Post: #1

Today I got this crazy idea so I decided to do some research.

Anyone have any experience? Maybe just driving through Mexico or Central America with US plates?

Some initial thoughts/concerns

-The Darian Gap is only crossable by boat somewhere between $600 - 1200 if you have a car. However, seems very feasible.

-Accounting for the cost of bribes along the way.

-What if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere.

-Reading other blogs, the permit process to drive your vehicle into Latin American countries doesn't seem like a big deal, though seems like Brazil isn't possible.

-You can take the bus almost anywhere in LA so why take a car?

-Driving all the way back.

Post: #2

I've had a dream like this but to do it on a motorcycle. Why is Brazil impossible? I'm my map studying I figured the hardest part of getting into Brazil via the north is just crossing getting though the rainforest. I e talked with some people who lived in Manaus and the said there is only 1 "major highway" but the said it's often in disrepair.

Anyway cool idea.

Post: #3

Tons of people do it on a motorcycle, it is easier and cheaper. More local girls will want to fuck you as well.

Check out http://www.advrider.com

Post: #4

impossible to bring a car into socialist/protectionist brasil. i had a boss who had a skyline r34 sitting in a garage in VA, wanted to bring it into BR.. countless carpools were spent with him lamenting the difficulties.

you need to bring a vehicle that they have plenty of the local countries so that you're not stranded in obsolete areas; so that a break down doesnt mean 2 weeks waiting for a part to come in.. toyota helix.. VW.. BMW r1200 is the common overland bike... but are you bout that motorcycle life for 1000s of miles?

Post: #5

What about kidnappings and worse in Mexico?

Post: #6

I'd be very careful driving in Mexico, I remember this story of two young Aussie dudes who bought a van in Edmonton and drove down there, they met a terrible ending in Sinaloa: https://www.google.ca/amp/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3345562

Post: #7

^
These guys arrived to Topolobampo at 10:30pm and drove immediately through Sinaloa during the night. Extremely bad idea.

They could have taken a ferry to Mazatlan instead and drive only during daylight. I doubt there would be any issues.

Post: #8

When I did some research, some people wrote Brazil has some kind of law against importing cars. I wasn't sure how true it is.

I've driven through Central Mexico with Mexican plates without any problems but with a foreign plate, rural Northern Mexico seems like the most dangerous part of the journey. Probably best to drive only during the day for most of the journey except maybe in Costa Rica, Panama and Chile.

I also remember in Southern Mexico, marxist teachers and other groups block the highways as political protests

A motorcycle seems like a lot of fun but it seems like it rains every day in some of these countries. I'd rather not have the weather slow me down. Also, you can pack a lot more shit in the trunk of your car.

Post: #9

(08-18-2017 07:34 AM)Merengues Wrote:  ^
These guys arrived to Topolobampo at 10:30pm and drove immediately through Sinaloa during the night. Extremely bad idea.

They could have taken a ferry to Mazatlan instead and drive only during daylight. I doubt there would be any issues.

You seem to be knowledgeable about driving in Mexico, care to share some more information and pointers? I think it was Belize King who dropped some good intel on here a few years ago but any more info is appreciated. It would be cool to have a car down in Cancun or somewhere like that to drive around in.

Post: #10

Careful about paying bribes... lots of times the police will radio their buddies and let them know a rich gringo is driving through, who will then stop you and ask you for money. Unfortunately I learned that the hard way.

Post: #11

(08-18-2017 09:28 AM)scotian Wrote:  

(08-18-2017 07:34 AM)Merengues Wrote:  ^
These guys arrived to Topolobampo at 10:30pm and drove immediately through Sinaloa during the night. Extremely bad idea.

They could have taken a ferry to Mazatlan instead and drive only during daylight. I doubt there would be any issues.

You seem to be knowledgeable about driving in Mexico, care to share some more information and pointers? I think it was Belize King who dropped some good intel on here a few years ago but any more info is appreciated. It would be cool to have a car down in Cancun or somewhere like that to drive around in.

Firstly, driving a car with US/Canadian you're more likely to be a target.

