Breakdown, Mate and Chamamé.
After making it to the “end of the World” with no major issues, the Van’s kidneys finally gave up! I’ve been stuck in the South of Chile, fixing the fuel injector pump!
Although it is a big job, I have nothing to complain about.
I met the guy who imports those vans from Japan, he lent me his house and garage to work on it and he’s got a neighbor called “Pancho” who is a mechanic, a mitsubishi savvy. I can borrow his van to pick up parts and do my food shopping, the weather is great and I’m in Patagonia!!
If you can choose a place to break down, Patagonia is “the place”. People are friendly, welcoming, always trying to help, beautiful landscape all around you!… But you have to adapt to the pace. Everything moves soooooooo sloooooooooooow…. Work starts around 10am, then stops for siesta at midday! Everything shuts until 3pm!
The other day I was fighting with a screw that didn’t want to come loose, and Pancho looked at me and said: “Relaaaaaaaaax che! why getting stressed for a screw? have a break, drink a Mate and come back!!! So I did, I took a 15 min break and came back, but Pancho had gone for the day and didn’t come back until 5pm next day!
After 17 days of Fuel pump, Mate and Chamamé, this is how I look like!! And that behind me, believe it or not, is my Van all fixed and ready to drive again!
