Day 109 - Hello South America

(Ursula) Rossini docked at the port in Cartagena. We were guarded because we heard horror stories from other travelers about difficulties getting their vehicles released from the Port Authority.

Heinz supervised the unloading of the camper. Then an official accompanied him to customs, where he handled the necessary paperwork. An agent would usually be needed for that. Heinz ensured the camper stayed locked at all times to avoid anything stolen or someone planting drugs.

Everything went smoothly, but it required extra patience. I think he is slowly getting used to the “Southern” pace. After paying the port tax, we had to wait a few more hours for some documents and pay the $31 exit fee.

After that, we had the green light to roam about the continent. Hello South America - we have arrived!

The $516 transportation cost from Panama for the 3 of us + the camper was a significant expense, but we had no choice, as there is no connecting road between the two countries.

We liked Cartagena with its colonial buildings and old fortress walls. The travel guide described it as dangerous, but we had a positive experience. Anyway, we didn’t plan to stay in town for very long. We wanted to get to Venezuela.

The plan was to drive from Venezuela South, crossing the Amazon basin to Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. Then continue to Argentina and Chile and travel up the west coast to Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador.

By the evening, we came upon a small restaurant/truck stop on a lake with toilets and showers, where we spent our first night on this new continent.

My first impression of Colombia couldn’t have been better.

Stats: Miles 45, Expenses $9.06Read more