This tree looks like trees I've seen from some in Africa. Interesting how, instead of growing up they grow out. Almost like they were squashed...lol.
The Land Cruiser hut...
- Thread starter juanchogaviria
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
- Thread starter
- #162
Hello mud. Came back last night from the hut. The weather was awesome.
The septic tank is ready, the bathroom is painted, so the purpose of the trip was complete.
My cousin visited in his 80 series. We helped some people that was stuck off the road.
Thanks all for keeping up.
The septic tank is ready, the bathroom is painted, so the purpose of the trip was complete.
My cousin visited in his 80 series. We helped some people that was stuck off the road.
Thanks all for keeping up.
- Thread starter
- #163
Hello mud. It's been a while since last time i was here, i just want to wish You all a happy new year and hope You and your Land Cruisers the best.
Take care and bless You all!
Juancho
Take care and bless You all!
Juancho
Ahhh. To be in flip flops and shorts this time of the year would be magical. I am impressed with your ingenuity and the vision you were able to make into a reality. Thank you for sharing not only your journey but your vacation residence with us virtually. I have read through this thread multiple times through the years and continue to be in awe of the adventure.
Happy New Year and Bless you and your family.
Happy New Year and Bless you and your family.
Happy new years to you and your family and many more.
I was Just thinking about you and the Land Cruiser Hut A few day ago. Happy to see you are still enjoying the hut and all it has to offer.
It's been along time, I was afraid maybe you sold it or was not able to go there any more.
Please keep the post coming, we love the adventure !!
I was Just thinking about you and the Land Cruiser Hut A few day ago. Happy to see you are still enjoying the hut and all it has to offer.
It's been along time, I was afraid maybe you sold it or was not able to go there any more.
Please keep the post coming, we love the adventure !!
- Thread starter
- #166
Good morning Mud. I want to start this 2023 with nothing but gratitude. Thankful for everything and everyone in our lives.
I was very happy to see that after many months of being away from Mud, your comments and likes really motivated me to continue writing about the Land Cruiser hut and continue the adventure.
The last couple of years where tough in many ways. The death of my grandfather, the one who introduce me to this beautyfull place in the Colombian Caribbean where the hut is located, passed away at age 93. A truly remarkable person. Someone i Really loved and respected.
There was this time while we where traveling to the beach in the 80 series (which he liked a lot) with my first daughter and my wife, and he points out his finger and shows me this stone mine with a tall cliff along the side of the road. And told me this farm was his a long time ago. That the cliff was a mine of stone. A very Nice green type of slate stone called Piedra de Valdivia, because this is how the Town is called, and it is located on the same Road that goes to the hut about half way from Medellín.
He said he used to drive up that Road in a 1967 white Volkswagen Bettle Loaded with dinamite, so he could explode the stone out of the mountain Then cut it and sell it as construcción material, this is one of the ways he made a living back in the day. He decided to sell the mine to someone else because he learned the rebel guerrillas where very looking to steal the explosive; so he chose to just avoid conflict and just stopped this endeavor with the mine.
After an hour of telling the story, we see soldiers along the Road, before we got to this Town called Tarazá down the road this Town is known for his vast coca fields and ongoing violence for the last decades. It is an obligated pass on the Road so you try not to stop on this área because there are sometimes clashes between the groups or with the military and can en up crawling under your car between gunfire .
Suddenly, i see a group of soldiers talking to each other, they seem tense, the soldiers you see on the roads in Colombia are normally relaxed and they wave at you to say hi and let You know everything is ok, but these soldiers have a different vibe, the traffic slows, the wife and my daughter are asleep in the back seat, i look
down and i see, to my side of the road, the body of a dead man wearing black rubber boots, his face covered with a blood stained cloth. I see blood in his shirt There is no one around this guy, about 15 feet i see a small bar, with people just sitting there minding they're business and no one cared about this guy. The rubber boots are normally worn by guerrilla fighters; i look at my grandpa he's just silent and looks at me. And we just look to the Road ahead and i press on the gas and we leave Tarazá and the soldiers behind and continue our vacation to the beach in the Land Cruiser.
This was the last Road trip with my grandfather. He was so happy to see how the Land Cruiser just did everything right, the Road, the Mud, the sand on the beach, he said after that vacation that the Land Cruiser 80 series was the best car Made in the history of automóviles. It was a simple comment by a wise 93 year old man. It gives me joy when i remember him saying it sitting on the passenger side, holding the grab bar in the dash of the 80 with a Big smile on his face.
