Fri. Oct 26, 2007
The Wife is in Aruba; she'll be home this weekend. I have discovered that while it is a genuine Caribbean island, Aruba is only about 13 miles off the coast of Venezuela. And there is ferry service between the island and mainland South America. Which means it's possible to drive there from New Jersey.It's about 5,000 miles (8,300 km), which is ten days of driving for ten hours a day. That's assuming Interstate-type highways the whole way. Which is not a good assumption.
The first 1,800 miles (3,000 km) gets you from New Jersey to Laredo TX. There are main roads through most of Mexico until the touristy Yucatan peninsula, then you have to veer off toward Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Each of these countries requires that you have a Visa in advance, and it's usually only good for a few days, so if you decide to stay an extra day in Mexico City, you could be in trouble by Nicaragua. You're reminded that you are also subject to the individual laws of each country while driving through.
Once you reach the Panama Canal, you've still got 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to go. Through Colombia and Venezuela. See previous reminders.
But then you get to rest up on the island paradise of Aruba. Before the drive home.