There is No Free Lunch

Everything is cheaper in Panama in terms of money.

But, oh man, do you pay in terms of frustration, unfulfilled expectations and things that don't work.

I told you about our refrigerator that wouldn't turn back on after the power goes off. This happens a lot, so it is important.

Well, now, like magic, it works.

But for how long? Do we put food in it and risk losing the food when it malfunctions again? Do we resort to voodoo dolls and pins? Do we pray to the refrigerator god? What???

Our water system includes a pump and pressure vessel. This, of course, is the result of our errant builder who swore we had "good pressure" and didn't need a pump.

The pump pressure cycles between 30 and 50 psi. The 30 psi is too low to fire the hot water heater, so you get hot/cold/hot/cold in the shower.

No good!

I stopped by Agua de Chiriqui, the pump supplier, and they ran out to my house immediately. This is one of the good things here. Sometimes people will drop everything and help you.

The bad news is that they sold us the wrong pressure switch so it doesn't work properly.

How were we to know? It took the experts to figure it out. I am thankful that they did figure it out and will correct it. Only another week of cold showers.

But, things work, then don't, then work, then don't.

Our toilets would not flush last night because the sewer was plugged up.

Now how and the hell did that happen? We have only slightly used them for a week. After all, no one is living here full time.

I got up this morning and the sewer was working.

Shit!

Is everything intermittent here?

I better get used to it because that's the way it is. People have told us about this but it is hard to believe from an America perspective. After all, everything works in the US all the time.

Ok, Ok...I know that things sometimes don't work in the US but MOST OF THE TIME they work.

There is no free lunch. You have to pay somehow. I just didn't anticipate it.

One more thing...

The president of the private water company stopped by and said that we are not "on his customer rolls" so the person that took our money and signed us up probably the pocketed the money.

It doesn't matter that I have a signed and dated contract, if I can't produce a receipt for the $200 fee, we will have to pay again.

GRRRR!!!!!

You just can't see it coming...but it just keeps on coming.

Never a dull moment.

On the other hand, I rode my bicycle yesterday morning into Boquete for breakfast. It was a perfect morning...sunny, calm, warm...full of bird songs ala glorious!

Then, I rode to the gym, worked out, rode back home. What a magnificent 2 1/2 hr ride!

That's what makes all this insanity worth it.