Salvation through Ipad Applications

Our stay in Colombia is slowly coming to an end. After having spent three amazing days in the Zona Cafetera, we are now in Popayan, a colonial town in southern Colombia, that was flattened by an earthquake in the early eighties. One could not guess it looking at the town now, everything has been repaired.

We finally managed to fill our gas cylinder so we can use our stove and heat the camper at night if need be. As we have some weeks in the Andes ahead of us, this is a luxury worth having. It took less than a minute to fill it, far less than to empty it… We also thought our rear batteries were dead and were about to change them; but after been plugged for three days to an external power source, they seem to miraculously function again (or was it a bump on the road that put some cable back in place?). Let’s see how long it lasts. These batteries are powering the fridge, water pump, water heater and the lights inside the camper. Nowadays we use only the lights anyway so we can theoretically do without as we have torch lamps. All the campgrounds and hostels we are staying in have a common kitchen that guests can use; we buy food on a day to day basis to cook in the common kitchen or we go to restaurants! So no real need of a fridge.

This morning I found a fantastic application for Ipad/Iphone on the Internet, showing campgrounds in North and Latin America. It is called iOverlander; it works the same way as Wikipedia; everybody can contribute: listing campgrounds with details of available amenities, like hot showers, Internet, etc; or locating propane/water filling stations, or mechanics. So it is a mine of useful information for people who, like us are driving throughout the Americas. It is a great relief as it is sometimes difficult to locate campgrounds in Latin America. Until now, we were mostly relying on blogs of fellow travellers, but this can prove a bit erratic. I am just wondering why and how we did not find it earlier. But better late than never. I have already added some input on where to find propane in Southern Colombia.

Sometimes, I am wondering if we could have done this journey twenty years ago, before Internet and these ridiculously addictive but so useful Apple devices and applications. Yes, probably, but we would probably be lost somewhere in Mexico by now! And there would be no blog! 

Time will soon come to bid Colombia “hasta luego” and get acquainted with another new country, Ecuador. I wish all countries had such great internet connections, such pleasant policemen and soldiers, such welcoming and helpful people and were as friendly to travellers as Colombia is.