Packing

Reverse-Houdini scenes this afternoon as I tried to cram all of this stuff into my rucksack.

Sleeping and anti mosquito gear

Media and lights

Shoes

Map & Compass

Sponsors stuff to adorn the mototaxi

Tools

Something to wear

Socks, gloves, hi-vis top

All unfeasibly wedged into here

Somehow or other, it is all in. The problems will arise if I ever need to get anything out.



Presents for the locals

Thanks to Aston Villa Football Club we'll be able to hand out pens, badges and signed team photos to people we meet on the journey. I received a sensible sized package at the weekend, which I should be able to squeeze into the rucksack. Many Peruvians will remember their hero Nolberto Solano playing for the club, so there should already be a bit of an affinity, which we look to build upon on the trip. Its nice to have something to give, however small, when being a guest in a country.

In 16 days we'll be airbourne...

So much going on now it is unbelievable, and time is closing in fast.

A quick round up:

*We've another sponsor on board, with a nice parcel arriving yesterday morning, containing things we can share with Peruvian folk we encounter on the journey - more on that in a separate blog post shortly.

*Our existing sponsor, ekit, has generously given us even more credit on our SIM card, which will mean we can get "cell-tower-triangulated" five times per day and provide regular updates of progress via SMS (subject to getting a signal)

*We finally booked up local flights (after a bit of a scare when the original airline we'd looked at had run out of seats. For a while we were staring down the barrel of flying with a company that translates as "small wardrobe".

*Chris has booked us up some accomodation in Cuzco, where we can settle in, acclimatise and use as a base whilst we sort out collecting the mototaxi and the various bits and bobs we'll need to maintain it.

*Chris has also sorted out his yellow fever jab - which is good, because without it he'd have been refused entry to the country.

*I have sorted my International Driving Permit, without which I'd be scuppered, and have to pay a fortune in bribes (might need to do that anyway, but there's one less reason to fine us now)

*And in In Peru news - it has just overtaken Columbia as the worlds biggest cocaine producer, so it adds that nice element of added peril to the trip as DEA and Mexican druglords all ramp up their respective efforts.

Still a fair bit to do, including booking up a quick trip to Machu Picchu the day after we arrive - it wou;d be rude not to.

More soon...

Keeping in touch - with ekit

The past 7 days has been particularly exciting, as we have a new sponsor on board. I have been in discussion with Rowena at ekit about getting a mobile phone, SIM card, and most importantly some sort of tracking service. What we've ended up with, thanks to ekit, is all three!

Yesterday I took delivery of this little number, which is now charged up and raring to go. On the face of it, it looks like a pretty basic mobile phone; but its what it can do that is the most exciting thing. This phone is cleverly linked up to a service called Travel Journal, which should be able to provide our followers the ability to follow our progress on the trip, pretty much in real-time

It is configured so that at various points during each day, the Travel Journal will try to 'locate' us. It does this using "cell tower triangulation". Anyone who's watched Jack Bauer in 24 will know the drill!

In doing this, it will plot us pretty accurately on a map; so even if we are totally lost and haven't a clue where we are - our followers at home will actually be able to tell!

The service will do this at least once per day, and we may configure it to do so more often. Likewise, we will be able to send SMS messages, and these too will appear on our Travel Journal, with a pinpoint to show where we were at the time we sent the message.There's lots more to it as well - and you'll see details of the functionality emerging on this site in the next couple of weeks, as we get our final preparations done.

A big thank-you to ekit for making this possible (I recommend other travellers take a look at the ekit website, they do some good quality and value SIMS and phones), and to Rowena for being so helpful. I expect our mothers in particular will be especially pleased to be able to find out where we are!

The "30 days and counting" interviews

With just 30 days until departure, let’s find out the team mates are getting on...

Have you got much left to do before leaving for Peru?

