After a three-month “summer break” in Massachusetts and Belgium, Mark and I looked forward to returning to our RV life in South America, which promised new adventures and horizons. But first, we had a few hurdles to overcome.
For the first time since finishing our sailing episode in Tahiti in 2015, we decided to check a bag (we usually only fly with three or four carry-on/personal items). We needed to bring back spare parts and gear to fix our camper and truck, plus a few liquid novelties like maple syrup and dog shampoo. It had taken multiple attempts to fill this bag and not exceed 50 pounds. It was tricky, as we also didn’t want things to shift in this enormous duffel. Padding added weight. I even tried to put all our “to check” luggage into our carry-on roller, super tight, too tight, with a ripped zipper as a result.
In the end, I succeeded with the duffel bag. Since we had plenty to carry with us on the plane, I stuffed our rain jackets inside it as well. The scale at the airport showed 52 pounds. Ouch. But the lady was super friendly and impressed relieved that we only had one checked bag, so she let the overweight go. Thanks!
Then, we flew from Boston, MA, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, via Miami. We arrived early and hadn’t slept for 24 hours. The day had only just started and it was September 21st, the arrival of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
We dealt with immigration (long lines), nervously waited for our one bag to arrive as one of the last pieces on the belt (that’s why we hate checking bags), swung by the friendly guy at agriculture for Maya’s paperwork, and sent all our luggage through X-ray machines at customs. And all that time, Maya couldn’t relieve herself, which stressed us out.
Our sets of metal brake pads raised questions. We managed to talk ourselves out of the legal fact that no traveler is allowed to import car parts. Not even when your Ford F350 doesn’t exist in Argentina and neither do the parts!
The exchange rate from dollars to pesos was horrible at the airport, so we passed on that, planning to pay our storage fee in USD. Finding an Uber that accepted dogs proved to be difficult as well. We lined up three taxi drivers, only to have the last man not cancel after we sent a private message about our well-behaved Maya. He took a few wrong turns and forgot to switch the meter off when he delivered us, but we made it to our home on wheels by 10am!
Reunited with Thirsty Bella on Julian’s property
Julian’s property had been perfect and affordable to store Thirsty Bella, but we knew from dropping our camper off and needing to prep it to be left unattended that this is NOT a usable campground, without running water to fill our tank or hot water in the shower block and with barking dogs and their poop everywhere. The mosquitoes were less of a problem, but now the toilet bowl had a gaping hole in it; flushing it flooded the bathroom floor and not in a pretty way. Don’t ask me how I know…
Anyway, after our set-up was rudimentary ready, we needed to leave ASAP. Plus, we had no food or drinks at all, after emptying the cupboards and fridge before we left. The first task at hand was start the truck. With a totally drained battery, this took a while, with the help of Julian’s trickle charger. Next step: reinstate our Starlink satellite internet account, which we had paused for three months, saving $210. Mark relocated our sign-up address from Peru to Argentina to avoid issues in the future.
Around noon, we generously rewarded Julian and his wife, Sofia, for their hospitality and help, before hugging them goodbye and maneuvering our camper under low-hanging electrical cables (which needed lifting with a stick) and through the narrow gate.
(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)
We stopped by a small tienda in a city with tight streets (Mark wasn’t thrilled about this unexpected “big rig” driving test on day one) to stock up on some staples and made our way to Zapparancho, the campground ran by the well-known Zapp family, who traveled around the world in an old, classic car for over twenty years. Our trio had stayed here in the past, so we knew Herman offered the right facilities to get ready for the road.
We immediately filled up with drinking water, discovered an issue with the water heater – after three plumbing attempts, this got fixed – and realized our bathroom tap, which acts as a sink faucet as well as a showerhead, was leaking profusely and needed to be replaced. Darn. How can things break while they’re not being used?
Luckily, our American motorcycle friends, Brandon and Katherine, were returning to Buenos Aires in a week as well. They happily received the package and brought the small part to our next meeting point, about ten days later.
Zapparancho is a popular and buzzing place, where travelers meet and share meals. Yet, the price added up each day, standing water attracted mosquitoes, and the nights were noisy. We wanted to keep focusing on the jobs at hand and looked forward to getting on the road again.
