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preparations and flashbacks

Introduction

What preparations, e.g. concerning our car, car papers, vaccinations, visa, etc., did we make before starting out on this journey? Each year we take a moment to look back on these preparations and comment on them: with the travel experience we now have, what would we do differently if we were starting out again. This flashback was made in March 2008, after we finished our Asia Adventure [Holland to Vietnam in 3,5 years] and one year in South America. On this page, you'll also find our experiences with shipping, as well as links to websites with practical information and of those of other overland travellers.

This page concerns our journey in general, but [starting in Singapore] we also write a page 'Practical information', which deals with practicalities concerning a particular country, such as visa, Carnet, traffic, prices of diesel, budget, etc. These Practical information pages can be found under Logbook / South America / 'i' [red dot] and under Logbook / Asia adventure / 'i' [red dot] of the particular country.

About our gps points [waypoints]:

We didn't register them while we were travelling from Holland to India.
From Bangladesh as far as Malaysia, we mention them in the webiste stories.
Starting in South America, we register them on a seperate blog accesible through the Logbook / South America / 'i' [red dot] at the bottom of the page.

The car

We drive a Toyota Landcruiser BJ45 from 1984, a car more than 20 years old. Why a Toyota and why a car of this age? When we decided that we wanted to travel by car we had no idea what kind of car to buy so we put the question to the forum of the Lonely Planet, explaining that we wanted to travel to Asia. We received 30 responses and most were positive about the Toyota Landcruiser. The general idea was that it would be best to buy a Landcruiser from before 1987 because they are completely mechanical, without electronic gadgets which can break down and are difficult or impossible to repair in Asia. And above all, they said, a Toyota Landcruiser is a common car in most parts of Asia and spare parts are not difficult to find. By searching the internet we found a BJ45 in Germany and made it our new home for this journey.

Looking back
Afterr 5 years we can say that we are still very happy with. It's our home in which we travel and live with great joy. But it's an old car and although during the first 3,5 years we did not have much maintenance, this last year we seem to be going from garage to garage. Leaf-springs, shock absorbers, batteries, tyres - they all had to be fixed or replaced, but then a car does need attention and most of the repairs fit into the category "regular maintenance". The engine itself is strong and reliable, and runs without any hiccups. Rust is making great progress and driving in the rain is less and less a good idea, but as yet the rust is not something we want to tackle.
It's a relatively small car, so driving through narrow streets is never a problem [contrary to e.g. overlanding trucks]. In Asia we hardly used the car as a house, we always lived outside. In South America this has changed, the cold and rainy weather forced us to spend many hours inside and we have come to acknowledge the comfort of a somewhat bigger car.
But no, let there be no misunderstanding. We don't want another car. This one is and stays our home.

Toyota countries
Holland-Vietnam: Pakistan is LandCruiser paradise because they have many old LandCruisers themselves. Peshawar and Rawalpindi [cities in Pakistan] are good places to get your car fixed. In India there are many Toyota garages, but since by far the majority of the cars consists of modern ones [from 2000 onward], finding spare parts for ours means searching in the bazars, which was always successful. Southeast Asia [Malaysia and Thailand] also has its share of Toyota garages.

South America: Argentina has the same "problem" [for us] as India: only modern Toyotas. Apart from that, Argentina has a high import tax on spare parts of 60%. Chile has more spare parts which are often cheaper [lower import tax]. Basic things like filters and oil are easy to find. Bolivia [and countries further north, where we haven't been yet] will be easier to find spare parts because old LandCruisers are more common. Brazil is best for us, because the series J4 is known there as "Bandeirantes" which was in production until 2001.

4WD a must?
We hardly use 4WD and it certainly isn't a necessity. It may make the decision easier to take a narrow track into the woods or mountains because you know that even when the weather changes [transforming sand into mud tracks] you are likely to get out somehow, because of your 4WD.
Along the way we meet LandRover owners who are just as happy with their choice. Only some modern TD5 cars that we met, have been having serious problems with their computers in South America.

Holland-Vietnam: 4WD is not needed at all, it's all asphalt. If you want to drive off-road, you have to search for it. We met many travelers with regular vehicles like a VW combi or a camper.

South America: on this continent the condition of the roads is far worse. Long distances [hundreds of kilometres] consist of "ripio" [unpaved roads]. During the dry season this is not a problem [except for lots of dust], there are countless regular vehicles on the road of local people as well as overlanders. The point is that the regular vehicles need a bit more planning - driving into Bolivia during the rainy season would perhaps not be such a good idea.