Today i'm getting ready to travel to the LC hut tomorrow morning. With My wife and our two girls. I Will show them grandpa's mine.
Thanks for keeping up.
Juancho.
I was very happy to see that after many months of being away from Mud, your comments and likes really motivated me to continue writing about the Land Cruiser hut and continue the adventure.
The last couple of years where tough in many ways. The death of my grandfather, the one who introduce me to this beautyfull place in the Colombian Caribbean where the hut is located, passed away at age 93. A truly remarkable person. Someone i Really loved and respected.
There was this time while we where traveling to the beach in the 80 series (which he liked a lot) with my first daughter and my wife, and he points out his finger and shows me this stone mine with a tall cliff along the side of the road. And told me this farm was his a long time ago. That the cliff was a mine of stone. A very Nice green type of slate stone called Piedra de Valdivia, because this is how the Town is called, and it is located on the same Road that goes to the hut about half way from Medellín.
He said he used to drive up that Road in a 1967 white Volkswagen Bettle Loaded with dinamite, so he could explode the stone out of the mountain Then cut it and sell it as construcción material, this is one of the ways he made a living back in the day. He decided to sell the mine to someone else because he learned the rebel guerrillas where very looking to steal the explosive; so he chose to just avoid conflict and just stopped this endeavor with the mine.
After an hour of telling the story, we see soldiers along the Road, before we got to this Town called Tarazá down the road this Town is known for his vast coca fields and ongoing violence for the last decades. It is an obligated pass on the Road so you try not to stop on this área because there are sometimes clashes between the groups or with the military and can en up crawling under your car between gunfire .
Suddenly, i see a group of soldiers talking to each other, they seem tense, the soldiers you see on the roads in Colombia are normally relaxed and they wave at you to say hi and let You know everything is ok, but these soldiers have a different vibe, the traffic slows, the wife and my daughter are asleep in the back seat, i look
down and i see, to my side of the road, the body of a dead man wearing black rubber boots, his face covered with a blood stained cloth. I see blood in his shirt There is no one around this guy, about 15 feet i see a small bar, with people just sitting there minding they're business and no one cared about this guy. The rubber boots are normally worn by guerrilla fighters; i look at my grandpa he's just silent and looks at me. And we just look to the Road ahead and i press on the gas and we leave Tarazá and the soldiers behind and continue our vacation to the beach in the Land Cruiser.
This was the last Road trip with my grandfather. He was so happy to see how the Land Cruiser just did everything right, the Road, the Mud, the sand on the beach, he said after that vacation that the Land Cruiser 80 series was the best car Made in the history of automóviles. It was a simple comment by a wise 93 year old man. It gives me joy when i remember him saying it sitting on the passenger side, holding the grab bar in the dash of the 80 with a Big smile on his face.
Today i'm getting ready to travel to the LC hut tomorrow morning. With My wife and our two girls. I Will show them grandpa's mine.
Thanks for keeping up.
Juancho.
Your Grandfather was a wise Man, RIP !!Good morning Mud. I want to start this 2023 with nothing but gratitude. Thankful for everything and everyone in our lives.
I was very happy to see that after many months of being away from Mud, your comments and likes really motivated me to continue writing about the Land Cruiser hut and continue the adventure.
The last couple of years where tough in many ways. The death of my grandfather, the one who introduce me to this beautyfull place in the Colombian Caribbean where the hut is located, passed away at age 93. A truly remarkable person. Someone i Really loved and respected.
There was this time while we where traveling to the beach in the 80 series (which he liked a lot) with my first daughter and my wife, and he points out his finger and shows me this stone mine with a tall cliff along the side of the road. And told me this farm was his a long time ago. That the cliff was a mine of stone. A very Nice green type of slate stone called Piedra de Valdivia, because this is how the Town is called, and it is located on the same Road that goes to the hut about half way from Medellín.
He said he used to drive up that Road in a 1967 white Volkswagen Bettle Loaded with dinamite, so he could explode the stone out of the mountain Then cut it and sell it as construcción material, this is one of the ways he made a living back in the day. He decided to sell the mine to someone else because he learned the rebel guerrillas where very looking to steal the explosive; so he chose to just avoid conflict and just stopped this endeavor with the mine.
After an hour of telling the story, we see soldiers along the Road, before we got to this Town called Tarazá down the road this Town is known for his vast coca fields and ongoing violence for the last decades. It is an obligated pass on the Road so you try not to stop on this área because there are sometimes clashes between the groups or with the military and can en up crawling under your car between gunfire .
