[Purple Urkle]

Fuck it, you only live once and I'm gonna' charge it. Driving the Pan American Highway all the way to Colombia. Been studying/researching the route for awhile, got good info. Drive during the day. Its safe. However, shit happens. No gurantees.

Need a semi-fluent Spanish speaking wing-man. Will take you to any city in Colombia from U.S. for $500 gas contribution (no, you don't need to "send it to me in advance," this is not a scam). C'mon, thats $75 per country!

I'm in North Carolina now. Driving to California (beginning June 28) via I-40 for 4th of July (leave California for Tijuana border crossing July 10... going down Baja to Cabo and then hopping the ferry to mainland Mex.).

Trip from U.S. will take three weeks. Not in a hurry (might stop a few times just to surf in Mex., Nicaragua, Costa Rica and/or Panama). Have friends along route in Cabo San Lucas, mainland Mex., Nica and Costa. Two of them have driven it and say the trip is a once in a lifetime positive.

ABOUT ME: I'm goin' down there to buy some acerage (10+ acres) within an hours drive of one of Colombia's five major cities (whichever city I wind up liking the most). 43, look 35, tall, lame game but somehow I pull it in anyway. I have fun and get it done. Not the life of the party but certainly am not dead weight either. Easy going.

SIDE BAR: [Will be a Colombia major city-to-major city taxi for Roosh Forum participants exclusively in Aug./Sept. 2011 for 100 bucks a day plus gas. Have a killer all-wheel drive van with smokin' AC and sattelite radio.]

I'm gonna' try and bang one chick in every country on the way down. In honor of this magic forum of love, sabatoge, debauchery and anti-marriage death fun I might even impose a rule on myself that I can't leave a country until I get my flag. I might get stuck in Honduras under this paradigm though, my game is average, my spanish sucks, and the chicks there are butt-butter faced.

I'm a surfer/musician with a two-pound miniature Chihuahua, just that dog alone will get you blown in Mex. Chicks freak.

Love all your posts. Will return the favor with updates and data sheets along the way.

God Speed.

[whosyourdaddy]

Aren't you aware of the Darien Gap? There is no road that connects Panama and Colombia. Plus i have to honestly tell you that driving will be a very risky and costly endeavor.

Even if you ferry your car by boat around the Darien Gap to Cartagena, driving in Colombia isn't a walk in the park either. Going by plane really is a much better idea, or you could go by bus, once you cross the Mexican border.

[mojodrew]

(06-10-2011 01:28 AM)whosyourdaddy Wrote:  

Aren't you aware of the Darien Gap? There is no road that connects Panama and Colombia. Plus i have to honestly tell you that driving will be a very risky and costly endeavor.

Even if you ferry your car by boat around the Darien Gap to Cartagena, driving in Colombia isn't a walk in the park either. Going by plane really is a much better idea, or you could go by bus, once you cross the Mexican border.

love the idea, but logistically colombia is a bad country to do driving in... all those mountains make it great for narcotraficantes, but not tourists

[Purple Urkle]

(06-10-2011 01:28 AM)whosyourdaddy Wrote:  

Aren't you aware of the Darien Gap? There is no road that connects Panama and Colombia. Plus i have to honestly tell you that driving will be a very risky and costly endeavor.

Even if you ferry your car by boat around the Darien Gap to Cartagena, driving in Colombia isn't a walk in the park either. Going by plane really is a much better idea, or you could go by bus, once you cross the Mexican border.

I take it you're not riding with me!

I hear ya', its all true. Thanks for the input. Nothing good comes easy. Its just an adventure. Stuff goes wrong, but a lot goes right when you jump knowing somekind of net will appear. You may be right. If I'm not feeling it at Panama City I may store the van, fly in, scope it, and then return for the van.

Anyhow, I don't have good luck, but I certainly don't have bad luck either. Have traveled the world for 20 years without incident. I'm a surfer, one who has gone to great lengths and assumed great risk to ride perfect waves in remote locations.

People also say Mex. is sketch but I know people who do it all the time... and ya know, in a 10 year period I personally know nine people who have been held at gun point in Los Angeles... I mean, what's that all about? Don't tell the Chinese or they'll stop coming to Disneyland.

I just saw two episodes of Locked Up Abroad that took place in Colombia... scary shit, but I have to say they were asking for it by being pretty stupid (one tried to hike the Darien Gap from Panama into Colombia and the other was a blonde So. Cal. millionare thinking he was Virgin's Sir Richard and riding a brand new BMW motorcycle complete with a $2,000 gortex rape-me gringo suit south of Cali trying to get to Ecuador).

