Prince George is no stranger to visitors passing through on their way to or from Alaska, but one such guest on Tuesday, April 22 travelled a much longer distance than most.
Seven years ago, Carolina Gastiazoro and Facundo Arias set off from La Plata, Argentina in a 1989 Volkswagen Kombi with the goal of visiting each country in the Americas.
Thousands of kilometres later, their white van sat in the parking lot of the Victoria Avenue McDonald’s as its drivers took a break from their travels.
During their stop in Prince George, they agreed to an interview via text message with The Citizen so they could use their phone to help translate.
They said this is their first time visiting Canada.
“We’re really enjoying it,” they said. “Never before have we seen so much snow and big mountains. It’s beautiful. Incredible nature! It’s hard to choose a favourite part. We love the route from Banff to Prince George! Arriving here, we saw bears for the first time, we are happy!”
Prior to going on their trip, Gastiazoro photographed social events and Arias was a welder in a workshop. They left those jobs to go travelling and are now selling items like handmade, keychains, bracelets, bags and stickers to help finance their journeys.
The small white van that has become their home, they said, makes people smile and has helped them make friends all over the world.
In their travels, Gastiazoro and Arias said they have been surprised by the kindness of the people they have met, which has been their favourite part of the experience.
Though they don’t have a defined route, the pair said they’re looking to reach Alaska by this summer. Since they’re not familiar with this area, they said they’re hopeful locals will provide suggestions on where to visit during their brief stay in Prince George.
Those interested in reaching out to Gastiazoro and Arias or following their travels can visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/almaskombinadas/ and Instagram at instagram.com/almaskombinadas.
That username translates to “combined souls.”
They’re also accepting donations towards their travel funds on PayPal under the username @almaskombinadas.
