PRESS RELEASE      

For Immediate Release

Date: February 5, 2005

TOURISTS TO TRAVEL USA TO TIP OF S. AMER BY MOTORHOME! – PAN AMERICAN HIGHWAY TOURISM

The tenth annual Trek of the Americas RV Expedition will start in McAllen, Texas this summer and travel over 20,000 miles in four months through fourteen Latin American countries.  “This is the longest, most ambitious RV tour available on the market today,” said event organizer, Norm Yelland of Adventuretours in McAllen, Texas.  “Recreational Vehicles offer travelers the opportunity to see these countries and their people, as they really are, while traveling at a leisurely pace, Yelland added.” 

Logistic planning for the first South America Expedition began in 1990.  Six years later, on August 23, 1996 the first organized tour to South America departed from McAllen, Texas.  The six-unit caravan, aptly named “Trek of the Americas”, consisting of American and Canadian tourists who traveled for 135 days thru all types of weather and terrain, a tremendous travel experience!  Now, Adventuretours will repeat this famous route, with ten recreational vehicles and 20 persons.

This year’s expedition will depart on July 25, 2005 and return the first week of December.  The main travel routing will follow the Pan American Highway, with various side trips of tourist interest.  A sampling of the attractions include; the Panama Canal, Atacama Desert in Peru, Wine and Lake District of Chile, Glaciers of Argentina, the southernmost city in the world – Ushuaia, Argentina, the Petrified Forest of Argentina, Whale, Flamingo and Penguin Watching at Puerto Piramides, Argentina, nearly 4000 miles of Brazilian coastline, and aboard the Amazon River barge with our vehicles – an unbelievable living experience on the Amazon for six days.

Reservations are being accepted for this and future trips by Adventuretours.  Tourism bureaus from all 14 countries involved will be assisting the group as they pass through their respective nations.  Along with the tourism bureau’s assistance, assistance is provided by various embassies, the Pan American Highway Committee as well as Camping and Auto Clubs of the countries visited.

Adventuretours is continually traveling to South America on mapping expeditions in various countries to make sure logistical information is accurate before each new trip.  Central and South America have entered a new era of tourism, and this company plans on playing a major role in making that growth a reality, while providing tourists a unique opportunity to visit our southern neighbors who are so intriguing.

Media contact:

            Norm Yelland, Director

            Adventuretours RV Tours

            McAllen, Texas

www.adventuretrek.com

Tel:  1-800-455-TOUR

Fax: 956-630-0341

            Email: info@adventuretrek.com

PRESS  RELEASE - For Immediate Release

Date: June 11, 2002

Trek of the Americas Overland Expedition 5th Anniversary

The fifth annual Trek of the Americas RV Expedition will start in McAllen, Texas on August 1, 2002 and travel over 23,000 miles in four months through fourteen Latin American countries.  “This is the longest, most ambitious RV tour available on the market today,” said event organizer, Norm Yelland of Adventuretours in McAllen, Texas.  “Recreational Vehicles offer travelers the opportunity to see these countries and their people, as they really are, while traveling at a leisurely pace, Yelland added.” 

On August 23, 1996, the first organized tour to South America departed from McAllen, Texas.  The six-unit caravan, aptly named “Trek of the Americas”, consisting of American and Canadian tourists who traveled for 135 days thru all types of weather and terrain, a tremendous travel experience!  Now, Adventuretours will repeat this famous route, with ten recreational vehicles and 20 persons.

This years expedition will depart on August 1, 2002 and return approximately the 15th of December.  The main travel routing will follow the Pan American Highway, with various side trips of tourist interest.  A sampling of the attractions include;  the Panama Canal, Atacama Desert in Peru, Wine and Lake District of Chile, Glaciers of Argentina,  the southernmost city in the world – Ushuaia, Argentina, the Petrified Forest of Argentina, Whale, Flamingo and Penguin Watching at Puerto Piramides, Argentina, nearly 4000 miles of Brazilian coastline, and aboard the Amazon River barge with our vehicles.

Reservations are being accepted for this and future trips by Adventuretours.  Tourism bureaus from all 14 countries involved will be assisting the group as they pass through their respective nations.  Along with the tourism bureau’s assistance,  Adventuretours has contacted various embassies, the Pan American Highway Committee, Camping and Auto Clubs of these countries to assist and record this event.

“We have been operating in Mexico and Central America for over 20 years, including Costa Rica & Panama, and have had hundreds of requests to go beyond.”  “Individual travelers, including our own scouts have traveled to parts of South America to camp and perform mapping expeditions in different countries, but getting there has been difficult and very expensive.” Yelland stated.  “Central and South America have entered a new era of tourism, and Adventuretours plans to play a major role in making that growth a reality, while providing tourists an opportunity to visit our ‘never-before’ accessible neighbors that are so intriguing.”

Press Release For Immediate Release  

“Trek of the Americas Expedition to begin”
Group of tourists first to cross the Americas with caravan of recreational vehicles. Americans and Canadians finally “bridge” the International Pan American Highway.

