If you are only interested in the specifics of how to ship a vehicle abroad, check out the post I wrote about that procedure and some tips here. If you’re curious about how this big move of one camper, two adults, and one 60-pound dog played out for us on a personal level, keep reading.
WARNING: This is a very long post. The dates play an important role.
A car carrier passing by our camping spot in Galveston
The plan
- Reserve a spot on a cargo ship for the departure date of November 3rd, 2022, for the route Galveston, Texas – Cartagena, Colombia with the German company Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) via our IVSS agent Martin McGowan.
- Book plane tickets from Houston to Cartagena & deal with the other (many) logistics to switch continents.
- Prep our camper for transport and drop it off at the port on October 27th (four business days before departure, as we were told is the standard procedure).
- Stay at the Galveston beach condo of friends for a week and see Thirsty Bella leave by ship.
View from our friends’ condo in Galveston
- Book our first Airbnb for a week in Manga, Cartagena. Hop on a plane on November 7th to arrive in Cartagena on November 8th. The ship with our camper would arrive on November 13th but Thirsty Bella would need a few days to clear customs upon arrival. We hoped to extend our accommodation with a few days (or find somewhere else) if needed.
- Visit the walled city of Cartagena during that first week in Colombia, pick up our camper on November 16th the latest, put our home on wheels back together, and start our South American adventure.
The reality
- Car carriers of WWL leave approximately once a month. When we decided early October that we could make the ship transport of October 25th and tried to book a slot, it had already been delayed by a week. It would leave on November 3rd. This boat was called the Arc Resolve and we’d been watching its progress online for a little while.
- First, we worried about not getting on this boat, because this route was rumored to be popular. After two anxious days of waiting, we received a confirmation for this booking. The planning could begin.
Booking confirmation on the Arc Resolve, scheduled to leave on November 3rd
- We reserved refundable and affordable plane tickets from Houston, TX, to Miami, FL, on Southwest Airlines for early afternoon on November 7th and an expensive airport hotel in Miami that was also cancellable. We bought non-refundable plane tickets from Miami to Cartagena on American Airlines for November 8th. We used points/miles for these purchases.
- We watched our assigned boat, the Arc Resolve, multiple times a day online – its route, schedule, and progress, which was very slow.
- Delay after delay happened and we were stuck in hot and humid Texas, but at least in our RV.
Boat schedule 1
Boat schedule 2
Boat schedule 3
- Every day, we stressed about whether we would be able to leave the country on our reserved date.
- Every time the Arc Resolve reached a new port on its route around South and Central America, more delays happened. Our departure day (and therefore drop-off day) from Galveston kept being pushed out. We cancelled the condo of our friends. What to do about our flights and accommodation?
Boat schedule 4
- Since a lot of logistics and preparations (like an international health certificate and shots for Maya within ten days of travel) had been put into motion already and new tickets would cost twice as much on top of losing the international ones, we decided to stick to plan, leaving Houston on November 7th.
Vet visit with Maya to get her international health certificate and extra shots
- Eventually, we learned that the Arc Resolve would arrive in the port of Galveston on November 9th and leave on November 13th. We were told to drop the vehicle off at least four full workdays before departure, but agreed with our shipping agent to deposit Thirsty Bella on Monday, November 7th (the day we would leave by plane) and planned around that. We needed three days to make the final preparations for shipping, emptying, reorganizing, securing, and storing our truck camper. Plus, for extra issues that would pop up. Like a last-minute tire rotation and alignment that took multiple hours.
- Friends in Houston had offered their driveway (and spare room) for us to prep, but we only wanted to take them up on their offer for the last weekend before drop-off.
- We struggled to camp in the Houston/Galveston area during our last week in the US (heat, humidity, wind, restrictions at parks, no decent free camping options, …)
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
Parked in the shade of a public park, where camping is allowed for three consecutive days a week
We were kicked out of this place, where camping is not allowed
Sandblasted on San Luis Island, Texas
Spending the night at a brewery with our van friends Duwan and Greg
High winds in the forecast
Night at a Houston Cracker Barrel
- On Wednesday afternoon, November 2nd, when stopped at a public park in Houston for the day, we received an URGENT email from our agent: we needed to drop off our camper the following day in order to make the November 13th sailing, even though, based on its continued delays, the Arc Resolve most likely wouldn’t leave that day. This change of plans was impossible! We couldn’t prepare our camper in one day and move the drop-off by four days! We requested a late drop off, on the Monday as agreed to, or – potentially – Friday, even though it would be tough to get everything ready within a day and a half…
- This unfortunate twist was entirely the agent’s fault: they had miscalculated the drop-off date. Apparently, this date was supposed to be four business days before the arrival date of the ship into Galveston, not its departure date!
- We drove to Home Depot that evening to pick up wood, in addition to tension bars from Harbor Freight, to board up our windows, and slept in their parking lot.
