I Missed the Steemit meetup in Panama - Welcome to Panama !
I live hundreds of Kilometers for Panama City, But needed to visit the Canadain Embassy to verify my driver's license before I can get a Panamanian license.
Now I don't mind Panama City on my terms, but if I have a schedule to meet for any reason, I like to be there 1 day in advance to leave plenty of time to organize. Because at certain times of the day Panama City is a parking lot.
I'm at home the night before doing my steemit time and a reply comes in from @choogirl : "Hey @codypanama, this is happening tomorrow if you're in PTY ". link
So I'm tempted at this point, talk to my wife and she wants to get this license business finished. I contact @edekadam who I've been chatting with about fishing and such things, and wanting to get together sometime.
He's going too, So the decision gets made to go to bed early and take off before first light.
We should get to the bridge over the canal about 10am, so traffic will be light and the coastal route through town is fast.
Everything is going fine and we arrive at the Embassy at 11 am. I'm the only 1 there, and I'm told 2-3 days is standard for such things. Will I be in the City she ask's, I reply, I hope not. I pay the fee and then I'm told it has to be certified at another location just like other papers I've had done. Please take a seat and wait? I'm not interested in waiting as they take your phone upon entering ( high-security building ). Can my wife wait, or do I need to be here? Your wife can receive the papers no problem, and I'm out of there, happily passing the time when my wife shows up an hour later, done deal!
Life is Good, The Canadian Embassy has been so good to me over the years, they need a Thank you blog just for them alone.
Now it's Noon, the steemit meetup is very close but the opposite direction of the verification office, with high hopes we head away. We can do this, maybe a little late, but still get to meet everyone.
But by 12:45 I'm asking Johana to take a bus, and I'll turn around. A little fussing and fighting but a stop it the bus and a kiss goodbye done deal.
Panama City has had no power for 2 hours now, all traffic lights are out and businesses are closing for the day.
The roads are at a dead stand still.( People going home early due to no power ). Clever me starts taking back roads but gets turned around. I park the car a couple times and was going to head out on foot. My phone tells me 1 1/2 hrs walk, 23 minutes to drive. So I choose driving but leads me astray onto corridor Norte, which is moving fast in the opposite direction into areas I'm not familiar with.
And the whole time my wife phoning and knocking out my driving screen.
Then I see the train line, just park the car and take the train, is new, fast and world class. My wife is calling from a taxi now, where are you? " I don't know, quit calling and just go to the hotel, I'll meet you there ".
Then things just stop! for about an hour, When we finally got goingI see a pickup burned to the ground on the middle of the road, ah that's what happened.
Still hopeful I find a mall close to the train station and park. Endless calls from Johana and she has the metro passes. So I find the right machine and purchase a card with my last 2 $1 bills and off to the gate.
No entry! I ask an attendant why, he said that was the price of the cardwith no money on it, So back to the topup machine. I only have $20 bills, toy with the idea of spending $20 in a card for a single train trip or......Find a cold beer and hunker down :-) Guess what won !
Next call from Johana, " Baby my battery is about dead. " No shit you have been uselessly calling me all afternoon. Ok just go to the train, take it to the end and I will be waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
" There is no train! it runs on electricity ". Bullshit I'm watching 1 move right now, they have there own power, just come.
Now I'm fine, I found a small store with semi cold beer, I've got a nice perch watching people go by with a beer in hand. They are going places, I am not. Pure bliss, I'm the observer, not a participant any more.
No enough time or beers pass by and Johana calls, " I'm here " . ok see you soon, I relectantly leave my beer store and walk to the stairs, only to wait 4 trains for Johana, What a Bullshitter she is. And my mood deteriorates a little more. But we quickly find a casino with ice cold beer, and my mood improves.
First air condisioning I've felt all afternoon. Nice :-) I whatsapp @edekadam and people are still at the Hotel ! Right on, I'll get some take out and head that way. Roads are moving, and I used to be a stunt driver, so Panamanians have nothing on me :-) So I'm at the Hotel quick. Get to the lobby and contact @edekadam . Sorry we all left, I forgot to contact you, maybe check room????. So we did.
My first steemster meeting. @thearcanebear answers the door, but is clearly occudied with other things. But was nice enough to exchange some pleasantries before we said Adios. Very nice Dude :-)
Oh I forgot to mention, Johana got to the certifaction office, Only 1 there ( small miracle ), as soon as the woman went to enter the info, Power out, come back tomorrow ! So All was for not, and we could have just gone to the meetup and had a great time. ( F*&K ) LOL
Johana went to hotel and I called my Lawyer to go Party, which we did all night :-) ( another blog ) or not.
Nuff said, I'm Tired and have a lot of grass to cut...
Cheers my fellow Steemsters... 
Next time @codypanama :)
when I catch my breath, A meetup in the interior :-)
Not sure where yet ? Help me get the ball rolling :-)
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