This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
On July 2, 2018, Wamuyu Kariuki and Dos Kariuki set off on a three-and-a-half year world trip, saving for over two years to make their dream a reality.
According to Wamuyu, 'We first thought we could take just one year and travel but when we started planning, the time kept on growing.'
The couple documented their adventures on their blogs, throttleadventures.com and wamuyu.com, and YouTube channel, sharing their experiences with fans.
Before the pandemic, they had visited over 20 countries, including Europe, South America, and Antarctica, and had plans to visit 50 countries in total.
However, their journey was halted when the coronavirus pandemic brought the world to a standstill. 'When we first heard of corona, we were in Panama, at the end of November 2019,' Wamuyu explained. 'We left Panama towards the end of February and entered Costa Rica. We were in Costa Rica for three weeks and that is when things got out of hand with coronavirus.'
The couple had planned to travel to Mexico, but the borders closed after they entered Nicaragua. 'Everything happened within a week. It was so fast like lightning,' Dos said.
As Kenyan citizens, they were eligible for a six-month stay in Mexico, but the closed borders left them stuck in Nicaragua.
Despite the challenges, the couple remains optimistic, saying, 'This is only a pause on our journey. We will continue in the future.'
