So, If you've been looking at some of the places Veronica has driven since SFD began, you'll know that she has taken it on the chin more than once (you may remember Dan's collision with a horse among other illustrious near-misses). Certainly, traveling down roads affected by the rainy season in Nicaragua and Costa Rica dealt some hard blows to the undercarriage. One particular rough and tumble ride broke one of the tail pipes on the road to Playa Santa Teresa.

Above, it's hard to see, but the right tail pipe is completely separated from the muffler. It was being held by just a bit of rusty strapping.


We weren't sure where to go, or who to trust in terms of mechanics. So, on the road out of Santa Theresa we passed a construction site where a Tico (do you remember? this word is what Costa Rican people call themsleves. Female would be Tica) was using an arc-welder and we inquired if maybe he could do the job for us. He said no, but that there was a place on the road to Playa Montezuma (where we were heading for the night) where they worked on GMC trucks. Central America is not a place you see many vehicles from the USA, much less mechanics that are used to working on them. So, we took this as a blessing.

We pulled into a yard where several cars and trucks stood; some waiting for repair, others in various states of disrepair obviously being cannibalized for parts. The hydraulic lifts sat under a simple roof enclosed on two sides by concrete block walls and several stacks of used tires.

The mechanics, a cute lookin' Tica and a baby-faced Tico, stood chatting as we approached. We asked if they could have a look at the muffler and they waved us onto the lift.

Above, the welder assess the situation.


Dan communicated as best he could that he didn't want a new muffler, nor did he want the problem completely fixed. "I have very little money and I just want to get back to Canada." They said it could be done for $40 USD. This price being "right" for Dan's purposes, they looked around the yard and found a length of pipe that was the same gauge and made a patch with the old one. They also attached some new metal strapping to keep both mufflers pipes from dragging.

Above, our man sets to work, and in 20 minutes it was done.



The junkyard had a pack of 3 dogs who were not too keen about Moses sniffing around. So, we kept him in the van. Above, Moses is anxious to get down and out of the van.


While buddy's welding torch showered sparks, I took a stroll around the yard. Industrially designed and machined parts have a definite aesthetic beauty especially when they have the distinctive touches brought about by wear, rust, and oil. Another shelter closer to the yard entrance looked like the spot they performed oil and break fluid changes.

Above, the sign reads (loosely) " No credit for anyone: If you bring your car to be repaired, it's because you have money to pay." Fair warning.



Above, various parts... looks like quite a few of them are alternators, with rad fans hanging above. What a lovely array of browns, eh?



Above, the camera lens is "all up in their grills." That's a lil street lingo pun for you cool kids.



With the repairs complete, we thanked the "surgeon" for giving Veronica's muffler a stay of execution and paid the man. Then we rolled on down the road to Montezuma. Now, the only major problem Veronica had, as far as we knew, was that her wheel alignment was aweful. Taking your hands off the wheel meant she would automatically pull into a hard 45 degree trun! This also was affecting the tires which were wearing down quickly on the inner side.

Perhaps this should have been more of a concern to us. But taking steps to repair would cost money that we didn't have. Or would it?

It's funny, but our attitude towards vehicle maintenance is perhaps a good metaphor for the way we interact with many elements of our lives. It's an attitude mixing the old sayings "if it ain't broke don't fix it" and "speak no evil, hear, no evil, see no evil." Maybe something was wrong with the van. Maybe that something was going to cause an accident. Could we find a few hundred dollars to fix such a problem and avoid that potential? Yes, no doubt. Yet we didn't.

And so it goes with many subtle and overlooked elements of our lives from tooth decay to nutrition, and from education to stewardship of the environment. When the right variable falls in the "grand equation," the ultimate result is death.

Heavy.

It's easy to ignore the "maybes" even if their probability is high. I suppose it's just as easy to be paralyzed by the fear of their probability. But taking stock and soberly evaluating things is never easy to do.

We are at a point in history where humans are being presented with many opportunities to evaluate our existence. Whether we are trying to create a better system of government, discussing within our community the system we exploit to grow our economy, or simply bearing witness to awesome natural phenomenons trying to suss if they're a sign from the spirit world, all give reason to pause. Hopefully more of us are choosing to engage these issues. As with many of life's toughest questions, there are no right answers. There is, however, the chance to create the mindset in future generations that will be better at steering the course between willful ignorance and fearsome knowledge.

As for Veronica, let us say we are just taking a calculated risk.

Above, motors and steering wheels and fan belts, oh my!