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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Central America explorers discover planning isn’t everything

Julianne Crane The Spokesman-Review

RVers Harriet and John Halkyard of Houston had long dreamed of visiting Central America.

They read a lot of the guidebooks and got their travel documents in order, but it wasn’t until their first night on the road that they started planning their actual route.

“Harriet was great in preparing the RV,” said John during a telephone interview from their home in Houston. “We were well stocked. But we didn’t have a route planned; we just headed out of town.”

“We were inexperienced motor homers,” said Harriet. “John had worked up until the day before we left.”

Basically, the pair had friends they wanted to visit in El Salvador and Guatemala, and they also wanted to do a two-week total Spanish immersion course to work on their language skills. But they had no plan.

“Ultimately,” said Harriet, “we wanted to have a fun trip and return safely with our dog, Brindle.”

On their first overnight stop at a Wal-Mart parking lot in Raymondville, Tex., the Halkyards leaned over a map of Central America on the dining table and began to outline their route.

Their experiences during the next three months evolved into their recently published guidebook, “99 Days to Panama: An Exploration of Central America by Motorhome.”

The rig

“It’s one of the ugly little boxes,” said Harriet. “We bought it used and really had only been out in it once before leaving for Central America.”

In the summer of 2002 they purchased a 22-foot 1997 Coachmen Class C Catalina with a 6.3L, V10 Ford engine. The Catalina served them well over the many two-lane dirt roads, and they plan to use it again on a return trip in February.

On their next trip south, however, they will put on all new tires before leaving home.

“On our first trip,” said John, “we went down with the tires that were on the rig when we bought it, and they weren’t all that good.” In fact, the Halkyards had to replace or repair six blown-out or flat tires.

Costs

The Halkyards estimated that they spent $8,420 during their three-month road trip to Central America.

Their highest expenditure, of course, was fuel. They shelled out $1,782 for 846 gallons, with an average cost of $2.17 a gallon. That was two years ago, when gasoline was around $1.40 a gallon in the States. The Coachmen averaged a shade under 10 miles per gallon.

Their second highest expenditure was for “communications” and keeping in touch with family.

“John is a softy,” Harriet said. “Ten percent of our costs were calls home to our daughters on a satellite phone.”

Tips

The Halkyards share lots of useful information in their book and on their Web site (www.99daystopanama.com). Here are just three tips:

“ Have at least two completely separate credit card and ATM accounts. “We had some cards in my name and some in John’s,” said Harriet. “It really came in handy when John lost his wallet and we had to cancel his accounts. We were still able to use my cards to make purchases and get cash.”

“ Giveaways. “Take a lot of ballpoint pens and pencils to give away to children and at border crossings,” said John. Packets of seeds for flowers and vegetables were very popular. “We always carried them in our pockets and could give them to just about anyone,” said John. “Soccer balls were great for families and schools.”

“ Talk to locals. “Every time we talked with someone new,” said John, “we would find out about interesting places to go or something exciting to do that wasn’t in the guidebook.”

Armchair travel begins here

There are several guidebooks on Mexico and Central America. Below are three geared to RVing and camping:

“ “99 Days to Panama: An Exploration of Central America by Motorhome,” 2005, by Dr. John and Harriet Halkyard (Brindle Press, $24.95), www.brindlepress.com.

“”Travelers Guide to Mexican Camping: Explore Mexico and Belize with RV or Tent,” Third Edition 2005, by Mike and Terri Church (Rolling Homes Press, $21.95), www.rollinghomes.com.

“ “Central America on a Shoestring,” Fifth Edition 2004, by Robert Reid (Lonely Planet Publications, $23.99), www.lonelyplanet.com.

RV caravans heading south

Now, if you do not wish to strike out on your own, there are tour companies that organize guided RV caravans to Central America. Check carefully what the tour price includes. It does not cover fuel, insurance, tolls and border crossing fees. Border crossing fees are between $500 and $600 per rig.

“ Adventure Caravans out of Livingston, Tex., has a 78-day excursion leaving for Central America and the Panama Canal each January. The company currently is taking reservations for the 2007 trip. Costs run about $7,400 for two; $6,300 solo. The Web site states that this trip is for the “adventuresome only.” The roads are poor in some areas. There are electric hookups for only 35 out of 77 nights, so “it is important that you have a generator.” For details call (800) 872-7897 or visit www.adventurecaravans.com.

“ Adventuretours Online out of McAllen, Texas, has a 70-day, 6,200-mile RV trip to Panama listed on its Web site. Tour costs are about $6,000 for two; $4,900 solo. Call (800) 455-8687, www.adventuretrek.com.

Wheel question

If you have taken a guided group caravan, where did you go, what was your experience and would you do it again?