Memorial to Brian

On our wedding day when we told each other we would go to the ends of the earth with one another, we never expected that trip to take place in a tow truck. But that is the true adventure of traveling to a place you have never been before - you are never sure exactly what to expect. Our camper van, Brian, is no more. After our wonderful visit to Puerto Deseado we headed south across the desert en route to Rio Gallegos. After driving for about 250 kilometers, we stopped in a tiny "town" for gas. It turned out that the gas station and the police station next to it constituted the entire town. A full gas tank, a bano break, some hot empenadas, and we were on the road - or so we thought. Brian decided to take a sick day. He would not start. We sat there in the heat and wondered what the next step should be. An incredibly sweet Chilean family who spoke as much English as we spoke Chilean saw us and offered to help. After a dozen or so times being towed around the parking lot to see if we could bump start Brian, we gave up and called for assistance. Long story short, the next three days included a crooked mechanic, drag racing hoodlums cruising the streets till the break of dawn, and 753 kilometers with a border crossing executed in three different tow trucks with four different drivers. It also included some of the kindest, friendliest, and most helpful people we could have come in contact with. We are more grateful than words can express. We ended this leg of our adventure in Punta Arenas, Chile at a great hostal where we felt right at home. The owner, Alejandro, did everything he could to help us recover from our road weariness. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Punta Arenas (which happens to be a sister city to Bellingham), be sure to go see him at La Estancia. We said goodbye to Brian and welcomed our new vehicle, Bubble Trouble (a.k.a. Bubble No Trouble, a.k.a. Bubble Tea) to Team Colahan! We are refreshed and ready to start the next leg of our trip. On to more adventures! CC&MC