Somebody on the WhatsApp Chilean chat group advised Layne there was a carpenter in Iquique who might repair our recalcitrant drawer. The sliders broke a while in the past and efforts to repair it have failed because the field is large and barely out of true.
We had spent the night time at Playa Blanca ten minutes from Mark’s store, a seashore the place, I’m advised, individuals displaced by the Covid epidemic got here to reside totally free by throwing up shacks on the seashore and bringing packs of canine. Rusty met them, the canine, and to my horror waded out into their midst regardless of my efforts to cease him.
However he is aware of when to carry ‘em and when to chop and run. He stared them down and snarled a few instances and so they milled round and mentioned oh properly if that’s how you’re feeling…and wandered off again house. From then on he owned the seashore. Good canine.
The choose up truck arrived about the identical time as us, an American trying rig, a Ram 2500 with camper shell however Swiss registration. Like all socially inept traveler assembly in the course of nowhere we neither of us selected to speak. These tenting locations are on the iOverlander app, clearly spots to assemble outdoors Iquique (“ee-key-kay”) and these have been the primary foreigners we’d seen shortly however they drove previous us with out stopping and we didn’t chase them down. Oh properly they in all probability don’t have any fascinating tales to inform I persuade myself.
Mark fastened the drawer and made it useable with runners beneath and sliders on the facet and a few reinforcement so eventually Layne can use it with out breaking her again. Glorious.
I additionally figured it was time to alter the engine oil after which found one other challenge. Boy howdy.
I checked the tire strain (good) and acquired out my grease gun to lubricate the zerk fittings of my aftermarket heavy responsibility cv joints on our entrance wheel drive van. Wasn’t I delighted to see transmission fluid dripping from the skid plate. It’s like nothing will get finished as soon as. Our latest transmission fluid and filter change in La Serena skimped on the gasket goop on the transmission pan and 4 weeks later it’s leaking. Grr.
So Mark’s assistant Ruben took off the pan, cleaned it and gooped it and loosely reattached it. That’s so the goop can dry and turn out to be a gasket earlier than tightening which is what ought to have occurred in La Serena however they tried to be useful and did the job in a rush. Dwell and study; in the meantime I acquired a trip into city to purchase computerized transmission fluid and engine oil because it’s additionally time for an oil change.
Buddies of Mark took me throughout city, a half hour trip to the lubricant store the place they’d 5W 20 artificial in inventory. I alter the oil, 6 quarts of it each 5,000 miles and we simply hit 115,000 on the odometer. Thats why I maintain it in miles because it’s a simple solution to bear in mind when to do the upkeep.
$102 later we have been on our method again. Our weight of oil will not be frequent and subsequently it isn’t low cost. They requested me if I used to be positive I wished to go forward however car upkeep I don’t low cost out on. Slicing corners results in extra issues and never chopping corners generally doesn’t assist both.
Have been we placing GANNET2 on a ship house like many overlanders do after reaching Ushuaia we’d have taken care of upkeep at house however as a result of we’re planning a protracted troublesome drive throughout Brazil I wish to carry on high of all these items. Not each oil change store in Iquique is busy:
Bruce requested for a map of our deliberate travels so right here it’s:
I plan to get a brand new passport on the US Consulate in Cusco so that can maintain us up a number of weeks in Peru and my sister in Scotland is getting married in October so I will probably be flying to Europe presumably from French Guiana or Suriname. I’m attempting to not stress about all this planning and about strolling her down the aisle as I hate these sorts of social gatherings however she’s value it so I’ve to be courageous. In the meantime thrilling car upkeep.
Ruben is from Argentina, a retired head mechanic for Toyota and Hyundai, divorced with three grown profitable youngsters in Ushuaia he stop work and take to the street alone and tour South America on his phrases. He had a coronary heart assault, survived it and that pushed him to alter his life. He was a eager motorcyclist and is well-known in Argentina for using a basic Argentine constructed bike from Ushuaia to Bolivia, the size of Ruta 40 on a 98cc 1958 Puma, 3,000 miles in three months. They made a movie about him.
These days he travels, works when and the place he needs to, buys wrecked automobiles, fixes them, excursions with them with a tent and sells them earlier than shifting on to a different nation. He flies house to Ushuaia on occasion to see his grandkids and sometimes he goes to Mendoza the place he grew as much as trip bikes with associates among the many vineyards however proper now he’s trying ahead to Peru in a couple of weeks. Not a unhealthy solution to reside. He likes canine and cooking and fishing however will not be searching for any everlasting attachments so don’t ask.
A few associates got here by of their Ford choose up and dropped off some fish they’d caught whereas Mark lit the barbecue.
He was curious in regards to the van in fact and we gave him the nickel tour. He was fairly fascinated by our capability to cease and sleep wherever. The night sank into grilled fished, beer and orange flames to maintain us heat. Not your common mechanical night.
I’m positive there will probably be extra surroundings to come back.