Night at The Home Depot
- The following day, Thursday, we still didn’t know what was going on. We returned to the public park – it was hot and we needed some shade (for Maya) – and started to prep the camper in case we needed to drop it off on Friday. With much trial and error, we figured out secure storage for important/expensive items we couldn’t take with us on the plane, like the grill. This took hours and required us to take the camper off the truck a couple of times.
Arranging tools and valuable items
Lifting the camper up to stuff and secure items in the bed of the truck
- During these trials, we received a note (not a call) from IVSS: the agency needed to rebook us on another boat, the Toscana. They couldn’t get a hold of the shipping company to request a late drop-off. Isn’t that their job, to communicate with the shipping company?
- Mark and I didn’t want to change ships. We had a bad feeling about it. We had checked this Arc Resolve for many weeks and wanted to get to Colombia ASAP. Being booked on another ship would be an entirely new complication and cost more time and money (for extended accommodations in Cartagena). Plus, we felt we most likely would make it on the Arc Resolve with enough time to load, because of the continued delays.
- We eventually spoke on the phone with Martin and discussed our concerns, explaining our reluctance, preference, and budget restrictions. We’d need at least an extra week of Airbnb stays in Cartagena if we switched ships – the Toscana would leave on November 15th, take a few days longer en route, and stop in extra places, which created more risk (for break-ins) as well. Martin’s remark: you either get on the Toscana or on no boat at all.
- There was nothing we could do about it; we were rebooked on the next ship and kept a closer eye on its route and schedule. The drop-off day for our camper was back to Monday, November 7th, at least four workdays from the 15th. Usually, a ship arrives and leaves pretty much on the same day – the Arc Resolve was an exception. The Toscana hadn’t had delays up to that point. Mark had been watching the movements of both boats for a while.
- On our last weekend in Texas and the US, we prepped our camper for its voyage on the driveway of our Houston friends, took photos of every cabinet to determine afterwards if something was missing, dealt with our tires, and packed our luggage. We expected to be in Cartagena for up to three weeks, took clothes for one week (figuring we could wash them, by hand if necessary) and dogfood for four. That would be a worst-case scenario. Everything fit in two carry-on bags and two personal items.
Prepping our camper and taking the car to a tire shop
Ready to secure the windows of our camper
Making progress with our extensive list
Three weeks of food for Maya
Packing a fourth bag of dogfood, just in case!
Packing bags required a lot of thinking and planning
Hiding electronics and some tools underneath the dinette
Our clothes cabinet was stuffed
Everything was rearranged for shipment
Everything had to be stored and secured
The upstairs is secured
Totally empty truck
All boarded up!
- November 7th, drop-off and departure day, turned into a terrible experience. More mistakes had been made by IVSS; they gave us the wrong address for the drop-off location at the port and they never put in the paperwork that our camper needed a temporary export permit from the States. Both mistakes led to delays, issues, and added stress on our end. Luckily, the problems were solved, or we would have had a massive stamp saying EXPORT on our vehicle title, which would mean we couldn’t bring our truck back to the US without officially importing it!
- Then, when Mark finally dropped the camper off, we had our propane tank drama (read that story here). He had to leave that lifeline for heat and cooking behind!
Our camper dropped off in Galveston by Mark
In line to board at Galveston port, right behind Carly’s camper
Dock receipt for Galveston port from IVSS
Our luggage – and food – for the plane rides.
After the camper drop-off, we had to deal with our discarded propane tank issue
- We had moved our plane tickets from afternoon to evening and left Texas that night, to Miami, which had Hurricane Nicole barreling its way. It was one of the most stressful days of our lives.
View from our hotel room in Miami
Walking Maya near our airport hotel in Miami
Tropical storm warning
- On November 8th, 2022, the three of us arrived in Colombia safely (we squeezed out of Florida before the hurricane hit), dealt with the necessary paperwork and logistics, and settled in the Manga neighborhood of Cartagena at a relatively pricy Airbnb for a week. We dealt with subsequent accommodation (until December 2nd to play it safe), took one quick walk in the walled city, and were sick for most of that week.
Landing in Cartagena
Flying over the car carrier port – if only our ship would have arrived there soon
Getting the temporary import permit for Maya at Cartagena airport
A wall around Getsemani
Imposing statues and clock tower in Cartagena
Clock tower
The old town of Cartagena
Within the walled city of Cartagena
- The Toscana was supposed to leave on November 15th and arrive in Cartagena ten days later, with a pick-up date of our camper around my birthday, November 28th. We could be on our way on December 1st or 2nd, definitely by the checkout day of Airbnb #3.
- Of course, that didn’t happen. First, the Toscana was only delayed by three days. We could handle that. We still had accommodation booked. Then, checking its route and schedule online, it kept being delayed. Every day a little more.
