Hello all-
My name is Andy and I'm a young college student in California. I've been looking into studying abroad in South America, most likely Peru, next fall. I was thinking that it would be nice to buy a car when I get there so I can go out and explore the country outside of the context of a guided tour or all-American touristy program. Then this crazy thought struck me... what if I bought a car here, drove down there from here, and sold it after my semester of studying? I was thinking of traveling to a few other countries before getting to Peru anyways, and I've always wanted to do some serious traveling.
I have never been to South America, so I've never seen first hand how they drive. I do own a car in Mexico and am used to the hectic Tijuana-style of driving and feel like I could adapt fairly well to different driving atmospheres.
All in all, this journey would include Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru (in order). Including the US, that's 10 countries.
One necessity would be finding a capable travel buddy, well versed in Spanish and with common sense and strong driving ability. And someone crazy enough to do this with me. I've been praying to find someone, so if it's meant to be, God-willing, I will find the right person.
It seems that finding an appropriate car would be a delicate balance between value (how valuable it looks) and durability/universal ease of maintenance. I'm sure it would have to be some sort of Honda or Toyota from the 90's.
Anyways, that's the idea. Now I would like to know if it's just a stupid idea that would never work, or if it's in some way approachable. And if so, what sort of minimum timeline would you guess I should consider, and what difficulties will I face in terms of legality... importing a car, license, registration, insurance, etc.
Thanks so much and I look for to any helpful responses. Thank you!
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