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6 Apr 2019
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Darien expedition
How are you guys I was referred to your site due to seeking some notoriety or exposure for my upcoming expedition.
It will be travelling from Colombia into Panama overland. Yes through the Darien. I hope you all have 5 minutes to have a look and then check my website out. (also share the hell out of this)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lj3...&index=12&t=0s
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6 Apr 2019
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Really good expedition! What is your website or instagram to follow?
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6 Apr 2019
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The video states "leaving next month," i.e. December 2018, and returning in February. So has this already happened?
I hope you'll excuse a bit of doubt; others have been here making more and less dubious claims about upcoming Darien trips, most of which come to very little in the end. You seem sincere, but there's no real detail to the descriptions--just vague generalities and re-statements of the obvious.
Hope it's all working out, and hope to hear more.
Mark
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6 Apr 2019
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Yes
Hi guys and yes it was last year I set off. Which ended prematurely as there was military training in the area north of Jurado.
So I had to delay it but yes I am attempting it again end of the year but ITV was fully aware of it and OK so I hope they can continue to offer there support as they have said they will.
my site is merchanttraveller.com
Insta danieleggington.
I have done expeds in Guyana and spent time on the Panama side of the Darien.
But yes there are a lot of gap claims attempts and I am now among them statistics from the previous attempt but out of my control.
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6 Apr 2019
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Thanks for the update. Looking forward to hearing more, and hoping you'll post back here.
Best of luck!
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22 Apr 2019
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I think it is a dumb trip and that you are probably putting your parents through hell so you can get a few more Instagram followers.
It is irresponsible to promote travel in such a dangerous part of the world.
Go explore some more in French Guyana and Brazil if you want to do more adventures. Trying to sneak across known drug smuggling territory so you can be famous on social media is asinine.
Your story reminds me of a 25 year old stock trader who rode his motorcycle to a narco hotspot in Mexico a few years ago. The police offered to escort him out of the area, but he wanted to get close to the narcos and ended up getting murdered. His mom searched for him in Mexico for 5 years after it happened. Do you really want to put your parents through the inevitable?
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22 Apr 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gatogato
I think it is a dumb trip and that you are probably putting your parents through hell so you can get a few more Instagram followers.
It is irresponsible to promote travel in such a dangerous part of the world.
Go explore some more in French Guyana and Brazil if you want to do more adventures. Trying to sneak across known drug smuggling territory so you can be famous on social media is asinine.
Your story reminds me of a 25 year old stock trader who rode his motorcycle to a narco hotspot in Mexico a few years ago. The police offered to escort him out of the area, but he wanted to get close to the narcos and ended up getting murdered. His mom searched for him in Mexico for 5 years after it happened. Do you really want to put your parents through the inevitable?
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Hi Daniel
Sounds like a very ambitious trip! You'll always get people like this ^ sitting at home telling you not to do things, that's just the way the world works. I'm sure it won't dent your ambition. I've never been sure whether people post things like this out of genuine concern for one's safety, or altogether less altruistic reasons.
Latin America is not an area I know well, but I remember watching this excellent dosumentary following the migrants through the Darien Gap. It seems there are some pretty unpleasant people operating in that region, who need to be paid off, as well as the middle men. Watching your video though, it seems you are taking a different route... is this an established migrant route? Obviously we don't know what SBS paid, but don't be put off. When I crossed the 'impossible' Khyber Pass a few years ago I made a few connections and sailed through within a few days, while a well known Qatar-based news channel spent many weeks wangling their permits to do the same.
I'm very interested to follow your progress, good luck... just make sure you pay the right guys!
EO
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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.
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22 Apr 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eurasiaoverland
I've never been sure whether people post things like this out of genuine concern for one's safety, or altogether less altruistic reasons.
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I'd assume it's largely jealousy. Hey, I've had a few low-key adventures in Central America, and I might start to feel that these are devalued every time someone does something truly remarkable. What's more, now I've got to justify my own reluctance to venture into the Darien--maybe this trip will succeed, and I can no longer brush it off with "no one ever goes there." Next thing you know, the stories I've been telling--and maybe embellishing--for years and years will attract yawns instead of rapt adoration.
