FROM JOHN AND OLWYN IN OJ, 30th MAY 2006
WHO NEEDS AN ENGINE, ANYWAY?!!
At 5pm on Saturday 27th May we were driving merrily into the Argentinian town of Gral Pinedo Chaco when there was a heartrending cry from the engine and a lot of noise. We stopped and looked under OJ in case I had driven over something wot I shouldn´t have but no, it wasn´t that. When I opened the bonnet, it was clear that the engine block had sunk, and was tilted at a funny angle. We both thought, mmmmhhhh, a serious problem indeed.
As Providence would have it, an angel in the form of Carlos came up to us in the middle of the road, saying "Follow me!". Albeit worried about the terrible engine noise we followed him 100 metres and parked outside his house. Carlos (Juan Carlos Santillan) is a diesel mechanic. I could see no winch and I wondered how he could lift the heavy 2.8 motor up again.
Simple, he placed a jack under it. An engine mounting had sheared, along with 2 of its 4 securing bolts. Not surprising in view of the jolting it´s had. His soldering friend (and ours, now) Ferdinand came and removed the severed bolts. Another friend soldered together the broken aluminium mounting. At 8.30pm the work stopped and we slept outside the home of Carlos, his wife and their 5 children overnight. The job was completed the next morning.
What a relief to find that the engine was just fine. Typical in Argentina, the total figure asked for by Carlos was 180 pesos = 36 pounds sterling. Needless to say we did better than that for him. Carlos and his family have been enthusiastically added by us to our list of good friends made in S. America. We can still hardly believe our good fortune at having been approached by Carlos in that street.
We enter Brasil in a few days´time to re-visit our friends in Marilia. Our latest challenge is trying to sort out in advance, the importation of OJ back into the UK, as it has been out just over one year. Not a simple procedure.
What a wonderful part of Argentina this is. All the way along the roads there are amazing arrays of bird-life in the fields either side of the road - it almost makes you dizzy keeping up with this feast for the eyes. Lots of wild flowers too, for Olwyn´s camera.
Love........
Olwyn and John
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