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Expedition to Costa Rica

September 24-28, 1999

50 year Franchise Celebration

Expedition Leader: Jeff Caston

1,910 kms

 

bulletExpedition Leader: Jeff Caston [Uncle JAC]
bulletTotal driving time [there, around and back]: 30 hours,13minutes
bulletTotal distance traveled: 1,916 kms
bulletAverage speed:  67 kph
bulletMaximum altitude: 10,650 ft [Death Mountain]

Expedition Members:

Jeff Caston, Adrienne Caston, Carrie Caston, Michel Puech, Elisabeth Verdier de Puech, Gerardo Aparicio, Robert Grace, Paul Lloyd, Eduardo Eisenmann, Raul Vallarino, Jan Stichweh, José Quijano, Felipe Acebedo, Tatiana Zapata, TC.

PURA VIDA MAE! It was a fantastic experience for all of us! We met great people while we where there and we thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with the Land Rover Club Panama members. It was the first time for many that we crossed the border with our vehicles and we have to say that the paperwork was not an enjoyable experience.

We understand that at Sunday's event there were 811 Land Rovers registered! This must be some kind of record. It was like going to Disney World  for Land Rover enthusiasts! We saw Land Rover everywhere! Special vehicles of different eras, accessories, clothing, a great track designed by Paul Lloyd. You name it, they had it.

Oscar Echeverría and Stefan Muller, the franchise owners, went to great lengths to make it enjoyable for everyone that came. What great hosts! Free food, great music, a fantastic family event.

We feel privileged to have participated in such a grand event! They were so kind as to give us a commemorative plaque for the Club. Is this plaque beautiful or what! It is a wooden scale model of a Series I with Capstan Winch, PTO and all!

Fantastic detail on the wood carved Series I. This plaque is in thanks to all Land Rover Club Panama members who participated in the festivities and we are very proud to have it!

Here are some pictures of our trip. What great memories and a fantastic adventure

Our Expedition leader, Jeff Caston, displaying our Club Flag with Carrie, Raul, Gerardo, Eduardo and Felipe    Everybody ready to leave    Anabella saying goodbye to all, especially her hubbie    Felipe and Tatiana

After 2 hours of driving...   Great sky! Nice climate to travel on     Convoy through the mountains of Chiriqui    After 4 hours of driving, arriving in David

Tatiana getting some rest from the Panamaniac and the Locombian    Felipe & Toti checking in at the Bambito Hotel at 6:30pm    Bob, Paul, Elisabeth, Raul, Felipe, Tatiana    Adrienne, Jan, Toti, Jose [going bald], Felipe

6am, chilly morning [62 degrees], ready for the border. Game On, Knob!    The rear of the Convoy in front of the Bambito Hotel    Nice picture spot, surounded by mountains on a clear day   Arriving at the border

Waiting our turn to cross the border    Some lucky fellows having lunch... me, worried about Eduardo who forgot his passport and is trying to get through    On Costa Rican Soil! Just crossed the border but got separated with Ed and Raul who is doing paperwork to cross without passport. Will meet in 4 hours at the mountain    Begining our climb of Death Mountain... save a little prayer

Fog and Rain! This is what it looked like going up the mountain   Rest area, waiting for Eduardo and Raul. Uncle JAC, enjoying the view    Nice statue of Christ overlooking the mountain    Eduardo and Raul made it! Now we're a full group again

The radios we had were a godd safety measure and helepd us make good time. "It's safe to pass" - ROGER! Spool that TDi!    Our convoy up the mountain    Toti checking that the luggage is dry... RIGHT! Wishfull thinking    LANDROVERITIS MAXIMUS! Landroverianos all over Costa Rica

This is the entrance to the event. WOW! They really went "All Out"    Here is where the vehicle registration was done. They had greeters to get the info and placed a sticker in your car    Eduardo and I were the first two cars to register at 6:45am. That is Oscar Echeverria walking up to greet us    A beautifully restored Series 1 was the centerpiece of the vehicle display. This car is used off road and everything works, even the PTO!

Adrienne climbing the wall. Dont look down...    Come on Felipe, Adrienne is winning!    Felipe testing the mountain bike track area    

The 109 display - impressive to look at.    Another angle of the 109 display. Can you gues if it was trying to go up or down?    Bob Grace taking some customers around the track. There is that 109 again!    Look carefully, that's a Series III 109 winching up the hill! Nah!

The event took place near a quarry. To get to the track you had to go through a mountain for access. Impressive!        They had a train going around the whole event with a 110 as a display. Cool!    "This space is reserved for Series Parking Only, please" The whole event had designated parking according to the vehicle's model    Panamanian parking only - some of the members after testing the track. Good times!

Most of our club in front of the Darien Gap Range Rover on loan from the Museum. Gerardo, Michel, Elisabeth, Raul, Felipe, Tatiana, Carrie and "Uncle JAC"       Wishfull thinking... TC and one of the two the Darien Gap Range Rovers from 1970    "Operator, I want to make a collect call to Antioquia" Tatiana, do you know the exchange rate? It is not 10 cents a minute...

TC helping Paul Loyd with marshalling duties. It was a lot of fun seeing all smiling faces at this checkpoint since it was after going through a steep descent    Paul Lloyd at the checkpoint, overseeing the hill descent and subsequent steep climb        "Hey Gerardo, do you think they would mind if we take this Camel for a test drive on the track?" Jan and Gerardo

See-saw entrance and the way to the Panamanian Parking    Gerardo all ready to go onto the see-saw   Tatiana, Felipe talking to Jan, waiting to get on the see-saw line. Looong line...    Tatiana watching Gerardo testing the see-saw

It was very hard to get it balanced without a marshal guiding you, says Gerardo        Toti Calvo in his Range Rover    Above the clouds... awesome view 10,650 feet above sea level    We even had the gift of a rainbow on our way back to Panama...

Hurry up, Pitstop! "Ahorinita vengo, voy a miarbolito"    A huge river alongside the main road. The water was brown due to the high rainfall during the past days...    A very enjoyable drive comming back home

    Just to show a Land Rover was there...    Is this a nice drive or what?    Nice waterfall when entering Death Mouintain

Thanks to all the club members for one GREAT time. Thanks to all the "Ticos" for the fantastic hospitality

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