- The Arc Resolve had left with a few days of delay from Galveston (we could have easily made that ship) and would arrive in Cartagena without further delays!
- Nothing went according to plan and the Toscana kept being delayed. We needed to find more apartments to stay at (our last, cheap, Airbnb was booked, so we couldn’t extend that one). Multiple times a day, we checked the ship’s schedule, which caused us a lot of stress, anxiety, and continued sickness and eventually lead to depression. Yes, we should have dealt with this situation better and not make it our sole focus, but we are budget-minded nomads, who had never been without our own home – by choice – for this long.
Doing laundry by hand
Two of our five Airbnbs had washing machines
Having a laundry machine made that task much easier!
- Thirsty Bella was stuck in Galveston port for weeks instead of the usual four days. Now, we had an extra worry: after fifteen workdays, which were quickly approaching, we’d have to start paying storage fees at the port… The Toscana still hadn’t arrived in Texas two weeks after dropping our camper off.
Our camper status for weeks: received at the terminal of Galveston port
- Still en route to Galveston, the Toscana got stuck in Mexico for ten days instead of the scheduled one day! This episode particularly drove us crazy.
- On Wednesday afternoon, November 23rd, when checking the timing, route, and schedule of the Toscana once more, Mark discovered that Cartagena had been removed from its itinerary!! Our camper hadn’t even been loaded yet.
The port of Cartagena was not mentioned on the route anymore; the ship would sail from Panama directly to Brazil
- Again, we were overwhelmed by disbelief, frustration, aggravation, regret, disappointment, and anger about our agent messing up and us being on this second boat. The Arc Resolve would arrive in Cartagena that weekend!
- How was this possible? Cancelling a port from the route? Just like that! Mark emailed IVSS and called. They’re in the UK, so their workday was over. Mark managed to get a hold of WWL, the shipping company, which confirmed our horrible discovery: Cartagena was scratched from the route; the destination would be skipped by the Toscana. Did we want to rebook on the next vessel, the Grand Pavo, with a schedule of leaving Galveston on December 18th and arriving in Colombia ten days later with clearance of customs in the new year? NO!!
The ship and schedule suggested after Cartagena’s cancellation for the Toscana
- We despaired and started looking into flying back to the US, picking up our home on wheels in Texas, and giving up on the South American adventure that hadn’t even started yet. This was all insane; a hairpulling situation.
- Thanks to our constant checking and analyzing the Toscana online and sharing our concerns, Martin of IVSS found out about this route issue and jumped into action. The next day, on November 24th, we received news from him. He was trying to arrange a transshipment for his clients, which we learned were around 30 vehicles shipping from the US, Mexico, and Panama! Thirsty Bella would potentially be loaded on the Toscana to Colon, Panama, dropped off there, and picked up by the Grand Pavo a few days later, on its way to Colombia (before getting to Texas).
- The same afternoon, our agent emailed and called us to confirm that Bella would be on those two ships to Colombia, with an expected arrival of only a couple of days later than if the Toscana would have still stopped in Cartagena. It was a good day that called for tentative celebration. A lot could still go wrong – so many moving parts.
- On November 25th, the Toscana finally arrived in Galveston, but our camper wasn’t loaded until November 27th, which is the day it finally left port! The fifteen free storage days were over on that exact day! Big. Sigh. Of. Relief.
The Toscana approaching Galveston, Texas
Our camper loaded on the Toscana vessel
Our camper – departed from Galveston
- The Toscana would drop Thirsty Bella off in Panama on December 4th, where it would sit for four days and the Grand Pavo would pick it up and leave on the 8th to arrive in Cartagena on the same day! But that ship had to make two more stops before Panama first. Those are always the concerns…
- November 28th, my birthday, started fine until we checked the schedule of the Toscana. The ship was now estimated to sit at port in Mexico for four days instead of one day. This meant our camper wouldn’t make the pick-up date in Panama for the Grand Pavo. Our moods turned sour. It was hot, humid, and rainy in Cartagena, but I was adamant about going to the old town and having a good time. We met fellow RVers – and “waiters” – Sheri and Jeff, whom we had been in communication with about this ordeal. They were the reason we ended up having a nice evening after all.
Cartagena weather on my birthday
Birthday meal in Getsemani, Cartagena
- The stress, frustration, disappointment, and anger continued the next day: We should have been on the Arc Resolve, which had safely arrived….
- Our only hope was a delay of the Grand Pavo as well, or quicker docking of the Toscana in Mexico. We later learned that the Grand Pavo was delayed in Brazil by a day. New schedule: both boats would arrive in Panama on the 8th. Hopefully that was enough time to transship.