Preparations +flashback on the outside of the car:

The car had a good Warn winch [not installed] on 12 volt. Since we have a 24 volt system we exchanged it for a Ramsey winch. We used it once, when stuck in the mud somewhere in Turkey, and it broke down. Thus far we think it has been a useless piece of equipment, not worth investing in.
On the bumper we installed two spokes because from the front seat it is difficult to see the front of the car. At the beginning of the journey they were very helpful but after a few months they broke off and by then we had developed enough feeling for the size of the car, so we didn't replace them.
On the hood we installed a spade which has been very useful. Not only for digging out the tyres twice but also for digging a toilet when camping in the woods.
We bought four Chinese tyres with a heavily studded tread. Looking back they were not the right choice: we drove much more on tarred roads than off-roads, they made a lot of noise and caused an increase in diesel consumption. In India [after two years amd 40.000 kms] the tyres were worn out and we bought new ones. The only two radial brands in our size were of an Indian make, so there was not much choice and that makes it easier. From other travelers doing the same stretch we heard good stories about BF Goodridge tyres [expensive but durable]. After a comfortable 50.000 kms we changed them in Paraguay [good and cheap for tyres]. We now use Brazilian Pirelli tyres with 12 ply.
We bought a highlift which we used only once when stuck in the mud and the winch broke down. We were happy to have invested in this. Apart from on that occasion we haven't used it but still feel good about the investment. Driving off-road feels better when you have equipment to get you out when you get stuck. Occasionally we use it when rotating the tyres.
We have installed a horn and four highbeams. These have proven to be good investments, especially in India where they only know one traffic rule: "might = right", loosely translated: The one with the most noise [daytime] or the most light [nightime] is "King of the road"
On the roof we fitted a large box in which we keep things we don't use regularly like camping equipment for a trekking, winterclothes and diving gear. We secured it with a stainless-steel wire and lock. Looking back we can say that the box is very high and makes passing low obstacles sometimes a problem. We had to take off the lid a few times but at the same time we've concluded it has also saved our rooftop tent from getting damaged.
We started out with two spare tyres: one on the roof and one underneath [at the back of] the car. The one underneath fell off somewhere without our noticing it. Looking back we think that for the journey thus far one spare tyre has been sufficient.
Our "Eezi Awn" rooftop tent is the best investment we made! The mattress is good, although starting to wear now after more than two years of intensive use. The big advantage is that it is much cooler to sleep in the rooftop tent than in the car because you sleep higher thus catching more breeze, and the tent has mosquito-netting on four sides. A perfect choice for Asia but not so for southern South America where there is too much wind for a rooftop tent. We again conclude that it's worth investing in two sleeping places - inside the car [as we do now] or in the tent [in the tropics].
The outside of the car was cleaned and waxed extensively so we could apply the logos of sponsors who helped us during the preparations, and a world map. The choice is between driving around unnoticed in order to keep a low profile and doing what we did: draw attention to our car. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, but we feel that our choice of drawing attention almost always works in a positive way and somehow creates a sense of social acknowledgment among local people not to damage our car. It definitely didn't prove to be useful when we were trying to pass the checkpoints in Bhutan without getting noticed!
We fixed a box on the roof which holds two jerrycans for spare diesel. With our regular tank we can drive about 500 kilometres. The only time we really did need spare diesel was along the coast of the Persian Gulf [Iran], the country where diesel is cheapest but finding a petrol station [with an ample supply of diesel!] is not always that self-evident. In South America we've just our jerrycans regularly, especially Patagonia [south Chile and Argentina] is known for having petrol stations but not necessarily diesel or petrol.
The car already had a stainless-steel roofrack with aluminum plates which was perfect for securing our equipment to. Having a roof lifted 25 cms, the car is higher than usual [it was like this when we bought it]. The advantage is that the inside of the car gives us a lot of headroom and we can easily have dinner for six in the back. The only problem we face is when we try to enter a parking lot or other entrances which have a 2.20m height limitation. In order to fit our car into a container [for shipment] we had to take everything off the roof and deflate the tyres completely. Having fitted the spare tyre and the diesel jerrycans directly above the front window has proven fatal for our window frames which have broken twice now. One of the things we want to change to bring the weight down is removing the spare tyre and placing it underneath the car. The diesel cans are empty unless we know that we are going to need all the diesel we can get on a particular stretch [like Ladakh in India and Patagonia in South America].
The car was fitted with a "cyclone" snorkel [a high air-intake] which comes in handy if we take our car for a swim [river crossings] but in combination with the oil-bath filter it is also very useful when driving at high altitudes, although we wouldn't say that you absolutely should invest in one.

