Ahhhh Antigua! Possibly (most likely), our favorite city in all of Guatemala. There is so much to see and do here. Countless restaurants, coffee farms, historic churches, and buildings, entertainment, and cobblestone streets! This is a place you could move to or visit, experience history, modern amenities, and everything in between. We have been here 5 or 6 times, and each time is more fun than the last. We find something new each time.
It has been a long time coming, and I am behind on the blog. We have already started traveling, and will get updated soon. I wanted to share pics and details on our new overland vehicle. After traveling thousands of miles and visiting numerous countries in our roof top tent on the Land Rover, we now have premium accommodations!
We chose a 2002 Ford F250 with the 7.3 L diesel. Mostly in part to the fact that they are a proven engine, being dubbed the “Million mile motor”. Plus being that its a pre 2007 Diesel, it does not require the ultra low sulfur Diesel that the new ones do.
We found the perfect truck in El Paso Texas and drove out to get it. It wasn’t the exact color I wanted, but it had all the rest of the requirements, including lots of extra goodies the seller had installed. It came with after market tires and wheels, New Fox shocks all around, a diesel tuner, and lots more. Money saved on items I would add any way.
We decided to have the truck painted. It was done professionally, with all doors, hood, and molding removed. This allowed for a complete color change, as good or better than a factory paint job. Next we had a custom camper built to our specs. This was a culmination of many miles on the road and deciding what we wanted vs. what would fit, and still make it down the Central and South American roads.
A company out of Denver Colorado accepted the challenge and began building the one of a kind camper. The amenities and features are endless!
It was a bit challenging trying to coordinate all of the special requirements we wanted built into our rig, being 1500 miles away from the build. It took about 6 weeks to complete, but what turned out was pretty amazing! Ill share more interior pictures and specs in a later post. Next entry will be our launch from Asheville North Carolina!
And Here it is!!!
We are anxiously awaiting our departure (33 days), for the upcoming expedition trip, from Asheville North Carolina, all the way down to the tip of Argentina. The destination is the furthest point South, in South America!
In preparation for the the trip, we are having a fully self contained, expedition rig, built to our specifications. This is a culmination of everything we think we will need/want on this 1 year+ journey. This is proving to be an arduous process, weighing needs/wants, with space & weight.
I am sharing pictures with you, of the progression of our current and previous vehicles, that we used, or planned to use for our exciting trips from the States to Mexico, Belize, and Central America. Since 2012, we have been traveling extensively (4-6 months at a time), back and forth, logging some 50,000+ miles in and around the Countries mentioned.
Proposed overland vehicle
We thought we found the perfect solution!
We began with a Land Rover Discovery, and Rooftop tent, and have since had several vehicles and accommodations. You will notice, the picture of the ambulance. We bought that in anticipation of converting it to an off road camper (like the white example I posted). We soon discovered, that was not a direction we wished to go.
We bought another Land Rover and further outfitted it with many accessories, including dual deep cycle batteries to run the refrigerator, steel bumper and winch, roof top tent, and custom made storage boxes inside with drawer, that replaced the back seat.
Next we found the ultimate off road, overland, expedition vehicle! A custom Land Rover with hard side camper permanently mounted. We bought and camped with this for a while, but soon discovered, it would be too small to provide a home away for a year long trip.
We have enjoyed each one of these vehicles immensely, and they have served us well. They have carried us to so many off the beaten path destinations, crossing rivers,trudging through mud, climbing volcanoes, camping, and much more! They have afforded us opportunities, the average vehicle would not withstand. And then there are the people. We have met so many amazing people along these journeys. Each country offering a beautiful culture to discover. Many countries offering multiple cultures to enjoy. Belize is near and dear to our hearts as we have spent many, many months equating to years of exploration, on many trips there, settling in Placencia for nearly a year, and meeting countless friends. We cant wait to step back across the border to see everyone, as we make our way South.
I previously posed a question to the group, asking if there was an interest in the new direction that we are headed, to keep posting our journeys on the group. The response was overwhelmingly, that it was indeed, the majority decision, for us to post pictures and stories of our journey. So.. with that being said, We will begin posting immediately as the trip progresses. If anyone has any comments or objections, please feel free to PM me directly to discuss. The reason I am trying to address this new direction, is that I know that the group was formed, and ran as an exclusive traveling Belize format. While Belize certainly will be included, it will no longer be exclusive to my posts. I hope there is an adventure traveler in all of us that will enjoy seeing all types of cultures and countries.
The picture of the aluminum frame and insulation (below) is what is being built as we speak, and I am being assured this will be complete, and installed on our Ford F250 diesel chassis prior to our departure. Fingers crossed!
