BODIES OF WATER

The first time I ever crossed a border on a boat was in 2002 during a North American road trip, taking a car ferry from Victoria, on Vancouver island in Canada to Anacortes in Washington state. Besides the beautiful scenery, the feeling of boarding a boat in one country and alighting from it in another has a certain delight. Before boarding, the over-sensitive US customs officials asked us questions, then took our bananas. They searched us on the other side too, as I drove the car off the ferry and began driving through Washington's coastal islands.

(On route to Morocco at sunset)

Ever since, I've relished any opportunity to do this again, whether it be on the Mediterranean ferry from Spain to Morocco and back, or traversing Lago O'Higgins between Chile and Argentina.

(A ferry waits for passengers and vehicles in Aisén region, Chile)

Naturally, I have tried to think ahead and plan for as many border crossings by water as possible on this upcoming trip, in addition to the cargo ship voyages over the oceans. Here is a list of the crossings that I will be on my itinerary:

Vancouver (Canada) --> Hong Kong

The Pacific Ocean

Budapest (Hungary) --> Bratislava (Slovakia) --> Vienna (Austria)

Danube River

Zadar (Croatia) --> Ancona (Italy)

Aegean Sea

Genova (Italy) --> Tunis (Tunisia)

Mediterranean Sea

Kampala (Uganda) --> Mwanza (Tanzania)

Lake Victoria

Mbamba Bay (Tanzania) --> Nkhata Bay (Malawi)

Lake Malawi/Nyasa

Cape Town (South Africa) --> Santos (Brazil)

Atlantic Ocean

Copacabana (Bolivia) --> Puno (Peru)

Lake Titicaca

Iquitos (Peru) --> Manaus (Brazil)

Amazon River

Cartagena (Colombia) --> Colón (Panama)

Caribbean Sea