Tierra del Fuego

When we planned this adventure we decided that in general we were going to drive south, we’d stick to the west coast to take advantage of both mountains and beaches, and we’d definitely spend some time in Patagonia, but we never specifically had a destination. Our intention was to enjoy the journey and not focus on the destination. However, we knew that technically the southern end of the Pan-American Highway is in Ushuaia, Argentina, and that Tierra del Fuego was beautiful, so we had in the back of our minds that it would be awesome to go all the way to the end of the road. At one point we weren’t sure we’d make it that far south. The endless washboard roads have been taking their toll on the van and on our nerves and we considered just stopping somewhere nice to hang out for a while instead of pushing further south. But we kept moving on. When we finally pulled into Ushuaia, just five days shy of one year on the road, a fiercely cold wind was blowing the rain sideways and the world was gray, but we couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear. We had made it all the way south. And it was a fantastic journey.

Windy trees, Tierra del Fuego.

Windy trees, Tierra del Fuego.

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Costa Rica Part II – Where the Bad Road Ends and the Good Life Begins

Costa Rica continued to charm us as we successfully sought out the elusive quetzal, hiked through cloud forests, and crossed many more rivers to make our way to deserted beaches on the fringes of wild jungle.

Playa Josecita.

Playa Josecita and the edge of Corcovado National Park.

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Costa Rica Part I – The Monkey Trail and the Microcerveceria

Ah, Costa Rica. True to its reputation, the land of Pura Vida did not fail to impress. For three weeks we basked in the warm waters, surfed the waves, hiked the jungles, ooohed and ahhed at the amazing flora and fauna, and drove some epic roads, including several river crossings.

Where the road appears to end...

Where the road appears to end…

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