Leaving Paraguay

 We left the Pequeña Baviera (Little Bavaria) campground around 11am Friday.

It was hugely ironic we felt as just here when we came to spend our last night in Paraguay after having GANNET2 checked in Chris The Bavarian Mechanic’s workshop we met some fellow travelers whose company we greatly enjoyed.

The suspicion at this point is GANNET2 may have a slightly leaky head gasket which may allow small amounts of coolant to leak and be burned up. The old coolant seems to have a dark color and what we think is an oily burnt smell but the engine runs fine so pausing for several weeks to unsettle a complex operation on the V6 engine seems unnecessary. As a precaution I added liquid gasket sealant to the coolant, a thirty dollar Hail Mary and we shall see if the mysterious leak persists. The rest of the coolant system appears leak free.

I had taken the time in the town of Caacupé to get a ten dollar wash for our overworked Promaster as intake pleasure from seeing my home shine and it had been a while. We’d filled our 30 gallon tank with water at the  campground and emptied our toilet and trash can. There was no excuse to stay but the goodbye conversations stretched out. Trekking through Asunción:

We got on the road, we had to as it was baking hot, near 100 degrees and we are both keen to make tracks toward the cool air of Chile’s pacific coast 1200 miles away. I’ll save their travel stories for another day as they are people whose company we enjoyed and promises to meet in Patagonia later after they got their van repaired. We skirted ugly difficult Asunción the capital to cross the Paraná River west of the city. 

Rusty had not wanted to leave the apartment and then he found joy in the campground and now he was stuck relying on air conditioning to stay cool. 

Traffic was heavy Friday lunchtime and the traffic lights were excruciatingly slow to go green in the chaos. I loathe driving in Asunción, an ugly city with terrible street paving and no decent bypasses to get around the city center.

The border with Argentina is in a village called Jose Falcon and looks suitably decrepit. We arrived at the end of a long line of trucks which was the first sign of a border ahead. Trucks get their own route and it is a slow process for them to get their paperwork done.

We were in and out in half an  hour at most. The last mile of Paraguay was rather run down. 

It’s why we try not to linger in border areas.  

Put out more flags: 

It was not our first time here so I knew to stop at the first buildings, the ones that actually serve vehicles entering Paraguay. Because we are not local to either country we get Temporary Import Permit for GANNET2 and it’s vital to turn it in otherwise we look like we overstayed. First the bridge.

Then  I got out and walked to the customs office on the entry side of the building in the appalling heat.

The Paraguayan customs guy remembered me from the week before when he checked us in and we exchanged pleasantries. It’s past time to break new ground. Then immigration. 

Argentine immigration checks you out of Uruguay and into Argentina.  Easy peasy. Then Argentine customs which is usually where agriculture asks for Rusty’s papers but today they didn’t. I Shasta like to be prepared but sometimes you get lucky. Last time it was the first thing they asked for but just for a new wrinkle this time they asked to see our car insurance. They hardly ever ask for that but sometimes….you just never know. The office dogs were taking it easy. 

Then we were done and the first thing we do is drive out before anyone changes their mind about anything. 

It was as you can see 2:36 pm  and 107 degrees. Check out the mirage on the highway: 

And do we start our drive across about 600 miles of wilderness called the Chaco. It’s boggy pastureland with palms and thorn bushes and resembles nothing quite so much as the Everglades. There are lots of police checkpoints here and a few stopped us mostly just to chat. One officer asked to check the interior and Layne showed her around suspecting the reason for the inspection was a chance to be in air conditioning was too good to miss.

The road ahead will be flat and probably not too interesting and hot but we have to cross the Chaco to get to the Andes and cooler temperatures. 

Phone service is sketchy and villages are small and scattered. Argentina is vast. As you will see as we go south to Patagonia. 

The popes visit has caused a stir. “The economy must be in service to people, not people in service to the economy. Leo 14th. Go forth and spread the good news.” 

More checkpoints often with cops hiding indoors out of the heat.  

I’m glad not to be riding.