The sun was bright, but the wind was strong as we prepped our camper, went grocery shopping, did laundry, and organized everything the way it was.
We postponed the “big engine project” until later in the week. For that, we moved closer to the building. It blocked the wind, so no dirt would enter the engine compartment and work would be easier.
Which work? Mark needed to replace the 16 sparkplugs and 8 ignition coils on the engine block, all in one go. I was his assistant and mental support person, as always. It didn’t take long before I heard him curse. One of the sparkplugs was stuck. It didn’t want to unscrew. As he predicted, this turned into a massive ordeal! When he finally got it loose, the threads were damaged, meaning the receiving end on the engine block was compromised as well and the new sparkplug couldn’t go in.
I will make a long story short. We finished replacing the other 15 sparkplugs and all the ignition coils without issues and then focused on the damaged sparkplug, which had been inserted incorrectly by the factory. Our car only has 60,000 miles on the odometer and this was the first time the sparkplugs were touched by a person. Yes, this miss-threaded part was Ford’s fault; a rare mistake.
Yet, here we were. In Argentina. Without the right equipment, confidence, or knowledge for an issue of this magnitude. And far away from a good mechanic in the capital. One piece of metal accidentally entering the motor block during any maneuver and our engine would be damaged and possibly needing replacement! Mark fabricated a rethreading/chasing tool out of an old sparkplug to “clean” the threads but, ultimately, we didn’t trust ourselves to do the job.
So, we researched and enabled the best mechanic we could find in Buenos Aires, convinced him to drive out an hour and half each way to help us, and hired him to do the work. His initial quote was $300-$400. But… the first time he and a helper arrived, they were baffled by the tricky nature of this job and preferred to return the next morning, Saturday, with proper tools.
That morning became evening, but they eventually showed up at dusk with modified tools and an endoscopic camera and – after a couple of hours – they cautiously and professionally fixed the issue, inserted the new sparkplug, and listened to the engine purr nicely. The final price for the job was $600, which hurt, but was better than the feared-for, worst-case scenario! And, we could get back to our travels the following day.
Luckily, we were not in a hurry as early spring is still too soon to head south to Patagonia and Ushuaia. We had a month of “lingering around” planned, to wait for better weather. We left the capital area and headed north in Argentina. Our initial camping spot didn’t work out due to it being a Sunday, which means packed parking lots and parks. So, we ended up at a truck stop in Zarate. Nothing too glorious for our first night back on the road!
Our next destination was Gualeguachú, which takes a while to pronounce. We found a grassy spot along the river to park up for a few days, work, and explore town. We braved one super-hot and humid day on which we couldn’t do much.
We also needed a blood test and paperwork for Maya to enter Uruguay. On our walk to the vet, she got attacked again by a loose, owned dog. Not a stray. Stray dogs behave friendly or shy; not protective.
We urgently had to come up with a rough, northern route. Initially, we wanted to make a loop through Southern Brazil, along the coast of Uruguay, and back into Argentina. After deliberation, and chats with my virtual travel friend and blog follower Gilda (who is from Southern Brazil), we changed plans and decided to skip that part of her country. This would save us a chunk of time and gas money.
It was in Gualeguachú that Brandon and Katherine joined us for a night with their motorcycles and tent. They brought their Argentinian friend, Federico, which produced deeper insights into the country and culture for us. We shared a nice dinner in Bella and enjoyed a fun evening and restful night.
The following day, after Mark and I ran more errands, our little group met up again, further north, at Punta Viracho. Federico had moved on towards Paraguay.
Passing through a herd of capybara on our way to the campground
Brandon and Katherine love hot springs and they’d discovered that staying at a campground in that area was affordable and included unlimited entrance into hot pools and a waterpark within walking distance. We took their invitation and camped close together for a few more nights. We could see Uruguay on the other side of the massive reservoir that is Salto Grande.
Our first highlight – and surprise – was the herd of capybaras that lives on this peninsula. It was amazing to just watch and photograph the adults and babies.
Here is a video from when they walked by.
And, who knew they like to swim?
We enjoyed quality time and homecooked meals with our friends and managed to soak and play in the hot pools several times as well. Since it was weekend, however, the pools got crowded.
And, I really have to stop doing crazy things at my age. This was the fastest slide I’d ever been on!!
