Day 290 - Rescued 2x

The car wouldn't start this morning. But the ignition light was on, meaning it wasn't a dead battery. What was I supposed to do? We are stuck in this dry creek bed miles away from a mechanic shop. What if it rains and there is a flash flood? What an unwise decision to camp in a river bed. Our hearts were pounding!

Then I remembered that Wally once told me the starter has an electromagnet that engages with the flywheel. Maybe the gear got stuck? I opened the engine compartment and searched for the starter but couldn't find it. I crawled under the engine where the transmission was, and there it was. I grabbed a rock and carefully knocked on the crankcase and starter housing from all sides. Then I tried to start the engine again. And miraculously, it did. A heavy burden fell from my chest!

Chavín de Huantar's archaeological site dates back to the Chavín culture, 1200 BC. It is believed to have been a ceremonial center. We could make out that there must have been prominent temples and other structures at the site, but it was more or less a mountain of rubble. Not much had been excavated and restored. Nevertheless, the area was quite large for this remote location. We noticed that the masonry wasn't as precise and intricate as those of the Incas. The underground passages featured granite heads. There was also an impressive tall monolith with engraved ornaments.

Around noon, we drove back to Catac. At one point, we had to avoid a collision with an oncoming truck on this narrow dirt road and landed in a ditch. No damage, thank God. Seeing our camper almost tipping over on its side wasn't funny. I should have taken a picture, but I forgot. After a little while, a truck with a group of men drove by and came to our rescue. It took them less than five minutes to shove and rock our vehicle back onto the road. What a relief that was. Two rescues in one day!

It was mostly downhill from there, and we arrived in Huaraz much faster than expected. The Thermal Bath was closed, and we could not camp in the parking lot. So, we drove to the airfield, where the folks were more "accommodating."

A dog visited us at dinnertime. He looked at us with such sad eyes; it broke our hearts! We shared some of our soup with him. He must have thought - friendly tourists. We had another watercress salad. Freshly picked mint leaves made a soothing bedtime tea.

Stats: Miles 90, Expenses $2.55Read more