Meeting overlanders in el Chaco – and finding the OEM clutch-pedal spring

As we passed the border from Bolivia to Paraguay, we passed part of the Paraguayan “el Chaco” (the name is reportedly of Quechua origin and means “hunting land”) – a dry, subtropical region that covers parts of Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil. It´s an open and mostly flat area with relatively few and small villages, interestingly many of Mennonite and/or Jesuit influence. We passed huge, deserted areas, sometimes interrupted by deviations on dirt roads due to ongoing road work, but mostly on roads in good condition.  We had several stops during our crossing and in one of these casual stops, we stopped at a gas station diner. During one of these stops, we suddenly found ourselves at a “must” stop for overlanders and soon had a lively conversation going with others. As so often, we were introduced by Black – amongst other to Mauricio a young Paraguayan traveling with his Argentine girlfriend in an overlanding prepared Toyota Hilux. And, as the opportunity seemed right, I brought up the theme of my emergency-repaired clutch-spring which by wonder had worked perfectly for many thousands of kilometers and which I curiously had not been able to find a replacement for neither in Peru nor in Bolivia.

We were soon given the phone number of a highly recommended overlander-mechanic in Asunción named Kenhi. And after a few days rest and sightseeing, we contacted him. To our surprise and great satisfaction Kenhi managed to locate and install the lacking original Toyota Land Cruiser spring (from a 2^nd hand vehicle) and thus managed to rebuild the OEM-designed clutch-pedal. And all of this, took place based on a chance meeting in a gas-station diner in el Chaco.  On the photo, Mona is relaxing with Black in car seats provided by Kenhi and his team.  

When travelling we gratefully often reflect on the existence of angels – on this huge continent how could we by chance meet Mauricio at a Paraguayan highway-diner and find our missing clutch-spring after failing to do so in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia?