Monterrico

Despite the flooding in Monterrico, the beach was in great shape and we managed to find a sweet cabana to stay a few nights.  They had good food, a nice black sand beach and it even came with mosquito nets.

The word on Monterrico was that it was unbearably hot. We actually found it quite pleasant and certainly bearable. Since it’s the rainy season, things cooled off each afternoon and one night we had a major thunderstorm that rocked the cabana. The palapa roof didn’t leak a drop, but we still didn’t sleep much with the lighting crashing around us. I had to wonder how we would have fared in the bus.

One guy said he could help us with camping at a restaurant, but he was pretty sketchy and we passed.  Other than that or searching for a boondocking spot, there just aren’t many camping opportunities. The town starts at the end of the pavement and is really just a few dirt roads parallel to the beach.

The waves this time of year are incredibly huge and crash right on the beach, splashing 20-30 feet straight up right onshore. Hot, hot sand and giant (read: non-boogie boarding) waves meant we spent the weekend by the pool. Bode approached a few kids with no luck (French… I’m just saying…) but then he finally found his friend. Raquel and Rebecca the Canadian/Guatemalan sisters that introduced him to the world of Pet Shop toys and racing across the pool in swim rings. Will and Gabby, the girls’ parents were also very cool.

For two days we lounged by the pool and beach and barely remembered this was a 4th of July weekend.

I also had the chance to spend a little time checking the bus, fixing our inverter, adjusting the valves, etc. I opened the engine lid to find that the lever on the left of my left carb was dangling. I couldn’t find the pieces, so I’m not sure what to do here. I don’t even know what this little lever does, but it looks like it is connected to the choke. I haven’t noticed anything unusual driving (and the plugs look like the mixture is good,) but I’m guessing it needs to be fixed.

If anyone can help us out with the little bits to re-attach it to the choke (or where to order them,) we would be very grateful (contact us for a US mailing address.) From looking at the other side, it looks like I could probably put something together that would suffice, but I’d prefer to have the correct parts. I’ve had zero luck with finding old VW parts in Guatemala and I hear the same is true in El Salvador.

Other than that, I tightened my rear axle nuts (one was loose and I could hear the wheel wobbling when driving). Fortunately, I finally bought a scissor jack and I still have my axle-nut-whacker from Portland. As Christin says, “You can never have your axle nuts too tight.” I whacked ’em good and tight.