The Saga of the Car

                                                 The Saga of the Car

 

 

After returning to the Flamingo Marina following our partial  Panama Canal transit we went on a taxi hunt.  Actually the trick was finding a cab driver who actually knew where the car rental office was.  Yes, we did have the address in downtown Panama City.  I'll tell you we were none too keen on driving back to the hotel after having experienced the city traffic, especially the  late afternoon traffic.   We found a cabbie who said he knew where we needed to go.  He really didn't but eventually we got to Acme Car Rental.  Of course they had no record of our reservation, but I did.  Not that it helped because they only had one manual shift vehicle and I was specific about an automatic.  Joe said he couldn't drive a manual.  (Of course he can but in this traffic, he wasn't about to even try.)  So the high heeled young lady in charge said they'd have our car tomorrow.  We said ok.  Deliver it to our hotel, and by the way, deliver us to the hotel now.  That seemed ok with the rental agency, and we were just as happy with that arrangement. (We acted miffed, though!)

 

After keeping us waiting several minutes High Heels returns with a new plan.  A bigger automatic car had been retuned and we could have that one.  Hmmm?  It was dirty and not too new.  We said no.  We want the car we had reserved.  (We also wanted it delivered and we wanted a ride back to the hotel.)  Suddenly this wasn't ok.  We told her to cancel the whole reservation.

 There we were with no car and no plan, standing on the city sidewalk in a rather dumpy part of Panama City.  But, aha, there were lots of taxis so back to the Country Inn and Suites we went.  A quick room turn around and we were floating in the nice warm pool.  Time to regroup.  Refreshed, we returned to the room, got on the computer and found a fine car at Ace Rental at the nearby, easy-to-get-to domestic airport.  Online reservation and confirmation was for Saturday morning.  We were all set and it was  time for an adult beverage.

     Friday was an easy morning around the pool and an afternoon cab into Casco Viejo (old part of the city) for lunch and more sightseeing.  We found the fish market with dorado, squid, octopus, sharks, and lots of ceviche interesting, but not appetizing.  Many locals were buying fish to take home, and even more were crowded around tables eating cooked whole fish.  Again, interesting but not too appetizing.

     Ah, but I digress.  Back to the car.  Saturday morning arrives and we check out, anxious to be on our way to discover the more rural Panama.  We had had enough of the city.  Ruben, our cab driver for the second time, I might add, gave us helpful hints to get us away from the airport and off in the direction we needed to go.  At the airport he pointed us in the direction of Ace Auto Rental and waved us on our way.  Once inside the airport we started down the row of car rental booths.  Not finding it we asked directions only to be told, "Oh they are closed.  Gone.  Not here anymore."      HUH?  "Closed.  Gone.  Look, here's the booth."  Sure enough.  The booth with the Ace rental sign was completely stripped.   Doesn't that just figure?

Joe and stood looking at each other, almost laughing. (almost)    So who needs a car reservation, anyway?  National Car rental had a car, a bit bigger but rather new, and bit more pricey, but hey, we have a car and at this point we are in a lovely town of El Valle de Anton, at the Golden Frog, a lovely hotel.  It was a lovely ride through the hills once off the Pan American highway.  Here we'll be for a few nights.