McAllen, Texas; August 15, 1996. International commerce has just stepped forward with the announcement of the first overland R.V. tour into South America, by Adventuretours R.V. Tours. Previous international overland travel has not been possible from the USA and Canada to South America due to the “gap” existing on the Pan American Highway. This area between Panama and Columbia is known as the “Darien Gap”. Adventuretour spokesman, Chris Yelland, states “The route is now open for tourists to travel all the way from Alaska to the tip of South America by motor vehicle.” “Recreational Vehicles offer travelers the opportunity to see these countries and their people, as they really are, while traveling at a leisurely pace.”

In December, 1994, a new ferry service was inaugurated to go from Colon, Panama to Cartagena, Columbia. Until this date, the Pan American Highway was not connected. The connecting ferry is a 450 foot, French-built vessel, with private cabins, and space for over 1600 passengers. The below-deck cargo area can transport the largest motorhomes and travel trailers. This new service has truly bridged the gap of the Americas.

On August 23, 1996, the first ever tour to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, departed from McAllen, Texas. A six-unit caravan, aptly named “Trek of the Americas”, consisting of American and Canadian tourists will be traveling for 135 days. Reservations are being accepted for this and future trips by the company. Tourist bureaus of all 16 countries involved will be assisting the group as they pass through their respective nations. Along with the tourist bureau’s assistance, Adventuretours has contacted various embassies, the Pan American Highway Committee, the Camping and the respective Auto Clubs of these countries to assist and record this first-time event.

Never before has South America been a viable option for the overland traveler to visit, unless he wanted to fly or commercially ship his vehicle on a cargo vessel. Now, this new frontier has opened and Adventuretours is the first RV caravan operator to offer RV touring in these countries. “We have been operating in Mexico and Central America for over 16 years, including Costa Rica & Panama, and have had hundreds of requests to go beyond. Individual travelers, including our own scouts have traveled to parts of South America to camp and perform mapping expeditions in different countries, but “getting there” has been difficult and very expensive. We are planning our 1997 tour to include 10 units.”

“International relations and commercial trade are continuing to improve, with the implementation of programs such as NAFTA ...” Yelland said. “Central America and South America have entered a new era of tourism and trade, and Adventuretours plans to play a major role in making that growth a reality, while providing tourists an opportunity to visit our ‘never-before’ accessible neighbors that are so intriguing.”

Press Release For Immediate Release

“South American RV expedition promotes goodwill in 1999”
Recreational vehicle travel has become a global activity in the past few years. More and more people are traveling in RV’s all over the world. In Australia, New Zealand, Europe and even Africa! Mexico and Central America have been destinations for North American RV’ers for years. Now South America has opened up for RV travel with the introduction of the “Trek of the Americas” RV Expedition by Adventuretours RV Tours of McAllen, Texas.

Sixteen countries will be visited during this colossal 135-day trip. Countries include Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Venezuela. The groups size is limited to 10 member RV’s, with 20 adventurous individuals.

The expedition will concentrate on promoting “Surface Tourism Across the Americas.” On this, the third South American RV Expedition, tourmembers will carry the official flags of each country en-route, displaying them during scheduled goodwill ceremonies at each of the countries border point-of-entry.

Several different driving conditions and climates will be experienced during this trip. From 16,000 foot Andean mountain passes to the Equator, and the Amazon River. The Expedition will start August 5th, 1999 in McAllen, Texas. The group will travel through Mexico and Central America to the Panama Canal, where the vehicles will be shipped to Colombia via freighter. Once in Colombia, our group continues up the Andes through rich Coffee-growing areas and into Ecuador. After crossing the middle of the earth at the Equator, the group is off to Darwin’s Galapagos Islands. In Peru, the group is scheduled to visit the Lost City of Machupicchu, perched high on an Andean mountain peak!

After crossing the driest desert in the world, “Atacama,” the group will cross into Chile, where the resort cities of Viña del Mar, Santiago and the Lake Region will be visited. The expedition will cross into Argentina over the snow-covered Puyehue mountains. Now in the barren Patagonia Region, our expedition continues southbound towards lands-end at Tierra del Fuego. Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world will be our hosts for three days while our group gets rested up for the return journey north.

We will visit the Valdez Peninsula during the height of Orca whale mating season. Coupled with amazing numbers of penguins, and sea lions, this natural wildlife reserve is a highlight of the trip. After the petrified forest, we continue to Buenos Aires for a few days of civilization in South Americas largest city! After an overnight ferry to Uruguay we will spend the day on a authentic Gaucho Ranch, complete with the famous Gaucho cowboys.

On to Brazil, where we spend a month exploring this rich country, roughly the same size as the U.S.A.! Iguasu Waterfalls are located on the Brazil/Paraguay/Argentina border and offer an amazing natural spectacle. Afterwards we continue to the vibrant, modern city of Curitiba, and on north up the coast to Rio de Janeiro. Tourmembers will have time to visit the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Sugarloaf mountain and Cristo Redentor (Christ statue) while in town.

