Priorities

On extensive road trips such as this one, sometimes things occur

perhaps not exactly in the way you dream of. It is something you learn

to cope with, work around and not become to frazzled by.

Which is why, instead of celebrating our crossing of the center point

in the world with smiles, pictures, laughs and perhaps an adult beverage as the

way we had imagined it when we went south from the Arctic circle, we

celebrated something like this:

Shona: I think we are probably passing the equator about now

Andrew: Awesome... I hope Kumu makes it to the mechanic without giving 

up in the middle of Quito!

Not exactly the scene we had imagined.

Our trusty steed Kumu has valiantly carried us over 30 000 kilometers, 

rolled over thousands of deathly speed bumps, maneuvered nimbly around 

what seems like millions of central and south american potholes (these 

are different to north american potholes... not so much potholes as 

perhaps meteorite craters) and lumbered along numerous roads that 

probably have never been seen by another 1984 Volkswagen Vanagon. 

Needless to say, she is tired. But she is not giving up. And, as if she 

knew we were bringing her to a place for some tender loving care... a 

sort of spa for volkswagens, she pushed through right till we rolled 

up to the gates of Diego's Volkswagen Paradise Garage. Okay its not 

actually called that, but I like to imagine that this is what it 

should be called. We recognized it right away by the numerous VW bugs 

parked all the way along the street and felt a tiny bit of tension 

give way as we realized we would be in good hands. Diego greeted us 

warmly and without skipping a beat dropped what he was doing and 

centered his attention on Kumu.

We were directed to Diego by Alvaro Orrego Brito, a member of the 

Volkswagen Club of Ecuador. We Volkswagen fanatics always to stick 

together!

 After a couple hours of dissection and discussion we were 

told the two words we had dreaded to hear. Head Gasket. Now to me, 

that means close to nothing along with almost everything else to do 

with cars, but I knew it wasn't good.

Fast forward two days later and the engine has been removed from the car, 

washed and the real exploration surgery has begun. Although we haven't 

actually found a replacement head gasket, the guys seem confident they 

will be able to rig something up. Even if it means getting one of 

their buddies to just make one. It sounds scary and it sounds sketchy, 

but for some reason I have confidence in these little Ecuadorian 

mechanics (seriously, we are giants here).

Only time will tell what the fate of our beloved Kumu will be. In the 

meantime while our engine lies in pieces, I am trying to keep myself busy by sending healing vibes to our little house on wheels, and enjoying the amazing hospitality offered 

by Diego and his wife and kids and mother and father and cousins and 

aunts and uncles. But really, there are so many people here, always 

coming and going... I'm pretty sure they are all related, but at the 

same time, every time a new one comes in the house they don't react 

with any surprise at all when they see me randomly sitting in the living room. 

So who knows what is really going on? All I know is that we are taking 

everything in stride, looking at the positives (Andrew is becoming a 

MUCH better mechanic) and trying to enjoy having a peak into the lives 

of a great family in a foreign country.

The view from Diego's Garage

A sure sign that these guys love their VW's!

Putting on a brave face as I sit beside the engine that has brought us through 11 countries, truth be told I was feeling a little queasy!

Andrew and Diego dissecting some section of the engine

Andrew and the... cylinders? The place where the head gasket sits? Cylinder head? Something like that anyway

At least no one is going to come rob us here. Bad ass broken glass

Pure beauty