When I went to the Feria del Autos, the 'Auto Market', I was still very uncertain as to what I was going to do with respect to my mission to drive to Tierra Del Fuego. The loss of Baby Blue had taken its toll on me emotionally, along with some personal matters I had been dealing with. I could quit and go home. I could continue by public transport. Or I could purchase another vehicle and carry on. 

Going home certainly had its appeal. Continuing by bus had very little appeal. The hassle with luggage, the physical discomfort, the security risks, the irregularity and the inflexibility... I could go on and on. It was not a realistic option for me. Purchasing another vehicle seemed quite daunting as well. That is, until I met Jorge at the Auto Market. 

The Auto Market is held twice a week in El Alto, 'The Heights', a suburb above La Paz. Mostly private owners and a few dealers bring their cars to this flea market or swap meet for car buyers. In shopping around I found that Baby Blue was actually much more valuable here than in the states. By almost three times!

In Tucson I paid about $2000 for Baby Blue, a 1985 Toyota four-wheel-drive pick-up. She would have easily fetched 5-6K here in Bolivia or Peru. I didn't think I wanted to spend that much on a replacement. I considered a few small Japanese sedans; they were not very exciting, but they were cheaper and they would have gotten me down the highway.

Then I came across a couple of Toyota Land Cruisers, all vintage around 1980 and in the neighborhood of three thousand dollars. That's when I started to get excited about driving again. 

From my preliminary research prior to purchasing Baby Blue, the consensus for the best vehicle for my trip was an early model Toyota pick-up or a Toyota Land Cruiser. A Land Cruiser is an indestructible cross between a Land Rover, a Jeep and a tank! Originally, I had been more familiar and comfortable with small pick-ups. Hence, the purchase of Baby Blue from the start.