In this particular case I'll withhold judgment until I hear how it actually goes...but the OP sounds better prepared than most. I'll admit that I'm extra dubious about people who state all sorts of ambitious intentions, but fail to update when their plans fall thru. It seems to me that's a good way to impress the credulous, but probably has the opposite effect on anyone taking a close, critical look.
Mark
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22 Apr 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by markharf
I'd assume it's largely jealousy. Hey, I've had a few low-key adventures in Central America, and I might start to feel that these are devalued every time someone does something truly remarkable. What's more, now I've got to justify my own reluctance to venture into the Darien--maybe this trip will succeed, and I can no longer brush it off with "no one ever goes there." Next thing you know, the stories I've been telling--and maybe embellishing--for years and years will attract yawns instead of rapt adoration.
Mark
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Very well phrased 
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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.
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22 Apr 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eurasiaoverland
Hi Daniel
Sounds like a very ambitious trip! You'll always get people like this ^ sitting at home telling you not to do things, that's just the way the world works.
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Yes, people who flew back from Colombia 1 week ago. People who have crossed the Darien Gap on a cargo boat from Colon to Turbo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eurasiaoverland
I'm sure it won't dent your ambition. I've never been sure whether people post things like this out of genuine concern for one's safety, or altogether less altruistic reasons.
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Are you providing knowledgeable advice on the subject? Do you have any experience in this region? Do you know the actual risks? Or are you Markharfing it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by eurasiaoverland
I'm very interested to follow your progress, good luck... just make sure you pay the right guys!
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"Just make sure you pay the right guys." Wow, that sounds like excellent advice. We all know that these narcos, revolutionary, counter-revolutionary, and military groups operating in the area are rational groups of people that you can make one all inclusive bribe to which will insure safe travel across the Gap.
EO[/QUOTE]
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22 Apr 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cholo
EO; gatogato has been round for a while, pls show him some respect as one of the seniors of this hubb ( doesn’t mean you agree with him) as a Dad I hear him loud and clear
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Well with all respect to you, I think a senior can take a less condescending tone than calling the OP's trip 'dumb' and describing his death as inevitable. It's fine to be a nay-sayer - nobody says the OP is going to succeed - but neither of gatogato's posts really qualify as constructive criticism.
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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.
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23 Apr 2019
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What can we say? Been maried to a Colombiana, I wish it could be possible. One has to be iresponsible to beleive it could happen, or is ignorant of history.
Panama was to be part of Colombia earlirt in this century. The USA to get the Panama Canal, worked to get Panama out of Colombia.
Colombia will never forget that. Many attemps were done to connect Panama with Colombia, this will never happen.
For the Colombian politicians, the Darien, the drug lords can have it. It's their's litterally.
If someone want to play in the court of the drug lords, be aware what it is ahead of you, and above don't forget very few people can boost they made it through.
Last edited by poorbuthappy; 23 Apr 2019 at 04:36.
Reason: spelling mistake
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23 Apr 2019
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This thread makes me WANT to do the Darien aswel, just to prove the know all's wrong. Statistically the most dangerous part of any journey is the car ride to the airport. Get off your high horses, HUBB should be a place to encourage and aid adventurers; not put them down just because you don't have the guts to do it yourself.
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23 Apr 2019
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23 Apr 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewbRider
This thread makes me WANT to do the Darien aswel, just to prove the know all's wrong. Statistically the most dangerous part of any journey is the car ride to the airport. Get off your high horses, HUBB should be a place to encourage and aid adventurers; not put them down just because you don't have the guts to do it yourself.
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No one on here wants to see another rider get kidnapped or killed. Most people do not want to go through life knowing that they were responsible for a guide or local being killed. The Darien Gap is on the no travel list of every embassy in the world. That means that if something happens to you in this area, your embassy is not going to look very hard for you. There is no logical reason to travel overland in this area when you can easily avoid it by the sea or air. There is no good reason to travel to ISIS strongholds either. In aviation there is a saying that you should learn from the mistakes of others because you will not live long enough to make them all on your own.
A couple months ago there was an American missionary who thought it would be a good idea to illegally travel to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal and approach a secluded tribe. After a couple of days, men in the tribe killed him. Do you think the American missionary made smart decisions?
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