Still only “Departed,” after ten days at sea
- We made more accommodation arrangements, cancellable and extendable. The hardest thing during this period was not knowing when our camper would arrive – for mental health reasons and planning purposes, but also to book accommodation. So far, in the three and a half weeks we had been in Cartagena, we couldn’t walk Maya anywhere due to the heat and humidity and lack of green space. Fireworks and/or traffic noise was prominent everywhere. We needed a more comfortable place for everybody’s sanity. We missed out on a quiet cabin closer to the port, because it was only available until the 13th and we had no idea about more arrival delays. We also needed to locate and buy dogfood for Maya, who is very prone to allergies.
- We discovered the Toscana was heading into port in Mexico quicker, based on the online schedule. The timing of our transshipment would work out again. But: there was a big storm right off the port entrance. The Toscana – and other cargo ships – had to head further out to sea and out of AIS range. She was gone from the system. This happens during parts of the journey.
Weather system off the coast of Mexico, preventing the Toscana to enter the harbor
- At the end of November, we learned that the Toscana would arrive in Panama on December 7th for the drop-off and the Grand Pavo on the 8th for pick-up. We could breathe again.
- In the first week of December, we watched both ships closely online and physically moved two more times to different areas in Cartagena.
- Then, Mark visited our local agent to pay for the arrival fees: another U$1,000, on top of the U$4,500 to IVSS. Accommodation and flights easily cost us another U$1,500. Luckily, we just had enough miles for those. Unfortunately, because of the many delays, we have no more points left for an Airbnb break from life on the road.
- We received news that we could pick up our camper on Tuesday the 13th, if it, indeed, arrived on Friday the 9th, after paying for storage for two days. Only the first three days of parking in the port of Cartagena are free, but of course Bella would sit there over the weekend, when “nothing” happens.
- The ships were on schedule, until December 8th. The Toscana arrived very early at the dock in Colon, Panama, and the vehicles were unloaded by morning. But the Grand Pavo sat outside the harbor. There was no room for it in port. The Toscana sat at the dock longer than planned…
Camper discharged in Colon (Manzanillo), Panama
- Before bedtime on the 8th, the Toscana had left (not important anymore; that computer tab could get closed), the Pavo had docked, but the campers were still parked on shore. Our friend Jeff kept us up to date via a GPS tracker on his truck.
- When we woke up on December 9th, Bella had still not been loaded on the Grand Pavo. No way it would arrive in Colombia on that day. A change in the schedule online showed a new arrival date in Cartagena on December 10th. We had accommodation booked in expensive but comfortable and breathable Boca Grande until December 13th. We still hoped to pick up our vehicle that day.
Early morning walks with Maya in Boca Grande
- We learned that the partners of the drivers and their luggage were not allowed to enter the port to pick up our campers with the agent. More research, logistics, and accommodations were needed to get all of us out of the city and closer to the port. Nobody wanted to drive their big rig in Cartagena proper!
- At noon on the 9th, we saw that the Grand Pavo had left Panama. Its status and that of our camper, however, had not been updated. There was no news from Jeff about his GPS tracker moving. Did our trucks make it onto the boat?
- We contacted our friend and received the confirmation we needed: everything was okay. Soon after, we saw the updated status: Thirsty Bella was finally on her way to Colombia on December 9th instead of November 3rd, or 15th, or 18th! Reason to celebrate? We thought so.
Our camper loaded on the Grand Pavo
Details after loading on the Grand Pavo
Our camper departed from Panama
Grand Pavo details
The Grand Pavo passes the Panama Canal at noon on December 9th
Grand Pavo approaching Cartagena
Grand Pavo entering Cartagena port
- The ship and our camper arrived in Cartagena at 6am on December 10th, a Saturday. Weekend. Nothing would happen (with clearance and paperwork) until Monday.
Arrived in Cartagena!
Details of Thirsty Bella’s arrival in Cartagena
- Mark – and other RV drivers – met Rodolfo of the Summit agency on Monday, December 12th, late afternoon, to sign the customs forms. The owners of seven other campers were there. It was a slow process. The mandatory SOAT car insurance was not finished yet. That would happen the following day, at the office, when a van would bring everyone to their campers at the port.
- We needed to know the plan to arrange accommodation, either extend the Boca Grande Airbnb or stay at a hotel near the harbor. I communicated with Mark on Monday late afternoon. Rodolfo was quite confident we’d be able to pick up our cars the next day. We didn’t extend our current apartment and didn’t cancel the hotel we booked, closer to the port.
- On Tuesday, December 13th, everyone had had nightmares about their campers and the condition they would find them in. No news from Rodolfo. We pushed checkout time to noon at our Airbnb and then took a cab to Hotel La Via, an hour south.
Hotel La Via
- There were no empty rooms at 1pm. We sat in the hot and humid lobby with our friends and Maya. Eventually, an hour later, we managed to check in and get more comfortable in our respective rooms.
- Around 2pm, Mark contacted Rodolfo, but didn’t hear anything back. There had been talk the previous day about meeting at his agency around two to deal with SOAT and pick up the campers. None of that was happening.