After Rio, we continue northbound to the mouth of the Amazon River, where we load the RV’s on a barge and sail up the Amazon for 6 days. Small Indian villages dot the banks of this river, which at some points, is several miles wide! After disembarking in Manaus, capital of the Amazon province, we will drive through the Rainforest to Venezuela. Local Indian reservations will be traversed as we make our way towards Caracas. Once in the capital city of Venezuela, we will ship our vehicles back to Houston as the trip of a lifetime comes to a close.

Nota de Prensa Fecha: Inmediato

 “Expedicion ‘Trek of the Americas’ en Peru”
Grupo de Turistas Norteamericanos viajaran por tierra a Centro America y Sur America. La expedicion, llamado “Trek of the Americas” comienza el dia 5 de Agosto en McAllen, Texas, USA. Para 135 dias estaran viajando 18 personas en 9 vehiculos tipo Casa Rodante atravez de 16 paises. El proposito de este viaje es para promover el turismo terrestre atravez de las Americas.

Ademas de Perú, El grupo visitará los sigientes paises durante su recorrido: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brasil y Venezuela.

Durante su estancia dentro de Peru, los miembros de la expedición estarán visitando Machupicchu, Lima, y Nazca. Estaran viajando atravez de la carretera pan-americana desde la frontera con Ecuador hasta Chile. Pasando por los sigientes ciudades:

·       Septiembre 6, 1998: Talara, Sullana, Piura

·       Septiembre 7, 1998: cruzaran el desierto Sechura, Chiclayo, Pacasmayo, Trujillo,

·       Septiembre 8, 1998: Chimbote, Casma, Paramonga, Lima.

·       Septiembre 9, 1998: Lima (Viaje a Machupicchu)

·       Septiembre 10, 1998: Lima

·       Septiembre 11, 1998: Chincha Alta, Pisco, Ica, nazca, Chala

·       Septiembre 12, 1998: Camana, Reparticion, Moquegua, Tacna

·       Septiembre 13, 1998: Concordia, cruzar la frontera a Chile.

Durante su recorrido, visitaran a los principales attractivos turisticos de cada pais y al cruzar cada frontera internacional habra una ceremonia con los banderas oficiales de los paises participantes. La compania patrocinador de este evento es Adventuretours de McAllen, Texas en cooperacion con el Instituto Internacional de Desarollo (IID) y el Comite Internacional del Desarollo de la Carretera Pan-Americana (PAHDC). Ambos organizaciones estan dedicadas al desarollo turistico de los comunidades que comprimen la ruta Pan-Americana desde Alaska hasta Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

Press Release For Immediate Release

“Last year to visit U.S. Panama Canal by R.V.!”
Among the great peaceful endeavors of mankind that have contributed significantly to progress in the world, the construction of the Panama Canal stands as an awe-inspiring achievement.

The unparalleled engineering triumph was made possible by an international workforce under the leadership of American visionaries, that made the centuries-old dream of uniting the two great oceans a reality.

In 1534, Charles I of Spain ordered the first survey of a proposed canal route through the Isthmus of Panama. More than three centuries passed before the first construction was started. The French labored 20 years, beginning in 1880, but disease and financial problems defeated them.

In 1903, Panama and the United States signed a treaty by which the United States undertook to construct an inter-oceanic ship canal across the Isthmus of Panama. The following year, the United States purchased from the French Canal Company its rights and properties for $40 million and began construction. The monumental project was completed in ten years at a cost of about $387 million. Since 1903 the United States has invested about $3 billion in the Canal enterprise, approximately two-thirds of which has been recovered.
 

The building of the Panama Canal involved three main problems - engineering, sanitation, and organization. The engineering problems involved digging through the Continental Divide; constructing the largest earth dam ever built up to that time; designing and building the most massive canal locks ever envisioned; constructing the largest gates ever swung; and solving environmental problems of enormous proportions.

Now, more than 75 years after the first official ocean-to-ocean transit of the waterway, the United States and Panama have embarked on a partnership for the management, operation and defense of the Panama Canal. Under two new treaties signed on September 7, 1977, the Canal will be operated until the turn of the century under arrangements designed to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

The Panama Canal Commission, a U.S. Government agency, will operate the Canal until December 31, 1999, when it will be turned over to the Panamanian Government. Adventuretours RV Tours of McAllen Texas is organizing three separate tours to Panama in 1999. During this land trip, participants will experience Mexico and all the Central American countries in their own RV’s. In addition to actually being one of the last Americans to see the canal before the turn-over, tourmembers can claim to be among the last visitors to actually drive their RV’s to the U.S. Panama Canal! For more information on these seven-country RV Adventures, call Adventuretours direct at 1-800-455-8687.