Hugging our dear friends goodbye was more emotional than usually, as we won’t see them again on this continent. We had the fortune of meeting up in five South American countries – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina – in the last year and a half, but now they’re hopping over to Africa to continue their world travels.
The three of us only hopped to the next peninsula (Soler) along the reservoir for a couple more days of rest, wind, and rain – and stress for Maya, thanks to twigs and leaves falling onto the roof of the camper – in Argentina.
On a walk with our dog, we heard these weird noises…
Unfortunately, because of our location by a turnaround point at the end of the road, it proved much busier and louder than expected. So, on October 9th, after filling our gas tank and pantry, we left Argentina and entered a new-to-us country: Uruguay.
Next up: Our monthly expense report for October 2024
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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October 27, 2024 at 18:41
Liesbet, there is so much here in your post, I’m not sure where to start.
One thing for sure, without ingenuity and stamina you wouldn’t last long on the road.
A few things surprised me: Maya needed paperwork and a blood test to enter Uruguay; you had to maneuver your camper under low-hanging electrical cables (which needed lifting with a stick); and you listened to frogs which sound to me like sirens.
I’m so happy you can meet up with friends; the hot pools and water park sound so cool! 😀
October 28, 2024 at 07:02
Hi Marian,
You are so right about the ingenuity and stamina needed when living on the road (or the water) in developing countries, plus being flexible and able to deal with challenges and disappointments. It’s because of those elements that I/we get tired and travel burnout at times. Especially when we don’t sleep well at night due to several reasons; often a different reason every night. 🙁
But as long as the good outweighs the bad, we keep on trucking. Hopefully, with breaks as needed.
Every country has different requirements about temporarily importing dogs. It’s a lot of research and running around for some countries and easier for others.
October 27, 2024 at 19:17
“How can things break while they’re not being used?” A question I often ask my body when I wake up with some kind of ailment.😊
You guys are braver than me. I would hate having car problems in a foreign country.
October 29, 2024 at 09:22
Haha, Pete! I guess everything that gets older and older can break at any time, without using it. 🙂
We knew our car wouldn’t be available down here, hence buying one with low miles and bringing lots of spares and a can-do attitude. They do have F150s in South America, but those engines are very different. The only country in SA that produces and sells F350s – and their parts – is Venezuela. But, that country is off limits for us, Americans. 🙁
October 27, 2024 at 19:51
Love that metal brake pads raised questions in the immigration line. Of all the things they should be worried about being brought into the country, seems like brake pads would be low on the list. We have a fear that if and when we leave our rig somewhere for a long period of time, things will happen to it and we will have surprises when we return… like a gaping hole in the toilet. What a wonderful resource to have Zapparancho available to prepare to travel again in Thirsty Bella. What a story about the spark plug! Wow!!!!! Those capybaras are fascinating. What did Maya think about them? The video seems to show Maya wasn’t interested. Loved the frog songs. Keep the updates coming! Jim
October 29, 2024 at 09:27
Hi Jim!
As always you have a keen eye and great remarks!
Some countries are strict with car parts and importation, especially the ones that charge high taxes and/or import fees. Overlanders know which countries to avoid ordering parts to (the expensive and difficult ones like Uruguay and Argentina) and the ones where it is possible, reliable, and affordable, like Colombia and Chile.
We hope to never repeat that sparkplug story – with any part! I was just thinking about our top-ten stressful experiences over the last two years in South America and that one made the list!
Initially, Maya was curious about the capybaras – and she would chase them if possible (which we would never allow, of course), but later, she got used to them and only gave them a sniff.
October 27, 2024 at 19:57
Wow! I’m so glad that you were able to find someone to work on your truck! That $600 must have hurt, but it was money well spent.
The capybaras are interesting creatures. They don’t seem very aggressive or shy at all. They must be used to having humans and other animals around.
I’m looking forward to learning more about Uruguay. I most likely will never get to South America so I’m enjoying the education I’m getting from you.
October 29, 2024 at 09:30
Hi Janis,
Yes, that $600 hurt and it came at a time where I’d just decided to allow ourselves more splurges. There went that idea! But, Mark said we’d have to move on and just see this as an extra, inevitable cost and not let it affect our other spending too much. I’ll get there. 🙂
This herd of capybaras was definitely used to passersby and cars. And dogs, it seemed like. They just did their thing, without being too affected. Luckily, nobody tried to touch them. We’ve seen locals try to touch wildlife in the past and it really upset and disgusted us.
