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On November 28, 1997, we left Denver, Colorado and entered Mexico from Arizona two days after Christmas. During the next three months (January - March), we explored all of the Central American countries (Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.) Most of the paved roads, including the famous Pan-American Highway, were often treacherous, as they were unmarked, narrow, winding, and gutted with potholes. Much of the time we traversed treacherous dirt roads and bridges to remote villages, lakes, volcanoes, and beaches.

Since there is no overland route through the Darien Gap between Central America and South America, we shipped our vehicle from Panama to Colombia on March 30, 1997. In Colombia the paved roads were generally in good condition. However, in southern Ecuador we traveled on dirt roads during the heavy El Nino rains and often waited for bulldozers to create an alternate route for us! From the coastal plains of Peru we drove up to the Altiplano, the high plains of the Andes where the elevation ranges from 12,000 to 16,000 feet. Driving four weeks on the dirt roads in the Altiplano of Peru and Bolivia stressed the Toyota 4Runner drivetrain, suspension, and tires.

From Bolivia we descended to the coastal deserts of Chile and continued our long drive south along the pacific coast to the Chilean Patagonia region. The ice-covered Pan-American Highway ended in the town of Ushuaia, Argentina. After 178 days and driving 18,200 miles, we were thrilled to reach the end of the road in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (the tip of South America - locally known as "World's End") on June 22, 1998!

During the next three months (July - September), we traveled north through Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil to Venezuela. Driving through the vast Patagonia region, the swamplands, and the Amazon basin provided us with opportunity to see diverse landscapes and unusual wildlife. On September 15, 1998, we shipped our vehicle from Venezuela back to Panama. From Panama, we raced through Central America and Mexico returning to the United States on October 4, 1998 (282 days and 34,900 miles later!)

Amazingly our Toyota 4Runner "Toro Negro" survived the long and abusive journey back to Denver, Colorado (320 days and 40,100 miles in all). However, now it is in desprate need of repairs. The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, the rivers in Ecuador, the dirt roads in the Altiplano, the rollover in Chile, the accident in Argentina, and the potholes in Nicaragua and Mexico just destroyed our vehicle, which we now call "Toro Viejo".

Our trip through Latin America was not just an adventure, but also an education! During the last 10 months, we traveled through diverse landscapes, saw unusual wildlife, and ate typical foods. We met some terrific local people and other travelers, and are grateful to those who helped us along our way. We also enjoyed receiving all the email and guestbook messages.

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