- A message arrived from Carly, another camper owner we had briefly met in Cartagena. Rodolfo had four permits to pick up vehicles. We didn’t seem to be a part of this group, despite us contacting Rodolfo very early on, being on top of everything, and sitting in Cartagena the longest – five weeks!
- Mark called Rodolfo and was told his permit wasn’t ready yet. Jeff called Rodolfo and was told to come to the office to deal with SOAT and get that done. Mark joined him in a taxi to the agency.
- Two hours later, I received a message from Mark that they’d be able to go to the port that afternoon. It was already after 4pm.
- Then, more delays. Even though everyone was told to wear long pants to enter the port and deal with harbor personnel, two people didn’t, so then everyone else had to wait for an hour until the pair bought long pants. And, one of those people had forgotten to bring her customs clearance.
- Everyone eventually arrived at the port in two groups, including the agent. Slow progress. Lots of waiting and paperwork.
Mark arrives at the port of Cartagena
Hard hat zone in the Cartagena port
- A port employee emptied a bucket full of keys on the ground for the vehicle owners, so they could pick out their own. None of the items had labels or keychains.
- Mark finally approached our camper, after being separated for five weeks! Thirsty Bella was intact. Nothing was missing or broken upon first inspection. There was a scratch on the outside mirror of the passenger side, strange, as the mirrors had been folded in the entire journey. And the keychain, which had been a gift from my cousin Griet, had disappeared.
There is Thirsty Bella, safely in Cartagena, Colombia
- By 6:15pm, Mark was finished at the port, but they didn’t let him leave. There was an issue with his paperwork, because an employee had entered the wrong information upon his arrival. His little group was stuck for another hour!!
- Around 8pm, Sheri and I welcomed the little caravan of three: Mark, Carly, and Jeff. It had been another frustrating day, but we were over the moon about having our home on wheels back!
The truck camper caravan of three has safely arrived at our hotel near Cartagena port (Photo courtesy Sheri Ouellet)
- We went to dinner together at the hotel, but couldn’t wait to get started on putting our camper back together. Especially because there would be no sun and less humidity this late at night. While the others enjoyed adult beverages, the two of us removed the tension bars and wood panels and reorganized some electronics. The rest had to wait until later.
First preparations of our camper after its arrival – our new propane tank had arrived as well! (Photo courtesy Sheri Ouellet)
Arranging some of the camper electronics to work again
On Wednesday, December 14th, we prepped our camper for three early hours to get the most urgent arrangements in order, filled the gas tank, escaped Cartagena, found propane for our new tank (needing our adapter already), bought groceries, drove a lot, and didn’t stop until dark. Our South American adventure had started!
Our truck campers early morning on day one
Reinstalling all the frames, blinds, and screens
Filling up with fuel before hitting the road again
Maya back in her driving spot – the truck’s back seat
Leaving Hotel de Via in Cartagena
Our propane adapter for South America
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
January 22, 2023 at 15:08
Wow! You, Mark and Maya remain my heros!! I greatly look forward to following your South American adventures!
January 22, 2023 at 21:27
Thanks, Donna. We can now safely say that we are enjoying our travels and lifestyle again. 🙂
January 24, 2023 at 22:15
After all that I certainly do hope that your time in South America is VERY enjoyable. Will continue following.
January 28, 2023 at 14:29
Hi Leslie,
We had some rough patches – and a serious scare (wait until you hear that story; you’ll never come here…) – but right now, all that is (mostly) forgotten and life is good. We love Colombia!!!
January 22, 2023 at 16:17
Wow, the laid-back life of the world travelers! I’m exhausted just reading this. But, you will have (and have had already) many great adventures ahead of you. I really appreciate all of your posts that give us a glimpse into your life.
January 22, 2023 at 21:30
It’s my pleasure to share snippets of our life, Janis. And I’m very happy this particular episode is behind us. I wish our lifestyle was a bit more laid-back at times, though. 🙂 I’m looking forward to blogging about Colombia soon.
January 22, 2023 at 16:39
Ahhhh! I couldn’t take all this stress. I’d go crazy.
January 22, 2023 at 21:31
We came very close to giving up this time, Pete. But what would we come back to in the US? It was worth sticking it out for new adventures, cultures, and experiences, even though it took a while for the end to be in sight. 🙂
January 22, 2023 at 16:41
Unbelievable! What a complicated story, I hope things are now calmer for you.
