Sergio flew to Cartagena Friday lunch time. Shortly thereafter he was shouldering the burden of our air conditioner.
He brought his wife and two daughters on the flight from Panama and he had a hankering for roast suckling pig known as lechon. So he picked up the unit off the bed and walked it up the rickety step ladder. Done and dusted.
And that was that. He did it all on his own, slid it in place, wired it up and bolted it down. No new padding needed as the whole thing seems to fit in place. We kept his sheet of acrylic so next time we have what we need to plug the hole. I’ve learned a lot from watching him but I’m still going to hire some experienced truck a/c installer to check it out for me and muscle will be needed to lift it up and down. Ours now has new bearings and should be good for a while longer. Next time…I just cannot wait for our next container trip.
It’s hot here but we decided to stay Sunday to give us time to clean GANNET2 up do laundry, fill the water tank, stock the fridge and store the contents of our cases. We will both be very happy to be at home with our routines and away from hotels, taxis and other peoples’ schedules.
And on top of that I got a head cold which I’ve now passed to Layne which is why this post is published a couple of days after I intended it. The rooftop a/c was in place by mid afternoon Friday and here we are…
I screwed up while I was sick and allowed myself to be pickpocketed, obviously I don’t know how exactly but I suspect a cab driver…he got my drivers license which actually is no big deal. It was my old one, still valid but with my Cudjoe address. After we left the Keys we put our mailing address on our new ones so I have my new license in my pocket now and I’m still good to go. It’s annoying I let my guard down but as I say I wasn’t myself.
One of my French container buddies lost his vital passport and car papers in our Uber on one of our trips from the port. I’d paid for that ride so I was the driver’s contact and sure enough on Saturday he contacted me and returned the papers which I will return to Martin when we meet in Medellin in ten days. That’s another reason to use Uber and not a cab!
But we did end up with an after installation gathering as a candy seller came by with assorted fruit flavored concoctions. Sergio, his family and all stood around chatting and munching silvered her wares:
Our plan is to leave today to meet some friends in a campground in the hills above Cartagena where hopefully it will be a little cooler and I can get my Kindle back that I left in a hotel. Hugh and Sue kindly picked it up for me saving us a six hour detour…I tell you living out of a suitcase is a special skill and my hat’s off to all of you. I have really missed living aboard GANNET2 I can tell you.
Tomorrow I’ll post my final set of pictures from Cartagena and I hope we will be back on the road. I feel like we haven’t been traveling properly since before Christmas with all the reissues and shipping and failing to tour like tourists.
I’m ready for the open road as soon as Layne feels ready to go. It’s her turn to stay awake all night coughing and spluttering but as she’s a lot tougher than me she whines a lot less.
I’m ready to drive.