In the 90's I knew a girl who three years in a row drove solo from California to Brazil buying and shipping womens clothes home along the whole route, she then sold her Toyota corolloa once she got there doubling her money on the car, she'd fly home and then spend the rest of the year peddling her wares at flea markets and swap meets. Cash in and do it again. I hear its much safer now.

Peace.

[Purple Urkle]

(06-10-2011 01:18 PM)mojodrew Wrote:  

(06-10-2011 01:28 AM)whosyourdaddy Wrote:  

Aren't you aware of the Darien Gap? There is no road that connects Panama and Colombia. Plus i have to honestly tell you that driving will be a very risky and costly endeavor.

Even if you ferry your car by boat around the Darien Gap to Cartagena, driving in Colombia isn't a walk in the park either. Going by plane really is a much better idea, or you could go by bus, once you cross the Mexican border.

love the idea, but logistically colombia is a bad country to do driving in... all those mountains make it great for narcotraficantes, but not tourists

Aren't there main arteries between Bogota and Cartagena, Cartagena and Santa Marta, and Bogota and Medellin (yeah, I might skip the Medellin to Cali corridor) that are safe-ish because they are heavily traveled by buses, 18 wheelers and Colombians driving for business/pleasure? Can't I just get off the ferry from Panama, pull out of Cartagena early in the morning for Bogota (or Barranquilla) behind some big 18 wheeler or bus and ride their tale all the way there?

My plan is not to hit the "side roads" and small towns, but to get to a major city, stash the vehicle at a Hilton or some other four star, pay the desk/security guard for vehicle parking (or whatever), put my club lock on the stearing wheel, check my tire's locking lug bolts, engage my electrical system kill switch, empty the contents of the van, roll the windows down (so they don't break them... the message being "go ahead, take a look, nothing here to steal"), leave a message in spanish that says "Vehicle disabled, will not start," and just have the car in the wing for day game. [If my rig gets ripped it won't be the end of my world, its paid for. I could probably only sell it here in the states for 4 or 5 grand].

I've found that in Costa Rica, Mex. and Nicaragua that having a car doubles your flags. Most people under 30 down there don't have a car so it really is a novelty. To be able to meet a chick and have the power to take her somewhere she's never been inside her own country has worked well for me. Of course, having North Carolina tags is not, and never will be cool down in Colombia I'm sure, so you just have to keep it moving which is, after all, the whole point of me having a car down there (to get many flags while shopping Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and hopefully Colombia for cheap acreage).

In addition, its $400+ a week to rent a car in Central/Latin America and my Spanish isn't all that hot, so I prefer to have the power of a vehicle on my side down there (although, you may wind up being 100% right, only time will tell, I'll let you know how it goes).

I've got plenty of time, which is perhaps the safest ingredient of all because when you have time you never have to rush. Be methodical, plan ahead, don't be afraid to turn back, and don't panic if someone puts a gun to your head... if its over, its over.

The Colombians in the Locked Up Abroad episodes that I referenced in my previous post didn't kill the Americans mentioned, however, they did whip up mock executions several times (for the BMW dweeb they even went so far as to dig his grave and march him to it) just to watch them pee their pants (Beemer dude actually did). Why did they do that? It seemed out of sheer boredom, animalism and the thrill of laughing hysterically with no sense of irony at some jackass Americans.

If they catch me, they win. If not, I'm gonna' plunder Pereria in my mock fur Astro stabbin' cabin. Its war, man. If they're gonna' kill me then the least I can do is take down a few pablado telenovela psycho-whores on the way out (even though Mixx says thats impossible).

P.S. I'm also gonna' rig the ride with stealth game cameras so I've got the pirates on film (and/or the hotties I bag in the van).

[FilMor]

(06-10-2011 05:21 PM)Purple Urkle Wrote:  

(06-10-2011 01:18 PM)mojodrew Wrote:  

(06-10-2011 01:28 AM)whosyourdaddy Wrote:  

Aren't you aware of the Darien Gap? There is no road that connects Panama and Colombia. Plus i have to honestly tell you that driving will be a very risky and costly endeavor.

Even if you ferry your car by boat around the Darien Gap to Cartagena, driving in Colombia isn't a walk in the park either. Going by plane really is a much better idea, or you could go by bus, once you cross the Mexican border.

love the idea, but logistically colombia is a bad country to do driving in... all those mountains make it great for narcotraficantes, but not tourists

Aren't there main arteries between Bogota and Cartagena, Cartagena and Santa Marta, and Bogota and Medellin (yeah, I might skip the Medellin to Cali corridor) that are safe-ish because they are heavily traveled by buses, 18 wheelers and Colombians driving for business/pleasure? Can't I just get off the ferry from Panama, pull out of Cartagena early in the morning for Bogota (or Barranquilla) behind some big 18 wheeler or bus and ride their tale all the way there?

