On a Patagonian dirt track, a white van moves along at a slow pace. Inside, Hugo Eguiluz, 39, and Andrea Lormino, 38, study every sign announcing a village. Not long ago, this couple led a settled life in Trelew, in Chubut province, never imagining such a turn of events.
She worked in a clinical analysis laboratory, he in sales. Then a shared desire grew: to leave the ordinary routine behind and see the world without a return date. The decision wasn’t easy, especially for Andrea, but they ultimately chose the most radical path.
Sell Everything for a 2006 Sprinter Converted
Hugo Eguiluz sums up this turning point in one sentence: “We decided to sell everything we had: the furniture, the car, all our belongings. We left Trelew with absolutely nothing behind us, except a box with a few mementos,” he recalls. Once everything was sold, they set off as travelers with the money they had gathered.
For eight months, they crossed 22 countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia, taking night buses and staying in inexpensive accommodations until nearly all the money had been spent. Back in Argentina, the journey did not stop. The couple bought a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2006 and transformed it into a motorhome to continue their travels across the country.
A 2006 Sprinter Turned into a Home on Wheels
In this converted van, they installed a bathroom, hot water, a kitchen with an oven, and a diesel boiler. Their rolling home also houses Lulú and Minnie, their two dogs, who have been with them for three and a half years. The couple travels without a rigid itinerary, favoring small villages and back roads.
Their Sprinter 2006 converted recently crossed the Línea Sur de Río Negro via the Ruta 23. They paused in various localities, hiked to the White Castle near Pichi Leufú, and then passed through Maquinchao. “When we go on vacation, we don’t stop in villages; we head straight to the destination. And we told ourselves: now that we have time, let’s take the opportunity to visit places we’ve heard about,” explains Hugo. For them, “what we love most are the villages and the people.”
Living on the Road in Argentina
At first, they lived off the remainder of their savings, then bought flavorings and other goods to resell in the villages. At the same time, they learned how to create content for Instagram and YouTube. “Our primary objective was to grow with the social networks, to start generating income by creating content,” explains Hugo. The account @viajemosjuntos_ok now gathers more than 15,000 subscribers on YouTube and about 345,000 on Instagram.
Having already traversed ten Argentine provinces and completed the Carretera Austral in Chile, Hugo Eguiluz and Andrea Lormino now aim for the 23 provinces of the country, without rushing. Their way of traveling also inspires those who dream of an Argentina road trip. To prepare for such a project, some practical references keep coming up:
- the most pleasant seasons for travel are March–April and October–November;
- a passport valid for the entire stay is required, with a visa for a tourist stay longer than three months;
- health authorities recommend yellow fever vaccination, universal vaccines (DTaP, hepatitis B, MMR), hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and, for prolonged rural stays, rabies.
On their social networks, the couple continues to narrate this slow journey, village by village, at the pace of encounters far from the major tourist circuits.
Sources
- Maison & Travaux
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