A 14-year adventure across the Americas comes to a halt in South America

For over a decade, nothing could deter road explorers Karen Catchpole and Eric Mohl. This New York couple, fueled by wanderlust, had driven their trusty Silverado from Alaska to the southernmost point of South America, stopping at countless destinations along the way on their grand road odyssey.

Their journey reached Patagonia in western Argentina, where a tiny but mighty force—Covid-19—interrupted everything.

The World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. Argentina swiftly sealed its borders. Flights were grounded. “We were in lockdown like everyone else,” Catchpole recalls.

As seasoned travelers, they were accustomed to bumps in the road, but this was an entirely unexpected detour. With travel uncertain for the foreseeable future, the question loomed: should they cut their trip short and head home?

They chose to settle in a safe haven during the pandemic: the wine-growing region of Mendoza in western Argentina, nestled at the base of the Andes. There, they had a standing offer to house- and pet-sit for a friend.

“From the start, we felt secure here,” Catchpole shares. “Argentina’s response to the pandemic was one of the strictest in the world. Social distancing was enforced in stores, with only a limited number of customers allowed at a time, and children were prohibited. Soon, shopping for essentials was restricted to certain days, based on your ID number. Wearing masks was mandatory.”

Argentina has managed the virus better than neighboring countries like Chile and Brazil, although cases have recently surged. By the end of July, the country had reported around 167,000 cases (376 per 100,000 people) and 3,000 deaths (7 per 100,000 people).

By the end of July, Brazil had recorded approximately 2.4 million cases (1,166 per 100,000 people) and around 88,000 deaths (42 per 100,000 people). Chile had close to 350,000 infections (1,868 per 100,000 people) and over 9,000 fatalities (49 per 100,000 people).

Still chasing their dream

While their grand adventure is paused due to Covid, the couple’s remarkable journey, which they call the 'Trans-Americas Journey', remains far from idle – they’ve been busy working.

Their travels are more than just exploration; they are also their livelihood. The couple regularly files freelance articles about their experiences, covering destinations they've already visited as they wait for a safer moment to continue their journey.

Catchpole, a former editor and writer for Condé Nast, and Mohl, a lawyer turned aspiring photographer, fund their adventures by writing stories for global publications and websites. “We’re living the dream, but we spend 60% of our time working,” Catchpole says.

They also share expertly written articles and stunning photos of their adventures on their website, trans-americas.com. Recent posts have highlighted archaeological sites in northern Peru and a travel guide to Providencia Island off the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

When the pandemic hit, the couple was just returning from one of their most remote 'field offices'—Patagonia, a vast expanse of wilderness, mountains, isolated ranches, and glaciers that stretches across 402,000 square miles in southern Chile and Argentina.

“Patagonia was absolutely mesmerizing – towering mountains, sprawling glaciers. We even spotted four different pumas!” Mohl recalls.

“That’s unheard of,” Catchpole adds. “Most locals in Patagonia have never seen a puma.”

It was one of those unforgettable moments that travelers like Catchpole and Mohl live for—an unexpected encounter that leaves you in awe of the world around you. The sight of glaciers calving, towering mountain peaks, and the untamed beauty of Patagonia overwhelmed their senses to the point where they could barely absorb it all.

“By the time we left, we couldn’t take in any more of that incredible intensity,” Mohl reflects.

A grand plan, now stretching far beyond expectations

Their love for long-term travel began in the late 1990s when they backpacked through Southeast Asia for four years, trekking in places like Borneo and the Himalayas. It was the early days of the Internet café revolution.

As an editor and journalist, Catchpole played a key role in creating Condé Nast’s Sassy and Jane magazines. What if she could document their travels through writing and Eric could capture them with his photography, sharing their journey from the road? They sold a few stories to travel magazines, and that’s when the idea took root.

They returned home, worked to save money, and eventually crafted a plan for a three-year expedition across the Americas. “From Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, we’re all part of the same continent,” says Mohl. Their mission with the Trans-Americas Journey was to explore and better understand their own continent and its people. They hit the road in 2006.

Since then, they’ve logged 220,000 miles, explored 17 countries, and replaced 14 flat tires. Their trusty Silverado, coated in mud, has circumnavigated the globe nine times. What was supposed to be a three-year adventure has now stretched into 14—and it’s still going.

They’ve bounced down potholed roads in Guatemala, crossed salt flats in Bolivia, and navigated dense jungles in Ecuador and Brazil. During a lengthy trip to the Peru-Bolivia border, disaster struck—two tires blew out.

“We were heading to the border because our visas and our truck’s Temporary Importation Permit were about to expire,” Catchpole recalls. “And Peru is strict about overstays—they can confiscate your vehicle. We had two tires completely separate from their casing, and that kept us from reaching the border in time.”