Press Release For Immediate Release

 “Vintage RV Journey on Historic Route 66”
May 14, 1998

The date is November 11, 1926 and the National Highway Commission establishes the first through highway from the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois to the Pacific beaches of Santa Monica, California. For over 50 years, Route 66 was a symbol of America’s pioneer spirit and the U.S. desire to “see what’s around the bend.” Following the old Indian trails, the Santa Fe trail and other state roads, it became the main westward route for people during the depression years and for troops during W.W.II. During America’s post-war prosperity, it was the highway that took vacationing families to California’s wonders (and later Disneyland). In a way, Route 66 took us away from our troubles and worries and off to the land of magic; just around the bend.

In 1939, John Steinbeck called the highway “The Mother Road” in his novel “The Grapes of Wrath.” It was the lifeline of most towns it traveled through on its winding course. Popularized in 1960 by the television show “Route 66” the Mother Road became an alluring journey, an adventure through the heart of classic Americana. With the completion of Interstate 40 in 1985, the last route 66 designation shields were brought down, officially decommissioning the highway. Although not recognized on official maps, the old highway still lives in the hearts of many.

Traveling down the original alignments, takes the traveler to a time gone by, a time when getting to your destination was as important as the destination itself. In the spring of 2000, Adventuretours of McAllen, Texas will organize and lead the first-ever “Vintage R.V. Tour of Route 66.” Participation in this event requires tour member RV’s be 35 years old or older (post 1965), and that all participants have a passion for slow-paced travel.

Rendezvous will be in Chicago, IL. The group of vintage R.V. enthusiasts will spend 15 days traveling through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. A second trip eastbound will follow shortly after the first. The tour fee includes all camp fees, reservations, tours and sights along the way with experienced tourleaders. Members will be provided with a guidebook, mile-by-mile Roadlog with directions across Route 66 from start to finish, a custom decal for your vehicle and a embroidered souvenir patch. Special events related to Route 66 will be coordinated during the tour.

Route 66 is an era of roadside diners, pinball machines and some of the finest cars to come out of Detroit. Route 66 represents a time machine with which to visit this by-gone era, a means to get out of the fast lane and discover a slower pace of life when getting there was half the fun!

Travel Notice For Immediate Release

 “Hurricane Mitch in Central America - UPDATE”

The weather phenomena known as “Mitch” began its assault on Central America shores in the early morning hours of October 25th. For an entire week, the countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala were inundated with torrential rains and high winds produced by this years 13th Hurricane. Honduras and Nicaragua were the hardest hit countries in the isthmus, and ironically – they are the poorest countries in Central America.

To better understand how severe this storm was to the residents of these countries, you must understand the factors that led up to the devastating floods that ravaged many regions. All the Central American countries are mainly agriculture-based economies. For centuries the natives have cultivated their crops using the “slash and burn” technique of farming. Taxing the earth of its resources and bleeding the nutrients out of it until the soil can no longer sustain life. Once this happens, the farmer simply clears another plot of land and starts his crops over again. This viscous cycle of depletion eventually leaves the land a barren, poorly vegetated expanse which (without vegetation) cannot contain rain waters. Under normal conditions, during the rainy season, most of these countries have problems with landslides and area flooding to begin with. From May to November, every year, the rainy season (locally known as “Invierno” or winter) prepares the years crop production. Normally harvested in November and December, crops such as corn, sugar, vegetables, fruits, etc., are grown during the rainy season.

With the recent rainfall from Mitch, the already saturated earth could no longer sustain the enormous quantity of water dumped and without substantial vegetation on the barren land, the water drained into river valleys which in turn gained power and caused the damage we have seen on the local news during the last week.

To understand the number of deaths and injured this disaster has claimed also requires a basic knowledge of the demographics in Central America. Typically, the poorest citizens of these countries are given the least desirable land with which to build their homes. Normally the “shantytowns” or poor areas are located near the railroad tracks, in ravines, near volcanic fault lines and in low-lying riverbeds or natural drainage paths. This attributed to the great loss of life encountered by the people of these countries.

What follows is a brief synopsis of the damage occurred in each of the affected countries.

HONDURAS
The hardest hit of all the affected countries with regard to the actual rainfall accumulated from Mitch. In addition to the rain damage, the northern coastal region of Honduras was severely damaged by high winds as Mitch made landfall in the Bay Islands and near the port of La Ceiba. Hardest hit cities include La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula, Comayagua, Sigatepeque and Tegucigalpa. Most of the damage and loss of life occurred in rural areas of the northern coast, and in the Capital city of Tegucigalpa. Of the 169 bridges that were damaged and destroyed, only 7 were located on major highways. The rest were in rural areas away from the Pan-American highway. Our route through Honduras will include Tegucigalpa and to date there are three (3) bridges that were damaged over which we will pass.

Official Statistics as of this date are: 7,000 deaths; 12,000 injured; 12,000 missing; 1.9 million people affected; Economic loss: $2 billion; 169 bridges destroyed. Seventy percent of the agricultural production for the year is lost.