Preparations +flashback on the inside of the car:

We made bunks on both sides behind the front seats. They can be used as seats and the inside to store our stuff. A table supported by one pole is collapsable and folds exactly between the bunks thus forming one large flat area conveniently hiding all our stuff and doubling as our guest room. Thus far we have been very happy with our construction, especially the fact that the roof is 25 cm higher than usual makes for a comfortable living space.
In the front and back we made small cupboards underneath the ceiling to store small things and to install a radio, which works fine.
We installed a refrigerator which we bought second-hand. It broke down twice and we no longer felt the need to repair it. In South America we have another one and since we cook ourselves most of the time here [budget-issue] we are happy with it.
The electronic equipment inside the car works on 24 volt. We have two "deep-cycle-dry" batteries.
For a starter-pack we have two separate batteries in the engine bay. Since they were in the car already when we bought it, they must have been old, so [after having had starting difficulties for a long time] in India we replaced them and since then the car has been running like new. In Paraguay the positive cable of the winch had worn away and caused a short. This ruined the batteries and were replaced [Paraguay is a good and cheap country for car maintenance].
In Pakistan we bought two fans which we fitted above our front seats. This proved to be a great buy and we use them almost daily. One of the fans can be relocated and used in the rooftop-tent which is a very "cool" item in the heat.

Car papers

Car papers concerning third-party insurance, taxes and so on differ per country so it is useless to tell you how the red-tape works in the Netherlands when you are preparing to set out on a long journey by car. We do advise to seek information from your Automobile Association about what needs to be done during your absence when it comes to having a third-party insurance, paying road taxes, periodical checks, and/or being able to suspend the car.

What we can say about third-party insurance is that from Iran on we could buy it at or near the border of each country and that in general it is cheap. So far it has been useless and more of a formality than anything else. In most countries, when a foreigner is involved in an accident, the foreigner has to pay anyway whether guilty or not, simply because the foreigner is the rich one in their eyes.

What you do need from Iran onward is a "Carnet de Passage". Don't be fooled by stories that you can reach India without this Carnet because you can't. Well, maybe you can, but you'll end up paying lots of money and still having to buy your Carnet at one place or another. In short, one could say that the Carnet is a passport for your car. It entitles you to enter countries [which signed this convention] by car without paying import taxes. How does it work?

You go to your Automobile Association [AA] and apply for the Carnet. Depending on your vehicle and the countries you want to visit, the AA calculates an amount [which can vary from 1.000 to 10.000 dollars] that you deposit at the AA for the duration of your journey.
The Carnet is valid for one year and in Holland we pay about 150-200 dollars for it. Depending on your AA it can be used for either 10 or 25 countries.
Each country uses one page. On entering and exiting the customs sign and stamp the document. It is your own responsibility to collect these stamps. Some customs [in very exotic countries or remote borders] have never seen this document before and you'll have to do some explaining [start getting lot of patience!].
When you get back to your country with your car and Carnet with stamps the AA returns your deposit. It is as simple as that and as far as we are concerned the system works just fine.
If you are still traveling after a year you have to buy a new Carnet.

Remark 1: a lot of countries use this Carnet, but an important exemption is China. Thus far it has not been possible to enter China without having an agency organize this in advance and your paying lots of money. Think about at least 150 US$ per day [yes, per day!] just to get the right papers to enter the country. I guess you'll have to surf the internet to find an agency that does this in your country.

Remark 2: the deposit can amount to a lot of money. We know it is possible in Germany to arrange it with a bank guarantee, and this may also be the case in other countries. Ask your AA about this.

Remark 3: the AA in Germany [the ADAC] has elaborate information in English on the "Carnet de Passage". See the links on practical information below.

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Vaccinations

Best thing to do is to seek information about vaccinations yourself, since this is something that can change easily. An English book we found useful is "Healthy travel Asia and India" of the Lonely Planet. We consulted several books, talked to a Tropical Clinic in Rotterdam and consulted my family doctor who worked in the tropics himself.

We chose to get vaccinations for DTP, Hepatitus A and Typhoid and are still happy about these decisions. In order to extend our validity of Hepatitus A from 1 to 10 years we went to Karachi, Pakistan for a second shot which cost about the same as in Holland. We don't take any Malaria profylaxe.

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Visa

We had no time schedule and didn't arrange any visas in advance. Obtaining visa just before entering the country hasn't caused any problems. Other travelers proved to have the most reliable information, even embassies often don't know their own systems. For example, the Pakistan embassy in Teheran assured us that the only place to get a Pakistan visa was to come to Teheran but in Zahedan [near the border] we went to a Pakistan consulate and had our visa within 24 hours. Check with travelers who have been there recently since our experience may already be outdated! [see further down for links with other overland travelers].

