So there I was...

Yesterday was truly an epic day! It was a long weekend, so Car and her family, Max and I went to the beach house in Coronado, about 1 1/2 hours sout west from Panama City. We drove in two cars, because not all of us would fit into Car's car. So, I'm currently driving a Honda Civic, that is totally decked out for teenage sons: low riding, tinted windows, cobalt blue... NICE!! It's the family car of Maggie, one of the owners of Colegio Brader and a good friend. After two very relaxing days of pool and beach, we're ready to head back into the city. But as I start the car, I hear the deafening "click" of a dead battery. UGH. And wouldn't you know it, Car had an appointment in Panama City that afternoon, so we had no minutes to spare. After some quick thinking, Car drives off to buy some jumper cables, and sure enough, the car starts. Max falls asleep 10 minues into the drive, and we're saiiling all the way into the city. I follow Car all the way in, and split off to go to my apartment.  All is well, right? Well....

To get to my apartment, I have to take Corredor Sur, a toll highway, with the main part a bridge that spans the over the water. Each side has two lanes, and only a few feet for an emergency lane. I miss my exit, and have to cross this bridge (think 520, Seattle people). I turn around and get back on to the highway. The on ramp has one of these guard rails that is supposed to collapse when tires go over it, and pop any tire that tries to back over it. They were fixing one side last week. They didn't fix it right. I drive over it, and sure enough, hear that all too dreaded hissing sound. I now have to pull over on the Corredor Sur with a flat tire.  Thankfully, two maintenance guys come over and help me. In the meantime, I call my friend Tuty, to see if she can come and rescue us as well, even if it's just for moral support. She's on her way (so great!).

The car doesn''t have the correct wrenches, so they can't change the tire easily. Now a tow truck stops by. It turns out this is the Corredor tow truck - it's all he does! So now I am in good hands. Sign language and my pathetically limited amount of Spanish get me by. Tuty arrives. Max is still sleeping in the car.

After $15 of tips (not bad!!), I am now following Tuty back into Panama to find a Bridgestone to get the tire fixed. I pull off the highway, and sure enough, have flat tire #2! Front tire this time. I made it about 2 blocks away to the tire place, and pull over on the side of the street. Another nice guy comes up to us to see if he can help. Yes, please! He asks me to start the car again and straighten out the wheel. Wait for it... dead battery! At this point, Tuty and I are bent over laughing.

But here is the great part, and something that I think I am learning about Panama. Where there is a will, there is a way.  Instead of waiting for a tow truck (lots of money and seemingly too complicated), Tuty loads tire #1 into her car, and drives it to Bridgestone. At the same time, Tuty calls Casa Batteria, a mobile car battery repair service, to come and take a look at the battery.  (I just stand on the side of the road, looking helpless.) A guy on a moped shows up within 10 minutes and fixes the battery - it was just a loose connection. He speaks English! :)

Now we can straighten the wheel so that the guy who is helping us can take off flat tire #2.  He does. Tuty loads it in her car, and drives it over there, and brings back tire #1. Nice Guy puts it on, and we're off. But not without setting off the car alarm, which, of course, I don't know how to turn off because it's not my car. So, I'm literally limping to Bridgestonne with Max in the back seat (now watching a movie), and the car alarm is going off.  To say that we turned some heads is an understatement.

But sure enough, Bridgestone exchanges both tires, cuts the cord to the alarm, and we're off.  The whole thing, from me getting a flat tire on the Corredor, to driving away from Bridgestone, took about 90 minutes. I kid you not!!

We come back home to find that Ana, our nanny, wasn't home yet, and since she has yet to show up, we can safely assume that she's not coming back, either!! Ugh. Unfortunately, this is quite common here, and everyone shrugs their shoulders, and says: "Yeah, that's the way it goes."

But I have enrolled Max in his school on a full-time basis now, so he gets to be there until I get off from work. So, in some ways, we're back in familiar territory, and I think that's going to be o.k., at least for a little while. Then we'll try to find a nanny again.