Chris: Far too much. I am still unsure what jabs etc to get, I haven't thought about what to take and my Spanish is at a level where I could just about order a beer (i.e. not up to reuesting a new clutch cable), so it'd be good to learn a few vital phrases! On the plus side, we now have the tickets, international drivers permits, passports ... and I hope a moto-taxi (though unconfirmed!)

Rich: Whenever I am asked about this or even think about it, I think “nah, not much left to do really”.  But when I list out the “couple of logistical things still to sort out” it ends up becoming a pretty big list including; buy malaria tablets, get international driving permit, work out how I’m getting to the airport, get Peruvian currency, re-learn how to ride a motorbike, learn how to speak spanish, get maps/think about a proper route, read up about the country, see if I can sort out a quick trip up Macchu Picchu before we start, raise lots of money for charity, decid if there’s room to take a tent….it goes on. So there’s a tonne of stuff to do, but in truth we could just go tomorrow and have a good stab at it, so I’m not phased by it.

Any more thoughts about the route you’re going to take?

Chris: North. Through the hilly cold bits, jungly wet bits and flat dry bits.

Rich: not really. The wet season in Peru is pretty genuinely wet, so mother nature will have the biggest say in the route we take (with roads often impassable or washed away altogether). I am eager to make sure we stay off the beaten track and take in some good jungle and mountain passes – which is convenient since there is around 3500km of jungle and forest between where we start and where we finish! One thing I’ve learned from previous travels is that there is little point planning a route (even once you’ve got a map, which I haven’t) because things change and the interesting route is the one you end up going.

Any nerves? What’s the most daunting aspect of the trip?

Chris: Nerves and sleepless nights are yet to kick in...though they are on the way. I am most daunted by the cliff top roads, the idea of being broken down stuck at the edge of a presipice at night does not fill me joy. TV airing programmes called "the Worlds most dangerous roads" won't help! On the flip side, its for experiences like these that make the whole trip so exciting!

Rich: I’d be lying if I said I had no nerves at all. It’s a new continent and I speak only a little Spanish, so communication is going to be tricky. I’ve not ridden a motorbike since I was 10 years old, so have forgotten how the controls work. I am a useless mechanic. All that is a recipe for some challenging times ahead – and now that I’m married, I feel I have an added responsibility not to get into a monumental amount of difficulty. But, in truth, aside from the basic “try to get home in one piece” thing, I am pretty much excited about it rather than daunted. The thrill of the trip is the absurdness of it, and the fact that we will need to stretch ourselves to communicate, navigate and progress

How’s the family? Are they nervous for you?

Chris: Unsure really. Dad, my brothers and sister seem fairly nonchalant about the whole thing. Sister-in-law and of course my Mum seem the most aprehensive.

Rich: The family are fine. I think for them it is the same mixture of feelings. On the one hand they’d rather I didn’t go because it’s a bit dangerous, but on the other they totally support me, are excited for me and are looking forward to me actually going so I stop wittering on about it!

What’s the most useful item you think you’ll be taking?

Chris: It's got to be a combination of Compass and Map. As long as we are heading North we can't go too far wrong. (I must remember to pack a compass!)

Rich: Perhaps a cheesy answer…but does “Chris” count as an item? Seriously though, its teamwork with these things and without Chris I would definitely be stuck. Sharing out the problem solving, conversations, driving and having someone to bounce ideas off is just vital on these trips. In terms of actual things – I think my rucksack (supplier by Outdoorkit.co.uk) and Leatherman (supplier by Whitbyandco.co.uk) will prove invaluable. We’re also in talks with a company who might provide us a mobile phone with local sim card and credit on it – which will be handy for providing text updates.

And the most useless?

Chris: Probably my running shoes. I have just signed up for the Paris marathon (in April), so need to use the opportunity to do a spot of altitude training. This is the first Rich has heard about this!