NICARAGUA
The second hardest hit nation, most of Nicaragua’s deaths and destruction occurred because of a massive landslide off the Casitas Volcano on the western Pacific coast. By the time Mitch arrived in Nicaragua, it had lost most of its wind speed. This resulted in less damage from wind, but was ultimately negative because without the wind to move it though, it lingered, dumping rain for over 4 days. All this water loosened part of the Casitas volcano, and caused a destructive avalanche of mud, trees, and rocks that destroyed 4 villages in its path. Damage to cities other than the coastal villages destroyed by the avalanche were minimal compared to Honduras.

There was damage in Esteli, Sebaco, Tipitapa, Leon, Chinandega (near the Casitas volcano) and some street damage in the capital city of Managua. The southern half and Caribbean coastal area of Nicaragua was not severely affected by the hurricane.

As is the case in Honduras, most damage to infrastructure and roads/bridges were in rural areas. The main highways (Pan-American and Coastal) had damage limited to bridges and washouts. On the coastal highway near Leon (second largest city) there were 5 major bridges destroyed. According to today’s newspaper “La Prensa” two of the bridges were already replaced with temporary “Bailey” bridges. At this rate, all the highways in the country should be back in passable condition within two-three weeks. Our route through Nicaragua will include visits to Managua, but not any of the areas near the avalanche or the southern coast where most damage occurred. There are 4 bridges that we will cross which were damaged by the rain.

Official Statistics as of this date are: 4,000 deaths; 3,000 people missing; 150 bridges damaged or destroyed (18 on major highways); 755,000 people affected; economic losses: 200 million.

GUATEMALA
Guatemala was the least affected by the storm. Damage to roads and bridges occurred in the extreme eastern part of the country, near the Honduras border and the Caribbean port of Puerto Barrios. The northern province of El Peten was also affected, but due to lack of population, personal and property damages were minimal. The only area affected, through which we pass is the area from the Honduras border to the Caribbean Coast highway (CA-9). This is about 50-60 miles and includes one bridge that was damaged. Local news reports claim that this bridge will be repaired by the end of next month.

Official Statistics as of this date are: 25 bridges damaged; 80,000 people affected; Economic losses: $75 million.

EL SALVADOR
El Salvador was also affected by the storm, but not so much as the rest of the counties. Because of its size, there was damage to all regions of the country, but overall land area affected was minimal due to the path the hurricane took. Flooding occurred from the Guatemala Border in the west to the Honduras border in the East. The only parts of the country that were completely cut off from traffic were the far south-eastern coastal areas.

THE RELIEF EFFORT:
Several countries are participating in the relief effort. The USA, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Spain, Brazil, Holland, Sweden, Uruguay and Argentina have all sent in over $300 million in aid to date. More aid and reconstruction assistance is pouring in everyday. The US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has suspended deportations of Honduran and Guatemalan citizens for one week, until the situation has calmed down in this region. Right now, there is a great need for all types of supplies; clothing, food, water, medicines, tools, and building supplies. Several organizations have started “Aid Programs” to send to Central America. Contact your local church, Red Cross, or the nearest consulate from one of the affected countries for more information on how you can help.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT OUR TRIP?
One thing we must remember is that details are sketchy at best. It is too early to say what the future holds for the area affected. Another thing to keep in mind is that we will not be traveling in this area for another three months, and even when we get there, we will only be spending about 13 days total in the affected area. To say that this event will not affect our trip in January would be misleading. Even though we will not be in the region until the end of January (and then only for a short time), there will still be vestiges of the storm in certain areas. We can expect more rough road surface. The area affected includes about 300 miles of highway southbound and about 450 miles northbound. We expect that this will be damaged with potholes and the remnants of prior washouts. We must realize however, that November is the final month of the rainy season. By January, the rivers will once again be drying out, landslides will be cleared away and a enormous re-construction boom will be underway in Central America.

We will not be visiting the affected areas of Honduras until the northbound portion of our trip (late February). That gives us nearly four months time for clean-up and road improvements. Honduras and Nicaragua had just repaired their highway systems in the last four years, thus making these countries some of the best prepared to survive this storm (as far as roads are concerned). For example, if this storm had hit the already poor roads of Costa Rica then reconstruction would have been much harder, because many of the roads were already in poor shape to begin with. In conclusion, we can expect more rough (potholed) roads, rough approaches to bridges in Honduras and Nicaragua. And the possibility of a change in itinerary to bypass Tegucigalpa, Honduras. If an itinerary change is implemented, any missed tours or events would be substituted for other events.

On a country-by-country basis, the following changes can be expected:

Guatemala – The affected area we will be traveling through is located in the northeast part of the country near the Honduras/El Salvador border area. At present there is one bridge which is out of service. We will be going through this area the first week of March. According to press reports from Guatemala, this bridge will be repaired in the next 4 weeks. No scheduled tours or events should be affected in Guatemala.

El Salvador – The principal affected area in El Salvador was the extreme southern coastal area (near the Honduras border). There is one bridge damaged in the area we are to travel through. All traffic is currently being detoured across a nearby dam. No scheduled tours or events should be affected in El Salvador.