Suddenly, i see a group of soldiers talking to each other, they seem tense, the soldiers you see on the roads in Colombia are normally relaxed and they wave at you to say hi and let You know everything is ok, but these soldiers have a different vibe, the traffic slows, the wife and my daughter are asleep in the back seat, i look
down and i see, to my side of the road, the body of a dead man wearing black rubber boots, his face covered with a blood stained cloth. I see blood in his shirt There is no one around this guy, about 15 feet i see a small bar, with people just sitting there minding they're business and no one cared about this guy. The rubber boots are normally worn by guerrilla fighters; i look at my grandpa he's just silent and looks at me. And we just look to the Road ahead and i press on the gas and we leave Tarazá and the soldiers behind and continue our vacation to the beach in the Land Cruiser.
This was the last Road trip with my grandfather. He was so happy to see how the Land Cruiser just did everything right, the Road, the Mud, the sand on the beach, he said after that vacation that the Land Cruiser 80 series was the best car Made in the history of automóviles. It was a simple comment by a wise 93 year old man. It gives me joy when i remember him saying it sitting on the passenger side, holding the grab bar in the dash of the 80 with a Big smile on his face.
Today i'm getting ready to travel to the LC hut tomorrow morning. With My wife and our two girls. I Will show them grandpa's mine.
Thanks for keeping up.
Juancho.
View attachment 3207110
Have a safe and wonderful trip to the Land Cruiser Hut
- Thread starter
- #169
Hello mud. A month ago i was at the hut, took a plane from Medellín to monteria and Then our buddy picked us up at the Airport and there we went. Was able to get many things done.
The hut got a new deck and more área. Little by little this little place is gaining form.
The hut got a new deck and more área. Little by little this little place is gaining form.
- Thread starter
- #170
Some pics of the ride....
- Thread starter
- #171
Just random hut...
- Thread starter
- #173
Hello Mud. Hope everyone here is starting the new year with all positive energy and good health. My family and I just came back from the hut last week. It was an asesome time because this was the first time we enjoyed the hut together. The weather was great with 5 days of sun.
We bathed on the ocean everyday and took advantage of the weather to walk the "camino de la Vega" which is the Path that goes along the beach for various Miles.
I got in charge of the cooking and i did it on the wood stove all the time. Got tiryng sometimes but it is what it is.
After 6 years of ownership of the hut we finally got the legal title under My name which im really thankful for.
There was Mud after the 5 days of sun so getting out got tricky but we managed to drive out.
Thanks all for reading, take care....
We bathed on the ocean everyday and took advantage of the weather to walk the "camino de la Vega" which is the Path that goes along the beach for various Miles.
I got in charge of the cooking and i did it on the wood stove all the time. Got tiryng sometimes but it is what it is.
After 6 years of ownership of the hut we finally got the legal title under My name which im really thankful for.
There was Mud after the 5 days of sun so getting out got tricky but we managed to drive out.
Thanks all for reading, take care....
And a happy and prosperous new year to you and your family.
Thanks for posting !!
Thanks for posting !!
- Thread starter
- #175
Hello Mud. This time of the year, there is a nice breeze that refreshes the air, and the humidity goes down, so time is very enjoyable at the hut.
My friend Machucho comes to visit almost everyday when i'm there, and we have long conversations of different things, sometimes women, fishing stories and funny events of the past.
We have been friends for over 20 years and i i'm gratefull for having him as a friend, my grandpa, my uncle that passed away a few years ago was also his friend and my cousin's grandfather was under his care a couple of decades ago because this was a very hard to handle person, so my cousin's family sent don Carlos to spend some time at my uncle's hut where Machucho was working at the time. He would buy the rum for don Carlos which was a heavy drinker, so the money don Carlos got from my uncle, he would always send Machu to the town to buy him a bottle, food was not a priority, only when there was enough for both rum and rice.
Don Carlos would chug on the bottle under this huge cedar tree, sitting on this twisted and almost destroyed stool that swong back and leaned against the trunk. After he passed out, Machucho would pick him up and carry the old guy to his bed, this was an everyday thing for several months until one day don Carlos could not handle more rum. He was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with this illness and died a few weeks later, Machu was very sad because he had learned to handle don Carlos and they became good friends.
Machucho helped build the hut for my grand father, my uncle and then mine, always inventive and creative and very constant working at a very slow pace but steady, so things always get done.
It always surprised me how skillfull he is with a machete, the different uses and the very very sharp blade which he also takes his time to sharpen.
The last time we sat to chat and drink rum there was a different subject on the conversation, this time Machu was talking about himself (which he never did) it was as if i had gained his trust.