Rich: I’ll will undoubtedly end up taking a book, in the expectation that at some point I’ll be able to sit back in the mototaxi sofa seat and just read and chill. This will be utterly pointless as I will be too busy driving/looking at amazing scenery/digging mototaxi out of mudpit/flagging down help/looking at a map and trying to work out where we are.

Anything else to say?

Chris: "nos desean suerte!" (wish us luck!)

Rich: Really just to say “thanks” to everyone who has sponsored us, donated good, spread the word or helped in any way. The trip has really started to feel real since the publicity and fundraising has got going – its very apparent now that we’ve got generous support and this makes the whole experience feel much more like a shared one (rather than just me and Chris). I hope everyone finds some time in January to track our progress and share the journey with us.

Planning bonanza

Lots of planning /eating

Chris and I had an epic planning session last weekend - taking off to the Black Mountains in Wales (not exactly altitude training - but we did camp in the ground of the "highest pub in the mountains").

We pitched a tent and, in a planning-meeting "first", we actually did some planning, as proven by the fact we now have content on this website.

Take that Waun Fach

We've worked out:

• when we're going,
• approximately where we are going (give or take -a few thousand kms),
• who we're raising charity funds for,
• put together our driver profiles
• and made a list of things we will need.

On top of the world

 We did all this in an impressive haze of San Miguel (reading the labels doubled as 'language training').
Next morning we felt it would be rude not to walk up Waun Fach (811m), a pretty big looking mountain next to the pub.

Nice.

All in all a very good weekend.

Ha. "Plan A" is on.

Silly me for doubting. Plan 'a' is officially a runner. We have secured the use of a legendary mototaxi. This 11bhp beast of a vehicle is a hybrid of motorcycle and sofa; and is so underpowered that the prospect of thraping it over the Andes and through the Amazon is just mouth-watering.

At 2011 draws to a close, Chris and I will fly to the 'lungs of the planet' (Amazon), near the shores of Lake Titicaca to collect our steed. From there we will plot a 3500km route through jungle, desert and mountain to a glorious finish somewhere else.

I literally cannot wait. More on the vehicle and route soon.

Considering "plan B"

Much angst over the past week or so trying to find a way to get hold of a car anywhere in the continent of South America, so that we can actually do the trip.

Whilst we don't want this to be easy, it does need to be possible for us to actually make a start. It's hardly a white knuckle ride to fly to South America, fork out money for a car, spend 3 weeks waiting outside the vehicle registration agency buildings, and then fly home.

On this basis, Chris and I have had to discuss whether there might need to be a "plan b".
We've given ourselves until April Fool's Day to determine a way to make our foolish plan possible. Failing that, we'll come up with another one.

The current plan b is to drive across and around China in a San Lun Che (Greenhouse/Moped hybrid). If that plan is blighted by the same administrative issues then we'll revert to type - buy a wreck off ebay and then drive it South as far as we can go (ideally until we sight penguins). Far more realistic!

Shipping cars is a "no go"

I had hoped that a possible 'Plan B' was to ship a car from the UK to the South American continent. I found a company who would do this for just £575 - which is probably cheaper than it will cost to fly me there!

However, I had not taken into account the dreaded import tax, which basically applies a taxation charge adding up to around 81% of the sum total value of car + shipping costs. This means that a £100 old banger would cost £100 to buy, £575 to ship and then a likely additional cost of artound £800 in tax (cars valued higher in S America) - so around £1500 in total; which is too much to pay for a car that would likely fall to pieces as soon as it hits the first pothole.

Minefield

Much of the week has been spent trying to understand the logistics of buying a car in South America. As in any country there is documentation to take car of, and there is an element of 'waiting game' about it.
What we're finding is that it doesn't look like it is possible to buy a car, hop in, and then tour the continent. We will need to fully register the car and complete the necessary paperwork in order to be able to drive the car at all (understandable) - but also before being allowed to cross borders. This is the stumbling block.
Whilst we will end up with a temporary RUT (which gives us permission to drive the vehicle) upon purchase - we will not be able to exit the country with the car until the permanent version of this document is lodged. This can take up to 1 month. On a 3 week road trip, where we will not be at any fixed abode, this is something of a stumbling block.
As things stand, we are literally attempting mission impossible.
This morning I have emailed the embassy of each and every South American country - to ask if they can help or advise...