Nicaragua – The hardest hit region (extreme western Pacific coast) is not an area we will be traveling through. The Casitas Volcano which produced the terrible landslide is off our planned route. There are 7 bridges damaged in Nicaragua in areas we will be traveling through. Three have already been replaced, and five are still damaged. Traffic on the Pan-American highway is currently at a standstill due to the overflow from a lake located about 10 miles north of Managua, the capital. The two bridges dividing the Honduras/Nicaragua border are damaged, temporary detours or “Bailey” bridges are scheduled to be installed in the next few weeks. Instead of actually camping in Managua, we may have to visit the capital city from a camp located in Granada (20 miles away).

Honduras – As far as total highway miles affected, Honduras has the most. There are three bridges out on the main highway from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula (on the Atlantic coast). Condition of the highway from San Pedro Sula to the Guatemala border is still unknown. More information on this section will be reported as details become available. The highway from the Nicaragua border to Tegucigalpa is reported to be in satisfactory condition. Honduran officials report that temporary bridges will be installed on the main highways by December 15th. Most of the damage in Honduras occurred in the remote mountainous highlands north of Tegucigalpa. The roads and bridges in this isolated area were almost entirely destroyed. This area is not on our scheduled routing. The ½ day side trip to Tegucigalpa/Valle de Angeles may be cancelled. Copan Ruins tour may be re-planned from Guatemala.

SHORTAGES:
To date, the shortages of fuel are limited to areas which can not be accessed by the large fuel tanker trucks. By the time we get down there, fuel stations in this area should be operating normally. Purified water plants are currently being taxed to the limit. Some have been completely destroyed in smaller towns. International organizations are currently setting up purification plants in these areas. It is estimated that by the end of the month, water supplies will be sufficient for the population and by the end of the year, most plants will be operational in the area. To date there are no epidemics, only isolated cases of Cholera and gastro-intestinal problems in some of the greater affected areas of Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador. We will continue to follow this and issue updates as time goes on.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
I believe that by the time we get there, most efforts will be well organized. This type of tour allows its participants the flexibility of being able to bring supplies directly to the affected areas. If you feel like participating, the following list includes items that will be needed by the time we get there. We may be able to give these items directly to individual persons, but if not, we will donate them to an organization (church, red cross, etc.), while we are there. Do not sacrifice space needed for your own supplies, but if you have some extra room, anything will do.

	Clothing – (small sizes, shoes (no larger than men’s 9 1/2 or women’s 8 – all baby & children’s sizes)
	Baby supplies – (clothing, formula mix, powdered milk, bottles, pacifiers)
	Non-perishable food – (beans, rice, flour, corn, powdered milk, pasta, canned food, baby food).
	Shelter Supplies – Lanterns, flashlights, blankets, tents, tarps, plastic sheeting, cooking supplies (pots, pans, dishes), paper plates, plastic forks, knives and spoons, soap, Clorox and buckets.

A press release is being circulated today to all media outlets, describing our plans to take supplies down during our trip. Media coverage will include all major RV magazines, associations, newsletters and clubs. If you are a member of any RV organization (Good Sam, FMCA, Escapees, etc) write to them and let them know what we are doing.

Press Release For Immediate Release

 “American RV’ers arrive in Brazil”

\A group of 15 RV’ers in 9 privately owned RV’s arrived in Brazil last month. These adventurous travelers are members of the 1998 “Trek of the Americas” RV Expedition to South America. This four-month Expedition across the Americas has already included visits to Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and now the largest country in South America; Brazil.

One of the first stops in Brazil was the city of Nuevo Hamburgo. This is the center of the South American R.V. Manufacturing Industry in Brazil. Nestled in the southern part of the country, this city of 600,000 people is home to three major RV manufacturers. Contrary to what many believe, Camping and the RV’ing lifestyle are very popular in the southern region of South America. Countries that manufacture motorhomes and travel trailers include; Chile, Argentina and Brazil. When the group of American RV’ers arrived in each of these countries, they were welcomed with open arms, and curious onlookers. In Nuevo Hamburgo, the group stayed at the Scheid Motorhome Plant as personal guests of the owners. The day after the group arrived, they were front page news in the local paper.

After spending 3 days in this warm, friendly town of German descendants, the group continued to Curitiba, a modern vibrant city located near the Atlantic coast. This is a very modern city by all standards. Very clean, organized and full of parks and flowers. In Parati, another coastal town the group was pleasantly surprised by the preservation efforts of residents in this colonial town. All the city streets are cobble-stoned and buildings still retain their original architecture from the 1600’s when it was settled.

Next stop, the long-awaited resort city of Rio de Janiero. The group spent two days in and around the beautiful city of Rio. Attractions included Pao do Azucar (sugarloaf mountain), the imposing Cristo Redentor (Christ Monument), and the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. The group stayed in full-service campgrounds provided by the Camping Club of Brasil.

The adventurous RV’ers are now heading towards the Atlantic seaport of Belen, where they will load their units on a River Barge and sail 6 days up the Amazon River to the outpost city of Manaus, deep in the dense jungle. During previous expeditions, the groups have been treated to special visits from Amazonian Indians who row up in their dugout canoes to sell their wares and perform chores like clothes washing and RV washing.

