Occasionally bits of our holidays feel like a bad episode of Top Gear, whether it is breaking down 50 km from anywhere, getting lost on the Peruvian altiplano, not being able to buy petrol in Chile and having to go to Bolivia illegally, or not being able to buy a replacement tyre in Chile when punctured on Christmas day. Today was one of those days but on a less spectacular scale.

The reason we came down to the coast was to visit a nature reserve where there are lots of flamingos and sea birds. In the book, now seven years old, it is described as a private reserve but open at weekends. On the way down the coast we had been looking out for signs for it, but saw none. However the Rough Guide book gave directions as being at km 72 south of Constitucion, eight km short of Chanco.

We got up ridiculously late today. One of the other things about Chile is that we tend to be able to sleep a lot, maybe catching up on the politics induced insomnia of the past few months. The yard of the cabanas complex was full of people coming and going. The people who run it seem to have very high cleanliness standards so that though things are simple, they are clean. Over a breakfast of Pan de Pascua, bread, cheese, tomato and avocado, we watched the comings and goings.

It was afternoon before we head back north in search of the Area Sylvestre Laguna Reloca. In the book the town of Chanco is described as a tiny village lined with colourful adobe houses. In fact it is quite a large town, with a bank and a Supermercado, and the whole area seems to be undergoing reconstruction everywhere, perhaps because the adobe houses didn't withstand the 2010 earthquake. Everywhere was a building site.

Heading up the road, the km signs didn’t correspond with kms given in the book. We drove over 35 km until we reached 172 km and there was no sign of the reserve. On the way back we saw a small sign which pointed the way to the Punta Santa Ana lighthouse but the gate was locked. Further on we came across a bend in the road with Laguna Reloca on it but there was no laguna and no birds. Further on a sign pointed down to the coast to Parcelos (parcels of land up for sale). There were small farmsteads here with their wooden water towers in the yards.

As we continued the route became sandier, and, of course, as soon as we decided to turn around, we got stuck. The rear left wheel was half buried in the sand. We dug it out and tried again. It just got worse. We collected some sticks to put under the wheels and tried again. No joy. So it was decided Joan would walk back to the farms to seek help. Kevin meanwhile had another go at digging it out. The first two farms were empty but at the third a local came out. He spoke with a very heavy accent but Joan managed to find out he had no car and no telephone, but did agree the road was sandy! Meanwhile Kevin had dug down even deeper, used the jack to lift the truck, and got wood right under the rear wheels. Finally the vehicle moved and Kevin kept on going till he saw Joan talking by the roadside. Unfortunately neither of us had the presence of mind to photgraph or film this so we can't make our own episode of Top Gear.

Back on the road, we headed back to Chanco for provisions and decided that we had had enough adventures for one day and had an early dinner – aubergine and courgette bake.