January 22, 2023 at 21:33
Yes, things are calmer now and more in our hands, Anabel. It was a long road to get to where we are now, but so far, we are enjoying Colombia. I have to admit that the first couple of weeks on this continent were still trying, but that story is for another day. 🙂
January 22, 2023 at 18:49
wow! I’m not sure if I should admire you both or just consider you crazy. What an ordeal. One thing is for sure you have proven to me that your lifestyle is not one I could ever do. I’m SO-O glad this is behind you and that you have your dream still intact. May the rest of the trip be much much smoother! ~Kathy
January 22, 2023 at 21:37
Thank you so much for your comment, Kathy. We are probably both: crazy and admirable. 🙂
But one thing is for sure, determination did it this time. We’ve worked so hard last year to get our camper, dog, and ourselves ready for this new adventure, so we couldn’t “just” give up before it even started. I fully admit that those weeks in Cartagena were tough and seemed never ending, especially after an exhausting previous six months, but I’m glad we are where we are now. And it’s the past that brings us to the present.
I appreciate you following along here and on Facebook.
January 22, 2023 at 18:56
What an ordeal. I hope your SA adventures go super well to make up for the stress you experienced with the shipping.
January 22, 2023 at 21:39
Hi Natalie,
So far, we can’t complain, other than another hiccup over Christmas, it’s been great in Colombia. We hope to make up for the stress, preparations, and thousands of dollars spent to get here over the coming years. 🙂
January 22, 2023 at 18:57
OMG, what a story. You can’t make up stuff like this. Reality is much more bizarre than fiction. It is hard to fathom the hurdles you three went through and in the end were successful in starting your South America adventure. Wow! Jim
January 22, 2023 at 21:45
Hi Jim,
Thanks for reading and coming along on this little trip from hell. Mental hell anyway, and luckily. 🙂
As you know, sometimes we nomads have to jump through lots of hurdles to get what/where we want. But, you two and us are determined folks and usually, the rewards are worth the efforts. I’m not sure you should tell Carmen about this little chapter, though. Or about our Christmas experience once I blog about it…
By the way, I often tell people that our life is more crazy and unbelievable than what you read in books. Except when it’s my own book, of course. 🙂 I want to thank you both again for the amazing review you left for Plunge on your website.
January 22, 2023 at 19:09
Nomad-ing is certainly not for the fainthearted. Like Pete and Kathy, I couldn’t take it because of the stress and the energy required. You guys are hardy souls.
Liesbet, you have included a lot of dates here and I paid attention to two: November 3rd when you reserved a spot on the cargo ship and then December 14, 2022 when your SA odyssey began. Two other items stood out: Vehicle keys just dumped out on the ground when you claimed Bella. Also, spending the night in a Home Depot parking lot. You weren’t the first and you certainly won’t be the last to do that.
I get the impression you are enjoying Colombia so far. I hope that continues! 😀
January 22, 2023 at 21:50
Hi Marian,
Those five weeks in Cartagena weren’t our best and we did get too caught up in our own drama, which is a pity. On hindsight, I wished I’d used that time better, to write, catch up on blogs, or at least read books. We both get overly consumed when things don’t go our way and, unfortunately, that happens often when you have a lifestyle like ours. There is not too much that can be controlled, even though we try. 🙂
I love your highlights. I guess in summary, our trip started one month later than it should have. And we have spent a lot of nights in parking lots during our RVing years, but usually in places where it’s officially allowed. The manager of Home Depot was nice enough to let us stay for the night.
And, yes, we are enjoying Colombia immensely. Even after the little hiccup over Christmas. I hope to write and post more photos about this amazing country here soon.
January 22, 2023 at 20:30
Oh my! I would have been frantic. I have to give it to you, every picture of you and Maya, you two are smiling!
January 22, 2023 at 21:52
Hi Jacqui,
Maya and I are trying to be happy in this life. Sometimes that works out, sometimes it doesn’t. But of those moments, we usually don’t have photos. 🙂
January 22, 2023 at 20:32
Mind-boggling! I try to be a flexible traveler, but this might well have done me in. Aarrgghh!
January 22, 2023 at 21:55
Hi Lexie,
You knew the complicated story and delays, before we even left. As you can see, nothing went smoothly on this journey. Having to switch vessels was the bane of our existence in October and November. Yet, here we are. Phew!
I used to think I was a flexible traveler as well, but the older I get and the more things don’t work out, the more stress and discomfort it creates. We could both do with some “easy” months, before the next punch in the face arrives. Here’s to hoping!
But, honestly, we have been quite happy in Colombia – the country is amazing, its people, its culture, its nature, its affordability. More about all that later.
January 23, 2023 at 10:01
Liesbet, I am so glad that ordeal is behind you guys. I’d like to say you can finally laugh about it, but I doubt that is true. At least, you are finally on to your next chapter and based on some of your comments it seems to have been worth it. Enjoy the journey. Now, more than ever, I appreciate your courage to take the road less traveled…
January 23, 2023 at 18:10
Hi Suzanne,
Nope, we can’t quite laugh about this episode, but I’m annoyed we didn’t use those five weeks to our advantage by at least taking care of some blog writing or work. We were so focused on everything going wrong and fearing we’d never get our camper back, that it was all consuming. We need to grow up about that.