After a few days visiting Manaus, the group will continue north through the Amazon Jungle to the Indian reservations of Venezuela. Once in Venezuela, they will travel to Caracas where a freighter will be waiting to send the units back to Houston, TX. The return shipment will take about 10 days.

Press Release For Immediate Release April 5, 1999

 “HURRICANE MITCH – not as destructive as we thought”

As an update to our previous Hurricane Mitch Travel Notice, we had received several conflicting reports about the conditions for tourist travel in these countries. In order to quell our own curiosity and be prepared for the upcoming tour season in January, we sent Chris Yelland for an 8-day scouting trip to personally inspect the countries of Nicaragua and Honduras. Along with the rest of the world, we heard the amazing reports of widespread damage and destruction. We heard about the thousands of people left homeless, and the sweeping epidemics of illnesses ranging from cholera to malaria to amoebic dysentery. We heard about the highways that were destroyed and the 100’s of bridges that were out. We heard about the shortages of food, water, medicines, and all other basic necessities for daily life.

Well, if that’s the case and it is as widespread as the media wants us to believe, then the press is describing two very different countries than the two I just returned from. First of all, the serious damage is centralized to the few large rivers that flooded in major population areas. The rest of the country is virtually unscathed. The highways are fine, the bridges that were damaged are now repaired and all traffic is flowing at 90% of normal.
 

NO TOURIST DESTINATIONS WERE AFFECTED. Describing the damage in these countries is like describing a storm in Georgia that floods out the city of Atlanta, and you decide not to travel to Dallas, because you are afraid of the water quality and road damage. ITS RIDICULOUS!!

What really happened in these countries was centralized, regional flooding and damage. The flooding just happened to be in the highly populated area of Tegucigalpa, Honduras and Choluteca Honduras. The great landslide that washed away people in Nicaragua, happened at night and it wiped out a path though several villages, completely burying everyone in its path.

When I was traveling along the roads of these countries, I was looking for all the poor people wandering aimlessly along the streets, and guess what THEY DON’T EXIST! Things are just about back to normal in most parts of the country. In Nicaragua, the storm only affected 22% of the country! And we only travel through about 30% of the affected area! IN OTHER WORDS, we would be hard-pressed to actually see much of the damage that occurred during the storm. We would have to deviate from our scheduled travel plan by days in order to witness firsthand the damage and destruction. The fears of being surrounded by the plight of the victims of Mitch during our upcoming trip is untrue. In fact, if we didn’t know there was a Hurricane, it would not be evident.

What follows is a brief synopsis of the ACTUAL damage occurred in the affected countries.

HONDURAS
Damage was centralized in the Capital city of Tegucigalpa, and then only in the area immediately surrounding the river. Water in the river was about 45-50 feet deep. This was evidenced by the accumulation of debris on the overhead power lines witch are about 40-50 feet above the river bottom. The water level now is down to a trickle, a mere stream (I wonder why the press is still using file footage of the high water rushing when its practically dry?).

The entire Choluteca River was widened by the rain. There was damage all the way from the capital city to where the river drains into the Pacific Ocean. There were four bridges destroyed by the water, two in Tegucigalpa and two on the way to Choluteca. These were not main bridges on principal highways. Because of this, our trip will not be affected. All traffic is flowing normally between the Pacific Coast and the capital city.

On the southern coast highway (Pan-American), there was one bridge destroyed, located near the town of Nacaome, there is a provisional bypass now open for all traffic. There was very little pothole damaged caused by the storm in all areas of the country. The few potholes that were created are currently being filled, and should be completed by the time we arrive in February.

On the northern highway from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula, the surface is in excellent condition. There are two bridges that are destroyed, but detours are operating smoothly. These bridges should be operating again within six months. The overall condition of the highway is very good. The tourist destination of Copan Ruins was not affected by the hurricane because of its location west of the mountain range (the hurricane passed east of this range).

NICARAGUA
We must keep in mind that only 22% of Nicaragua was affected by Hurricane Mitch. That leaves nearly 80% of the country unaffected. No where near the “Total Destruction” quoted so often in recent press reports. I drove from the city of Leon east to the Costa Rican Border and from the capital city of Managua north to the Honduras border. The only poor section of highway was between the city of Leon and Managua. This area is not included in our schedule.

On the areas we visit, the only damage I saw was the occasional pothole in the highway. 75% of all the damage to highways we use in Nicaragua has already been repaired. There is one bridge out in the town of Tipitapa, which has been detoured by taking a well-marked route through the town itself. Near the Honduras border, there are two travel options – Los Manos and El Espino. The Los Manos crossing is closed due to the lack of roads on the Nicaragua side. The last 20 km of road has been washed away in many places and certain crossings must be made with a high-clearance vehicle. Motorhomes and small cars are not suggested to attempt this crossing since you have to drive through the river. The border at El Espino is fine, as is access to all points between there and Managua.

