Well, here we are at Mision Santa Ana only a few miles from the more
famous Mision San Ignacio Mini near the Rio Parana in Argentina. Tomorrow
we will visit San Ignacio and from there proceed back into Rio Grande
do Sul, Brasil, but first we wanted you to have your first update on
some observations we have made on this trip for any of you who may come
after us. For those who are just joining Caravana, the �we� are Kai
Fremgen and Valeria Babocsi in an 87 Westy, Les, Vicki and Jozey Kovach
in a 76 Westy and Will Foertsch and myself, Larry Calhoun, in an 84
Westy. We and Jeanne Maly, Shay Boswell and Tyler Trotman (who are already
south of us perhaps nearing Buenos Aires) are those who are left over
from the many people who were initially interested in making this trip.
So far we have traveled almost 12,000 miles since Will and I left West
Virginia last July 27th. We left Puerto Cabello, Venezuela on August
28th and except for shipping down the Amazon on a barge, have driven
overland the rest of the way.
The next part of this post will be some things we have learned or
rather some observations we have made along the way that might aide
one in planning such a trip as ours. We all wish we had had the benefit
of such facts when we were in the planning stages of our trip. Well,
for better or for worse here goes. Oh, almost forgot�if anyone wants
to get a biased, prejudiced, very personal view of this trip through
my eyes, he or she may read my ramblings that I often refer to as my
diary at this address:
http://www.hscdataline.com/samtrip.htm
If we ever stay in place for more than two days or if I ever again
get the time, I will add some pictures to the diary. Although the diary
is updated as to the beginning of this month, I have not sent any pictures
to accompany it since we left Manaus on the Amazon almost two months
ago.
Here begin our observations.
DOCUMENTS: As far as we know, no �Certificate of Use� is necessary
in Venezuela nor is a carnet nor a libretta. In Brasil, they fill out
a DSI (Documento Simplificado Importacao) which is your car document.
We have been asked for our international driver's license a couple of
times in Brasil and again the other day in Paraguay when I passed on
a double line and amazingly enough got pulled over by the police�a rarity
in South America.
SHIPPING: We shipped RO/RO (roll on/roll off) which is by far
the cheaper way to ship but in Venezuela because we got linked up to
freight forwarders who had only worked with imported merchandise, we
were charged import duties and taxes and even had to pay a bribe to
an official of the very corrupt aduana in Puerto Cabello before we could
get our vans. In addition, this was a prolonged and very complicated
process. On the other hand, Ron, Jeanne and Tyler shipped in a container
which was twice as expensive initially and more complicated on the Miami
end but ended up being simpler in Venezuela. I believe it all depends
upon the whims and knowledge of the customs agent you choose in Venezuela.
We chose wrong, paid half what they paid but we suffered long days of
frustration in Venezuela.
POLICE CHECKS: There are thousands of these. Usually they just
want to look at your van which is something different to them. They
may ask for the DSI in Brasil�and they may ask for your passport for
which a copy will suffice. Twice we have had to produce the standard
international drivers' license. Always hand over copies of everything
so if they want to keep them, they can. You can always make another
copy at the next copy machine.
CLOTHES and LAUNDRY: Bring gray or earth tones but be sure
and don't forget SPANDEX for Venezuela and SPEEDOS for Brasil. Seriously,
light weight clothing works...shorts and T-shirts and comfortable sandals
are what we wear most. In Venezuelan cities, shorts are not worn but
they are worn by everyone almost everywhere in Brasil. Expect stains,
dingy colors and bleach marks when you go to a lavanderia. Self-service
lavanderias are equivalent in number to UFO sightings. Usually when
you take your clothes in, they won't be done until 24 hours later so
allow for this delay by taking your clothes early in the morning.
ROADS and DRIVERS and CARS: Things that are true: roads in
northern Brasil are pessima (very bad for the most part) and full of
buracos (potholes some the size of Fiats) and the drivers are good but
insane. Don't drive through water in potholes for they may be several
feet deep. If you see greenery lying on a road, treat it as you would
warning pylons since it usually means that there is a truck broken down
on the pavement around the curve. Broken down vehicles almost never
have room to leave the road so they just stay broken down (sometimes
for days) until they are fixed with the driver many times slinging his
hammock underneath at night to sleep .
