The Great Diskette Hunt – Panama Day 7

A Diskette - When Was the Last Time You Used One of These

I was lulled into a false sense of security yesterday concerning the land sale.  We even planned a return trip to the swimming hole in the afternoon.  We left the house early to pick up an express package from our lawyer and then withdrew the tax we would be paying from the bank.  I even wore long pants today so I saw the inside of the bank.   The sellers showed up, grandson in tow, and off we headed to the ministry of finance for what was promised to be a quick stop.   The lawyer had included a data disk which is part of the requirement for the ministry.  All was going well until after reviewing the paperwork which was in order she said that the information on the CD had to be transferred to a diskette.  I was a little miffed about having to go out again but figured it would be a simple thing and we would still be on schedule.  We headed to the center of David and began our search.  There is a computer and internet store on literally every corner in the center of town so we figured we would be in and out quickly.  I started getting nervous when the fifth store we went into said that they hadn’t offered that service for years.  The store employees, all young and polite (who knew that was possible) at each of the 13 stores we stopped in asked in a bemused fashion why we wanted diskettes because no one used those anymore.  When we told them it was for their government they nodded sagely and said that makes sense.  We were getting desperate, not to mention putting some serious legwork in (thank God I was wearing long pants).  Finally at a back desk in a children’s school supply store they said they could do the transfer but they didn’t have any diskettes.  Back into the search mode during which we finished our canvass of the center of David without any luck.  The seller drove us to a place near the casino with a long line of shops.  We started at the end with what seemed a really poor excuse of a shop, one room with a counter.  Lo and behold not only did they have diskettes but they could do the transfer.  One clerk said to the other, are you sure, we haven’t used that disk drive for years.  The transfer didn’t work but we did score a blank diskette for 45 cents.  Back to the school supply store where we made the data transfer for 50 cents.  So, after an hour and a half in 97 degree heat along with 95 cents we headed back to the ministry with the required diskette.  We got through two out of three lines at the ministry and were third in line for the final approval when they announced it was lunch time and we should come back at 1:30.  I treated the long suffering group to lunch at a place called the El Fogon, great double burger.  We were back at the ministry and were free by 2:05 and headed for our final stop which had been promised as a quick, final approval.  The swimming hole was still possible!  We piled into the notary’s office, the one with large tracts, and were told she was out for lunch and would return at 3pm.  Sometimes, life just sucks.  She finally returned at 3:30 and was very quick but then informed us that her clerk, who did the paperwork, was sick.  I think she read the murder laying lightly below each of our eyes because she volunteered to do the work herself.  She apparently isn’t as quick as the clerk because we didn’t get out of there until 4:30 – but IT WAS DONE!!!!  Unfortunately the swimming hole will have to wait for our next trip.  We returned our rental car which despite some pretty heavy use only used 3 gallons of gas for the entire five days.  I may have to re-think my derisive attitude towards the corolla.  We’re now packing and getting ready for another early morning bus ride back to Panama City.  The Indians have promised not to close the Pan American Highway for at least another day so we just might make it.  After today I’m not counting on anything.  I’m mapping escape routes through Costa Rica.

El Fogon Where We Had Lunch

The Interior