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14 DECEMBER 2005 - A day for the cars at Ushuaia
We said goodbye to the Brazilian’s once more, had the usual processed ham and cheese breakfast and then Ivor, Alan and myself took the cars to the garage for 9am, greatly wanting to see the underside of the cars. Chris and Julian could do nothing to help our end, so they were hoping to go on a short flight into the Andes.
First Ivor’s 100/4 went up on the ramp, brake pipes good, wiring loom was tucked out of the way, nuts looked tight, air cleaner was falling off, but soon fixed. There were only two problems, one was the exhaust and the other the rust he didn’t know about – particularly around one rear spring hanger. The stones had pummelled the weakened metal and started to peel the area apart, this would need welding.
Next the Westie went up. She was fine, the stone blasting showed up a couple of soft areas of wood(!) (her body is built over an ash frame), apart from an oil leak – no problems. Then Julian’s 100/6, less damage to the chassis from rust/stones than Ivor’s, but the same basic problem – a weakened rear spring hanger and exhaust mountings. The only other area of concern is the location of his wiring loom, it is completely exposed and its covering is already looking frayed. The garage then let a mechanic lead us to an exhaust repair garage ‘ Schumacher’s ’ where a large blond, blue eyed Argentinean agreed to work on Ivor and Julian’s exhausts. We should return for them at 4pm. It was now a little after 11am. So we would have time for some sightseeing. We all hopped back into the Westie and agreed to try to make the 12pm steam train on ‘the end of the world line’. Sounds a bit corny, but the timing should work.
We got back to the hotel just in time for Chris and Julian to arrive back after their flight. They had indeed managed a flight over the Andes, Chris had even taken control for a few minutes. Julian is a very experienced traveller and so instinct cut in, and he fell asleep for some of the trip (very sensible with Chris driving!).
We all piled into a couple of Taxi’s and headed off to the railway station, 8km out of town and a 30 pesos fare. Unfortunately one of our taxis also piled into our taxi in front as the driver was gabbing in Spanish to Chris about something. No real damage done apart from surprise.
We arrived too late for the train, the next was not for another 3 hours. The history was the it was an old logging railway. The man there told us that although it was a good ride if you had the time, it was only a 7km line and the scenery was not really different at the other end. With little time available we would be better going to the museum. So we did.
The museum was the old ‘Ushuaia Jail and Military prison’. Argentina opened Tierra del Fuego as a penal colony in the early 20th C and built a huge prison there. The museum was well done, with statues of famous prisoners there, mass murderers, child murderers, Russian anarchists, political activists – over the 40 or more years the prison was in full swing quite a few were there. By 1920 the jail had 380 single cells, but over 600 prisoners. It was finally closed in 1947. Accounts by some of the prisoners of their treatment in the prison survive. Imprisonment in complete darkness, half rations, beatings, theft of what little they had. The particularly harsh treatment seems to have been targeted to selected prisoners, such as the Russian anarchist who blew up the chief of police.
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The rest of the museum is dedicated to wildlife exhibits, the history of the region, the history of exploration, shipwrecks, pirates – in fact every square inch of this huge building is full. Two café’s and souvenir shops – but they of course are closed from 1 to 3…
We walked into town looking for food and enjoyed a simple baguette sandwich, the kind of ordinary food much missed.
We all split up and did a little souvenir hunting. Things are so expensive here that we bought very little, the prices are testament to the 2 cruise ships in the harbour I guess.
At 4 Alan, Ivor and I piled into the Westie again and back to the garage. The only problem was we couldn’t remember where it was – but we got there in the end. The cars’ exhausts were fixed so it was now back to the first garage for the welding – but not before I spotted the new leather bonnet strap on the Westie was tearing. This I really needed to be good to avoid the problem to the bonnet coming up on me again, my neck has only just recovered! So we riveted a new section down, double thickness leather this time, and off we went. Smiles, photos from the garage – and to make sure we got there the garage owner even drove in front of us in his truck. We were told by this garage they could fit us in at 7pm.
While we were waiting for the other cars to be welded it was my chance to work on the Westie. All cars had been greased up when they were up on the ramp earlier. Now to track the elusive fuel leak, improve the accelerator return spring, adjust the brakes, track the oil leak. All done, the consensus on the oil leak is it is general weeping from a few areas, and nothing to worry about. I am not quite convinced as it is quite a lot that I am leaking, we will have to keep an eye on it.
Ivor’s car goes in. Lots of sign language, arms in the air pretending to weld and make welding noises. Nodding. The car goes up on the ramp. They steam clean the underside, to make it clean for welding we guess. Ok, all finished, they sign. Eh? Something was definitely lost in translation, they thought we wanted the underside cleaned, not welded! The original mechanic had finished, and his back to back hadn’t been told. So, the message was, come back at 9am tomorrow.
Back to the hotel. A debate over beers. The exhaust mechanic told us not to go the route we were intending with these cars, it was too rough. Luckily for us the Brazilians were going that way first, so we could decide then based on what they find. Anyway, the important thing was to get Ivor and Julian’s cars welded before any very serious damage occurred due to the rear suspension tearing away.
We walked along the sea front toward a wreck that was left there in the bay, scenic in its own way, and to a restaurant overlooking the bay. What a view from the restaurant, but the food is probably best ignored. Let’s just say few got what they ordered and no one managed to eat it all, and not because there was too much. It was also the only place I have been that has those little moth-ball things not just in the loos, but also in the hand basins..! The tip tray in the loo was full of cigarette ash, showing what the other customers thought.
Back to the hotel, an Internet session and bed a little after 12.
Tomorrow
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