Secondly, I would avoid driving through almost all border states (Sonora, Chichuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas) as well as northern Sinaloa, southern Michoacan, Guerrero, and Tabasco. I heard that the area close to Guatemalan border can be sketchy at times. Stick to the main roads and forget about driving at night in these places.

In the highlands of Chiapas you can encounter children and women blocking the route and begging for money, shit loads of speed bumps in every single village and sudden road narrowings caused by Zapatistas who are against improving infrastructure in the region.

When it comes to Cancun, the whole Yucatan peninsula is the one the safest place in Mexico so no issues here. Unless you sell drugs.

The best route to travel through Mexico down to Guatemala would be this IMO:

Tijuana-->La Paz-->ferry to Mazatlan-->Guadalajara-->CDMX-->Puebla-->Oaxaca-->Puerto Escondido-->Tapachula-->cross the border to Guatemala

Post: #12

If you want to do this you need to have patience, you need to be ready to be fucked around at borders for hours. I've read some guys basically spend the whole day at a border.

Be prepared to bribe a lot of people as well, if you are against paying a bribe to a cop or a border guard, don't go.

Post: #13

If you had to choose a border state, which one would it be? Nuevo Leon?

Driving through the Baja is way out of the way for anyone on the East Coast.

I also have seen online cargo ships from Miami to Cartagena that'll will take your car for about $1700-$2500.

Found this blog interesting

http://theroadchoseme.com/expedition-overview

Post: #14

I had those plans but only made it as far as Guatemala. Took me six months from Vancouver, I drastically underestimated how hard and how fun Mexico is. I was on a motorcycle though.

I know guys who blew through Mexico in 3 days though, autopista all the way. Boring as hell and really expensive though.

Vancouver to Tijuana can be done in 24 hours of driving time if so inclined, but again you miss all the really beautiful places along the way.

Post: #15

Godzilla and Lanier, I'd love to see your photos. I've always wanted to do a long road trip. The longest I've ever done is L.A. to Chicago.

I can be done, because Jim Rogers and others have done it. In fact he did the whole world. See his books "Investment Biker" and "Adventure Capitalist."

Anyone interested in a road trip in USA or Canada, please PM me. I'd prefer to use mass transit in other countries, that way I'll meet more locals as I travel.

Post: #16

(08-18-2017 12:58 PM)godzilla Wrote:  If you had to choose a border state, which one would it be? Nuevo Leon?

Driving through the Baja is way out of the way for anyone on the East Coast.

I also have seen online cargo ships from Miami to Cartagena that'll will take your car for about $1700-$2500.

Found this blog interesting

http://theroadchoseme.com/expedition-overview

Exactly go through Nuevo Leon. Monterrey, Saltillo and then whatever you want to see en route to CDMX. Just skip Tamaulipas.

Post: #17

@Brianmark I've never been on a road trip past 3 days. I've driven around South Africa and Mexico.

This site has some good info:
http://www.icontainers.com/

Its a little cheaper then I thought. Might be better to ship your car to Buenos Aires then drive all the way back up.

Post: #18

It's a lot faster if you buy a plane ticket.

Post: #19

When I lived in AB I eagerly followed the adventures of this guy:

http://theroadchoseme.com/expedition-overview

Basically did the standard AK-Chile trip, but has hundreds of blog posts about things to do, trials and tribulations along the way. He's currently doing something similar around Africa.

I also met this guy http://redbuggy.com/the-route/ almost exactly 10 years ago in LA, a one armed guy with a modified VW bug that he'd taken from Sweden to South Africa, to NY to LA. Was going to continue around the world, but website hasn't been updated in a while.

+1 for the Jim Rogers books, He seems like a guy with a bit of money who gets it. I just finished another book of his called "Street Smarts", and while he made his money in the states, thinks the sun is setting on the empire, talks about the massive student loan bubble, how they're willing to do anything except address disproportionate consumerism/spending tomorrow today to keep the party going, and essentially how the Chinese are coming to get us.

Finally Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have a couple books called "Long Way Round" (around the world) and "Long way Down" (Down Africa) about trips on motorcycles. Both excellent reads, and one I think has been made into a documentary.