Stay tuned for news on Uruguay! 🙂
October 27, 2024 at 20:54
Hi, Liesbet – The three of you continue to amaze me with how cleverly and persistently you deal with all challenges and wild cards around you. Very impressive@ ♡
October 29, 2024 at 09:32
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the compliment. I don’t think you can stick to this lifestyle without certain personality traits. 🙂 That being said, the challenges sometimes get too much. Recognizing that and allowing ourselves to take a break in comfort would be the key then. Not that we do this a lot, haha.
October 27, 2024 at 21:13
Herds of capybaras, how amazing! Glad you had the patience and time to get your truck fixed correctly.
October 29, 2024 at 09:34
Hi Duwan,
It seems like every month brings its challenges and makes our trip eventful. It would be nice to get bored one day. But, you know us… That would never happen. We are always prone to “situations.” 🙂
The capybaras were cute and interesting and we hope to spot much more wildlife in the months to come. Starting with whales and penguins in a couple of weeks. Hopefully.
October 28, 2024 at 08:07
That was a lot of issues you came home to! Glad all of it finally worked out.
October 29, 2024 at 09:36
Hi Alex,
A break away from our life on the road is always quite interesting and in some ways not a real break at all, since the entire time we are in our home countries, we order, prep, and plan towards our return. And, instead of just hopping into our camper and resuming our adventurous life, there are always issues and more prep to complete before we can actually do this. We know that, which is why we initially dread returning. But, once everything is “back to normal”, we are happy campers again. 🙂
October 28, 2024 at 09:28
What strange, but peaceful looking creatures those capybaras are. Not a fan of the screaming frogs though. Glad you worked through all your issues with the camper, spent time with friends and have moved on to another country. I’ll look forward to discovering Uruguay through your eyes.
October 29, 2024 at 09:39
Hi Suzanne,
The frogs are a bit creepy, I agree. They have been compared to “screaming babies” online. Initially, we didn’t know what they were. We thought they were some kind of bird, but when we focused our ears on the sounds, it appeared that they came from the marshes and not the trees, hence the frog guess. After research, we confirmed these were frogs.
Uruguay has been a pleasant surprise, in general. Very expensive, but the cheap and free things – like wild camping – have been super enjoyable. 🙂
October 28, 2024 at 15:19
A busy return! I’m glad the various problems were resolved in the end, but $600 would have been an unpleasant surprise.
October 29, 2024 at 09:42
Hi Anabel,
Yeah, the $600 hurt, especially since we had our minds wrapped around the quote, assuming $400 would be the max. But, this issue had to get fixed and at least we didn’t end up in a grimy garage for a month of longer, needing an entirely new engine for thousands of dollar. Phew!
Returning home – whether it was the sailboat or a camper – has always been busy and full of chores and projects. It’s one of the reasons we don’t like leaving our mobile home behind and that this past summer escape was unique.
October 31, 2024 at 08:46
Those capybaras are amazing! Who knew they were so large? We have them here, but they’re pretty uncommon and quite a bit smaller. Glad you three are back on the road and enjoying life!
– Susan
November 7, 2024 at 13:40
Hi Susan,
Quite a few people have now mentioned that they are surprised at the large size of those capybaras. I wonder if there are different species around or maybe similar animal/rodent species?
We are finally finding our groove again, on the road. It took some adjusting! 🙂
November 3, 2024 at 08:54
Hi Liesbet, I’m glad the spark plug issue was resolved and you’ve got to spend time with friends. It’s cool to see the capybaras (at a distance) as I don’t like rodents in general. I look forward to reading your post on Uruguay. Safe travels!
November 7, 2024 at 13:44
Hello Natalie,
You don’t like rodents? Not even the cute ones? 🙂 Those capybaras were quite big, yet still rodents. I could see them feature in some kind of horror movie. Despite being cute.
We hope to never repeat that sparkplug experience. When a warning light came on the other day, our heart stopped for a moment. But, when Mark ran his diagnostics tool and we discovered the error had been on a different cylinder, we uttered a breath of relief!
