Day 222 - The unexpected Happened

December 9th
(Ursula) Salerno and Anna showed up and loaded us into their 4-Wheeler. First, we stopped at the Park store, then drove to the other side of the lake.

It is summer here, and the flowers are in full bloom. The beautiful colors, in contrast to the fir trees and blue sky, not to mention the floral scent, were mind-blowing. Unlimited Canon photo opportunities. A lovely waterfall at the end of the valley blew us a refreshing misty breeze.

A (closed) hotel was overlooking the lake with fantastic views of the snow mountains behind it. Closed? We just stood there in disbelief. Our companions explained that with the current government in Argentina, people were afraid to invest in an operation inside a National Park. The risk was too significant as the State could revoke its use permit at anytime.

Lunch was grilled salmon at the idyllic cabin of Salerno and Anna. The wine made us sleepy, and we all took a siesta.

But what happened next is crazy. Heinz is still in shock and asked me to describe it in the journal as it was too painful for him.

(Ursula) Before leaving this idyllic spot, we wanted to wash the camper and then go horseback riding. Instead of hauling water from the lake with a bucket, Heinz backed up the car (like we had often done) into the shallow creek bed. Only this time, we didn't realize that the ground was soft.

And right way, the rear wheels sank in. Oh, shucks! We tried to fit stone slabs and driftwood under the wheels, but nothing helped. The VW engine's weight in the back only made things worse.

When Heinz lifted the engine hood, half of the motor was already immersed in water but still running. Then it started sputtering and shut off completely.

Oh shucks! My heart sank. Luckily, Heinz's brain was still half working, and he had the brilliant idea to disconnect the battery terminals to avoid a short circuit.

Then he hiked to a nearby Hacienda to get help.

Half an hour later, he returned with a Gaucho on a horse. The Gaucho fastened his lasso to the front bumper. The horse pulled with mighty strength, but the camper didn't move. Then the lasso broke, and the Gaucho wished us good luck.

It was 5 PM by now. It would be dusk in a few hours, and I noticed dark clouds moving in from the West. What would happen if it starts raining and the creek gets flooded? I agonized over a possible tragedy in the making.

There was nothing we could do. But Heinz didn't give up so quickly. He hiked up to the main road to see if he could find a vehicle or some help.

After an eternity, a heavy 4WD truck with construction workers approached. It stopped for Heinz, and he persuaded them to drive down to the shore and see if they could help.

When they saw our camper with its heck stuck halfway in the water, it must have looked like a funny cartoon, and the entire crew laughed hysterically. But then they quickly got serious and went to work. A heavy chain was attached to the front. The truck pulled, and the camper quickly got free like an empty box of matches. He towed us up to the main road. Man, what a relief!

The crew couldn't help joking about our stupidity while I served them shots of Tequila. We thanked the bossman for the rescue mission, and they drove off, still giggling and laughing. What a gang!

We could only hope the engine didn't take on too much water.

Heinz waited a while for the water to drain, then he dried the ignition points, coil, and distributor, including the spark plug connections. Water came out of the muffler while slowly cranking the engine manually with a wrench. Hopefully, that drained all the water from the cylinders. Next, Heinz reinstalled the Battery. Then he turned on the ignition. The ignition light turned red - that was a good sign.

Now came the moment of truth. Would the engine start? After a few short attempts, the motor began to stutter. And after several other attempts, it finally turned over and started running.

It was the sweetest sound I heard in my life!

Salerno and Anna were leaving for La Plata. We said goodbye and found a National Park campsite nearby where we camped overnight. To our surprise, we found Werner and Franziska parked there as well.

After exchanging the latest news, we relaxed over tea and considered ourselves extremely lucky that the 4WD truck had come to our rescue.Read more