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13,000 miles in VW bus: Argentine family arrives in Philly to see Pope
CNN ^ | 9-24-15 | Moni Basu

Posted on 09/24/2015 3:45:21 PM PDT by smokingfrog

They traveled 13,000 miles in a Volkswagen bus through 13 countries and were only 30 miles from their destination, Philadelphia, when it broke down. Again.

By now, they were accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of their beloved bus. Still, after 194 days on the road and on the city's outskirts, they dealt with one more disappointment.

But again with the help of Good Samaritans, they got the bus going again and finally arrived this week in the City of Brotherly Love, the culmination of a journey of epic proportions. They had embarked on the long trip to spend time together as a family and to see the man who reinvigorated their faith, as he has for so many Catholics: the Pope.

Catire Walker, 41, his wife, Noel Zemborain, 39, and their four children ages 3 to 12 left their home in Buenos Aires back in March. They packed all they would need into a remodeled 1980 Volkswagen and began driving north.

They were not hippies, they insisted, but admitted they were a bit crazy to take on such an adventure. But for Catire and Noel, it was important to make this road trip. It afforded them the time they wanted to spend with one another.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: hoax; pope; steamingpantload; travel; volkswagen
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To: scrabblehack

The article said nothing about how the got across the Darien Gap (an area between Colombia and Panama that has no roads) It appears there are river boats, but no ferry service.


21 posted on 09/24/2015 4:10:21 PM PDT by LukeL
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To: lacrew

They were planning to attend the World Meeting of Families Congress. I’m not sure when the papal visit was announced.

http://www.worldmeeting2015.org


22 posted on 09/24/2015 4:12:12 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: smokingfrog

A testimony to ye venerable and robust VW Bus


23 posted on 09/24/2015 4:17:24 PM PDT by mylife
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To: DoughtyOne

I rowed a few VWs through the Rockies, valves clicking, fingers crossed.


24 posted on 09/24/2015 4:17:31 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: LukeL

I was wondering the same. Journalists can’t be bothered with logistics.


25 posted on 09/24/2015 4:18:49 PM PDT by posterchild
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To: smokingfrog

The only question I have is, are they gonna stay here?
Other than that I really could care less what they’re doing.

I also could care less what the Socialist Pope is doing this week. (And I’m Catholic)


26 posted on 09/24/2015 4:20:27 PM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes mandatory ... Thomas Jefferson)
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To: DoughtyOne

Dude! Seriously, I rebuilt a number of them back in the day. Glorified Beemer engines, worked great as long as you didn’t overload them. Easy to tune...but don’t forget the warpy washer.


27 posted on 09/24/2015 4:21:11 PM PDT by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
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To: ozzymandus

LOL my first thought.


28 posted on 09/24/2015 4:22:09 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.)
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To: DoughtyOne

I’m with you, I’m starting a cross country trip next Wednesday (MD to CA), my jaunt is a hop, skip and a jump compared to this.


29 posted on 09/24/2015 4:24:56 PM PDT by Fair Paul
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To: LukeL
The article said nothing about how the got across the Darien Gap (an area between Colombia and Panama that has no roads) It appears there are river boats, but no ferry service.

If you ever wanted to drive from Chile to Alaska, you're clear out of luck. Here and there in the world, small gaps of wilderness hold out against the onslaught of rising populations, exploitation and bulldozers. One such area is found at the southern end of Panama, separating the North and Central Americas from South America.

The Pan-American Highway stretches from Cape Horn, Chile to Alaska with one 90 km break: The Darien Gap.

This area is a forbidding mountainous jungle on the Panama side; full of swamps, guerrillas, drug traffikers and kidnappers on the Colombian side, making travel through the area not just a struggle against a hostile environment but also a maze of bribing the right people for passage and ducking bullets.

In case you missed the dangers we just enumerated, here is an easy list to remember: - tough nasty jungle with plenty of disagreeable wildlife. - impenetrable swamps - crazed drug traffikers - pissed-off guerrillas - greedy kidnappers (all of the guys mentioned above) - paranoid government police - no marked trails

30 posted on 09/24/2015 4:27:12 PM PDT by granite (The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left - Ecclest 10:2)
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To: smokingfrog
these people must be rich. how many people can take a year off to vacation with the kids?
i wonder how much this trip will cost?
i wonder how they can pull their kids out of school for so long without the school gestapo throwing them all in prison? (or is that only in america?)
31 posted on 09/24/2015 4:27:40 PM PDT by wafflehouse (RE-ELECT NO ONE !)
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To: gorush
Shove a Porsche 914 engine in there ☺
32 posted on 09/24/2015 4:29:54 PM PDT by mylife
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To: LukeL
I wonder how they got past the Darien Gap?

You read my mind. That's precisely what I was puzzling over.

33 posted on 09/24/2015 4:30:53 PM PDT by Prospero (Omnis caro fenum)
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To: smokingfrog


34 posted on 09/24/2015 4:31:52 PM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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To: Prospero

Well, they could now write a book about their journey and let us know. I can imagine the kids were saying the equivalent of “Are we there yet?” the entire time.


35 posted on 09/24/2015 4:34:26 PM PDT by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: JoeProBono

I used to shove a YZ400 dirt bike in there just like that


36 posted on 09/24/2015 4:35:10 PM PDT by mylife
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To: smokingfrog

Why didn’t they just fly to Italy?


37 posted on 09/24/2015 4:35:13 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: LukeL

Container ship, I think.


38 posted on 09/24/2015 4:35:38 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: trisham

Where’s the adventure in that?


39 posted on 09/24/2015 4:37:28 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: mylife
We had one just like this when I was in high school.

I wasn't allowed to use it for dates for some reason...

40 posted on 09/24/2015 4:40:55 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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