La Limosina

We have many amazing adventures in Cub@. One of which was our mode of transportation. It was this old, rusted out Toyota van that we dubbed La Limosina....I'm guessing a translation is not need.  But a description is.  The is nothing in the dashboard of La Limosina.  No odometer, no speedometer, no radio, no dials, nothing.  Most of the starter is there. That is a good thing.  Within a few minutes of our loading up a storm came over Hav@na.  Not good because, although there was a windshied wiper, there was only one, and it didn't work.  And there wasn't a defroster (or heat or air conditioning for that matter.) So, as it rained the window steamed up and Kevin and Jose had to constantly wipe down the inside of the windshield so Jose could see to drive. No matter how I tried, I couldn't convince Kevin to reach outside and wipe the water off of the outside.

To let you further experience the ambience of La Limosina, you should know that the sliding door on the side fell off if you didn't hold it on when you opened it.  The window on the left side had cracked and actually been sewn back together with wire. There were several holes in the bottom so some of our luggage got pretty wet during our storm (the only time it rained while we were there, by the way.)

We spent our first full day of our trip doing several days in the city and then headed out into the country that evening.  We started out knowing we would be at the house in plenty of time for dinner.  Then we hit the hill.  A really really loooooooooong hill.  And La Limosina started to climb. And the higher she climbed the slower she got.  The adults were all trying to will her to go up the hill.  I think we were leaning forward.  I know we were all praying. 

So, we did what you do in Cub@.  We stopped in a little town at a church were Jose happened to know the pastor and asked if they knew a mechanic.  They did and told us where to find him. So we went looking for the mechanic.  Which was good, but nobody in the neighborhood seemed to know where he lived or who he was.  And very few people have phones so there was no one to call.  So eventually we gave up and went back on the pot-holed highway and started up that loooooong hill once again.

And, you guessed it, the further up the hill we got, the slower we went. Do you ever feel like that in life? Like you struggle up hill all of the time and work so hard and just seem to roll backwards?  And you are praying to God and wondering where He is? Because it sure isn't getting any easier.

So, as we are struggling along, Jose pulls over to the side where there are some men alongside the road. He explains to the what is happening and they offer to call a mechanic they know and we will just need to wait for him to come help us.  Okay.  So we wait.  And we wait.  And we wait.