Layne surprised me Tuesday afternoon when texted for a late lunch by suggesting we might stay the night in the rest area barely an hour north Colonia Helvecia where we had loaded up with cheese and said goodbye to Adrián our Victron expert. It was a usable spot if not charming. I took this photo this Wednesday morning after a night of rain:
We were both awake much of the night as we are two hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (South America doesn’t use daylight saving time) but it was impossible to sleep with the superb election results restoring some hope for a better future. I was pleased to note the president’s statesmanlike address to the nation congratulating the winners and taking pride in an orderly and peaceful election. Not really. We’ll have to wait for 2028 for that sort of statesmanship.
As I struggled with the obtuse new rules for Starlink usage I took great joy in knowing Musk had wasted half a billion dollars last night. Pity it wasn’t spent paying taxes but there we are, later maybe.
Rusty made himself at home checking out the dogs from the neighboring homes and businesses, snarling them into submission like an elderly grumpy grandpa. The younger dogs get scared and back off which I find pretty funny as at first in Mexico he used to run for cover aboard GANNET2 when the local dogs came sniffing. Not anymore.
A truck driver came up to ask about our journey and we fell totaling about Uruguay which he says has become much less safe than years ago. I keep telling anyone who will listen that Uruguay is pretty nice for travelers like us but we did both agree that it is expensive. Ugo Bouvier ( he thinks his ancestors and Mrs Kennedy’s might have the same roots) is 65 and retired but he’s still working because he says the state pension isn’t enough to live on. 
Uruguay has all these soldiers he said in disgust. They are in barracks all over the country and we have to pay for them. All they do, he added is come out to guard the ballot boxes every five years. I of course tried to remind him Uruguay is a white peaceful haven in a troubled world but he was having none of it. It’s all going to hell in a hand basket he shrugged. 
He took off, Rusty kept guard, then was peaking through the clouds and the solar panels had us close to fully charged already. It was past time to drive to the border. Rusty was busy: 
Then here came George to introduce himself from the Dutch expedition truck that arrived in the pouring rain the evening before. 
George and Monica have been in South America since 2023 and he has a Rich seven of humor. We compared notes about getting lost and breaking down and all the usual struggles. Layne caught him like a fisherman above “it was this big!” Which is how we talk sometimes about hassles on the road!
They are going to northern Chile so we may see them on the way though we are deviating toward Paraguay first. 
Hot showers at a gas station ahead then we pick our border crossing into Argentina. 
A lovely Spring day so far with sunshine and a cool breeze.
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