I’m not sure if you’re on Facebook, but I’ve been posting photos almost daily on my Roaming About page (see sidebar of this blog) and I can guarantee that we are having an amazing time in Colombia – a very special country!
January 23, 2023 at 10:41
So relieved everything finally worked out in the end after your seemingly endless preparations. I cannot begin to comprehend the stress you faced day after day.
Looking forward to reading your blog posts about mostly happier days in Colombia.
January 23, 2023 at 18:13
Hi Annie,
Thanks for reading and commenting. Yes, it’s been a long road to get where we are and Mark and I have contemplated about this a lot. We used to make a decision about what to do next, get the means of transportation/accommodation, equip it, and leave. This adventure was in the making for almost a year! Part of that, because there is no road between Central and South America. And part because as we get older, we prep more and leave less to chance.
I’m looking forward to blogging about Colombia soon, as we’ve been here now for ten weeks!
January 23, 2023 at 10:54
I hate that you had all the stress of waiting and all the changes. I just read Laura’s post about the stress of moving Thor and her husband overseas – but when you’re moving your home in addition to your family, that’s a lot to worry about.
But I’m so glad everything arrived intact. And that you are on the road visiting beautiful places. It’s a hard life with amazing rewards. I hope the good things keep coming.
January 23, 2023 at 18:16
Good summary of this past episode, Duwan. Yes, us nomads have to go through a lot of planning, stress, efforts, and frustration to start a new adventure, but it is usually worth it in the end. This time, we almost gave up, though.
Funny you mention Laura. I was reading her latest post, thinking about the similarities, especially regarding our dogs, when her comment to my blog came in. I sure hope she and I will be able to sit down one day and compare notes. Sometimes I think they are even more “uptight” than us, which seems impossible. 🙂
January 23, 2023 at 16:06
Man, we dealt with a ton of moving parts and unexpected expenses followed by a pretty rough start, but you guys definitely win the competition for “most stressful move.” I totally hear you on the rage of dealing with people who just aren’t doing what they said they’d do and leaving you to deal with the consequences. Trust me – I really do understand it. There’s just a different customer service mentality in a lot of places and some folks just don’t care. But the worst thing is the uncertainty you are left with. Not knowing if things are ever going to come around and work out or you’re just out of luck and need to switch to plan B or C. It’s maddening and I totally feel for you guys. I’m glad you are all reunited now and things are improving. Hope it continues.
January 23, 2023 at 18:23
Hi Laura,
You beat me to reading and commenting. Such a coincidence about our blogs covering similar things – about which hoops we have to jump through and how stressful those are and so many moving parts – to get our next adventure started!
You three did it and, hopefully, like in our case, it will have been all worthwhile. But, seriously… Why oh why does nothing ever go as it should, or as planned? Jeeez…
I know you understand. I think we 100% understand each other and all four of us are pretty “uptight”, smart, on the ball, anticipating things before they happen, informed, and stressed people! Yet, it is the only way to move forward and often the only way to get things done.
I’m curious to find out about your rough start (in Portugal), because, again, we had a rough moment here in the beginning, over Christmas as well, but that’s a story for another day. I’ll write about more pleasant experiences first. 🙂
January 23, 2023 at 17:18
That is a horrifying account – ‘ordeal’ barely covers it! I hope the rest of your adventure goes smoothly enough to make it all worthwhile. 🙂
January 23, 2023 at 18:25
Hi Diane,
Right now, things are stable in Thirsty Bella. Big. Sigh. Of. Reliëf. We sure can use a break and, honestly, I have started to worry about what will be next, because the last week has been very enjoyable: no robberies, no fireworks, no leaks, … I’m holding my breath. 🙂
As a matter of fact, you could almost write a fiction book that is as exciting as our lives, haha.
January 24, 2023 at 13:39
LOL! I could, but the truth is stranger than fiction. 🙂
January 28, 2023 at 14:26
Isn’t that the truth? In our lives anyway. 🙂
January 23, 2023 at 18:25
So challenging! You made it, in spite of all the roadblocks!
January 23, 2023 at 18:26
Yes! And, as you know, we are soaking it all up right now and 100% enjoying Colombia. I totally get why it’s your (current) adopted country.
January 23, 2023 at 20:18
Would’ve been awful if you had to fly back because your pickup never made it.
January 27, 2023 at 11:01
Yes. It really was a last option for us to abandon our expected SA journey, but sometimes “too much is too much.” Of course, I’m glad we stayed in Colombia and managed to stick to plan after preparing for almost a year!
January 23, 2023 at 20:59
You guys are truly superheroes! Not only did you move to another continent and uproot your whole system, you did a lot of it during one of the nastiest Mercury Retrogrades we’ve had in a long time. Obstacles away, now it’s time to enjoy your new life. <3
January 27, 2023 at 11:03
Hi Debby!
