Hippie friendly desert countries?

[Rygel19]

Hi

I have substantial health problems (not substance related) and would like to spend a few quiet years to recover, in the desert somewhere. I still have my 4WD and I'd camp in or near the vehicle to keep housing costs to zero. Given that, I have sufficient savings for many years. Other than the 4WD, I keep a low profile.

Are there countries with deserts where the authorities and locals are tolerant of extended "hanging around"? Where overstaying as a tourist will lead to maybe a friendly reminder to leave but not to incarceration or confiscation of assets?

I'm aware I'll neither have a work visa (can't work) nor a retirement visa (too young).

I could drive the 4WD from central Europe or ship it somewhere. So I'm looking for suggestions worldwide.

Kind regards

[Rygel19]

Thanks

I agree, the southwestern USA, Baja California and Northwest Argentina are all adorable.

I have some doubts that exiting and reentering the USA to a neighboring country will renew my visa. I've exited and reentered the USA to Canada before and did not get a new visa. I forgot whether I got a new visa when I exited and reentered to Baja.

I've considerably overstayed in the USA before without any problem on an extended road trip but that was before 9/11 and I had a local driver's license and license plate, which I'm sure made a big difference.

For Argentina, I'd need to improve my Spanish and get a handle of what kind of corruption ("monkey business") could come my way. But I've considered Argentina.

Can maybe someone else comment, perhaps about other options and whether exiting and reentering the USA will renew the visa?

Thanks

[armadillo]

I find Mauritania could be a great place for your project, if you got good humor, cause you gonna need it in there. RIM is got nice desert, endless beach, a few hours drive to Senegal or Mali and one of the biggest camp sites in the world.

good luck !

[Lone Rider]

Southern California offers so much.
A 2 hr drive can dramatically change your scenery, elevation, weather, etc.
Medical facilities are plentiful and it's attached to that special jewel - Baja.



[This message has been edited by Lone Rider (edited 17 March 2006).]

[AndyT]

The Big Bend area of southwest Texas, USA is worth considering. Plenty of open country for camping. The towns of Marfa and Alpine are artist enclaves. Somehow beret wearing hipsters smoking Gauloise cigarettes doesn't fit my image of west Texas, but seeing is believing. Further south on the Rio Grande is the town of Terlingua, equally hip, it exists on tourism dollars from tourists at the national park, but isn't overly developed. This is really remote country, you would be hours from medical help, if that is a consideration. You can hop across the border to Mexico for a change of pace.

[yuma simon]

Just remember that the southwest deserts of the US get extremely HOT in the summer months. It gets up to 118* F or more (48* C) from July thru September, often into the 100's overnight.

[Dingo]

Hello Rygel19

You don't mention where you are from? What citizenship u hold?

Have you thought about getting lost is Australia? You could get a black job (caretaker etc) on a cattle property in central Australia? Is an easy place to get lost let me tell u.

Cheers and good luck.

[Rygel19]

Maybe a few of the contributors are still subscribed to this thread.

It took a little while (7 years), more surgery and recovery, but I'm now well enough to be on a perpetual road trip with my Land Cruiser. I began in Chile, South America because I couldn't put up with the visa hassle elsewhere and the deserts here are fine anyway.

So as it turns out I'm not exactly a hippie of sorts but a regular overlander.

Thanks & regards

[Walkabout]

Hopefully it won't be another 7 years before you make your next post!
(It's always gratifying to see a thread that has an outcome, if not a final conclusion- far too many tail off into nothing).