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 return with four teenagers born from different parts of the world.

“Emotions are very mixed. We end our dreams, or rather realize them. The good thing is that we are living. What's next? There are thousands of changes and thousands of options.” Herman explains to AFP, who at the age of 53 already dreams of traveling the world on a sailboat this time.

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

A woman who met 102 countries said: “People are wonderful, and humanity is unbelievable.” “Because of conflicts or wars, we had to change our course,” he said.

- Car “Door Opener” -

They were married for 6 years and had a “good job”. They would build a house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires and finally become a family.They wanted children, but they wanted to travel in the first place.This is how the Alaska hiking adventure began.

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

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

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

“If I had a zero kilometer 4x4, it wouldn't exist anymore, this place is more beautiful than when he went out,” Herman is excited about where his four children are sleeping when he goes to camp with a car on the roof.

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

So he prepared for Paloma, who was born in Canada 14 years ago, and the wallabies arrived in Australia 12 years ago.

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

The tarp falls off the roof, providing privacy inside the vehicle where the parents are sleeping. The trunk is moved to the stove, and the engine can cook eggs and sausages or heat the water. Clothing and dishes are kept under the seat. Like a snail, the old car has been used as a family home for many years.

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

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

But it wasn't just a rose. During the trip, Herman traveled to Asia when he had malaria, 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 we wait for the right time, there will always be reasons not to realize our dreams.”

- Argentina like Messi and Pope -

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

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

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

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, attending remote courses and kindergarten was a first-hand experience. In Argentina, a face-to-face school awaits.

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

LS/NN/RSR/DBH