The camper has been in the Toyota garage in Villahermosa since December 4 with the promise that the works will only start on December 12, which we can live with. The loft we rent is comfortable and the contact with the host is very good. Michel is happy that he can cook and Roos that she can enjoy his cooking again. We transfer many things from the tsjolbak and thus have more comfort. By taxi we visit the observation tower of the Astronomica Observatories, 205 steps with a beautiful view of the city as a reward.
The Parque Musea La Venta is also worth a visit, there is a small zoo, but it is mainly the giant Olmec heads that steal the show. The work does not start on December 12 because the workshop supervisor suddenly realizes that he has no manual and Toyota Mexico City cannot find one either. After a few phone calls to friends in Belgium and Namibia, Michel finds a German-language version and it is considered usable. However, work is done very slowly and communication is difficult. After a week we still do not know what is wrong. Some searching on the internet reveals that the Comalcalco Maya site is only an hour’s bus drive away. On Sunday we visit that unique site, this time made in red baked clay. The outward journey is far from comfortable due to the overcrowding in the bus, which has 13 seats, at one point 21 people are sitting or standing in the van at 106 km per hour. With every abrupt movement we get a leg or a handbag against our body or head.
For the way back we find a larger bus with only seats. During the week we explore the numerous immense department stores in Villahermosa, a city of 1 million inhabitants, in two of which we have a loyalty card that comes in handy to buy gigantic crab legs to celebrate Roos’ birthday. On December 20, the cause of the problem is found: two gears in the transfer case have lost a number of teeth.
Michel panics at the thought that the damage is irreparable. Only a new tank seems to be the solution. It is available in the Netherlands and Germany. After a few late night phone calls, there is 7 hours time difference, the sellers in Europe suggest to disassembly the gearbox to check if it has to be replaced.
The next few days they work faster after our host Alex has a telephone conversation with the garage manager. On Friday December 23 we receive a WhatsApp message that the gearbox is OK. Shortly afterwards we will receive photos of the parts that need to be replaced. Alex is also happy when he reads the messages that things are moving forward. On Christmas Eve we eat crawfish tails on the grill and have a good time. What we do not realize, however, is that they want us to order the parts, an impossible task based on a few photos. Alex now also realizes that the Toyota staff is not reliable and calls the manager again. We will have a conversation on Tuesday, December 26, Michel’s birthday.
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