MORE ROADS, COST OF GAS AND MONEY: Roads in Venezuela are better
and the gas is cheap at 41 US cents a gallon. Gas in Brasil is about
US$3.90 a gallon (increase of 10% yesterday!) which means that for us
each fillup costs between $30-50. Gas in Paraguay is about $2.60 a gallon
and in this part of Argentina a little less but I hear that it is more
than a dollar a liter away from the border area. Best thing is to drive
a diesel engined vehicle�cost of diesel is much less than gasoline.
Roosters wake you up all through the night and of course in the morning
starting at 3AM even in the cities. The people in general have been
extremely helpful and kind to us. Policemen are also helpful usually.
It doesn't matter if you speak the language or not�you will be understood.
You can get money at ATM machines in many cities but sometimes you can't
and many times what didn't work in the morning will indeed work in the
afternoon. The best ATM machines are in Paraguay of all places. You
can get either dollars or guaranies at almost any bank's machine. In
Brasil, I had to go to Banco do Brasil and Will got money from Bradesco.
Plus and Cirrus are the two systems that the machines here recognize.
You can also use credit cards at some service stations but I choose
not to.
Taxis in Venezuela are in general big old American gas guzzlers ranging
from 68 Chevrolets to 79 Dodges all held together (barely) with duct
tape and bailing wire. Cars in Brasil are newer and much smaller. (Gas
is expensive and the roads are so bad the old cars fell apart long ago.)
In Paraguay we saw more Mercedes-Benz than in all the rest of South
America and amazingly we found a German made replacement door handle
in Asuncion at DIESA, the VW dealer, for the sliding door of our 84
Westy�and more important, $20 cheaper than we could get it in the US!
TOLLS: Tolls are charged on many roads in Venezuela but you
never know what the toll is till you get to the booth because it's not
posted before that. Few roads in northern Brasil are toll and they do
tell you the toll beforehand. The only very good roads in Brasil ARE
toll roads. From Curitiba, Parana, to Foz do Iguacu, we paid perhaps
$10 in tolls. In Paraguay, Routes 1,2 and 6 are excellent roads and
all are toll roads. I hear that most of the roads in Argentina are toll.
The one we took today cost us $3.30 and we have only started into the
country.
NO CHANGE ANYWHERE: Change for the equivalent of $15 in Venezuela
or $25 in Brasil is as rare as an Elvis sighting yet when you get money
at a bank using an ATM card it is always given in these denominations!
Brasilian coins were evidently designed by a sadist since they vary
in size by only a 32nd of an inch which means that no one in the country
can distinguish one coin from another without first looking at the denomination.
There are coins for 1 real (30/32�), 50 centavos (28/32�), 25 centavos
(exactly the same size as the 50 centavo-28/32�), 10 centavos (27/32�),
5 centavos (26/32�) and 1 centavo (25/32�) and miraculously they are
all the same silver color. Evidently someone has realized this error
as they are now making new coins that are different colors and slightly
different in size. Too, one must not forget that there are worthless
cruzeiro coins from the last economic plan laying on the ground where
people have discarded them so when you see a coin, don't bother to pick
it up.
LOMBADAS, LOMADAS and LOMAS de BURRO and other things that go bump
in the night: More things that are true: DON'T DRIVE AT NIGHT! Always
be aware of things on the road that move; people, people riding bicycles,
wheeled carts, cows, burros and donkeys. Always be aware of things on
the road that don't move---rocks, dead animals, burned out cars and
stalled trucks. In Brasil there are gigantic speed bumps 4 feet wide
and 7 inches high that stretch from one side of the road to the other
popularly called quebra molas (break spring) but are also known as lombadas
(not to be confused with the dance of the same name). They are called
lomadas in Paraguay and lomas de burro in Argentina. These are placed
everywhere because Brasilian drivers absolutely will not obey any speed
limit sign anywhere. It's not because they are stupid or because they
don't respect the law, it's just because they are all born race car
drivers and they all know it.
That is all I can think of right now that would help the South American
traveler. We will be posting in the future things we have learned that
might benefit those that come here later on. Let us hear from you if
you have specific questions. Will's and my address is: WillandLarry@yahoo.com
Larry Calhoun, Will Foertsch, Kai Fremgen, Valeria Babocsi, Les, Vicki
and Jozey Kovach
