On Sat, Feb 28, 2009 at 3:46 PM, mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net> wrote:
> My friend Brian called me today to say he was back in the US after 6
> weeks south of the border. He traveled through Mexico, into Belize and
> Guatemala and back again. He has an 87 Syncro Westy with nearly 300,000
> miles on it.
>
> He did this journey on his own, after everyone who had planned to go
> along bailed out on him. I was one of them, as originally there were to
> be 3 or 4 Vanagons as a group. He never intended it to be a solo trip
> and even had a passenger who bailed a week before departure.
>
> Lots of people warned him of dangers they had heard about but he put
> them aside and WENT ANYWAY!
>
> He has amazing tales of helping with a night release of sea turtles from
> a hatchery, sleeping or trying to parked alone in the jungle with moneys
> howling in the trees, and having the Monarch butterfly reserve all to
> himself a couple of days ago on the way back. I'm sure it will take a
> few get togethers before he can tell me all his stories.
>
> Brian is not a member of this list and though he has had his Syncro
> since it was nearly new he is no mechanic. He took steps to get the van
> ready and even learned how to do few things to it in the process.
>
> Westy trips of a lifetime are still possible no matter what we may have
> heard. Just a few minutes before he called I saw a cable news story on
> warnings from the State Department to stay out of Mexico. Brian has a
> lot to say about these scare stories.
>
> Mark
>

FWIW, he has posted some of his accounts over on the Yahoo VWvanfulltimers site.

That's pretty cool what he's done. I travel solo, but haven't done
anything close to what he's done in terms of travel.

Inspiring stuff.

Neil.

Neil.

--
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines