Curious about how you crossed the Darien Gap. (boat from where to where?)

WRT drivetrain, matter of perspective I guess. Your experience is not unusual (going through a complete drivetrain in less than 10K miles). In my mind, carrying a second chain (which in my case is expected to deliver... probably up to 15K miles) is preferable to hunting for parts. But I can perfectly understand that other people do prefer otherwise.