During a car trip in 1928, the Argentine family returned home after 22 years of travel.

After driving 362,000 kilometers across five continents in 1928, the Zapp family was convinced that “humanity is wonderful”, culminating in Argentina, a travel adventure that began 22 years ago.

The city of Gualeguaychú, on the border between Argentina and Uruguay, is one of the last stops before arriving Sunday at the Obelisk, a famous monument in the center of Buenos Aires, left by Candelaria and Herman Zaf on January 25, 2000. They come back with four teenagers born in different parts of the world.

“The emotions are very mixed. We end our dreams, or rather we make them come true. The good thing is that we live. What happens next? Thousands of changes, thousands of options,” Herman explains to AFP, who, at 53 years old, is already dreaming of traveling the world on a sailboat this time.

Candelaria was 29 when she started her journey. Now, at 51, he says, “Everything was better than I imagined. What we found were people.

“People are wonderful, humanity is incredible,” said the woman who met 102 countries that “conflicts or wars have forced us to change course.”

- Car “door opener” -

They had been married for six years and had a “good job”. They finished building a house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, and they were finally going to become a family. They wanted children, but they wanted to travel in the first place. That's how the Alaskan hiking adventure began.

Someone suggested Graham-Paige, a 1928 car with a faulty engine and paint. “I didn't even start.” Candelaria comes to mind.

“The car doesn't have the best seats or cushions, and there's no air conditioning. It's a car that requires you to be vigilant. It's not comfortable, but it was nice, it was 'opening the door' and it was good for the city, the mud and the sand.” Herman is excited.

At the age of 22, they used only 8 sets of tires and made two engine openings.

“If there were a zero-kilometer 4x4, it would no longer exist. This place is more beautiful than when he went out.” Herman is excited where the four children are sleeping when he unfolds the tent that the car carries on the roof and goes to the camp.

On the road and with her first two children, with Pampa, 19, born in the United States, and Tehue, 16, who was born in Argentina, they expanded the car. They cut them in half and added 40 centimeters and a seat.

So he prepared for Paloma, born in Canada 14 years ago, and the arrival of the wallabies in Australia 12 years ago.

Now, the dog Timon and the cat Hakuna have joined during their recent stay in Brazil, leaving them stranded due to the Corona pandemic in 2020.

A tarp falls off the roof, providing privacy inside the vehicle where the parents are sleeping. They carry the trunk to the stove, and the engine can cook eggs and sausages or heat the water. Clothes and dishes are stored under the seat. As if it were a snail, the old car was used as a family home for many years.

“It is a small house, but it has a huge garden with beaches, mountains and a lake. If you don't like the scenery, you can change it.” Herman jokes. The body says, “A family that travels the world.”

In general, the Zapps stayed at home. They estimate that 2,000 households have received them. “Humanity is incredible.” Candelaria is excited by the solidarity she received. “A lot of people helped us because we were part of our dreams.”

But it wasn't just roses. During the trip, Herman had malaria and traveled through Asia when he had bird flu, Ebola in Africa, and dengue fever in Central America.

“We came out of the coronavirus and entered a devastating war,” Herman said. If you wait for the right time, you will always have a reason not to realize your dreams.”

- Argentina like Messi and Pope -

On the streets of Gualeguaichu, the horns meet the passage of Graham-Paige. Fans of vintage cars are curious to take photos. Some people buy a copy of the book “Catching a Dream”, in which Zapps talks about their experiences.They say that this is an important source of income because 100,000 copies have been sold so far.

The other “door openers” from around the world were the stars Lionel Messi and Pope Francis. Because they were Argentines. They even visited them, thanked them, and brought a book.

It all started with a six-month trip without a cell phone or GPS, saving only $4,000. It took 4 years to get to Alaska, and my son returned to Argentina by boat to travel around the country. After that, Africa, Oceania, Asia, and Europe followed.

They touched Mount Everest, tried balut (modified duck eggs) in Asia, danced with Himba in Namibia, entered the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt, and sailed many seas.

For the children, it was a direct experience to attend distance courses and kindergartens. In Argentina, face-to-face schools are waiting for them.

“What I want most is to make a lot of friends,” says Paloma.

LS/NN/RSR/DBH