This time I wanted cross both Americas by land and sea only, from south to north. New World is a new challenge. It is no the same as in Asia, where each border crossing was like to enter to the different reality - here is not so big contrast. This, however, also has its advantages, because if you learn the basics of Spanish and English language, it will be able to easily communicate with the local community for almost any latitude and longitude of both American continents. An additional advantage for the explorers is the lack of visa requirements for most countries, which greatly simplifies and reduces the cost of organizing the trip.
Route - from south of South America (Tierra del Fuego) up to north of North America (Alaska). Index of visited countries (some of them more then once): Argentina – Chile – Uruguay – Bolivia – Peru – Brazil – Venezuela – Colombia – Panama – Costa Rica – Nicaragua – Honduras – El Salvador – Guatemala – Belize – Mexico – United States – Canada.
Period - 13 January 2004 – 1 August 2004 (6.5 months – 202 days).
Team - in Peru (from Arequipa to Huaraz) for one month with 2 friends, the rest of the route alone.
Additional Information -
initially I wanted to start the journey from Puerto Williams on the Chilean island of Navarino, which claim with Ushuaia to be called the southernmost inhabited settlements in the world. Without a doubt, Puerto Wiliams lies more in the south, but it is like a military barracks town. Difficulty to find the yachts to the island make me then I started the journey from Tierra del Fuego, deciding that the beginning and end of my route would be the Panamericana Road.
Since then the local will not recognize you as a Europeans - if you are "white", your name is "gringo" (Latin America). Get used and accept, it is not a bad meaning anymore.
On the route of America I've seen remainders of 3 major civilizations: Mayan, Inca and Aztec. In museums and ruins I could partly understand their astronomical, mathematical, and agricultural knowledge and had a chance to admire their sculptures and buildings - impressive if you know that these wonders were created without the use of metal tools, without the knowledge of wheel and did not use animals for transport purposes. All these aspects are closely linked with religion.
South and Central America is crazy about football, here that is something more than sport. In 1969, tense atmosphere of the match between El Salvador and Honduras has given beginning of the war. Was a good experience to stay with fans after a winning some game in TV.