The crew waits for some news on Ole Yeller
Monday, April 9, 2007
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Suz´s birthday, Mexico City
Ole Yeller has had a long standing problem with the fuel pump but we got to Mexico City from Washington, over 2000 miles. However, after a hard drive, over 400 miles, from Northern Mexico on Saturday into Mexico City, the car started to belch out dark grey smoke from the tailpipe. It got so bad when we were driving into Mexico City that the traffic police pulled us over telling us we could not take the car any further due to localized air pollution! Poor JP who was driving the car, looked very red faced explaining to the traffic police that we were part of an environmental road rally. We explained that we had a mechanical problem and needed some help limping into the city to find a hotel. The two policemen jumped into their car, lights on, and guided us through traffic chaos before abandoning us on the peripherique to find our way alone. Meanwhile, Ben and Jacko´s Mercedes was dying, gradually losing power to crawl along at 20 mph. Aghr. After 2 hours negotiating traffic through a tangle of one way streets, stop lights, and spaghetti like junctions, we found the Hotel Roosevelt with help from Bryan and Paul, the dynamic duo from Colorado. They had flown into Mexico City just a few hours earlier to meet us for a few days. Safe and sound in the colorful Condessa area of the city, the Greasers decamped and quickly changed to go out to celebrate Suzanne's birthday at a nearby restaurant. Mojitos, mariachis, tequila and salsa dancing followed as the crew partied into the night.
Rolling hills towards Mexico City, and more breakdowns
Saturday 7th April
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUZANNE – the greasers celebrate the first of what will be 4 birthdays on this trip. After an early start, the crew continued driving south to Mexico City. The girls took on the Slug as a mobile office, since it is the only car with a multi socket inverter and working lighter socket. With Suzanne playing her new guitar acquired in Austin with a special “Willie” discount, the girls started writing the Greaseball theme song to the tune of Ring of Fire with a Mexican twist.
Rolling on in the hot sun, the Greasers pulled over for a quick loo stop at a roadside restaurant. A 5 minute rest turned into a 3 hour layover when Ole Yeller refused to start. After fearing the fuel pump had finally died stranding us in the middle of nowhere, Jacko suggested it might be a blocked fuel filter. After some rummaging around in the trunk, we found a new filter and Jacko replaced it with Bjornar’s help priming the filter with fresh BioWillie biodiesel. The car was soon running again with the smell of popcorn wafting into the air. After a slap up lunch of fried chicken, salad and fresh guacamole, we were back on the road.
Now we’re 200 kilometers from Mexico City, expecting to get into town in time to pick up Dan and Bing who are arriving from Seattle and Washington DC to join the Greasers on the road. Hot jalapenos! We can’t wait. Two more mechanical geniuses to nurse us through the next few weeks and give Ben and Jacko a break!
Tonight the Greaser’s will be partying for Suz’s birthday and getting down to some serious work on Sunday morning with another greasestop at the Mexico City Hard Rock Café. Unless something unexpected happens before then....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUZANNE – the greasers celebrate the first of what will be 4 birthdays on this trip. After an early start, the crew continued driving south to Mexico City. The girls took on the Slug as a mobile office, since it is the only car with a multi socket inverter and working lighter socket. With Suzanne playing her new guitar acquired in Austin with a special “Willie” discount, the girls started writing the Greaseball theme song to the tune of Ring of Fire with a Mexican twist.
Rolling on in the hot sun, the Greasers pulled over for a quick loo stop at a roadside restaurant. A 5 minute rest turned into a 3 hour layover when Ole Yeller refused to start. After fearing the fuel pump had finally died stranding us in the middle of nowhere, Jacko suggested it might be a blocked fuel filter. After some rummaging around in the trunk, we found a new filter and Jacko replaced it with Bjornar’s help priming the filter with fresh BioWillie biodiesel. The car was soon running again with the smell of popcorn wafting into the air. After a slap up lunch of fried chicken, salad and fresh guacamole, we were back on the road.
Now we’re 200 kilometers from Mexico City, expecting to get into town in time to pick up Dan and Bing who are arriving from Seattle and Washington DC to join the Greasers on the road. Hot jalapenos! We can’t wait. Two more mechanical geniuses to nurse us through the next few weeks and give Ben and Jacko a break!
Tonight the Greaser’s will be partying for Suz’s birthday and getting down to some serious work on Sunday morning with another greasestop at the Mexico City Hard Rock Café. Unless something unexpected happens before then....
Friday, April 6, 2007
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