My plan is not to hit the "side roads" and small towns, but to get to a major city, stash the vehicle at a Hilton or some other four star, pay the desk/security guard for vehicle parking (or whatever), put my club lock on the stearing wheel, check my tire's locking lug bolts, engage my electrical system kill switch, empty the contents of the van, roll the windows down (so they don't break them... the message being "go ahead, take a look, nothing here to steal"), leave a message in spanish that says "Vehicle disabled, will not start," and just have the car in the wing for day game. [If my rig gets ripped it won't be the end of my world, its paid for. I could probably only sell it here in the states for 4 or 5 grand].

I've found that in Costa Rica, Mex. and Nicaragua that having a car doubles your flags. Most people under 30 down there don't have a car so it really is a novelty. To be able to meet a chick and have the power to take her somewhere she's never been inside her own country has worked well for me. Of course, having North Carolina tags is not, and never will be cool down in Colombia I'm sure, so you just have to keep it moving which is, after all, the whole point of me having a car down there (to get many flags while shopping Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and hopefully Colombia for cheap acreage).

In addition, its $400+ a week to rent a car in Central/Latin America and my Spanish isn't all that hot, so I prefer to have the power of a vehicle on my side down there (although, you may wind up being 100% right, only time will tell, I'll let you know how it goes).

I've got plenty of time, which is perhaps the safest ingredient of all because when you have time you never have to rush. Be methodical, plan ahead, don't be afraid to turn back, and don't panic if someone puts a gun to your head... if its over, its over.

The Colombians in the Locked Up Abroad episodes that I referenced in my previous post didn't kill the Americans mentioned, however, they did whip up mock executions several times (for the BMW dweeb they even went so far as to dig his grave and march him to it) just to watch them pee their pants (Beemer dude actually did). Why did they do that? It seemed out of sheer boredom, animalism and the thrill of laughing hysterically with no sense of irony at some jackass Americans.

If they catch me, they win. If not, I'm gonna' plunder Pereria in my mock fur Astro stabbin' cabin. Its war, man. If they're gonna' kill me then the least I can do is take down a few pablado telenovela psycho-whores on the way out (even though Mixx says thats impossible).

P.S. I'm also gonna' rig the ride with stealth game cameras so I've got the pirates on film (and/or the hotties I bag in the van).

Lmao

[Purple Urkle]

(06-11-2011 09:49 PM)FilMor Wrote:  

(06-10-2011 05:21 PM)Purple Urkle Wrote:  

(06-10-2011 01:18 PM)mojodrew Wrote:  

(06-10-2011 01:28 AM)whosyourdaddy Wrote:  

Aren't you aware of the Darien Gap? There is no road that connects Panama and Colombia. Plus i have to honestly tell you that driving will be a very risky and costly endeavor.

Even if you ferry your car by boat around the Darien Gap to Cartagena, driving in Colombia isn't a walk in the park either. Going by plane really is a much better idea, or you could go by bus, once you cross the Mexican border.

love the idea, but logistically colombia is a bad country to do driving in... all those mountains make it great for narcotraficantes, but not tourists

Aren't there main arteries between Bogota and Cartagena, Cartagena and Santa Marta, and Bogota and Medellin (yeah, I might skip the Medellin to Cali corridor) that are safe-ish because they are heavily traveled by buses, 18 wheelers and Colombians driving for business/pleasure? Can't I just get off the ferry from Panama, pull out of Cartagena early in the morning for Bogota (or Barranquilla) behind some big 18 wheeler or bus and ride their tale all the way there?

My plan is not to hit the "side roads" and small towns, but to get to a major city, stash the vehicle at a Hilton or some other four star, pay the desk/security guard for vehicle parking (or whatever), put my club lock on the stearing wheel, check my tire's locking lug bolts, engage my electrical system kill switch, empty the contents of the van, roll the windows down (so they don't break them... the message being "go ahead, take a look, nothing here to steal"), leave a message in spanish that says "Vehicle disabled, will not start," and just have the car in the wing for day game. [If my rig gets ripped it won't be the end of my world, its paid for. I could probably only sell it here in the states for 4 or 5 grand].

I've found that in Costa Rica, Mex. and Nicaragua that having a car doubles your flags. Most people under 30 down there don't have a car so it really is a novelty. To be able to meet a chick and have the power to take her somewhere she's never been inside her own country has worked well for me. Of course, having North Carolina tags is not, and never will be cool down in Colombia I'm sure, so you just have to keep it moving which is, after all, the whole point of me having a car down there (to get many flags while shopping Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and hopefully Colombia for cheap acreage).

