Friday THE 13TH, a day to some who prefer to bunker down in the safety of their home. MAYBE I should of stayed in bed. Antonio and I set out on foot to the Solicitud de Primera Inseripcion at 551 Avenda Miguel Claro about 2 miles away. Here we would register and acquire plates. only needed Passport, Invoice and RUT……just about there and a terrible feeling compelled me to look in the computer bag for my passport….NOT THERE…..it had been in my pocket but I had moved it before leaving the hotel to the bag. Thinking I had left it at the Hotel, I jumped on the Metro and was back at the hotel in 10 minutes……no passport…….now I am perspiring, my heart is racing, now what, I am stuck in Chile, Antonio was expecting me back within 25 minutes. I race down to reception and Jessica who speaks little English puts me through to the Canadian Consulate. Turns out it is only a ten minute walk and is located at THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE guess they can now use that name……is the 13th getting any better. Apparently, I need to come over and get some forms and then a police report all with no hablo espanol . We close at 2pm and its now 11 am….no problem I am close by. They tell me that Monday will be the earliest they can process my request…are you heading home…no is my reply…ok come over. I find my way to the 12th floor and walk through the door, but 1st I go through a security check, my camera is taken from me, pockets emptied then the rest of me put through the x-ray machine…….no alarms go off…..over to the wicket with its bullet proof glass. In Spanish which I can barely hear through the glass as the speaker is not working, she wants to know what I want….NO ESPANOL…I respond…..somewhAT TAKEN back as this is the CANADIAN CONSULATE and I would expect that both languages if not 3 would be spoken,,,nada…ok now sign language and photo copy of my passport….she seems to understand and makes a tele call…..shortly there after hands me papers to fill out…….apparently, I will be interrogated after there completion…..while sitting there I observed others being let out…..no visible signs of trama so this should be ok. Almost finished the forms when the guard and a pretty young senorita approach me….the guard says is this your passport….he repeats it 3 times as my gaze has not left the eyes of this chica, I am lost in thought, YES YES I say now feeling ecstatic. GRACIAS,GRACIAS is all I can say and I shake the young ladies hand.
Back on the Metro, I try to retrace my steps back to where I left Antonio……one wrong turn and I find that I am 3 blocks in the wrong direction. Three hours has lapsed, I was only going to be 25 minutes. I getting near the address when I hear BOB,BOB….look across the street and see Antonio waving. Inside the gated compound he informs me to get a ticket number…..I am given 81…..he is 66…..approximately a half hour passes….he is called and within minutes headed out with plates in hand. He leaves # 81 to fend for himself, I assure him that CHARM will get me through this and he leaves. They close and lock the gates, only way out is by security unlocking and letting you out. Another hour passes and the last person standing is called, moi. I am let out 10 minutes later…….only problem I had was not understanding that she was asking me the colour of the bike, finally she pointed at the invoice where the colour had been written……not knowing the word for blue, I tapped the counter which happened to be blue. After that episode when it came to the finger printing of the papers she simply grabbed my hand arm wrestled it to turn it over and smeared the right thumb with black ink and forced it on to the sheet of paper. Not asking for the money from the stupid gringo, she saw that I was holding it and just motioned for me to let go.
I strolled leisurely back to the hotel taking a few pics
THE REGISTERIO
SELLING xmas wrap
ALL IN ALL THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DAY-I TRULY BELIEVE IN GOD AND WHY HE HAS PULLED ME OUT OF A BAD SITUATION AGAIN, i CAN ONLY GUESS.I AM INDEDITED BIG TIME.
Tomorrow if they are open we will look into insurance, may have to wait till next week an ELECTION is on Sunday,
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