There was limited damage near the river in the town of Esteli, but this is now being looked into. No damage occurred anywhere on the highway in this region.

There are occasional landslides along the way, where the highway passes near a mountain side, but this always happens in the rainy season (Hurricane orno hurricane) and by February will probably not even be evident any more.All tourist destinations are operating as normal, none were directly affected. The bottom line in Nicaragua is that isolated damage is possible, but members of our tour will not see it.

I expected to see homeless people on the street begging for food or money and I did not! There is always a certain element of poverty in these countries anyway and I did not see any more than normal here or in Honduras.

THE RELIEF EFFORT:
I saw more US and foreign troops in Nicaragua than in Honduras. It appears that the international relief effort is continuing more feverishly in Nicaragua than in Honduras. I didn’t see any troops in Honduras, I though I did witness a German Red Cross rescue truck headed for Choluteca the day I drove out there. After speaking with some government officials in Honduras, they advised me that most of the Aid personnel have already left that country. That tells me that their work must be done. If the problem were so bad, they would still be there!

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT OUR TRIP?
In addition to about 100 extra miles of combined poor road surface. The only changes we will see during our trip are as follows:

Guatemala – The affected area we will be traveling through is located in the northeast part of the country near the Honduras/El Salvador border area. There are no bridges out, all traffic is flowing normally. No scheduled tours or events should be affected in Guatemala. There are no epidemics or shortages where we visit.

El Salvador – The principal affected area in El Salvador was the extreme southern coastal area (near the Honduras border). There is one bridge damaged in the area we are to travel through. All traffic is currently being detoured across a nearby dam. No scheduled tours or events should be affected in El Salvador. There are no epidemics or shortages where we visit.

Nicaragua – all bridges in Nicaragua have been replaced (or have detours) on all the highways we use. There will be only the delay of about 30-40 minutes at the Tipitapa detour (depending on traffic). No scheduled tours or events have been cancelled, in fact there are more optional trips available from local operators which you can take part in. No area is isolated in Nicaragua, and there are no epidemics or shortages where we visit. We will not use the Los Manos exit into Honduras on our way back, but we will leave through El Espino. This will not change our itinerary in any way, just the routing.

Honduras – Unfortunately, our first report was overstated when we said that Honduras received the most highway damage. After inspection, I found that most highways were in good to excellent shape. There were a total of 4 bridges destroyed, but all have efficient detours operating now. We will still visit the capital city of Tegucigalpa. The damaged areas of town are not visible from the camp and can be visited of tourmembers want to , but you will not be “forced to witness” the destroyed areas of town unless you want to! There are no epidemics or shortages where we visit.

SHORTAGES & EPIDEMICS:
There are no shortages of fuel, purified water, groceries or other basic necessities in any of the countries. I visited a major supermarket in both Tegucigalpa and Managua and found the shelves to be completely stocked with everything you can imagine. The so-called “epidemics” are isolated to areas that are difficult to reach (and almost impossible in an RV)! These consist of more people with gastrointestinal problems and a few cases of malaria (AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT IN ANY AREA WE VISIT).

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
To be honest with you, in the last travel report, I requested our members bring supplies to donate. I know we can distribute these items, but we will have to take them to a central distribution area because you just don’t see victims all over. They are hard to find (believe it or not)! We will probably donate the clothing and other articles to a church or international aid organization in one (or both) of the countries. This will be decided upon once we are there.

IN CONCLUSION:
I am glad I went down to visit these countries. I’m glad I had the opportunity to witness first hand how destructive nature can be. I also witnessed how powerful the press and broadcast media can be, and the way a journalist can etch ideas into the publics mind. I saw how blown out of proportion a story can be exaggerated, in order to gain T.V., ratings or sell newspapers. I understand why the governments of these two poor Central American countries endorsed the press’ story; it secured the vast quantities of foreign aid and financial assistance the world donated.

Without such a story the reaction would not have been so favorable. Believe me, they need all the help they can get because these are the two poorest countries in the region. But now that one month has passed, it’s time to tell the truth about how widespread the damage is and start rebuilding the future. There will be evidence of this hurricane for years to come, but it is no reason for people to stay home and not enjoy the rich diversity of Central America.

It’s time we all started looking at the benefits tourism brings to these countries. After agriculture, tourism is the next most important revenue producer in the region. Especially the surface tourism industry (small as it may be) distributes money to a wider variety of local people and merchants. RV’ers and people who travel by land spend money in gas stations, supermarkets, bakeries, markets, handicraft stores, mechanic shops, etc., etc., etc. When compared to the average tourist who flies in and spends his time in the hotel, eating in the hotel restaurant, shopping in the hotel gift shop and taking day tours to nearby attractions with the hotels sponsored travel agency or tour operator, who really leaves a better impact among the local economy? Spending money with the people or spending money in a five-star hotel, I think RV’ers are definitely more

local-friendly promoters of a countries economy. Lets get back to planning Central American travel because they are waiting for us, with open arms!

 

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