He told me that before he worked for my grandfather, he was a drunk homeless guy with no expectations or dreams. His family refused to help him because of the alcohol and he was not eating his tree meals a day, one meal would be it, he had no home so he was forced to sleep in the huts located on the beach, no matress, no pilow, no blanket, just a branch of a palm tres to give him some cover, during the day he would scavenge some food around like plantains, yucas, etc. This was his life for some years after one day my grandpa got to his place and saw him sleeping on his property, he was very ashamed and asked My grandpa not to harm him, he explained that he had no job or home and he was just there taking a nap.
My grandpa which was a good man, told Machucho that if he wanted a job he could start working for him. Machucho could not believe that this old man from the city would just hire him like that without questions or personal references, which he did not have.
He was given new clothes and food. And got hired to start building the first hut and to be the guardian of the property, he was always paid in time and he now had a place to stay.
Surprisingly Machucho was Smart enough to be more moderate with alcohol and as time passed by he showed loyalty and was gratefull to My grandfather. He was taught carpentry and construction skills by grandpa and they became good friends.
There is more i want to tell you guys about Machucho, because there is the Land where he lives, and there's also the stories that occur on these no man's land, stories about drugs being washed down to the shores, and sharped machetes swinging to protect inocent lives, si be patient as i give you guys more on this particular character that i just introduced to you.
Stay tuned for more.
Thanks all for reading, take care!
My friend Machucho comes to visit almost everyday when i'm there, and we have long conversations of different things, sometimes women, fishing stories and funny events of the past.
We have been friends for over 20 years and i i'm gratefull for having him as a friend, my grandpa, my uncle that passed away a few years ago was also his friend and my cousin's grandfather was under his care a couple of decades ago because this was a very hard to handle person, so my cousin's family sent don Carlos to spend some time at my uncle's hut where Machucho was working at the time. He would buy the rum for don Carlos which was a heavy drinker, so the money don Carlos got from my uncle, he would always send Machu to the town to buy him a bottle, food was not a priority, only when there was enough for both rum and rice.
Don Carlos would chug on the bottle under this huge cedar tree, sitting on this twisted and almost destroyed stool that swong back and leaned against the trunk. After he passed out, Machucho would pick him up and carry the old guy to his bed, this was an everyday thing for several months until one day don Carlos could not handle more rum. He was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with this illness and died a few weeks later, Machu was very sad because he had learned to handle don Carlos and they became good friends.
Machucho helped build the hut for my grand father, my uncle and then mine, always inventive and creative and very constant working at a very slow pace but steady, so things always get done.
It always surprised me how skillfull he is with a machete, the different uses and the very very sharp blade which he also takes his time to sharpen.
The last time we sat to chat and drink rum there was a different subject on the conversation, this time Machu was talking about himself (which he never did) it was as if i had gained his trust.
He told me that before he worked for my grandfather, he was a drunk homeless guy with no expectations or dreams. His family refused to help him because of the alcohol and he was not eating his tree meals a day, one meal would be it, he had no home so he was forced to sleep in the huts located on the beach, no matress, no pilow, no blanket, just a branch of a palm tres to give him some cover, during the day he would scavenge some food around like plantains, yucas, etc. This was his life for some years after one day my grandpa got to his place and saw him sleeping on his property, he was very ashamed and asked My grandpa not to harm him, he explained that he had no job or home and he was just there taking a nap.
My grandpa which was a good man, told Machucho that if he wanted a job he could start working for him. Machucho could not believe that this old man from the city would just hire him like that without questions or personal references, which he did not have.
He was given new clothes and food. And got hired to start building the first hut and to be the guardian of the property, he was always paid in time and he now had a place to stay.
Surprisingly Machucho was Smart enough to be more moderate with alcohol and as time passed by he showed loyalty and was gratefull to My grandfather. He was taught carpentry and construction skills by grandpa and they became good friends.
There is more i want to tell you guys about Machucho, because there is the Land where he lives, and there's also the stories that occur on these no man's land, stories about drugs being washed down to the shores, and sharped machetes swinging to protect inocent lives, si be patient as i give you guys more on this particular character that i just introduced to you.
Stay tuned for more.
Thanks all for reading, take care!
I would not want to fight machucho, he looks tough.
@juanchogaviria
Greetings, Juancho!