Post: #20

Here is a blog of a dude from San Diego who is doing this, sort of. He started off 10 years ago with a 41 foot sailboat with the goal of sailing around the world. After a year or two, he met a chick from London in Central America who quit her job and sailed with him for a few years. He sailed the South Pacific for several years going slowly (intentionally) and got as far as Indonesia. I kept up with his blog for several years, he's an amazing traveler (though not redpill).



About a year or two ago, he gave up sailing -- I forget what happened -- and he bought a Ford pick up truck with a camper top and kept on blogging.

This is a dude who travels to meet locals and grow as a person. As such, his writing and experiences will appeal to many of us.

As for the Darien Gap, he just put his camper on a cargo ship and had it drop him off in Colombia. He didn't focus on the why or how; its just not relevant to what he is doing. Afterall, he's not traveling to say he drove everymile of the transcontinental highway.

http://www.saltwatergood.com/2017/

Post: #21

The memories. My family does the trip through Mexico to Belize once a year. I haven't done it in 2 years though. I'm only familiar with the eastern route.

Personally fuck Guatemala. I would take the eastern route and go through Belize. Theres a highway that's going to be finished that goes through Belize. It was to be a central American highway funded by the Venezuelans oil money hahaha. I can find out if it's finished. I'm investing in my families home town that's going to be off the highway.

If you take the eastern route, you avoid the sketchy mexican-Guatemalan border. I've heard stories about that area, plus at one point Mexico wrote it off and let those states do what they want.

Cut through western guate, then ride the East coast through to Panama. I don't know much about EL Salvador.

Always have small amounts of cash in different places stashed. The FEDs in Mexico will want everything you pull out. My dad often tells them no. We are black Belizeans so we get away with it at times. They just really want some lunch money. Most I've given them at once was 20 USD.

They do radio to their buddies. That's a fact. I met a guy on the road during my trip. Actually saw I'm at the U.S. Mexican border and ran into him again South of veracruz. He got hit at every check point and paid over 1k in bribes. I got it for 50 bucks at the most in that same route.

Teachers protests are real. They will block the highway for hours. My dad got caught in it again in June.

I can only speak on my experience. If you are white, you might have a largely different one. Other than that, Mexico is an amazing place. I would recommend the trip to anyone. Just don't drive the border states at night and you will be fine. I've driven the South at 12-5 am in the morning with no issues. Had a scare or two once but I drive POS vehicles and not black SUVs.

Any questions let me know. I'm driving in November to drop a truck off to Belize. I'd be down for the trip if you plan it while I'm off rotation. MarcjMarch and April is my best window.

Post: #22

Wow great info man...

Actually this guy's blog which we mention above has a lot of stories involving dealing with authorities.

http://theroadchoseme.com/

He plays the dumb gringo game. Always smiles and is polite. And basically is willing to wait as long as possible without paying, usually the cops end up giving up. Though, he has been paying a decent amount of bribes in Africa.

Post: #23

I think the youtuber sam lifeafar or something like that started doing that but stopped in colombia and stayed there. You may try contacting him for some hints since colombia is a good chunk of the way there.

Post: #24

Oh yea, I've been wanting to do this "overland" trip for a few years now, but I was hoping to start from the top most point in Alaska and then drive down to the Southern Cone in Chile/Argentina.

This site has a lot of info on routes, vehicles, shipping methods (to get past the Darien Gap and return your vehicle to origin):
http://www.drivetheamericas.com/vehicle-shipping

Total estimated cost of such a trip (one-way) is around $30,000.. You can of course do it for a little less or much more, but that seems to be the average cost from past research I've done. Definitely cheaper if you split that tab with someone or a group of people.

Post: #25

(08-21-2017 07:57 AM)godzilla Wrote:  Wow great info man...

Actually this guy's blog which we mention above has a lot of stories involving dealing with authorities.

http://theroadchoseme.com/

He plays the dumb gringo game. Always smiles and is polite. And basically is willing to wait as long as possible without paying, usually the cops end up giving up. Though, he has been paying a decent amount of bribes in Africa.

That's an excellent blog...reading about his South America trip now.