https://www.johnandmandi.com/ us --> van --> overland | A journey in life along the Pan-American highway Tue, 10 May 2022 18:29:03 -0400 en-US hourly 1 Tue, 10 May 2022 18:29:03 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/sevenyears
Rather, seven years after starting a four year trip we are parking the van to become respectable contributing citizens again...or something to that accord. Just like with our extended period of saving before starting our Pan-American drive, our... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/sevenyears Wed, 12 Dec 2018 14:23:04 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/cafayate
It might be more appropriate to liken soaring to the Andean Condor, especially considering where we are, but fly like a condor does not roll off the tongue the same. Mostly our titles are obscure trivial amusements, unnecessarily provoking the... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/cafayate Wed, 28 Nov 2018 06:51:18 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/fortytwomonths
Again we find guidance from our titles of old, gleaning the wisdom so slight in their folds. The obvious from oblivious, truths from the less serious, subconsciously leaked and consciously told. Those things we see clearly, abstractly portrayed,... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/fortytwomonths Mon, 05 Nov 2018 07:28:56 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/expensesbolivia
Time again for the money talk. We know, it is boring, gouge your eye out with a spoon. Whichever one, we do not care. Anyway, we spent $2,162.96 over the 31 days we explored Bolivia or $69.77 per day. Prices seemed a little higher, but in reality,... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/expensesbolivia Fri, 02 Nov 2018 11:28:34 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/bolivia
Our original plan was to spend a couple months in Bolivia, we left after 31 days. We had to skip a few things due to a coca strike that was happening around La Paz, nothing we were really that interested in anyway. The hyped up death road is a... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/bolivia Mon, 01 Oct 2018 12:20:31 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/expensesperu
Here they come, here come the numbers, bury your head, deep in the sand. Over the 127 days we spent driving back and forth over the Peruvian Andes, we spent $ 8,071.14 or $63.55 per day. Our figure is much higher than the actual cost due to huge... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/expensesperu Tue, 18 Sep 2018 09:01:06 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/rainbowmountain
Not everything is wonderful, only a fool would claim so. We have never had any trouble calling it how we see it, our sight is truly most of what we are. We do not suffer from the strains of absolute positivity, honesty is the serum of our souls.... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/rainbowmountain Mon, 10 Sep 2018 09:48:39 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/sacredvalley
Sometimes we ask ourselves why we are visiting a particular place. Everything is recommended and the guidebooks either market every place as exponentially better than the last or the most dangerous on earth. There are those that are magical,... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/sacredvalley Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:11:52 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/nazca
It finally happened, we were in an accident. The drivers in Peru are definitely the worst we have ever encountered. The disregard of the most basic rules has been the largest problem. Lanes...those must be for idiots. Hairpins present the most... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/nazca Fri, 17 Aug 2018 18:26:06 -0400 https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/cordillerablanca
There are places we remember due to the sights, others due to the people, a few due to both. We always knew the Cordillera Blanca was a special place and one we would probably enjoy immensely. What we will forever remember, in addition to the... ]]> https://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/cordillerablanca