Blog posts about Uruguay coming up…
November 3, 2024 at 18:57
Wow, what an action-packed return! I nodded with sympathy when I read your question: “How can things break while they’re not being used?”. I wish I knew. And how could your toilet possibly develop a hole while you were gone?!?
I loved seeing the capybaras! They were a surprise to me – I’ve seen photos of them before, but I always thought they were smaller. They’re surprisingly BIG, but I’m guessing (by the closeness of your photographs) that they’re fairly placid and harmless(?) Or maybe your risk tolerance is quite a bit higher than mine. 😉
November 7, 2024 at 13:52
Hello Diane,
Why do I feel that my entire life is action-packed? First, we will never get bored. It’s not in our genes. But, even if we don’t want any excitement, something is bound to happen or go wrong. We just seem to attract it. For good or bad…
So, the hole in the toilet. Maybe I wasn’t clear in my post, but that hole was not in our toilet in the camper but in the toilet of the property bathroom; the communal one we could use before we left. The owner had repaired the roof of that shed and a brick had fallen down, onto the ceramic bowl of the toilet, creating a gaping hole through which all the flushed water rushes out. Yes, the roof got fixed, but the toilet hadn’t. And nobody thought of turning the water supply to the toilet off as a warning, of course.
Capybaras are the biggest rodent in the world. I had no idea how big they would be until we ran into to them. This herd surely was used to cars, people, and even dogs. They belong to this area and have become somewhat of a “wildlife” attraction. They sure seemed harmless. The parents of the flock of babies did hiss a few times as we passed by, though. Nevertheless, I think they look cute!
November 4, 2024 at 06:35
I find that things usually break just before you’re about to leave or when you get back, Liesbet. It’s like these objects do it on purpose. Sorry to hear about the problems you came back to and having to spend a lot to fix them. Just imagine the cost if you two hadn’t done some of the work, though.
I have heard that Uruguay is an expensive country, but that’s only after watching the TV show ‘Race Across The World.’ The recent show was a race from Northern Brazil to the southern tip of Argentina.
Those capybaras are so cute! I’d never heard of them before, so it was great to see them here on your blog. I’d have wanted to have adopted one of those babies.
November 7, 2024 at 13:57
Hi Hugh,
Things probably break at the least convenient time. That has to be the law! 🙂
We are very fortunate – for several reasons – that Mark is willing and able to fix as much as possible. YouTube is his friend and I am his assistant. It rarely happens that we have to rely on “professionals”, which we hate doing. Partly, because it is hard to find real professionals and partly because, if we make a mistake, we know it’s our own fault and not the one of someone else we paid for and a mistake we might not discover until it causes even more damage!
The scenery in your TV show, particularly on that route through Patagonia, must have been quite amazing. We are driving there at the moment. But, the road to Argentina’s southern tip is long!
Did you know capybaras are the world’s largest rodent? And they are quite bristly (but cute). Maybe you’re not into them anymore as a pet now, huh? 🙂
November 12, 2024 at 04:27
The world’s largest rodent? Oh, my, I wonder how my youngest dog, Austin, would react to one if he saw one. Squirrels are his arch-enemy, but I think a capybara is a little on the large size to chase.
November 14, 2024 at 14:22
Well, these capybaras sure are bigger than Austin! Maya ignored them after a while, but we do think she might have chased one (and caught it), if they’d run like prey and she would be off leash and we wouldn’t call her back.
November 7, 2024 at 08:23
This was such an interesting read! You know, living on the road is not without its downsides, but the freedom and adventure outweigh the negatives for me. I love your photos of Capybaras as I’ve been fascinated by these adorable creatures that look like a hodgepodge of a guinea pig, beaver, and coconut, but far upsized, for some time. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 I look forward to following your adventures Aiva x
November 7, 2024 at 14:01
Hello Aiva,
Such a nice comment you left us! Thank you.
You are right that the freedom and adventure still outweigh the negatives in this lifestyle. We’ve been saying that for 20+ years, luckily. Because once that balance tilts – and it has in the past for us, which is when we changed gears – it’s time to do something different!
I loved your comparison of the capybara to a coconut. There sure is some truth to that, as they have the same color, texture, and even shape. A bit. It makes me smile to think about a coconut in the shape of a capybara.