Planning session: choosing the adventure

This was the main event. Chris and I occupied a booth in the pub, with a low, underlit table, perfect for spreading out maps and plans. In front of us were cast 10+ A4 sheets, each with an adventure idea on them, a crude map (printed off from google) and a few notes about the positives and negatives of the trip in question. Most of the ideas were given catchy names.

Immediately we were able to discard Australia Anticlockwise (a 20,000km charge around the continent) on the grounds of being too easy in terms of language and roads; we binned the ideas of Project 26 (a frantic charge around 26 European/Baltic countries), the Disaster Tour (historical procession to Chernobyl, Auschwitz, D'Day landings, Berlin Wall, Antioch earthquakes etc) and YllarLognom (Mongol Rally backwards) on the basis they repeated earlier trips too much. The Freedom Fighters idea (hitchhiking across Africa's uprising belt) was canned on the grounds that it didn't seem to have any purpose other than to get ourselves in trouble.

We also had to forgoe the idea of doing research for The Adventurists (basically becoming a travel guinea pig and going somewhere remote to see how possible it is to survive there). Tom, founder of the Advenutrists conceded that our timing was lousy as he has just completed a research mission and already has ideas and adventures coming out of his ears. We shelved the idea of circumnavigating New Zealand by boat (during Rugby World Cup time) on the grounds that this was too much like a holiday.

The next ideas to bite the dust were the Pan-American Highway (North to South America) as this would duplicate a bus trip through Central America that Chris has recently done. This left us with just three contenders. China in a San Lun Che (hybrid of sofa, motorbike and greenhouse); Operation Outbound (to get as far away form home as possible) and the eventual winner Argey Bargey (South America).

South America won because neither of us have been there, we both really want to go, it offers stunning scenery, a mighty challenge in terms of distance and logistics and later in the year will be gloriously hot/wet/muddy.

Planning Session, the first bit

As with all our road trips, they are kicked off with a pub-based planning session. The venue for this one was The Yard in Cardiff – just 5 minutes away from Chris's place. I'd been carrying around a huge Atlas all day, as well as 1 pager summaries of more than 10 possible adventures. The plan for the meeting was to:

- Compare "mission statements" (very businesslike, but actually a good way to check we want the same thing from the trip)
- Check possible timings
- Determine whether anyone else was coming along
- Decide which adventure to take on

A pretty full agenda to get through in just 3.5 hours; but we romped through it with time to spare.
First we established that we both pretty much wanted the same thing from our next adventure. Basically taking on what seems like an impossible or unlikely challenge, traversing a continent in a very bog standard vehicle, making sure there's plenty of mountains, rivers and remote/scary places thrown in for good measure, but also a town or two so we can unwind with a few beers every few days.

Timings wise we settled on September or November this year, with hinderences and benefits of both. We decided to be led by our choice of adventure – basically to go at whatever time it will be hotter in the continent of choice.

In terms of who is involved in the trip, it is just Chris and I at the moment. Our travel-buddy Dave can't make this trip, which is a real shame – both trips I've done previously have been lit up by Dave's company, but he needs to sit this one out. That's the problem with work and restrictive annual leave entitlements – they're the enemy of epic road trip fans (although we have to concede that our employment funds the trips and our employers give us the time off needed, so we can't really grumble). We agreed to make our plans and then if anyone else ends up joining in then fine, but ther logistics are impossible enough as it is, without involving a third party.
So then we got on to the important business. The choice of adventure. That part definitely warrants its own post.

Will this happen?

This website is going to track the planning and doing of an awesome road trip. Like all awesome road trips, it currently appears to be logistically and practically impossible.