Guapiles

Wednesday was a day of frustration.  If the universe was conducting a patience test – I failed.

I had told Berny that I would get to his office in Limon about 10 am.  In anticipation of a slow process and the need to get it started early I took the 7:30 am bus from Puerto Viejo and arrived at his office at 9 am.  I drove out of Puerto Viejo at 5:15 pm.

The first order of business was to find the new bill of lading.  We finally had it in hand about 11 am.  Then Berny’s assistant had to take it, all my documents (title, license, passport) somewhere – I’m not sure where but I think to get a new insurance document. He was back and rushing to the port, with me in tow at 11:45.

In the meantime I had been asking Berny about all the additional charges.  On Friday before the discovery of the mistake on the b/l I was told I needed to pay Berny $250.  It was my understanding that was the total fee for the port, customs and for Berny.  The discover of the mistake was at the last step.  If there had been no mistake I would have paid Berny and driven the car off the lot.

On Monday he informed me that the there was an additional $85 needed for the company that took the car out of the container because the container was not going to San Jose. Why there was ever any thought of it going to San Jose and why that should cost me $85 was never explained.  I was also informed that there were additional charges for Hapag Lloyd totaling $233.  I had been told there may be additional charges for Hapag Lloyd in Limon when I shipped the car in Guayaquil.  But on Friday there had been no charges.  In questioning Hapag Lloyd the only answer I was given was that my representative, Miguel, had been out of the office.

Berny also casually mentioned to me that there was an additional $60 to a separate company that is involved with the storage of my car.  That information didn’t arise until around 11:30 am on Wednesday.  As I had specifically asked Berny and Hapag Lloyd to email me a full accounting of the costs on Monday and received that email on Tuesday I was at a loss as to why new charges kept popping up.

Miguel, my representative at Hapag Lloyd, who is the only person that really ever tried to answer my questions and let me know what was going on, had explained that the costs were detailed on the b/l.  When I got the new b/l that was certainly the case.  Hapag Lloyd in San Jose had shown the total amount billed in Guayaquil, what was paid there and what was owing Hapag Lloyd in Limon.  What really confused me was that was never on the original b/l and the numbers are not even correct.  The dollar figures reported on the new b/l were  about $800 less than I had actually paid Hapag Lloyd in Guayaquil.

At this point I’d lost my patience.  I informed Berny that I wasn’t paying the $60 – I said I didn’t have it.  He said he’d pay it.  This is also when his assistant had arrived at the office and urgently needed me to follow him to the customs office. It was 11:45 am.  The customs office is about two blocks from Berny’s office and we arrived by 11:50.  Customs wasn’t going to start any new work as they were heading off to lunch.  We were put on hold until 1 pm.

I tried to cool off with a very spicy stir fry at a Chinese restaurant.  There are a lot of Chinese restaurants in Limon.  Passing a very large cemetery (which is on the way to the lot where the car was stored so I saw it a lot) I noticed that there was a large section of the cemetery walled offed with a large sign that says “Colonia China”. I was informed they have a custom of leaving food on the graves.

At 1 pm I met Mario, Berny’s assistant, back at the customs office.  We waited for the customs guy and by 2 pm we were on the way to my car for him to inspect it.  This was the second inspection and again he really seemed most interested in checking the VIN number.  I did have to open the back and the lockbox, but he didn’t look very far.  We headed back to the customs office for him to sign off on my temporary permit.

Fortunately I have a very long book to read.  I have to remember to always have a book in frustrating situations. It helps keep the mind off the situation at hand which is especially helpful when you have no control.  I’m reading Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, all 1000+ pages of it and managed to pass the halfway point through all my dead time Wednesday.

The clock kept ticking and after 45 minutes of nothing happening I finally asked Mario what’s going on.  He tried to explain something to me and ended with let’s go see Berny.  So back to Berny’s office we went.  Supposedly the Costa Rican Customs computer system (I think called TICA) was not accepting the new VIN number.  Berny had been on the phone with their computer person who was struggling to get the number changed in the system.  Finally they had success and Berny gave me a piece of paper with a number on it to take to customs.

I found Mario at customs and gave him the paper. He gave it to the customs guy who of course set it aside and continued with other work. A half hour later he informed us that the VIN number is correct but that the weight of the car was now incorrect.  Back to Berny’s. He had to call again and struggle to get the weight changed.  I went back to customs to sit and read.

About 4:30 pm I was getting worried that they’d be closing customs and I’d be waiting another night.  I approached Mario and he said wait just a few minutes, they were preparing the paperwork.  I had the permit in hand by 4:45.  Back to Berny’s to collect my luggage and catch a cab to the lot.

I was in my car driving away from Limon at 5:45 pm.  My Ipod had lost all battery power and through a fluke of my stereo system I could only listen to music in alphabetical order. My only choice was Abba, at least it was happy music.

I broke my cardinal rule of not driving in the dark.  But I had to get as far away from Limon as possible.  Roberto had invited me to stay at his place in Guapiles.  I actually made great time.  I had been told it would be a two hour drive and I made it in less than one and a half.  Roberto and I had a great meal in a large restaurant that occupied an old lumber yard.  I had steak and he had tilapia, a whole huge fish that looked frightening but I think he enjoyed it.

Roberto works for Del Monte and lives in a company compound.  This is his weekday house.  He and Jose Miguel live in a very nice house he designed in San Jose.  The Del Monte compound has about 10 houses, a central club house, a common pool and restaurant.  The houses are all from the same era (late 60’s early 70’s) and are really quite comfortable.  The night air in Guapiles was very refreshing and I slept well with the symphony of bugs serenading me.  There is one sound here I’ve never heard before. It sounds like wood blocks (hollowed to create a specific tone) rhythmically clanking together. It really sounded like it belonged in some band or orchestra. I’m very curious to see what creature makes that sound.

This morning Roberto called a Toyota shop and that’s where I am now.  I want to have the ends (still don’t know what they are called) of the steering mechanism checked as they were replaced roadside in Peru.  The muffler has come loose again and the horn and a/c aren’t working.  I’m really hoping the horn and a/c are related and a simple electrical (fuse) issue.  I have a small leak in the rear passenger tire and have to add air every week or so.  Since there is a Firestone shop next door I’ll travel all of 50 feet to have that checked as well.

A big thanks to Roberto for all his help in finding a customs broker, the Toyota shop and sharing his home with me once again.

I expect to be in San Jose at Darrylle’s by nightfall. But if I’ve learned anything on this trip I’ve learned to manage my expectations.