Fortaleza in a Fiat

Just consider this photo for a minute.  This is from a trip to Fortaleza in our little white Fiat Uno back in April 2024.

Byron and I needed to go to Fortaleza for a conference.  The little Fiat seemed like just the right choice to save on fuel costs.  We have had it for a few years as a spare car.  We decided to take a scenic route through a town called Ararapina.

One of the people who visit regularly along our ministry route was born and raised nearby.  We wanted to take lots of photos and show them how much the place has grown up since they lived there.

We enjoyed our ride and were making fairly good time.  The trip from Sobradinho to Fortaleza is about 850 kilometers.  We had hoped to arrive in one day.  Alas, we encountered a small problem just after dark.

The poor little Fiat's engine blew.  We had just passed a little city called Boa Viagem and were sitting right at the turn off for an interior we knew well called Madeira Cortada.  And there was very limited cell coverage.

It took a bit, but finally a kind soul that was making the turn, stopped and lent us a hand.  He was able to get a call out to a tow truck and got us hauled back into the little city.  We found a spot for supper and a little hotel for the night.

The next day instead of spending time in Fortaleza with friends before the conference, we waited to see what the damages were going to be.  The shop said it would take several days to fix.  So, we caught a ride in a private car the rest of the way to Fortaleza.

Sad thing was that Byron was scheduled for the first of two eye surgeries that very next week after the conference.  We were not going to make it back home in time for that since we would have to get the car on the return.

Since we now had plenty of time after the conference, we decided to stop and see a longtime friend one the way back to Sobradinho.  He lives in the middle in an area of lots of sand.  We had a hard time finding his little community. 

On the way out Google Maps sent us on a little wild goose chase short cut to get back to the highway.  Here is where we ended up!  Stuck!

Very stuck and not exactly sure what to do.  We were in the middle of nowhere with no houses nearby.

So, Byron did what any good recovery man would.  He started digging.  The dirt was soft and many of what looked like rocks were just compacted sand.  It took a bit, but after removing the front bumper, he got it out!

What's the moral of this story?  Sometimes it's nice to stop along the way and see friends.  Sometimes it's better just to go straight to where you need to go.  It's always good to enjoy the ride.