Something is in the air, the psychosis of a new virus. We had to change planes at one of the airports in the United States and we noticed that it was almost empty. We spent a few hours in the lounge at the airport; the staff was wearing masks and gloves. Everything looked normal on the plane, even though the news reported high risk of infection onboard. In 2003, there was SARS, which, like the coronavirus, originated in China. SARS was contained within a few months. This pandemic should be similar; we take precautions and are not worried much.

We are in Mexico again. A Taxi ride from the Oaxaca airport to Santa Maria del Tule and we returned to where we had left exactly three months ago, at Edgar’s place behind a small grocery store. Our Jeep Wrangler we call Balios was waiting for us. It started on single battery without any issues. First, we had to buy water and some groceries. Next, we went to the car wash, Balios was covered with a thick layer of dust. Eventually, we got to Overlander Oasis where Leanne and Calvin greeted us.

Our plan was to drive directly to Guatemala and continue the journey south through Central America to Panama. From there we will turn back and drive all the way to the USA. For such a long journey, we need to be well prepared to make it as pleasant as possible. With that in mind, we had tons of things to do the next morning. I washed the seat covers and cleaned the car’s interior. Eva sorted out our wardrobe. This time there was no sign of rodents inside. What a relief.

The most time however took me to fix the electrical problems that started on mountain roads in Guatemala. First, I changed a halogen power wire; there was short circuit on the bumper. I also installed two new inline fuse holders, one was damaged causing a shortcut, and the other one melted. We needed to install new batteries because one of them was dead and the other was already 4 years old. Calvin helped me buy two new Optima batteries. They were waiting for us. Finally, I replaced the alternator I brought with me. The battery light was on and off, indicating that the old alternator was dying.

I was scratching my head all the time why suddenly the battery and alternator broke one by one. I could not believe the vibration on rough roads would be the cause. After making all the repairs, I realized that it was a domino effect caused by a cable connected to the fuse socket on the battery. Probably due to the heat under the hood, it split at the factory joint. A bare wire touched the battery mounting beam, causing a short circuit, which in turn damaged one of the cells in the battery and after a week it stopped charging. Not only was the alternator unable to recharge the failed battery, it was in fact operating as if the circuit was open. It was my fault. I should have disconnected the broken battery from the system, but I did not. The broken cell did not allow the current to flow through the battery. As a result, it was like a loose connection on the battery terminal and the cause of the premature failure of the alternator. The standard question in such a situation is how to prevent it for the future. The exposed metal beam keeping two batteries in place is electrically grounded and just waiting for some live cable to cause a short circuit. It is the weakest point of my entire electrical expansion. I realized that it is necessary to insulate all metal parts around the batteries, and shield the battery terminals and wire connectors. I have to deal with this when I get home.

After 10 hours of work, we were ready to go. During our farewell to Oasis, Calvin mentioned the plans to close the borders of El Salvador and Guatemala. The news was disturbing, but the shutdown was only to be temporary for two weeks. We left in the direction to Guatemala at 7 PM. After driving about 4 hours, we stopped for a night in a dry forest near Guiengola.