We depart from the Overland Expo being held October 5th-7th in Asheville North Carolina, at the exclusive Biltmore Estate grounds. If you love overland travel and adventure, you should check the show out. There is camping all weekend on site. Check it out @ www.overlandexpo.com look for the East venue.
Stay tuned for more changes and updates as we make this transition. Planning for one year consecutive on the road is proving to be a challenge, but one that we are up for! You can follow our new blog @ www.lifeallout.com This blog has not been recently updated, but will become the platform to record our entire journey, including pictures and tips! If you have an instagram account, please follow us. Look for @lifeallout You can also “Like” us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/lifeallout/
Would you leave your home and travel in a off road camper for 1 year or more, or are we the only crazy ones!? Please comment. Id love to know your thoughts. See you on the road!
border, we made good time driving through Spanish Lookout ( a primarily Mennonite community), and then on to Placencia, a great beach town.
We spent a few days catching up with some friends in Placencia. We also took the time to put our extra belongings in a storage unit. The plan was to head South through Central America. Anything that wasn’t needed along the trip was going to be left for later. We had packed an overland fridge on the plane, so I was looking forward to setting it up. You just can’t beat having access to ice cold drinks and food available whenever you want it.
One of our friends who lives in Chicago, also owns a few condos on the beach in a upscale resort called Belize Ocean club. He offered to let us stay in one of the condos for the 5 days we were preparing for our trip. We were spoiled with all of the amenities and things to do at the resort. It was so nice staying right on the beach and having spectacular sunrises each morning, from our balcony, overlooking the Caribbean.
We visited some of our favorite restaurants, like Mangos and the Placencia Hotel. Belize Ocean club features a pool party on the beach each Sunday afternoon. The live DJ entertained the guests, spinning dance tunes pool side. They also offer free use of their kayaks, and other beach toys. All in all, it is an event that the locals and visitors enjoy each week.
We stopped by the church we attend in Placencia on Sunday evening and had a great time seeing a lot of our friends there. Although it just wasn’t the same, with a few other friends who were not there. It was nice to be welcomed back and missed by everyone.
This time around, we didn’t do much site seeing as we were focusing on getting ready for the exciting trip we had planned. The loose plans, including traveling through Guatamala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and possibly as far as the Panama Canal. We planned to travel with Bernard and Tammy, some friends that we had traveled with before. Each couple has a Land Rover outfitted for overland journeys, including rooftop tents. It is nice to caravan for any potential break down and safety issues.
Finally we were ready! It was going to be tough leaving the luxury accommodations we had been spoiled staying in, and exchanging it for the roof top lifestyle, but the trip was going to be one in a lifetime. So we hit the road, and headed towards the border of Belize and Guatemala.
Our GPS coordinates took us within 100 yards of the first nights stop over, San Ignacio. We pulled into the grass parking area and was promptly greeted by the owner, Xavier. He told us to make ourselves at home. Due to the upcoming festivities, Belize National day, the campgrounds was fuel. of people cooking, playing, and lounging. We were told not to worry, the people would be leaving in a few hours. It was pretty cool to see the locals interacting with their families, a water balloon fight, dogs chasing each h other, and the men sleeping lazily in the hammocks under the palapa.
We were told of a good restaurant where we could walk to for some lunch. It was excellent food, good prices, and friendly service. The waitress told us we were just in time to enjoy the parade that would be going through town. We finished up, and headed back towards our campsite, as the parade would pass right by us there. As an added extra bonus, we were conveniently located across the street from the town market. We perused the fruits and vegetables and waited for the parade to start. The locals began pouring in, lining the sides of the streets in anticipation of the festivities. We walked back across the street to a “fast food” joint and ordered a water.
The parade waltzed by with people dressed up, flags waiving every where, and lots of laughter and fun. It was quite short by the standard of parades I was used to ,but it was fun any way.
We settled back into the campsite, now much quieter with the local families having left. The owner introduced to some of his friends that were visiting, and we shared off road stories, and their adventures of driving Land rovers in the wild Belize wilderness. We all sat under the palapa roof, which included electricity to plug our fans in for sleeping, and WiFi.
Getting hungry again, we decided to order a pizza from a Facebook friend that delivered pizzas in San Ignacio. They made a special pizza and delivered it after hours to our campsite, where we finally met them in person, and enjoyed some conversation. Finally, we were able try some of this self proclaimed’, best pizza in Belize. We were not disappointed, it was very good, and hit the spot.
After a semi restless night sleeping in the tents, due to some residual partying in the streets (mainly loud music in the distance), we got up and began taking camp down. I decided to go for a run around town, and then we stopped at a taco stand that offered breakfast burritos. With camp packed up, and our bellies full, we set out for the border crossing a few miles away.
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