Synergy restored....

Normal positions were resumed today. Adrian driving and me navigating = harmony!

Today we made our way to Pucon, a really pretty little place on a sparkling lake with a wonderful volcano looming over it. For me, by far the most interesting thing about this place is that the snow covered volcano is around 6,000 feet LOWER than we have driven so far on this rally.
Did you get that? 6,000 feet!

The Hertz crews were all on a mission today so, instead of taking the prettier rally route, we bombed down the PanAmerican to save time. Reason? We all had to change our cars at Hertz, for some unknown reason. The Godwin/Ayre crew were able to collect a new vehicle to take the a s far as Punta Arenas where they will stay the night before flying to Ushuaia. The Ramao D'Sousa crew will travel with us tomorrow to Bariloche where they will pick up a car that they can keep until Ushuaia. The Reddington crew will pick up a vehicle through Avis in Bariloche that they can take to Ushuaia from which our Argentinian photographer, who lives in Bariloche, will drive it home. The Shooter crew have collected a Hilux today that we have to drop off at the border 150 kms from Ushuaia where we will hitch a ride with Jose and Maria.

You've got that, right? What a rigmarole! Hideously, ridiculously complicated. Hours and hours spent online, in Hertz offices, on the telephone. What a palaver. We will all get to the end though. Our cars are currently languishing in La Paz, not a happy state of affairs, especially for the Itala.

The Hertz crews were able to enjoy a civilised lunch to fortify themselves for the three hours spent in the car rental office. There is quite a large German influence here which will make our Swiss/ Austrian /German part of the rally feel quite at home. It's lovely; relaxed, attractive, and beautifully situated. Tomorrow we cross into beguiling Argentina again.

Adrian congratulated some of our Argentinean staff last night on the election of one of their countrymen to the Papacy. They roared with laughter and said that the number of staff in the Vatican is set to double and that now they will realise the true meaning of corruption.

Saddest news of the day is that Reg and Tony, in the Carrera, who had a clutch problem yesterday are out of the rally completely. They went to Concepcion this morning, had a new part fitted but, 100 kms down the road disaster struck. The oil line had been cut when the repair was done and their engine blew up. To get so far and then not make it to the end is heartbreaking.



















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