After traveling 362,000 kilometers across five continents in a car 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 on 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 teenage children born in different parts of the world.
“Emotions are very mixed. We end our dreams, or rather achieve them. The good thing is that we live. What happens next? Thousands of changes, thousands of options”, Herman tells AFP, who at the age of 53 already dreams of traveling around the world on a sailboat this time.
Candelaria was 29 years old when she started her journey. Now, at 51, he says: “Everything was better than I imagined. What we found was people.”
“People are wonderful, humanity is unbelievable,” the woman who met 102 countries once claimed that “conflicts or wars forced us to turn our way.”
- Car “Door Opener” -
They were married for six years and had a “good job”. They finished building a house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, and they would finally become a family.They wanted children, but they wanted to travel in the first place. So the backpacking adventure to Alaska began.
Someone suggested Graham-Paige, a 1928 car with a bad engine and paint. “I didn't even start.” Candelaria comes to mind.
“The car does not have the best seats or the best cushions, and there is no air conditioning. It's a car that forces you to be alert. It's not comfortable, but it was nice, it was 'opening the door' and it was good for the city, mud and sand.” Herman is enthusiastic.
At the age of 22, they used only 8 sets of tires and made two engine openings.
“If there were 4x4 zero kilometers, it would no longer exist. This place is more beautiful than when it came out.” Herman is excited where the four children sleep when he unfolds the tent that the car carries on the roof and goes to camp.
On the road and with her first two children, with Pampa, 19 years old born in the United States, and Tehue, 16, who was born in Argentina, they enlarged 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 wallabies 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.
A tarp falls off the roof, providing privacy inside the vehicle where parents sleep. They carry the trunk to the cooker, and the engine can cook eggs and sausages or heat the water. Clothing and tableware are kept under the seat. As if it were a snail, the old car was used as a family home for many years.
“It's 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 traveling around the world.”
In general, Zapps stayed at home.They estimate that 2,000 households received them. “Humanity is amazing.” Candelaria is enthusiastic about the solidarity she received. “Many people helped us because we were part of our dreams.”
But it wasn't all roses. During the trip, Herman had malaria and crossed Asia when he had bird flu, Ebola in Africa, and dengue in Central America.
“We have stepped out of the coronavirus and entered a devastating war,” Herman said. If you wait for the right moment, you will always have a reason not to fulfill your dreams.”
- Argentina like Messi and Pope -
On the streets of Gualeguaichu, the horns meet Graham-Paige's passage. Vintage car fans are curious 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 a major source of income because 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 journey without a cell phone or GPS, saving only $4,000. It took 4 years to arrive in 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 first-hand experience of completing remote school and mother classes.In Argentina, in-person schools await them.
“What I want most is to make a lot of friends.” “, says Paloma.
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