Return of the Two Gringas

T minus 3 weeks -- Monday 25 February 2008 -- Vashon Island, Washington

"The Compleat Two Gringas Chronicles..."

The scheduled departure for Two Gringas Adventure #4 is still Sunday 16 or Monday 17 March 2008.

But how did we get to the point of doing this a fourth time, fercryinoutloud??? How many wheels do these girls need?

The answer is: one economical car for general use and one working truck for hauling. When you add the three vehicles already driven down to a fourth bought in Belize, you may wonder that we currently have only one surviving truck in Bz, and that on its last legs. Of course if you have lived in Belize for any period, you will not wonder.

So, bring on number five...

We have been so happy with the performance of the 1992 Toyota Tercel, both in the States and in Central America, that we've bought another to replace the original Belize Bomber which, alas, failed to recover from its third totalling at the hands of the help.





(The lesson here, BTW, is something like "do not allow young Belizean men to drive your vehicle without you in it." Or maybe "at all.")

[The astute Two Gringas fan will note, at the right rear of the photo, the front grille of the venerable Beast monster truck from Two Gringas adventure #2 -- now a helpless lawn ornament thanks to the efforts of an over-confident Belizean mechanic. Belize is murder on vehicles. Belizean "breakanics" are worse.]

So we have opted to purchase our third 1992 Tercel standard. The first two were bought new in 1991 for US $8500 a piece. This one was bought as junk for $1000. Needless to say, we had to put a bit of work into her...




. . .

[Answers to earlier photo quiz:
Q: What is she doing? A: Checking for leaks.
Q: Why is she smiling? A: She's going back to Beeleez!]

. . .

Everyone -- We'd still like one or two more USA meet-ups. And we'd LOVE to get a couple Mexico meet-ups if you have people there. Please PM or post or email themisslena á gmail õ com. An enlarged route map is available here.

Cheers,
'Lena












The Beast
1978-2005



















P.O.S. Truck
1991-2006






















The Belize Bomber
1992-2006












In lieu of flowers please donate Belikins.

___________________________________________
MissLena is Galena Alyson Canada
Her email is themisslena á gmail õ com
Her blog is at galenaalysoncanada.blogspot.com

Return of the Two Gringas

T minus 2 weeks — Monday 3 March 2008 — Vashon Island, Washington

"Fit to be tied!"

The scheduled departure for Two Gringas Adventure #4 is still Sunday 16 or Monday 17 March 2008.

I'm beginning to come unstuck.

Yes, I am looking forward to this adventure, and yes, I really want to get back to my southern home and away from the Culture of Acquisition. But creatures don't relish change and, as this creature ages, she likes change less and less.

Yesterday afternoon, as we were working on the Belize Bomber II, I realised I was about to start throwing things. It has been several decades since I threw things and I don't intend to resume now, so I packed it in and crawled under the covers. Brrr, it's cold here.



We are now two weeks from departure and the Bomber is just about ready: this afternoon we reinstall the front struts, and that should be about it.

We've been acquiring "road foods" for a couple weeks now (drinks, nuts, eat-from-the-can stuff, ...), and the pile to be packed is mounting. Next weekend we'll do a preliminary pack of the car; hopefully a major fraction of this heap will fit in that heap...

So many things to get done in these next two weeks and, like the pile to be packed, I'm just not sure how it's all going to fit in. Thus the pre-trip anxiety, which is beginning to render me into the state known as "fit to be tied."

___________________________________________
MissLena is Galena Alyson Canada
Her email is themisslena á gmail ó com
Her personal blog is at galenaalysoncanada.blogspot.com
The new Two Gringas blogsite is TheTwoGringas.blogspot.com

SWEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!

I just ran across your tales of the first two trips last night, and today I find that you are on your third! I'm looking forward to reading of your latest adventures...how long are you in Belize this time? I'll be down in June!! Yes!!!

Greetings Kat! So glad to have a new reader. I'll probably be in Belize in June, but might be elsewhere in the Mundo Maya. You can always find out where I am in the right-hand column, front page, of of my personal blog.

I have finally got the new Two Gringas blogsite (mostly) put together. The first Two Gringas adventure is up now with pix and slideshows (it's essentially an edited & formatted version of the same story posted here on the forum), and the current about-to-happen adventure is there, while everything else is "stubbed-in".

Please drop by and tell us what you think...

'Lena

Return of the Two Gringas

T minus 1 week — Monday 10 March 2008 — Vashon Island, Washington

"Uh, what's that drip?"

