I am planning an extended bike tour through Central and S America along the Pan American Highway. I have an open window of time in which to complete this trip. If the first section goes well, I would like to move on to Asia and beyond.

As I plan this journey however, I am unsure of certain aspects the "global" bike tour such as linguistic issues, concrete routes, etc. When touring in the United States, Canada and Alaska, I have been able to adhere to a loose plan and let the road take care of the rest. Is this approach appropriate for such a trip?

It seems many of the riders on this forum have extensive experience in ATW tours. Am I worrying too much? I leave in early April...