In South America visas are no issue. For Dutch, and I believe most other European countries, we get a three-month vis at each border.

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Shipping the car

It was impossible to get into Myanmar by car from India. Myanmar is opening up though, we know about travelers who did get permission from Myanmar to cross their country by car. India is the troublemaker, at least it is now [december 2006]. The northeastern borders have a lot of unrest and India doesn't permit you to drive to the Myanmar border. We shipped from Bangladesh to Singapore since this is a much cheaper option than from India. For information about where/how/when/how much, etc. please take a look at Logbook / Asia adventure / 'i' under Singapore.

In December 2006 we shipped our car from Malaysia to South-America [Buenos Aires]. You can find the Practical information under Logbook / Asia adventure / 'i' [red dot] under Malaysia and under Logbook / South America / 'i' [red dot] underneath the page.

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Books

Before we left on this journey we did some reading of course, but also during the journey we like to read a lot about the countries we visit.
When it comes to costs of books, countries like Turkey and Malaysia are expensive, but other countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Thailand have very cheap books [often copies].
When it comes to availability: Pakistan [Islamabad] has lots of cheap books about a lot of countries and India is a Walhallah for cheap and great books. Bangkok is another Walhallah for second-hand books where selling or swapping books is easy.

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links | practical information

4x4 forums and car information:

Lots of tips and 4x4 experience, mainly Africa
the American Landcruiser forum with heaps of information specificly on Landcruisers
German website, werldreiseforum; -about shipping, seperate vehicles sections, seperate continent sections
the Toyota Diesel forum, all about.... yes... you guessed it; toyota diesels
In English and Afrikaans; Overlandforum; - covers mainly Africa, Toyota and Landrover, sections per country
At last, here it is, the long awaited 4 wheel-version of the superb bikesite: Horizons-unlimited

paperwork

ADAC is the German Automobile Association for information about the Carnet de Passage. [English]

expedition and campstuff:

For expert expedition stuff [in German]: have a look at Daerr in München for your equipment.
read reviews and tips on backpacking and camping gear

make/maintain website:

free and secure forms on you website: FormMail
send your newsletters through a mailinglist
your online blog with iBlog

diverse:

Lonely Planet forum for Frequently Asked Questions.
The hospitalityclub is a volunteer network on the internet which you can subscribe to if you want to meet [and sometimes stay with] local people of the country you visit. We have a lot of wonderful experiences with the hospitality club and absolutely recommend it!

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links | overland-travelers

Now on the road:

Emil en Liliana are the world-record holders of traveling the most countries plus the longest distance in one car. They have been traveling the world for more than 20 years in a Toyota LandCruiser.
Check out the Africa Overland connection for some up-to-date "overlanders", which are on the road around the globe. You can vote for our site.
someone trying to fill the gap left by the above mentioned Africa Overland Connection with similar but copied style
Traveling with children? Read how the Belgians Sophie and Damien are doing on their travels with their kids [6 and 4] in a big camper. They are traveling through South America and Australia for 2 years. French website.
Yann and Geraldine are having quite an adventure with their 38-year-old Citroën HY and give a weekly update with animated videos. French website.
Gudrun and Tobias have been travelling in their LandRover Td5 from the USA to Ushuaia since 2006. Their website contains, among other things, gps waypoints. German website.
a new website where practical information concerning gps-waypoints, diesel prices and shipping info can be found and added is www.absoluteoverland.com.
Paula started walking in London and is now crossing the Sahara [all on foot]. What a spirit and great stories.
Lorraine is on mission with her dogs in South America.
Shreesh and Neena are crossing the Americas in a FJ Cruiser.
Paul is traveling from Alaska to Ushuaia on his 33 year old Moto Guzzi [partly in Dutch / English].
The dream of many overlanders: crossing the Bering Strait by car. Cape to Cape Expedition is actually doing it!

Back from their journey:

Erwin an Bastienne on their Utrecht to Lhasa tour [stranded in India, 2002-2004] with their LandCruiser
From 2002-2004 Expedition Overland drove around the world with a completely modified Landrover [6x6].
Dorrit en Coen traveled in Asia for two years [2002-2004] with their VW-bus then went to South America for another two years.
Ziguin.de is a German website and it might be interesting to read about their successful transit through Myanmar by car in 2003.
Stephen en Pat went to China in 2004 [interesting to read about all the necessary paperwork] and just finished their 2006 run to South America.
Lizzy and Roel left for Australia in 2006 and drove home via Africa in their LandRover.
Tom and Barry drove the South Americas with their Landy and have a well stocked site [2001-2003].

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