SATEX-25 was an ambitious tripoint focused visit to South America. The 4 identified tripoints were varied, and with the exception of the ARBRPY tripoint (one of the most visited and touristic tripoint in the world), the others had been rarely visited, with little or no photos and reports available. It was a step therefore into unfamiliar territory. In addition we sought to visit divided towns, exclaves, visit border crossings (major and minor) and identify border markers and visit contested areas. We needed to be innovative, and ended up hiking, hiring boats, chartering planes and driving long distances to visit all the border POI’s on our list.
In total, 5 IBRG members participated on this trip from the UK (1), Denmark (3), and the Netherlands (1). This multi country expedition: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay spanned 3 weeks. It can be divided into a number of sections: firstly, arrival and orientation in Buenos Aires with a visit to the unique Isla Martín García 1.84 km² Argentine exclave situated within Uruguayan waters in the Río de la Plata. Due to river sedimentation, it merged in the 1980s with the Uruguayan island of Timoteo Domínguez, creating the only land border between Argentina and Uruguay. This was a highlight of the trip.
Barry's Borderpoints 