Just another road trip to Chepe

[Sam Wilson]

LiCR,

Trip report after finishing 2 trips to Chepe in 2 weeks and surviving to tell about it...

Sorry, Joe and Don... Monday I almost fooled myself into thinking we might have time to look you guys up while passing past your respective pueblos, but we got the answer I always warn about when I hear: "si Dios quiere."  Obviously not, was our answer.

Monday morning we headed out under the waking sky at 4:00 AM punto for an 8:00 AM ma' o meno' appointment at HNN.  We already know that the 8:00 AM doesn't matter with the super good cardiology guys at HNN -- we show up, they work us in.  That's how it works every time for us with those stars of the Caja.  Anyway, the 1st half of our trip down the coast was uneventful with half the car sleeping.  Not even a bathroom break.  As we start up the Cabronero I gave folks one last chance for bathroom break before we left Esparza.  Nada.

I don't rush climbing the mountains like I used to.  Before it was an interesting race to the top, but now I just put her in low and chug on up 'til we get to easier driving on the other side.  About maybe half the way up the Cabronero we heard a fairly good "pop!" which I instinctively associated with a car behind us also chugging along.  Almost immediately however, it became obvious that we were the ones with a problem as our engine temp started to noticeably rise.  Like manna from heaven, a gravel patch from previous road maintenance immediately appeared on the side of the road allowing us to pull off that busy narrow mountain road.  Our lower radiator hose had burst.  The last few drips from the radiator were still busy marking our spot.

The hose burst was about 10 cm from one end of the radiator hose, so we cut off that 4 inches or so and stretched the radiator hose back on its fitting.  Nearby there was a waterfall tumbling down the steep slopes on the side of the road, so I took a couple gallon jugs and hiked down to an area I could safely fill our jugs and we filled the radiator back up.

The Highwaymen - On the Road Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYUMZ-r5GN0.   

We stopped one more time at a pull-off area and cooled down a continuing overheating car and refilled our jugs.  We were losing water through no obvious leak -- just vapor steaming out the overflow jug.  We bought a new radiator cap at one of the gas stations at the top and continued on.  On flatter ground we didn't seem to be overheating so quickly so we continued on.  In San Ramón there is a nice auto-parts store at the gas station on the right as you get to the 1st stop light coming into town.  I forget what it's called, but it is kitty corner to El Grillo Bar as you enter San Ramón.  They actually had radiator hoses of all types and sizes... except for ours!  But eventually we found one that was pretty close if we cut off a bit from each end, so we took it and changed out our previously burst rigged lower radiator hose for our newly mutilated hose with fresh rubber.  Once again with the jugs and we filled our radiator back up and continued on... We pulled over one or two more times between San Ramón and HNN to cool down and refill, but we made it to HNN before lunch which was my main goal.  The Cardiology Dept. (with a heart) always clears the waiting room before the docs go to lunch.

After a rainy afternoon of errands in San José we took the Pista del Sol back and barely saw the car overheat on the way to the coast.  In Caldera we cooled down the car at a truck stop and as one of the older girls was cooling down the radiator with a hose while the rest of us hit the bathrooms, a friendly gas-station attendant came over to hold the hose for our older girl.  He ended up spraying down the entire engine and got water inside the distributor cap. So naturally we could not start the car to leave... After 2 attempts at taking apart the top of the distributor and drying everything with rags didn't work, we took the air nozzle off the air hose and we dried off everything with blasts of air.  3rd time was the charm and after putting the top of the distributor back together again we cranked right up and continued on...

Returning back up the coast was mostly uneventful with a couple of pit stops to check the water level.  With full jugs of water we started up our volcano which is about a 30 minute hard climb to get home and sure enough we started to overheat again.  We stopped once on a long enough stretch of the narrow road to cool down where oncoming traffic could see us from either direction and then with one last burst of energy, we made it back to our little hidden valley in the faldas of v. Miravalles 15 hours after we left in the morning.  No oil in water and no water in the oil, we suspect corroded radiator passageways.

The little ticker I've been caring for about 12 years now is certified good for another year!  jajaja.

Andy Grammer - Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDu93pdyBDE

Joe and Don, I promise to try to hook up with you guys next time!   Although I don't have any excursions planned for the rest of the year besides a trip to watch our little one's football team whup up on the Zarceños next month.  Plus it has been a few years since I've been to that fantastic churchyard sculpture park. Maybe we'll have to journey to Chepe for Christmas shopping?

'Til then...

--

Sam

[Joe Harrison]

Hi Sam:  That trip sounds like a nightmare.  Just gives me another reason why I quit driving in CR several years ago.  When I first arrived 13 years ago, a friend took me around to look for a car (new or used) and we searched every place from Chepe to Zarcero and beyond.  Couldn't find anything I wanted at a price I thought reasonable.  So I rented cars as needed;  then my eyesight began to deteriorate and I flunked the eye test for license renewal.  Decided I didn't need to drive anymore and am still pleased with that decision.  When I lived in SJ the busses were so much better than anyplace in the US; taxis as needed were cheap.  Now in San Ramon I walk everywhere; no problem and great exercise.  Fernanda's cousin is a taxista informal, which helps both of us a lot!!!

The gas station you visited in SR is about 8 blocks from our house.  Could have eased your burdens a bit by offering a cold beer from our fridge.  Remember that for next time.  As to HNN, Fernanda has to take our 9 year old there tomorrow for his annual asthma checkup.  They'll simply take the bus (1 hour) and a taxi while in Chepe.  Total cost 12 mil.  No sweat; no worries about radiators; etc.  "Leave the driving to them."

--
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[Don Hickman]

I agree with Joe.  What a difficult trip!  While you passed a bit more than 8 blocks from me, I do have beer in the fridge.  Lol.  As for driving, I´m not giving that up yet.  Although  the wife hangs on for dear life (I think she´s just being overly dramatic), I haven´t had an accident yet that was my fault.  (I got T-boned by a red taxi a few years ago.)  My one concession is that from our house into Atenas takes me 5 minutes by myself, 10 minutes when she is with me.  So I do slow down some.  Lol.

My biggest difficulty  is remembering not to drive like a Tico when back in the States.  Next month we fly to Los Angeles to watch our grandson play in a pre-season basketball tournament.  Driving there is a bother.  Of course, now that most of the police in Indiana who knew me have retired, I even have to behave when we´re back there.  Drat.

Glad your little one (who  is not so little now) got a good report.  Let me know the next time you´re out this way and I´ll meet up with you somewhere like we did a few years ago.  As for Joe, I still need to get over to San Ramón and have that coffee.  Next time I have to go to Coopenae, Joe.

Don

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[Joe Harrison]

Sure thing, Don, I look forward to the occasion. Hope to meet you soon.  Meanwhile, best wishes for driving in LA.  I was born in one of its suburbs, Pasadena, spent my early driving years in its vicinity.  You could drive like a Tico there, sin duda, except for the fact that it's a perpetual traffic snarl.  Almost impossible to speed!!!!

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