Two rowers.
One camper.
South America ahead!
It´s a lifelong dream:
12 months on the road.
From rowing club to rowing club.
Our journey starts in November 2026, taking us through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and the Pantanal.
We’re Johannes and Nadine Galandi. More than 20 years ago, we both rowed for Germany. Today, we travel with our vehicle ‘Finchen’ to some of the most beautiful places in the world. Starting in Montevideo, we’ll spend a year driving through South America — rowing with local clubs, staying overnight at club grounds when possible, and collecting stories about people, sport, and places.
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Our journey
We travel in our own camper, Finchen — flexible and slow enough to really connect with places, not just drive past them.
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Rowing as we travel
We want to get out on the water with you!
In Germany and across Europe, we know many rowing clubs and regatta courses.
Now we’re curious — what is rowing like in the countries of South America? -
Stories from the road
We want to meet people and show what rowing and community look like in South America — in photos, short stories, and film.
Still problems to solve: High-altitude readiness for Finchen
It sounds so simple: buy a vehicle and set off. That’s true for Europe — but as soon as you want to head into the Andes, things get tricky. Modern diesel engines all run with a diesel particulate filter (DPF), and that system needs oxygen — enough oxygen. Up in the Andes, there simply isn’t enough. So what do you do? We’re looking for legal solutions!
Rowing clubs: we’d love to visit and row with you!
What we offer:
Curiosity — to get to know you and your club, and to row with you!
A small gift from Hamburg — and if you’d like, we can cook something “typically German” for a shared evening.
Photos and video of our time together for your club — for example for your website.
What we´re looking for:
Contacts with you and your members
A safe place to park at your club grounds
Access to a shower would be amazing!
Are you interested — and could you support us?
Send us a message using this form. We’ll get back to you and plan together — we can’t wait!
For press & TV: Remote production possible
We are travelling for 12 months through South America in our own camper, starting from Montevideo — from rowing club to rowing club. We document encounters, training, and everyday life along the route: Montevideo → Ushuaia → Patagonia northbound → Bolivia → Peru (to Lima) → Pantanal → Montevideo.
Possible story angles:
People over miles
Real encounters in local communities — rowing as a window into culture.
Where rowing meets extreme landscapes
We explore the contrast between tourism, South America’s breathtaking nature, and everyday life in rowing clubs.
12 months on the road, driven by a mission
Two people, many setbacks and successes. Now one shared goal — how do we make everyday life and logistics work, and will Finchen hold up?
What we can provide
Press photos: portraits, sport, training, club life and surroundings — curated and professionally edited
Video material: B-roll & interviews (O-Töne), and if desired also as short clips
Regular location & story updates: planned shooting windows, current stories from the road
Remote production is possible!
Meet Nadine & Johannes - and Finchen!
We are Nadine and Johannes Galandi — two adventurous, curious rowers who have been working toward a dream for ten years: travelling through South America for a year in our self-converted camper “Finchen,” visiting rowing clubs along the way.
After Nadine was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2025, our motto became “now more than ever” — back into life, back into nature, and back onto the water.
On our route through Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru, we want to meet people and local rowing communities and tell their stories through photos, short texts, and film.
Johannes
In his competitive rowing years, he raced in the coxless four and competed at the World Championships in Prague and Indianapolis.
Construction engineer, leading large-scale construction projects.
Road cyclist and swimmer — and still active in the boat today.
The “doctor” for everything Finchen: he knows every bolt and screw on the vehicle and keeps it running.
Nadine
In her competitive rowing years, she raced as a lightweight rower and won gold in the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) at the FISU World University Championships in Nottingham
Strategy consultant and leadership coach, now self-employed
Honorary Professor at Leuphana University
Internationally award-winning photographer
Life motto: “I owe life the sparkle in my eyes.”
The star of the show ;) - Finchen
A 6-metre, fully converted MAN TGE — lifted and “Iceland-ready.”
When she’s in a bad mood, water drips from the front seat grab handles straight into the coffee cup. ;)
Finchen? Of course — named after the snail from Sesame Street: always cheerful, always outdoors, and always carrying our home with us.
Let us talk.
May we stop by and visit you? Please get in touch — we’d be truly happy to be your guests and to get to know you!