Memories of a Pan-American road trip
Memories of a Pan-American Highway road trip
The Pan-American Road Trip began in December 2011. A road trip through South America with 83 classic Volvos. Over 35 days and 16,000 kilometres, these Volvo enthusiasts drove from Buenos Aires in Argentina, southwards to Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing memories of this memorable journey on our blog.
A look back by Johan van Rijswijck
Johan: “I won’t forget the day I met Klaas Postma, former chairman of the Volvo Club, in a hurry. He told me enthusiastically that he was planning to drive through South America in classic Volvos and asked if we at Sapa Pana Travel could help him with that. At first, I thought it was a bizarre plan. But he turned out to be serious. The motivation for him and his brother Fred was that they ‘simply’ wanted to have driven their old Volvo on every continent. They’d already undertaken trips to places including Asia and the United States, and now South America was next on the agenda."
This project offered Sapa Pana Travel a unique opportunity to show a large group of people just what an indescribably beautiful continent South America is. And not only that, but also how easy it is to travel there. South America has it all! It boasts spectacular landscapes: from majestic glaciers, you can drive over sky-high mountain passes and across endless pampas, through dense jungle and past azure blue seas or crystal-clear lakes. You’ll find bustling cities and quaint villages, the food is delicious, and sublime wines are produced there. The people are open, enthusiastic and hospitable.
It took more than two years of preparation. Together with an enthusiastic team, we set to work organising this special journey. In December 2011, the time had finally come. 83 classic Volvos lined up at the start in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, only to arrive 35 days and 16,000 kilometres later, all in good health and with their cars still running, in the Colombian city of Cartagena de Indias.
The journey was tough at times, due to the long days spent in the car. Tough because of the uncertainty about what might or might not lie ahead. Tough because of all the impressions we had to process at breakneck speed. In any case, the journey left an indelible impression on all those who took part. As the journey progressed, everyone was deeply moved by the continent’s natural beauty, culture and people.
Book a Pan-American Highway road trip
The book ‘Panamericana Road Trip’ has been published as a memento of this memorable journey. The story is told through the stunning photographs of travel photographer Thijs Heslenfeld, accompanied by a selection of the many stories written by the heroes of this journey. For anyone who didn’t make the journey, this is a wonderful book to lose yourself in. The proceeds from the book will go towards the special projects run by the HoPe Foundation. This organisation – founded by Walter Meekes – focuses primarily on developing education in the remote mountain villages around the Peruvian city of Cuzco.
More about LatinAmeriCar
Would you like to join one of these exclusive road trips yourself? Then take a look at our LatinAmeriCar page. Do you have any questions about a unique trip of Latin America, would you like a bespoke travel proposal, or would you like to arrange an appointment at our office? Please feel free to get in touch with us. Send an email to info@sapapanatravel.nl or call +31 73 610 62 04. We’d be happy to help.