Today the truck arrived into Montevideo, Uruguay!
I’ve been back flying commercially in Dubai for the past few weeks as the truck made its way across the Atlantic. It’s been a busy time preparing for the Americas leg of the project.
The Americas will be the final stage of the project, as well as the longest time on the road in one go. The plan is to reach Canada in March next year, which will also mark the end of the project, (though I’m not ruling out taking the project to other parts of the world in smaller sections).
I fly into Buenos Aires on the 3rd of June, before taking an overnight bus trip to Montevideo, where I’ll pick up the truck from the port. The first flight has been arranged in Canelones, (Uruguay)with the help of the local aero club.
Many adventures are to come: I’ll be crossing The Andes Mountains three times over the coming months, as well as crossing a large area of the Amazon forest, (which will include putting the truck on a barge a number of times, as there are very few roads). Please cross your fingers that the truck behaves itself. As most probably know, I’ve had no end of mechanical difficulties. Even if the truck breaks down, I’ll be finding the nearest donkey and cart to finish off the project. I’ve come too far to stop now.
I’m looking forward to starting the America’s leg of the project. The project has all ready travelled through 70 countries, encouraging tens of thousands of kids to follow their dreams. The smiles on kids’ faces when they see the balloon makes the project all worthwhile.