I went through your thread again to try and get an idea where in Columbia the LC Hut is and where you travel from including cities along the way that you mention in your posts. I used Google Maps which are surprisingly helpful. You had mentioned several times how the LC Hut was on the Caribbean coast, but that confused me because I had assumed it was on the Pacific Coast. And I was looking at the map and all of a sudden it struck me that Medellin, where you live, is south of where the isthmus of Panama borders Columbia, which is closer to the Pacific, and you travel north to Rio Cedro which is on the Caribbean Coast, as you said. Then I noticed how close this all is to what is called, "The Darien Gap". The only place between North and South America, that can't connect a highway through. I don't know why, but this area just fascinates me when I think of all the obstacles man has conquered and yet this short little stretch of terrain, I think it's less than 100 km, is preventing a vehicle to get from one continent to another, without shipping it on a boat, barge or ferry. Have you traveled to the South side of the Darien National Park which looks to be on the Panama/Columbia border? I imagine it is truly dense jungle, but was curious to what local opinions say about it. I was very sorry to hear about your Grandfather, but glad to see you are continuing to post in this thread! It makes for good reading for many of us Mudders, no matter where we live! Please keep your posts coming!
Greetings, Juancho!
I went through your thread again to try and get an idea where in Columbia the LC Hut is and where you travel from including cities along the way that you mention in your posts. I used Google Maps which are surprisingly helpful. You had mentioned several times how the LC Hut was on the Caribbean coast, but that confused me because I had assumed it was on the Pacific Coast. And I was looking at the map and all of a sudden it struck me that Medellin, where you live, is south of where the isthmus of Panama borders Columbia, which is closer to the Pacific, and you travel north to Rio Cedro which is on the Caribbean Coast, as you said. Then I noticed how close this all is to what is called, "The Darien Gap". The only place between North and South America, that can't connect a highway through. I don't know why, but this area just fascinates me when I think of all the obstacles man has conquered and yet this short little stretch of terrain, I think it's less than 100 km, is preventing a vehicle to get from one continent to another, without shipping it on a boat, barge or ferry. Have you traveled to the South side of the Darien National Park which looks to be on the Panama/Columbia border? I imagine it is truly dense jungle, but was curious to what local opinions say about it. I was very sorry to hear about your Grandfather, but glad to see you are continuing to post in this thread! It makes for good reading for many of us Mudders, no matter where we live! Please keep your posts coming!
I want a Landcruiser hut one day. What an awesome get away that must be.
- Thread starter
- #180
Hey Man! Sorry for not answering sooner, things been hectic lately.@juanchogaviria
Greetings, Juancho!
I went through your thread again to try and get an idea where in Columbia the LC Hut is and where you travel from including cities along the way that you mention in your posts. I used Google Maps which are surprisingly helpful. You had mentioned several times how the LC Hut was on the Caribbean coast, but that confused me because I had assumed it was on the Pacific Coast. And I was looking at the map and all of a sudden it struck me that Medellin, where you live, is south of where the isthmus of Panama borders Columbia, which is closer to the Pacific, and you travel north to Rio Cedro which is on the Caribbean Coast, as you said. Then I noticed how close this all is to what is called, "The Darien Gap". The only place between North and South America, that can't connect a highway through. I don't know why, but this area just fascinates me when I think of all the obstacles man has conquered and yet this short little stretch of terrain, I think it's less than 100 km, is preventing a vehicle to get from one continent to another, without shipping it on a boat, barge or ferry. Have you traveled to the South side of the Darien National Park which looks to be on the Panama/Columbia border? I imagine it is truly dense jungle, but was curious to what local opinions say about it. I was very sorry to hear about your Grandfather, but glad to see you are continuing to post in this thread! It makes for good reading for many of us Mudders, no matter where we live! Please keep your posts coming!
Medellin is close to Urabá, a region that homes the Darién Gap, this region has been beaten with conflict for decades, and the jungles around it make things easier for traffikers, people, drugs, etc.
It is also Home of the banana fields, therefore there are lots of old Land Cruisers around, some of them are really modified with truck parts so they carry more weight.
Traveling around Colombia nowadays is very nice, specially in Land Cruisers or motorcycles; i see a lot of foreigners in different vehicles traveling, sometimes You can find big overlander trucks, Scanias, volvos etc.
Thanks for keeping up, oi told Machucho that he is one of the characters in a thread, he did not know what i was talking about but he was very surprised to know that people from so far away knew about him and the hut, and this made him proud, It felt good.
Hopefully Will have some more to share soon.
thanks again.
I'm helping a friend restore an 1985 FJ45, these where the last fjs produced, assenbled in Venezuela, It has fj80 front axle and suspensión but is a mod somebody did years ago. But rides heavenly.
Take care.
Juancho.