The scheduled departure for Two Gringas Adventure #4 is Sunday March 2008.

OK, the Belize Bomber II *was* ready for the road...and now it isn't. And it all my fault for looking for trouble...



I'm under the Bomber hunting down an annoying rattle in the exhaust line. I find the offending clamp and Denise joins me to have a look. She brushes a hand across her forehead.

"Something dripped on me."

"What?"

"I don't know..."

I stick out my hand and catch the next drip — just one tiny drop, every minute or so. It's fluorescent green.

"Coolant."

Denise rolls out from under, saying "This is your fault, you know..."

"Yeah, I know."



So we're tearing into the motor assembly. Again. Or rather, Denise is. The bit we need to get at is, of course, at the back, under a manifold, between other assemblies, equally unreachable from above or below.

"Gee Neecie, I'd sure like to help, but it looks to me that there's only room for one pair of hands..."

"So why don't you plug your pair in here?!"

In fact, there is barely room for one hand, much less a pair.

"No...no... you know you're much better at that than I..."

So now there's an engine component sitting on the kitchen counter. It's a water pump. It's supposed to be attached to the engine, but it isn't. This is a problem.



The auto parts store promises to have the part the next day. The next day arrives, we call, yes, the delivery arrived. We go.

They do not have the part. What they have is an irrelevant part which goes on the other side of the motor. A part, which in fact, we've already replaced. One among dozens.

I stay at the counter to sort out the parts-irrelevancy issue with the parts-ordering wizard; meanwhile Denise roams the aisles in search of cup-holders, which the little Tercel lacks. She returns empty-handed and looks inquiringly at the nice man.

"Cup-holders?"

"No cup-holders."

She is clearly disoriented...

"Auto parts store...automotive cup-holders...none???"

"No cup-holders."

Turns out it's a "liability issue" — hot coffee, spills, hot groins, distracted drivers, lawyers, all that. Good grief.

We return to the Bomber empty-handed. Since she can't fix the car, Denise gives it custom cup-holders.



___________________________________________
MissLena is Galena Alyson Canada
Her email is themisslena á gmail ó com
Her personal blog is at galenaalysoncanada.blogspot.com
The new Two Gringas blogsite is TheTwoGringas.blogspot.com

Took alook - th blogsite looks great and I look forward to living vicariously through your trip : )

Return of the Two Gringas

T minus 4 days — Wednesday 12 March 2008 — Vashon Island, Washington

"How do you stuff a hippopotamus into a Tercel?"

The scheduled departure for Two Gringas Adventure #4 is Sunday 16 March 2008.

There is a hippopotamus in the living room. OK, not a real hippo, but a heap the size of a hippo, which is now supposed to go into the Belize Bomber II. A heapopotamus.

Unfortunately, there are already two large ruminants in the car:



(Yes, Dear Reader, that really is a standard-size air compressor and a large microwave oven. Before now you'vesuspected that we are insane. Now you're certain.)

So how do we cram the heapopotamus into the Tercel?

Simple! First we carry the whole mess out...



...and then you just put it all into the vehicle.



And it's just that easy!



Look! The doors even close!



___________________________________________
MissLena is Galena Alyson Canada
Her email is themisslena á gmail ó com
Her personal blog is at galenaalysoncanada.blogspot.com
The new Two Gringas blogsite is TheTwoGringas.blogspot.com

Return of the Two Gringas

Day Zero — Sunday 16 March 2008 — Vashon Island, Washington

"Is that a nook or a cranny?"

At long last it is Day Zero.

Tomorrow morning we point the Belize Bomber II south towards Central America, never to return to this northern clime...



Yesterday we installed the new water pump, belt, etc. and changed the oil; today we took her for a test drive and rated her road-worthy. From here on down, anything else that requires replacement is officially "a problem."



It is the final packing day — clothes, toiletries, books — and the cats are confused and nervous. Something is happening, and they don't know what to make of it.



The Bomber is utterly packed: Denise took the nooks and I got the crannies, and I'm running out of crannies.





The weather was decent today, tomorrow we're off with the rain...a Two Gringas tradition we've never missed.

We'll see you all in Oregon...or maybe California...

___________________________________________
MissLena is Galena Alyson Canada
Her email is themisslena á gmail ó com
Her personal blog is at galenaalysoncanada.blogspot.com
The new Two Gringas blogsite is TheTwoGringas.blogspot.com

Can't wait!