In addition, its $400+ a week to rent a car in Central/Latin America and my Spanish isn't all that hot, so I prefer to have the power of a vehicle on my side down there (although, you may wind up being 100% right, only time will tell, I'll let you know how it goes).

I've got plenty of time, which is perhaps the safest ingredient of all because when you have time you never have to rush. Be methodical, plan ahead, don't be afraid to turn back, and don't panic if someone puts a gun to your head... if its over, its over.

The Colombians in the Locked Up Abroad episodes that I referenced in my previous post didn't kill the Americans mentioned, however, they did whip up mock executions several times (for the BMW dweeb they even went so far as to dig his grave and march him to it) just to watch them pee their pants (Beemer dude actually did). Why did they do that? It seemed out of sheer boredom, animalism and the thrill of laughing hysterically with no sense of irony at some jackass Americans.

If they catch me, they win. If not, I'm gonna' plunder Pereria in my mock fur Astro stabbin' cabin. Its war, man. If they're gonna' kill me then the least I can do is take down a few pablado telenovela psycho-whores on the way out (even though Mixx says thats impossible).

P.S. I'm also gonna' rig the ride with stealth game cameras so I've got the pirates on film (and/or the hotties I bag in the van).

Lmao

R U the guy who drives 110 with open containers? Nice.

[thegmanifesto]

If you go to Cabo, is there a ferry over to the mainland?

I have many friends that have driven to Cabo, I would say there is a 10% chance of failure.

As far as driving through Central America, get yourself fired up for the border crossings.

You have to keep us updated on this trip for sure.

[Gmac]

A friend of mine was tagged in this video a while back. Seemed like a bad ass trip and they did a good job on the vid.

http://www.vimeo.com/13066438

I wish I could go, good luck!

[Purple Urkle]

(06-12-2011 09:22 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

If you go to Cabo, is there a ferry over to the mainland?

I have many friends that have driven to Cabo, I would say there is a 10% chance of failure.

As far as driving through Central America, get yourself fired up for the border crossings.

You have to keep us updated on this trip for sure.

I too know several friends, some young, some old, some speak spanish, some don't, who drive to Cabo all the time without incident. Two friends I know live in mainland and drive that route twice annually as well. Yes, there is a ferry from La Paz I beleive that goes to the mainland for about a 100 or so bucks. (It looks like I'm gonna' be solo, so I might skip the California Fourth/Baja leg of the tour idea and head straight from NC down through Corpus Christi Texas crossing into Mex. at Brownsville).

I have found loads of great books on the subject: Central and South America by Road (Brandt); 99 Days to Panama (an old Texan couple in 2005 with their dog in an RV charging hard without incident down side roads to find out of the way pyramids, ruins, beaches, villages, etc... a bit SCARY if you ask me, I'm gonna' stick to the main arteries); Driving the Pan American Highway (Howard); Overland: A Mercedes-Benz Journey Through the Americas (Stroh) [this guy was super knarly just 4-wheeling out in the middle of nowhere with 9 G's cash hidden throughout his vehicle... granted he did skip Colombia shipping his car at a cost of 900 bucks from Panama City to Ecuador]. Like the chick I mentioned previously who drove to Brasil three times in the mid-90's I'll be on a car/passenger ferry from Colon to Cartagena for about $150 bucks.

Yeah, it seems the border crossings can be hit and miss in terms of cost, ease and time. A crossing can be effortless one time and a hassel the next. One guy I know got hasseled crossing from Guatemala into Honduras because he had been eating snap peas and throwing their stems down onto his floorboard. The border agents saw the stems and insisted that they were from mota. His spanish sucked so it cost him 100 bucks to be on his way. This was the only bribe he paid in two months driving from So. Cal. to Costa Rica and back.

I'm starting to think about going all the way to Uruguay just for the hell of it... I hear its cheap, safe, and beautiful (least populated south american country). However, gotta get through Venezuela (maybe not too quickly though with 7 cent a gallon gasoline).

Anyone know anything about the chicas in Montevideo, Uruguay? They gotta' be righteous too, they're surrounded by Brazilians and Argentinians.

Thanks for the input. I will definately keep you posted.

[Purple Urkle]

(06-12-2011 10:20 AM)Gmac Wrote:  

A friend of mine was tagged in this video a while back. Seemed like a bad ass trip and they did a good job on the vid.

http://www.vimeo.com/13066438

I wish I could go, good luck!

Cool vid! Thanks.

If all goes well and I have the time of my life in "relative" safety I'll be doing it again in a year or two so you can hop in then! Dig some of your posts/threads, thank you for sharing the insight(s).