The border agents weren’t convinced by their story, despite having a timestamped photo showing a local police officer assisting with the tire. Fearing they’d be stranded, they found an unlikely ally—a local Chevy dealer—who stepped in and smoothed things over with the authorities.

It was just one of many instances where complete strangers went out of their way to help them during a tough moment.

“Having the time to let things unfold is essential,” Catchpole reflects.

Their aim is to go beyond the typical tourist experience and build meaningful connections with local people, and their method for achieving that is slow travel. Taking time allows for conversations, friendships, and those moments of serendipity that are lost when we rush through a place.

Catchpole suggests engaging with locals—ask your restaurant server or people in the town about the area. “If you rush through a place, it will remain just as you imagined it. Taking time to let things unfold is crucial,” she advises.

Their travels have taught them to stay open to new experiences, and whenever someone invites them to a place or direction they hadn’t planned on, they say yes.

By applying the same common sense they’d use to stay safe in a large American city, they claim to have never been mugged or felt threatened. They did have a stove and cooler stolen at a campground in Guatemala, but locals managed to recover everything before breakfast.

Their thoughtful approach to travel has led them to countless immersive experiences. In Peru, they attended the Chacu festival, where the traditional roundup of vicunas takes place. Vicunas are similar to llamas and alpacas, but sleeker—what Catchpole calls 'the supermodel version.'

They were invited by locals to witness this ancient ritual firsthand.

“Dozens of people spread out across the vicuna’s range, each holding a long rope decorated with flags and fabric,” Catchpole explains. “They stretch the rope and slowly walk behind the herds, guiding them towards a temporary holding pen.”

Once there, the locals perform a sacred Incan ceremony before shearing each vicuna, whose wool is prized for high-end clothing and blankets. “The day was filled with remarkable experiences, including the rare opportunity to see both the vicunas up close and an Incan ritual that’s not open to tourists,” she reflects.

The kindness of strangers they’ve encountered along the way has been one of the most touching aspects of their journey.

Their travels have taken them from the towering stairway temples of the ancient Mayan city of Copan in Honduras to gastronomic gems like Restaurante El Chato in Bogota, Colombia. They’ve discovered the hidden tropical paradise of Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica and ridden the legendary old Patagonian Express train in Argentina. One of their standout experiences was the city of Zacatecas in Mexico’s highlands – “it’s like Europe, but just 12 hours from Texas.”

The time they spend immersing themselves in each place often leads them to hidden gems off the typical tourist trail, like Bonito, a charming town on the edge of Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands, renowned for its crystal-clear spring waters and stunning waterfalls. It’s like swimming in an aquarium.

While staying in Bonito, Catchpole began experiencing abdominal pain. The owner of their small hotel, Maria Pires of Pousada Galeria Artes, kindly accompanied them to a local clinic, as they spoke only Spanish (in the present tense) and couldn’t communicate in Portuguese, the language of Brazil.

The doctor initially dismissed the idea of appendicitis, but Maria wasn’t convinced.

“She reached out to a surgery professor four hours away who advised us to come immediately,” says Catchpole. “Maria left her hotel and accompanied us. We learned it was appendicitis, and she stayed by our side throughout the surgery in the operating room.”

“These kinds of situations happen often. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to meet people who go above and beyond to help us,” says Catchpole.

What lies ahead for Catchpole and Mohl? Like the entire travel industry, they’ve faced financial setbacks. The decline in advertising dollars for publications has resulted in significantly reduced budgets for travel stories.

They’re considering heading to Paraguay or Uruguay next, where the virus hasn’t caused as much damage. However, they’re still uncertain about what travel will look like during a pandemic.

Their approach to travel will need to shift in response to the new reality of tourism, which now includes things like mandatory mask-wearing.

“As non-native Spanish speakers, masks make it more difficult to communicate effectively. They muffle voices and hide facial expressions, making it harder to connect with others,” says Catchpole.

“We really miss seeing people’s smiles, as it’s such an important part of every interaction when we travel,” she adds.

The road ahead will certainly be long and filled with uncertainty for all of us.

Top recommendations from the Trans-Americas Journey

• Skip the Inca Trail in Peru and explore the Ausangate trek instead – offering more beauty, more mountains, and far fewer crowds.

• In Argentina, the northern wine region of Cafayate and the provincial capital of Salta offer wineries, gauchos, rich culture, and delicious food, all set in some of the country’s most breathtaking landscapes.

• The Amazon basin near Cuyabeno in Ecuador stands out for its abundant wildlife, fewer visitors, and much more affordable prices compared to other more accessible parts of the Amazon.

• The Pantanal in Brazil offers the best opportunity to spot jaguars in the wild, along with macaws, anteaters, capybaras, and a wealth of other wildlife.