why I was ready to leave my last job at a small college in Maine.  While I loved living in Maine, and had many friends, staff members primarily, at the college, the situation there, the teaching and learning environment, was a joke.  While I felt bad leaving to some extent, knew there would be some who miss me, I was pretty much the only faculty member who was always around, who participated in the college community, both inside the classroom and laboratory, and outside as well, it was time to go.  Also, adventure is good for the soul, and challenge, both mental and physical, is important for continued growth.  I also am a scientist, so I love learning, and am an ecologist, so appreciate the beauty and complexity of the natural world.  So my idea of an adventure is an outdoor adventure.  And, I often think of an old tagline from a Nike commercial, "Life is short, play hard".  I personally have experienced much loss during my life, Father and Mother, and my sister Tracy, friends I grew  up or went to school with, but I obviously am not alone.  It seemed like 2015 was a difficult year for many, I lost a very good friend from my youth, Marc, and heard of others from my past who experienced loss and very difficult times as well.  I was ready for a break, to get outdoors, to get back on the dirt on a mountain bike, to learn to surf my SUP, to challenge myself physically, intellectually, and artistically.  Life is indeed short, and unpredictable, better to go now while I still can, go now before it might become too late.  That is my justification.  

The inspiration for this trip really relates as much to the logistics of such an adventure as to more emotional or even spiritual inspiration that comes from time spent outdoors.  What I mean by this is that I really do not need any inspiration to bike, hike, paddle and explore outdoors, these are part of who I am, who I have always been.  I often would tell my students that if I was no longer able to explore nature, to spend time in the presence of the beauty of nature and natural places, I doubt I would have the inspiration to live.  Being out there is that important to me, so I need little inspiration for an exciting trip like this, exploring Patagonia in particular.  But inspiration did come from the folks who helped provide ideas and tips to help make such an adventure at least theoretically possible.  My inspiration for this trip comes in part from two groups of people, the Sprinter van converters, and the group of adventurers often referred to as the "overlanders".  The first group, mostly people from the US, includes people who also love the outdoors, people who hike, bike, climb, paddle, etc.  Some of the people take up permanent residence in their van, on the road, driving from one little adventure to the next.  Many work on the road, the internet makes many things possible, some even have corporate sponsors such as Goal Zero or NRS which provide some support, while others are weekend warriors or just on a leave-of-absence like me.  Regardless of the what's and the why's, all of these people share a passion for the outdoors, and converting a Sprinter van, with its high roof and roomy interior, makes a great adventure vehicle.  I also like the 5-cylinder diesel Mercedes engine, and, starting with a blank canvas.  Most Sprinters, like mine, are a big metal box with no windows, with a sliding side door and rear doors, a box which you can stand up in, lots of options are available.  And lots of ideas, instructions and inspiration online; there is a Sprinter van community out there.  These can definitely be a tiny house on wheels.  Now, I am no master carpenter, though I can swing a hammer (which I actually hardly ever did, though lots of screws) and measure seven times before cutting once.

My other inspiration is from the "overlanders".  This is an interesting, diverse group, a group which there is no way I can adequately and accurately describe, and I am sure, any attempt to do so would offend most of them.  To generalize, which I tend to do, often with unintended results, this group is all about modifying vehicles which have a range and capability which my Sprinter does not.  These are often 4-wheel drive vehicles, tough trucks, which can go almost everywhere.  Their modifications do still provide tips for me, such as dual battery systems for refrigerators, safety equipment, and other important information for life on the road.  Plus, based on what I saw, and read on the web, this is a tough and resilient bunch, and bet they know how to have fun.  They seem to show little fear, love adventure, and the unpredictable and unexpected, will eat (and drink) almost anything, and do not mind being dirty, uncomfortable and occasionally a bit lost.  Plus, it is all about adventure, outdoor adventure, about seeing and doing, about exploring the new, the different, the beautiful.  I think I will fit in.  I hope to be an accepted member of the overlanders, I like what they do, who they are, what they stand for.  They are an important inspiration for me.    

54 degrees South, expedicion Patagonia

The plan was, is pretty simple, at least in theory.  The plan was to buy a Sprinter van, convert it to a camper, ship it along with equipment and gear, for the van and the adventure, to South America. The plan was to start in Peru (much more on that later), explore, head south into Chile, cross into Argentina, explore much more in Patagonia, and eventually, visit Ushuaia, Argentina, the furthest you can drive south, a city on the Beagle Channel with lies at approximately 54 degrees South latitude. That was, and is the plan.

The plan was hatched a couple of years ago, when, well, I felt that I needed a break. I had gotten pretty tired of my job as a professor at a small college in Maine, I never imagine having colleagues so lazy and apathetic, or a senior staff, including the president, who were so clueless about what is important at a small college. Students do not want $40,000 fire pits, they want great academic programs, professors who are around and who really care, and academic facilities which support the process of learning. The students at this small college deserved so much better than they were getting. Plus, I was ready to do something different, ready for new challenges, so it was the perfect time to take some time off.  I had saved some money, and planning really began two years before I actually boarded a plane for Peru, it was now time for an adventure, an outdoor adventure.

​This was to be an outdoor adventure, and I bought a new mountain bike, an inflatable SUP, and a van, modified so I could live, and work in it while exploring southern South America. The focus was primarily on Patagonia, with the amazing mountains, glaciers, rivers and lakes, wildlife and plants, and an incredible coastline to be found there. I also wanted to get back to photography, and maybe even a little videography, do some writing, and start this blog. I was ready for the physical challenges, and for new intellectual challenges as well. I would explore, bike, hike, and paddle, while writing and photographing to document the adventure, and the beautiful places and landscapes I experienced along the way. The van would give me flexibility to travel, and would allow me to stay in South America longer as I would live in my van, remote camp as much as possible, and avoid hotels and restaurants.The plan would hopefully allow me to explore South America for many months, allow me to spend less time driving, and more time biking, hiking, photographing and exploring. And along the way, I really wanted to improve my Spanish language skills, and many months down in South America would likely make this possible.

So, I planned, saved money, sold a number of things (including eventually my Nissan Xterra), bought a number of things, worked on my van, a lot, packed, moved my household stuff into storage, and by the late summer of 2016, I was ready to go. Subsequent posts will talk more about specifics, including the van conversion and other gear, and logistics, before the adventure really began. I am writing this while still in Peru, La Punta to be exact, so the adventure has technically begun, but as will also be explained later, not all aspects of an adventure go as planned. Thanks for following along.

​Brian C.L. Shelley