Had to borrow a dress to complete a bureaucratic process

We have now reached Panama City and embarked on the administrative process to ship our van to Columbia. I like Panama City, there are plenty of tall buildings of various styles and uncommon architecture and The Bridge of the Americas (Puente de las Americas) crossing the channel is absolutely stunning. We went to the Panama Channel yesterday to watch huge cargo ships going through the various locks, it is very impressive. The largest ships have only half a meter space on each side so they are guided by cables. Some carry up to 5’000 containers piled up on their decks. It is some kind of miracle that they do not fall off (or maybe some do?). 

But back to our main business: we went to the shipping company this morning. The first step is to get a clearance from the police allowing us to export our vehicle from Panama. So we had to go to the police headquarters to get the car inspected: that was easy enough, the inspection was just about taking the VIN of the car and comparing it with the title… We had to come back at 2pm to get the clearance. At 2pm, I was back, but was denied entry because…. I was wearing shorts… not very short shorts though, just above the knee, nothing really indecent here, but shorts still… it is around 30°C here, so what are we expected to wear? Well, we wear the same thing as Panamanians, shorts... I was going to go back to our hotel (no campgrounds in Panama City) and come back the next day, when enlightenment stroke: I went to the street and borrowed a skirt… from a woman selling food on the street, she had a spare one. I put it on over my shorts, I was looking like a clown, but could enter the police station and retrieve the clearance. I gave it back to the woman afterwards of course, we both had a good laugh about this (and my Spanish improved once more). Maybe she will start a new business renting trousers and dresses in from of the police station???

Our car is again at the workshop due to the terrible roads we have encountered in Costa Rica and Panama. In my opinion, these roads are a public safety issue.  They are bumpy, patched, full of huge potholes and are thus killing our vehicle slowly but surely… this time it is something in the suspension. It seems that wealthiest countries have the poorest roads, surprising but true. Honduras has fantastic roads, Nicaragua and Guatemala have good roads. But Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama… Gosh… cannot wait to see what the next countries are like!!! We have already booked an appointment with the Dodge dealer in Carthagena, Columbia to have the car fully serviced before we embark on the Andes mountains…