Aha! I was wondering why everything kept going wrong. Again and again and again. Thanks for giving more sense to all our dreadful and frustrating episodes last November. Yes, let’s all enjoy our lives – you in Mexico and us in Colombia. I hope your baggage issues got sorted and you are off to an enjoyable vacation. xxx
January 28, 2023 at 09:06
Thanks my friend. Let’s just say traveling day was no breeze. I will be filling you all in with lots of stories. 🙂 xx
January 28, 2023 at 14:38
Bienvenidos en Mexico y disfruta todo!!! 🙂
January 24, 2023 at 11:11
What an ordeal! You are definitely tenacious and it looks like all of the hardship paid off at the end. Looking forwards to reading about your adventures now that you settled back into travel mode.
January 28, 2023 at 14:25
Hi Margie,
Thanks for following along, still. Yes, this new adventure took a while to prepare and was off to a rough start. But now that we are enjoying Colombia, it is starting to feel like it was worth the efforts, energy, determination, patience, and money. 🙂
January 24, 2023 at 19:02
I can’t believe how much you went through to make the trip happen. Wow!
January 28, 2023 at 14:28
Unlike all our other “big” adventures, this one sure was the hardest – and longest – to prepare for with the roughest start. Not sure what changed… Us getting older? Us preparing and worrying more? More things going wrong at the same time? I’m sure that the fact that there is no road between the continents made things a tad harder and out of our hands.
January 25, 2023 at 03:50
Never a dull moment with you guys. It has certainly been very challenging, you are my heroes. It will be worth all this effort and stress, you are now exploring gorgeous South America, I am loving following along and I do hope you make it to my home country of Brazil…eventually.
January 28, 2023 at 14:32
Haha, Gilda, that’s the perfect way to describe our life: never a dull moment. Strange but true. Sometimes, I wish we could just take it easy and sit around for a few days with nothing going on, but for some reason, this never happens! Plus, whenever we have/take a “free” day, I have heaps to catch up on online (blogs, comments, emails, messages, social media) and in my diary.
Yes! We hope – and plan – to visit Brazil extensively on our drive back north from Patagonia. It will be a while. As you might have noticed, we are very slow travelers – and love that! 🙂
January 25, 2023 at 07:46
Phew! That was a rollercoaster of a read, Liesbet. I don’t know how you guys got through it all, but you did! But I guess many lessons have been learned, that is if you ever do it again. My fingers are crossed well into the future upon your return when I guess you’ll have to do it all again. In the meantime, you’re there, and I hope you are enjoying the adventure as it unfolds.
January 28, 2023 at 14:35
Thanks, Hugh. We are loving our time in Colombia and all the adventures that have been coming our way here (except for that robbery). And, yes, many lessons have been learned throughout as well. Plus, all the cultural, gastronomical, and social experiences. To be honest, at the moment we have no desire to ever go through this shipping ordeal again. It’s a lot of money, time, patience, and effort. Maybe we can sell our set-up down here whenever we are done in a few years. Who knows???? 🙂
January 29, 2023 at 10:03
So you’re planing at least a few years South America? How exciting.
January 29, 2023 at 15:48
Yep. Of course, we have no idea how long, but we hope for around three years in SA, starting with six months in Colombia. 🙂
January 25, 2023 at 14:02
Wow, what a saga! You definitely need a rewarding journey after so much stress, exploring South America! Wishing you safe travels and amazing adventures!
Christie
January 28, 2023 at 14:37
Thanks, Christie! After six weeks of being on the road again and soaking up the cultural, gastronomical, social, and natural experiences, we can say that our previous efforts of getting here are starting to pay off. We truly are enjoying Colombia and also love that it’s affordable, which allows for more splurges and fun. 🙂
January 30, 2023 at 10:34
Um after reading your saga I am decidedly in favor of driving to Panama and the Overland Embassy to get our van to Cartagena. Very enlightening story. Thank you
January 30, 2023 at 11:00
Hi Michael,
Thanks for reading and leaving your thoughts.
You might want to get a quote from IVSS for the Panama – Colombia trip as well. When we collected quotes, it was around $4,800 (which will end up being $5,000 as the agent fees in Colombia have gone up) for that route. With Overland Embassy, it was the same amount as we paid from Texas to Cartagena with IVSS. That being said, our costs went up, of course, because of the unexpectedly long wait and having to stay in apartments for five weeks.
Happy shipping and traveling!
January 25, 2024 at 11:23
Great story and seemingly unreal!! We would love to take our big dog to colombia with us. How did you get your dog across?
January 25, 2024 at 15:30
Hi Tasha,
Welcome to Roaming About and thanks for reading and commenting. Are you an overlander/camper/RVer as well? When are you planning to cross into Colombia? We took our Maya with us on a plane from Houston, Texas, to Cartagena, Colombia, with a stop-over in Miami, Florida, to break up the trip.