Challenges: solar, money, and all that

The solar has NOT held its charge over the night - and that is without running a thing! So the batteries are fucked and it looks like it is going to be really costly to repair my solar system, at least here. And in all of Mexico, I have the best chance of fixing it here. Thank gawd for credit cards, eh?

Maybe I can convince my dear friend Shazam to come to Mexico with her tools and repair it! We'll see.

So living without electricity is not the worse thing in the world. Living without access to the internet is much worse!

But internet access has been pretty abundant all throughout Mexico, even the tiniest pueblos have internet cafes!

The road to Cuernavaca is strewn with toll charges - it would probably cost me over $100 dollars u.s. to travel the 4 plus hours there. The free roads add time and distance but I have a full tank of veggie oil, so distance doesn't matter. And I have time.

One of my brand new tires is 'chipping' off in chunks around the outer edge. Yes, I'm pissed. When I bought the tires, I had to return the next day because the truck was vibrating. I was told the tire wasn't balanced properly.

Okay, they balanced it and the truck felt better.

Then about a month into Mexico I saw a huge chunk missing and I couldn't imagine what I drove over to do that kind of damage. As I've been reporting, the roads in Mexico are 99% newly paved and smooth.

Now I see that more chunks have been liberated from the edge of the tire. So I'm torn - do I replace the tire now or get a few more miles out of it.

As I'm heading into the mountains, I think I better replace it now. Another zillion dollars! Maybe not.