Although our car looks like new, we bought it used, and the inspection is due this month. Being October 1st, and being us, we decided to get the process started today. There are a few steps, and with Clyde showing Ray the way these past few months (and using what we learned from their blog along with forums), Ray had a good idea of what needed to be done. He had also contacted Monica, the woman that helped us buy the car, to find out where we needed to go for the license plate (called "placa"). She gave us the usual directions which I will write about later, but first...getting the revisado (or inspection haha). Clyde had told us at one time that we could try Tambor near Coronado. It is a tire place, but the signs all say "Toyota" this and that, so it almost looks like a service station for Toyota. But he also told us he never had any luck with the service department ever being able to do anything there for him (come back tomorrow). He suggested a shop in Capira. And he showed us one day where this shop is located in Capira. Then last night after our trip to Aguadulce, I was catching up on emails. A man from the Altos del Maria yahoo forum was asking about Tambor. He was told to "come back tomorrow". This was just like we had been told two days ago--there wasn't any printer ink two days ago. He asked about another place west of Coronado. The forum lit up with responses giving directions to Lasso (another tire shop). It was decided that Ray would drive ten minutes up the road to find this place first. Bright eyed and bushy tailed he set out before eight am, and he did indeed find Lasso. He asked the service man if he did revisados. And just to clarify, the word
revisado means to look over something or investigate something to correct any errors. Back to the service man--Yes he does revisados! But alas, there wasn't any power, so it couldn't be done at the moment. You know, "come back tomorrow". Sticking with Plan A again, Ray came by the house to pick me up and off we went to Capira. We were second in line. We were in and done within fifteen minutes. For the revisado, a camera is put onto a tripod, pictures are taken at two different angles for the front of the car, and then another picture is taken of the back of the car. Oh, but first the man makes sure, on the computer, that there aren't any outstanding tickets. If there are, you have to go to another building, pay your fines, and then you can get this task completed. The revisado cost $15. Next stop, the copy shop. We needed two copies made of the paperwork we were given, and we found the cellular and internet shop with a copy machine around the corner from the service station. Ten cents for two copies.
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| Camera has not been brought to the car yet. |
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| Camera is set up on left and right side to "check" the car. The car is then BACKED in so the camera can take a picture of the rear. |
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| This is the shop in Capira. |
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| Capira park nearby (hazy day) |
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| Puma Gas station across the street |
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| Police officer and others having breakfast (car is now backed in). Notice large blue water tank for "extra" water. |
Off we go to Pedregal, Panama. Monica had given us these instructions to try and find the municipal building. From her email to Ray: there is a McDonald's of Pedregal which is right by the main road that goes towards the Tocumen International Airport. The Municipio is located across the street in a mini-mall and parking is scarce. Some people drop someone off at McDonald's to eat something and leave the car there while in the Municipio." And she sent him a map.
We found the building easily, there was plenty of parking down a hill in what looked like a new dug out lot, and we walked up to the Orientation desk. It is now 10:35. The very nice guard at this desk spoke to us (and commended us on our Spanish haha), took our papers, asked for the copies, and gave us a number. I told him it was probably the best number ever. And he agreed. Number 80. We took a seat and had five numbers ahead of us. Ray fortunately got to sit with the employee with the SLOW and almost broken down, but not quite, computer. I walked up with Ray, but noticing the very long line at the cashier windows, I decided to hop on that line. No harm in trying this out. My line moved slowly, but not as slowly as that computer. It only took Ray fifteen minutes with the slow computer (this in comparison to maybe five to not even ten minutes for the other windows), but I had jumped off the line to join him. I was concerned that we were missing a paper, since I didn't know there were technical errors. Back on the cashier line at 11:00, we pay $29 for the license plate. There were no signs indicating "no cell phones", but I was told politely while Ray was paying that I couldn't be typing on my phone (I was taking notes lol). Over to the "placas" line, we show them our receipt that we had just paid, and the employee behind this window starts the search for the October plate. There were many people that were picking up September plates still. We were told that since it was October 1st, we should come back mañana (used a lot in Panama). He bowed his head when he asked where we lived, and we told him Chame (since it is quite a drive). It wasn't even 11:20 though! WOW! While we won't return tomorrow, we will go back when in the City again (in about two weeks) with receipt in hand. It shouldn't be a big deal, right. Just show the receipt at the "placas" window and pick up an October plate? The super nice guard looked at our empty hands and questioned where our plate was, and we told him "mañana". So close, but hey, it was all easy enough. One more task almost complete, and we are learning even more Spanish along the way. (Note: We may choose to change the Municipality to Chame, so we don't have to drive into the city yearly, but this was pretty easy, and there can always be a reason to go to the city.)
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| Crazy looking Biodiversity Museum almost open (the bright colored odd building) |
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| Driving along the Cinta Costera |
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| The views out a dirty front window |
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| Casco Viejo on the other side |
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| Only one's on the road at ten am |
When in the city, or close to it, we shop at PriceMart. After accomplishing some shopping, we then stopped by Westland Mall for a late lunch and saw a movie that actually had the right time posted today. We saw and really enjoyed the movie "This Is Where I Leave You" and ended the day. But first one more thing I will include here is that the other day Ray had said one thing he misses when we are taking road trips, or driving in general, in the States are the Sheetz and WaWa style gas stations. He liked being able to swing into one for gas and to be able to satisfy a junk food craving or buy a large soda with ice. Chinos here just aren't the same as 7-11's. When I told Terry this, she told us about a gas station on the way back from the mall that had an "On the Go" style shop. It is a Puma Gas Station in La Chorrera with a Super 7. Inside the shop, there was a machine with fountain drinks. A station to have sandwiches made. A coffee station. Cotton Candy. Candy Bars. Chips, and cookies (Panamanian and American with the same little bags but big prices). Back to the soda machine, there were no cups. We assumed the machine was broken, so we bought drinks from the refrigerator case. I then saw the cups behind the counter, and I realized they just hadn't refilled the cup holders. Imagine my surprise! And when I asked for a cup so I could get some ice, I was offered a small styrofoam cup. A little miffed here, I politely (sort of) said "no thank you". But wait, Ray found his junk food. So what can't you find in Panama!
Once back to the house, we talked to our neighbor, Gus and his wife, Adele. We practiced Spanish. Adele speaks little English, but she loves listening to us practice our Spanish. We told them about our day. We told them that more students were in Chame lining the roads for a parade again. He made a call, and it seems there is a school anniversary to be celebrated tonight. More fireworks! And we also told them that not one, but two tractor trailers had jackknifed and crashed on the mountain road between here and the mall. Fortunately, it didn't look like the drivers would have been hurt in the crashes, and while both of these accidents happened within a mile of each other on a steep downhill, they happened long before we were in the area. Another thing to note here is that when there is an accident or construction along the highway and a lane is blocked, the crews here put out the orange cones RIGHT AT THE OCCURRENCE OF THE INCIDENCE. No warning usually. The two or three lanes just merge right away. The good in this--there isn't a ten mile back up like in Virginia coming up to the lane closure or accident. The bad in this--there isn't any warning, and it might be perceived as a little more dangerous. You think? TIP. lol
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