The Great Mexico –
Guatemala – Honduras Trek, version 2.000.03The Great Mexico –
Guatemala – Honduras Trek, version 2.000.03
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| Day dawned clear with the promise
of a replacement starter relay for Suzy. We had found a hotel around the
corner from a 'foreign car parts' store, so we figured we should have some
luck there. Wayne called home while we waited for the store to open, but
Bev wasn't at home. It kind of set the tone for the rest of the morning.
The store didn't have the part or any idea where to get the part, and so
referred us to the nearest dealer down the road. We got there, and the
truck died in the lot - out of gas. I had to walk with a gas can (glad
we brought it!!) through the hot Dallas sun to get some gas - and a Mountain
Dew!
Of course, talking with the guys at the Isuzu place, we found out that they didn't have the part either. Luckily though, they were able to tell us that the part could actually be cross-referenced with a GM part, since GM had produced Isuzu bodies for a few years. They checked 'the computer,' and it spat out that a Chevy dealer on the other side of town had the part. So we saddled up, headed down the road (luckily it was in kind of the right direction for us anyway), hit the dealer, and found the part. $27 for all that stinkin' time and heartache!! We grabbed a lunch at McDonald's, and jumped back on the road - into construction! Slow, Slow, Slow. In a truck with no A/C (but at least a new radiator!!) We did manage to make it through, past San Antonio, around Corpus Christi (where we loaded up on last minute necessities like deodorant, sunglasses, oil, and gas treatment) at the local Wal-Mart, and coasted along a deserted highway into Brownsville. We started to see evidence of the upcoming border, mostly in terms of lots of cars/truck tied together, big conveys of Mexicans bringing vehicles south. Our luck held out, though, once we got into Brownsville. We followed the map from Sanborn's website - to an empty strip mall. No insurance place. We gave up and got a hotel right near a good little Mexican food place, where we ate, drank, and talked about the crossing plans for the next day. |
Day 3 (Thursday, July
20)