Cars and Clocks

After another full day's travel, we arrived at a friend of friend's place outside of Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica. Our approach already heavily delayed at the border, we met more resistance from intermittent downpours and dirt roads. A full day of travel behind us, albeit only 5 actually driving, we made our ascent up Marie and Hank's steep drive way.

During the drive, our engine still topped out in third gear. While we were once the car passing tractor trailers and buses on straight-aways, it is increasingly us being passed. Our max speed on this leg was probably 55mph, a far cry from the low 90s of Northern Mexico. The gas mileage has fallen to the lowest of the trip, about 19 or 20 mpg.

Also time has quickly become a concern. We voluntarily spent an additional day in Oaxaca given great accommodations and company. We opted for an additional day in Guatemala in order to be part of the caravan to the El Salvador border. The lost passport of Ometepe cost us a day in Nicaragua and the border fiasco of July 30 cost us an early arrival at the Costa Rica beaches. All said, we are nearly 4 days behind the pace we conceived necessary to reach Panama.

Given the time crunch and the devolving state of the car, Andrew and I had the talk tonight. We are going to investigate ways to make Costa Rica the final resting place of Detroit-born Randal Spirit.

Randal and the American Spirit:
 

Wires from Taiwan
Fabrics, Filipino
Steel from Mexico
Drempt together in Detroit by Italian-born, Gino

A global patchwork dated in the last century
Before the baseball strike, Friends' debut, or Madoff's stay in penitentiary

This perfect combination left to bake overnight
Rise hope, dreams, diversity, deep wisdom, and insight

This product delighted old Clarence Rahn
He rode proudly amongst carriages and buggies, horse-drawn

But as Clarance grew old, the Spirit would ride
Down to Washington, DC where arms opened wide

To embrace the old paint and youth under the hood
Proudly parked next to Beamers at Booz Allen it stood

Some parts needed fixing and others replaced
Levi in Lantham and Ray in VA lent expertise

Always another journey still lay in store
The essence of both man and machine needed a pour

Because Spirit doesn't sit still, it roams and it seeks
Despite tight mountain passes and low lying creeks

Through highlands and lowlands, freeways and toll
The Spirit began to rumble but continued to roll

Adventures too numerous from New York to Topeka
Will Spirit stir again on the beaches of Costa Rica?

******

Those of you who have seen me with Randal, rode, driven, or just worked the gas pedal, now is the time for parting words.