Stuck in the Mud
Stuck in the Mud
On the way out of the jungle, we encountered a mudslide that covered the road. I demanded to be let out as the mudslide was at the edge of a deep cliff. Our guide, Jose, agreed it was a good idea for all to leave the vehicle while the driver drove through the mud.
Low and behold, the van driver, dug the axle deep into the mud that was firm, but spongy. We had to use a machete and a rock pick to dig out the vehicle. Finally, we pushed the vehicle backwards only to find that a root had punctured the oil pan.
We filled the ruts in the mud with rock and branches and the with Bill sitting inside the van for weight, the van crossed to the other side of the slide. Now we had a repair job to handle as black oil seeped out into the mud.
Then, as we were repairing the oil pan, along came a public transportation bus loaded with Andean men, women and children. The bus driver ordered them all out and he tackled the road with a shovel. He then drove across the very uneven mud and his passengers hopped back aboard, but not before I got a nice picture of the children in front of the bus. Unfortunately, I had no "dulce" (candy) for which they asked. The ladies thought my language was funny.
Our driver found some rubber hosing and wrapped it around whatever needed wrapping under the vehicle and we continued down the road. As many as 6 rockslides covered one lane of the road. The Virgin of Carmen Shrine was embedded into an old rockslide area. Bill commented that this four hour stretch of road was likely "the most precarious road we have ever been on."
We are in Puno tonight and then off to Lake Titicaca once we get the grime washed out of our clothes. We are on the home stretch.
On the way out of the jungle, we encountered a mudslide that covered the road. I demanded to be let out as the mudslide was at the edge of a deep cliff. Our guide, Jose, agreed it was a good idea for all to leave the vehicle while the driver drove through the mud.
Low and behold, the van driver, dug the axle deep into the mud that was firm, but spongy. We had to use a machete and a rock pick to dig out the vehicle. Finally, we pushed the vehicle backwards only to find that a root had punctured the oil pan.
We filled the ruts in the mud with rock and branches and the with Bill sitting inside the van for weight, the van crossed to the other side of the slide. Now we had a repair job to handle as black oil seeped out into the mud.
Then, as we were repairing the oil pan, along came a public transportation bus loaded with Andean men, women and children. The bus driver ordered them all out and he tackled the road with a shovel. He then drove across the very uneven mud and his passengers hopped back aboard, but not before I got a nice picture of the children in front of the bus. Unfortunately, I had no "dulce" (candy) for which they asked. The ladies thought my language was funny.
Our driver found some rubber hosing and wrapped it around whatever needed wrapping under the vehicle and we continued down the road. As many as 6 rockslides covered one lane of the road. The Virgin of Carmen Shrine was embedded into an old rockslide area. Bill commented that this four hour stretch of road was likely "the most precarious road we have ever been on."
We are in Puno tonight and then off to Lake Titicaca once we get the grime washed out of our clothes. We are on the home stretch.
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