The mechanic attempts to remove the rear “mata burro”, or “donkey bar”, from under the bumper. Frank, having befriended the inevitable “perrito” (this one we named “Bumper”), looks on and tries to keep track of all the bolts and screws being extracted from deep within the recesses of The Rhino.
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We had a temporary fix made to The Rhino’s tail end. In a body shop in Zapala yet another friendly mechanic dropped everything he was doing to help us out. With a hefty pulley and hydraulic lift he stretched the bumper and tailgate back into shape (although some detailed bodywork is still required) so that we could continue on and put off the serious repairs until after the Christmas holidays. When he pulled off the bumper after unscrewing what seemed like hundreds of bolts, gravel and dust accumulated from thousands of kilometers of travelling tumbled to the ground, blending in with the shop floor’s sandy surface. Watching the dust settle, I was reminded of our travels along the bumpy roads of Apolobamba in the Bolivian Altiplano, the sand dunes of Colonia Polonia in Uruguay, and the beloved rocky “Ruta Cuarenta”, Argentina’s remote North-South Highway. Tens of thousands of kilometers, and only one accident… not bad going.
