Camping at 2297m!

2 June WP 559 GPS indicates Cuzco is about 200 klms

We camp at 2297 meters and its cold, and we are soon covered by freezing fog drifting down the mountains straight towards us. Elayne feels fine and the Altitude is not effecting her too badly although we both find it somewhat strenuous walking around. The days drive which was tough and rough due to most of the road being dug up for the last one hundred kilometers the going was slow but we need to make the last check point before the road was closed overnight I had noticed the brakes needed more than the usual 3 pumps before they we effective, in this countryside the mountains were getting ever steeper and higher it would be a good time to overhaul the brakes with some of the assorted used pads I have left over.
We wake for our wonderful cool sleep no more dripping humidity waving the hand fan over us to try and get some sleep …NO this is cool mountain air where you can snuggle in bed and sleep in to ridiculous hours, the morning is bright and blue the freezing fog has lifted sucked up by the hot sun to expose those majestic Andean mountains towering above us. Elayne has strung out a few washing lines as we air all our sleeping gear, we set down for breakfast and enjoying the once relegated HOT porridge which has returned to feel our belle’s once again. Even Elayne is not complaining to much as she is not such a lover of Quaker Oats. The scenery absorbs us endless white snow capped mountain peaks vivid blue sky cascading waterfalls, such a sharp contrast to the last 6000klm of Red Dust intolerable Humidity, vivid green and more vivid green and more red dust scenery.
VICTOR IS NEEDING SOME BETTER BRAKE’S….3 pumps and still no brake pedal….!!!!
I start to  work on the car replace the brake pads all of them needed to be replaced but I did not have a complete set so the best were chosen from all the previous over hauls …..Fingers crossed ….now only 2 quick pump on the brake pedal!!!!!
BUT THEN SOMETHING CAUGHT MY EYE INSPECTING THE STEERING BOX…………………….I TAKE A SECOND GLANCE……………….
I CANNOT BELIEVE THE FRONT STEERING UNIVERSAL JIONT IS CRACKED
A COLD SHIVER RUNS DOWN MY SPINE ……HOW LONG HAD THIS CRACK BEEN LURKING IN MY STEERING ….. (With only 1.5 mm of steel holding it together on the other side of the yoke.)
Of all the places to find this problem I could not believe it already high up into the Andes and I find the main steering joint is cracked in half …..I HAD NO SPARE……. with the possibility of facing thousands of bends at thousands of meters up my heart sank thinking of the possibilities of a major steering failure on these roads was not a prospect I was looking forward to. I could not tell Elayne and decided to press on in hope all would be ok until I can find a welding shop.
NOW EVERY BEND IN THE ROAD WAS A PAINFUL EXPERINCE>

About Adam

Site admin and son to Chris and Elayne Clash. :)
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