I woke up this wintery Sunday morning with a sudden desire and enthusiasm to « Finnish » our blog post on Finland. Whether the desire was fueled by wanting to have closure on this particular adventure, in order to open the door to future ones, or by friends and colleagues asking about what happened after Norway, I … More The Finnish Flash
When we saw the sign indicating that we had arrived in Nordkapp (North Cape, Cap Nord), Laurent and I cheered and gave each other a high five! It was a joyful moment….We had made it all the way up to continental Europe’s most northern point (71° 10’ 21’’ N, actually 1400 meters short of the … More Nor(d)way!
Laurent and I heaved an enormous sigh of relief when Tommy rolled off the ferry from Denmark (Frederikshavn) to Oslo. We made it to Oslo without breaking down! That in itself was a major accomplishment for us and a promising sign that our luck may be changing for the better. We spent our first 2 … More A breath of fresh air in Norway
It is easy to say “we should have got it done before we left.” However, at the time it “seemed like a good idea.” What could I possibly be talking about? Our 4 tires! We were debating whether we should change all 4 tires prior to starting the journey. Yes, they were getting a bit … More It’s not a vacation, it’s a journey! (On a perdu la quatrième en Islande!)
We arrived in Seydisfjordur and getting off the ferry and through customs was quick and easy. No checking what food (and how much wine) had been brought into the country (we hid the dried mushrooms for nothing!) and covid/vaccination formalities were already completed on board. Apparently all passengers had negative PCR tests which were administered … More Into the Wind
I am writing this article sitting on my bunk bed in our cabin aboard the MS Norrona, the ferry bringing me, Laurent and Tommy from Hirtshals in northern Denmark, to Seydisfjordur on the eastern coast of Iceland. The sun is shining and the sailing is smooth. Life is good! It was hard digesting the early … More On Z Road Again!
After a busy week and a half in confinement in our hotel in Santiago, we are spending our last few days in Chile writing up the blog posts that are still overdue. Despite the early interruption of our journey, we have been very fortunate in being able to visit many incredible places and in meeting … More Lagunas y volcanes
It has been quite some time since our last blog post and so much has happened in between. Here’s an update on our latest activities and our current situation. A French version of this article has also been posted simultaneously….as you will soon find out, we happen to have a bit of time on ours … More End of Z road (for now)
March 11th, 2020: From the municipality of Las Condes, where we stayed with Federico and his family for a few days, we could walk to the terminus of the red line of the Santiago metro system. Fede and Laurent used to work together in Basel, Switzerland, and he and his family have been living in … More Santiago Amigos!
March 9th, 2020: Early in the morning, we took the metro in Santiago from almost one end of the east-west red line to the opposite terminus, then an inter-city bus between Santiago and Valparaiso. The journey which should have only taken one and a half hours ended up taking 4 hours, thanks to a road … More Loco por Valpo
Laurent and I are making the best of our self-confinement which we see in some ways as being a blessing in disguise. During our 3 months on the road we have found ourselves repeatedly frustrated with the lack of time we have had to dedicate to simple things such as reading a book or watching … More Scenic lookouts, graveyards, and mystical valleys
March 16th, 18h00 : I am writing this post sitting in front of a beautiful lake in Southern Chile, sipping a Pisco. Laurent is fishing. Milou and Tommy are enjoying the sun and the fantastic view. It seems almost surreal, given the hysteria around the world due to the astounding evolution of the coronavirus. Over the … More United with family and friends
Those were sweet words to see indeed ! The custom formalities to cross from Peru to Chile were relatively straight forward, thanks to the information posted on iOverlander from other travellers. We were done in about one hour (exportation/importation papers for the vehicle leaving Peru and entering Chile included). As with each border crossing up to … More Bienvenidos a Chile!
Laurent was a bit hasty in mentioning our return to Peru later in the year……..since we did not yet cover our last days in the country! After getting the oil changed and a few other minor truck adjustments (there is never really an end to the vehicle maintenance….sigh), we left Arequipa and headed back to … More Onwards to Chile!
We recently realized that we were not able to share the entire “onZroad” experience with our readers so we splurged and updated our WorldPress account to a premium one, allowing us to upload video and audio recordings. Stay tuned for exciting video clips! We will also update some of the older articles with videos as … More Coming soon……….videos!
The amazing flight over the Nasca lines was a hard act to follow. We were therefore not prepared for the spectacular scenery that awaited us along the southern peruvian coast on the way to the country’s second largest city, Arequipa. It was absolutely breathtaking with enormous sand dunes practically falling into the vivid blue ocean … More Along the southern coast to Arequipa
After a slightly confusing entry into Peru, as described by Laurent in his earlier post, we landed on the beach behind the hostel Swiss Wassi. Incredible sunsets and good company (thanks Melba)! The beach at this campground is little piece of paradise after the surprising drive down from the border. Surprising for different reasons : First … More Northern Peru to Lima
Our first stop in Ecuador after crossing the border was our overnight spot on the shores of a small lake (Laguma El Salado), not far from San Gabriel. Despite our first steps in the country after more than 10 years, we felt totally safe wild camping in this spot that is visited by families and … More Northern Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
How is it possible to resume in a few paragraphs all that we have seen and experienced over the past couple of weeks? Despite the relatively short period of time, we have visited many places and met some very incredible people. The road south brought us to the start of the coffee growing region, and … More Down to the Southern Border
During our stay in Medellin we heard a lot about the resort area of Guatapé and were eager to get out of the city and into the beautiful natural surroundings that awaited us, just east of Medellin. Guatapé is known for its large lake with many branches, inlets, and islands, and for the Piedra del … More Guatapé and New Years Eve
After the heat on the caribbean coast we were glad to spend some time in the mountains, especially for camping in the evenings. We stayed at some great locations and met some really nice people at the same time, from locals who welcomed us on their property to fellow travellers. Our itinerary had us slowly … More On the way to Medellin
After a longer than anticipated wait to recuperate Tommy and Milou from the port, followed by our unexpected battery problems, it was really time to hit the road! During our last evening in Cartagena, we had drinks with a French couple (Estelle and Antoine) who were just wrapping up their one year road trip in … More Ready, set, go!
After a 2 week visit with family and friends in Canada, first in Winnipeg, then in Calgary, we finally hopped on the flights that would take us to Colombia, via Toronto. We touched down late in the evening of November 27th in Bogota and made our way to our rented appartment in the old town, … More Arrival in Colombia – Bogota
After 28 years without winning the Grey Cup (the Canadian Football League Championship), the Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12 in the finals yesterday in Calgary, to claim the 2019 Grey Cup Champions title! Was this victory just a coincidence or was it due to our recent visit to Winnipeg (Angie’s hometown) and … More Winnipeg Grey Cup Champions!
As the date of our departure drew near, it was time to say farewell and thank you to family, friends, and colleagues who provided encouragement and support during the long preparation phase of our trip. Over the course of the past year and a half our project allowed us to meet many interesting and inspiring … More Bon Voyage!
As independent travellers we searched for the perfect vehicle to take us through South America. It had to be solid, reliable, and able to take on rough roads, mud, and the occasional river. To find out more about the vehicle that we will be calling home for one year: https://onzroad.fr/pimp-my-ride
onZroad is a travel blog to share our year on the road in South America with friends, family, and similar minded people who believe that travel is an essential ingredient in life: opening our eyes, minds, and spirit to new experiences and encounters. To find out more about us and our project: https://onzroad.fr/about-us-and-our-project
Although our project to travel through South America has been germinating for many years, the inspiration that pushed us to move into action came from an extraordinary trip we took in 2017: https://onzroad.fr/genesis-of-the-project
onZroad 