About Us
We are Stephanie and Juan. We left our adopted home of San Francisco in September of 2012 to drive our ’89 Vanagon Westfalia, “The Electric Pony,” to Tierra del Fuego. In April of 2014, we reached the southernmost city in Patagonia, Ushuaia, and returned by air to the Bay Area on May 31, 2014. We called this blog Van en Van to use both the Spanish and English uses of the word van: ‘they go’ and ‘a larger vehicle used for transporting goods and/or people.’ Van is also the name of a Turkish city that we have not (yet) visited.
Team Member #3 was Milo the dog, adopted just ten days before leaving from San Francisco Animal Care and Control. From his reported lineage of mixed Tibetan Terrier and Border Collie descent, we assume that Milo was a spiritually aware sheep herder. He is now in charge of emotional well-being, llama-spotting, and heating the bed at night.
Stephanie is a writer from Deerfield, Illinois who loves eating, knitting, hiking and feeding stray animals. She has attended school in Chicago, San Francisco, and New York and is still somehow unemployed. For the purposes of this journey, she is in charge of food, finances, warm-weather accessories, and getting up early.
Juan is a photographer from Punta Alta, Argentina, with a talent for visual effects. You’ve probably seen at least one of the movies he’s worked on, which include animated movies from Antz to Brave (chronologically, not alphabetically). But he’s modest so we won’t embarrass him here. He is in charge of driving, navigation, mechanical and electrical issues, speaking Spanish, and staying up late.
We love correspondence and do our best to help other travelers and potential travelers with any questions and issues. If you send us your address, we will mail you a postcard from wherever we happen to be! You can also see more of our work on our separate photo blogs.
Juan
juanbuhler at gmail dot com
Stephanie
haveyoulostweight at gmail dot com
It’s not electric. (It’s not a pony either.) This blog is full of lies.
You guys think you are so hardcore… and actually you are!
A nice couple from seattle did something similar to what you are embarking in, only without an electric pony and on the colder side of the earth… Watch what the documentary they made, it’s amazing:
http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/Journeys/WildCoast.html
love,
Gilles
Juan and Stephanie,
was great meeting you two at Ocean Beach last weekend (I was with thelma). Have a great trip. Can’t wait to read the stories.
j
It was great to meet you (and Thelma) as well. Thanks so much for driving down into the fog to hang out. Hope to see you when we get back!
So excited and, yes, envious.
Determined to meet you somewhere south of the Panama Canal.
Love and blessings!
Sounds amazing! Have a great time!
Exitos Juan, esperamos tu paso por Punta Alta. ¡Que aventura! no lo puedo creer. La mejor de las suertes para Uds.
Hola juanjo, estoy viendo tus fotos de la linda aventura con tu chica, mandame algo de donde estes, un beso y suerte, tu tia Susy de Cabildo
envidia de la buena juan mucha suerte y aqui te estare visitando
GERALDO VWS
Found your blog from the Dangerz. I live in Kingman, Arizona and that is where I met Bryan and Jen. I am thinking of doing something similar but I would be riding a BMW R1200GS onroad / offroad type adventure bike or maybe a dune buggy. I will bookmark this site so I can follow your travels also.
Salud~
Sid.
hey Sid! We’ve met a handful of BMW folks, most recently an Australian couple doing the northbound route. Sounds awesome!
Juan and Stephanie, We enjoyed meeting you at the hot springs of Escondido near San Miguel de Allende. Here is a link to Genetic Roulette that we were discussing at the Round Pool. http://www.geneticroulette.com
Let us know when you come back this way in San Miguel. We have an extra bedroom, warm showers, and Mosey, a former street dog, who is more than willing to play with your dog and who can show off the terrace for playing “roof dog.” Plus we have a place for you to park the van. Just call us at 154-0675 in town, or by email.
Have a great journey! Bill and Edith
Dear Stephanie and Juan – It was a pleasure to meet you at Escondido Place!
I look forward to coming back to your blog to look at more of your pictures. The ones I saw already are really fine. Do get in touch with us using my email.
We would love to see you and offer you a parking spot and hot shower if you swing back through San Miguel after next week. Have a great time at the balloon festival!
Hi Carol! Thanks so much for the offer! It was wonderful meeting you as well, and we will definitely be in touch if our “schedule” permits!
Stephanie- this is terrific! Sarah has enjoyed this blog, and your mom gave me this address. You are really good…
Juan & Stephanie,
It was great meeting you at BugCamp here in Coban. Thanks for your experiences, those tips will help me on my similar trip through Central America.
Hey guys…
Just read your Panama reports… you know that there is now a ferry running by a german guy? Did you hear any feedbacks for it?
We would hate to fly with the dogs.. we are trying to find other solutions… the money is one thing, but we already know a travelere where they stole the dog at the airport last year and it took them very long time and lots of money to find the dog through a miracle again!
Not really looking for something like that! ;)
Cheers from El Salvador
Michel & Ursi
Juan, have not seen you for a couple years. Have fun traveling! It’s HILARIOUS to read Stephanie’s “Travel While Asian.” AZN is America has the same problems: “Where are you from?” Um, San Francisco Bay Area? “I mean, where are YOU from?” Well, I am Chinese-America, if that’s what you are asking.
Wondering if you guys have info for the shipping company you used to cross the Darien Gap. Any help would be appreciated :)
Hola chicos! Antes que nada quiero felicitarlos :) Mi nombre es Piero y la idea es irme en mi Kombi a Brasil. Pero estuve averiguando en referencia a la salida y entrada del vehículo y parece ser que hay un plazo para cumplir de un año mas otro año llegado el caso pida extender la prorroga; hasta en algunos casos me dijeron que se da una extensión de otro mas, sumando en total 3 años. Por que sino cuando volvés a la Argentina te corre una multa muuuuy cara que sobrepasa el valor de la camioneta y hasta pueden quedarse con la chata.
Ya averigue en: Consulado de Brasil, Aduana (Tec de exportaciones, y exposición de exportaciones), migraciones, un despachante de aduana, resguardo, y EMBA.
Mi idea es viajar por todo el litoral de Brasil hasta llegar al Nordeste, no sé cuando voy a volver si en uno, dos o tres años…
Ustedes saben algo sobre esto? Como se manejaron?
Abrazo, y Gracias.
PD: Una de las opciones que me dieron es mudarme con la Kombi, pero para eso debo darla de baja, y luego darle el alta en Brasil, y es muchisima plata, y ni siquiera me conviene por que no es mi idea definir vivir allá tampoco de momento.
Hola Piero,
Las leyes de Argentina son un desastre. Hablando con un agente de aduana en Tierra del Fuego me entere de que no es posible sacar un auto argentino del pais por mas de un año, creo. Nosotros viajamos con una camioneta de USA, asi que eso no fue problema.
No se que es lo que hacen los viajeros argentinos. Tendrias que averiguar con alguno de ellos!