Yes, as it turns out….

I didn’t have to roll around underneath my car to change out the center link,  or the universal joints, or lube the front end, or repair the muffler hanger.

I got all that done for 45 buks by a guy recommended to me by the owners of the shop where I got my tires balanced.  I’ve learned that good people usually travel in groups, so when I went back there to get the rim-leaks on my two tires repaired, I inquired.

He gave me the number of “their” guy they use to repair their vehicles…. “in fact, he is coming here later today so I can pay him, because I owe him for work that he’s done for me”.

Wow.  A better recommendation is hard to find.   I mean really, really, hard to find.

I met the guy later that day, met him again the morning after, followed him to his place which is walking distance from when we were staying, and he had the job done by 3 PM.  Best 45 buks ever.

Now, the steering wheel is tight, I can feel the road again, everything is lubed and ready for whatever, and all that remains is an alignment, which will happen tomorrow morning.

Yesterday was a busy day, because I like to clump all sort of things together, y’see, so while all that was happening, I visited with Lees’ lawyer to ask what my prospects were about leaving the country with my car.

She’s this little dynamo in spike heels, that stands about 5′ 4″ or so.  After a short discussion, she had me wait in her front room while she made some calls, and then we jumped in her SUV.

There are times when you just stare out the window because you just don’t want to look ahead.  This little lady could barely see over the dash.  Imagine Kilroy in an SUV.

We made it to her pals’ place alive, the two of them talked with each other rapid-fire, with me catching about 40% of the conversation… sitting there in flip-flops, shorts, and a stinky T… Just smile, Mike, smile.

Well, it turns out it is possible for me to leave the country at any time, I have all the papers necessary to do so, and the other guy was just being a jerk.  Shame, shame, shame….

Perhaps I wait for my return from Costly Rica to visit this other fellow and show him my papers that he said I couldn’t get, but being sure to point everything out with my middle finger.

“See?  Right here…. and here…, and here is where my name goes… no, look closer….”

It’s probably bad to think that way, and chances are slim that I’ll ever really do something like that…. but thinking isn’t doing is it?  It’s been hard enough to let it go, let alone to find I was right after all.  I’m thinking a little venting is ok.

To ice the cake, we switched rooms lately.  Just a little down the street is another hostal.  I didn’t know it was there because the sign is covered with vegetation you can’t see through when walking on the sidewalk.

They coughed out a weekly rate for us, $25/day, with A/C, hot water, two double beds, front and back door, shared kitchen, a little bar sink in the room, parking off the street, swimming pool (although pretty gross), WiFi in the room, and TV with the typical one billion channels.

Sold.  I paid one night at the full rate, and squared with him in the morning.  There’s some dogs yipping at night, the A/C is smarter than me at this point (but I’ll get it), and the TV in the room is in about the stupidest spot imaginable (it will brain you at night when you get up to use the can), but this is Panama.  Foresight isn’t required here.  Or initiative, for that matter, and yes, we’ve been here long enough to say that conclusively.

What it is, is a change from the Pension, where the mid-afternoons were absolutely insufferable without A/C.  We’ve traded chickens and dogs for other dogs, but at this time of year A/C is what sold it, especially seeing as next week calls for 37C and then some.

I don’t have a clue how Panamanians can not only weather this heat, but do so with jeans, and long-sleeved shirts on.  It’s beyond us, and already I miss the scene over at the Pension.  Saying “Hi” every morning, chatting with Lee about whatever was on tap that day, the morning routine of coffee making, etc…  It’s our second home, so thankfully, its just a half-block to visit.

In any case, it’s been a busy few days, and productive ones at that, and I’m happy to just lay here on the bed with the A/C blowing at my feet, and think about pulling a blanket over them.