No, I do not have my bike yet.
I don´t know.
This day has just been very frustrating and very confusing. I have lost track of the problems and obstacles that have arrisen. My lack of Spanish has often left me in the dark as to what exactly is going on - though at times this could be a good thing...
Well, to start the day we (Sandra Kapìer is helping me out which I am eternally grateful for - she has helped out other travellers before though my case seems rather more difficult than normal) - we went down to Customs office at the port. The previous day we had purchaced the Bill of Lading document needed from our Shipping Agent mentioned before which cost me an arm and leg. Well to start with the computers were down. We waited. Then once we started we found the Bill of Lading to be a photocopy - not the original. A no no. Bugger. Not happy. Without the Document it would be impossible to get the bike at all or atleast an extremely lengthy process. So catch a taxi back to the Agent after talking to someone a bit higher up the ladder to exert a bit more pressure. We were joined by the boss at the shipping agent who was more helpful. He wasn´t to happy with what had happened yesterday. So he tells us that he will get hold of the original. hmmm. I think he just made something up. We get the new papers. About to catch another cab and I notice that they forgot to add the document number so back to square one. Fixed that and then back to the port. Continued with the process and then found out that in the last copy of the `original`they had omitted that I was importing a motorbike.. Well we filled out as much as we could with the plan to return back to the shipping agent. Then we hit another hurdle which I can´t work out what is all about yet. Actually noone seems to know and we used a lot different contacts but the bike seems to be held back by the Customs Police or something. I have no idea why and nor does anyone else. So we left around then. Some helpful people at the port were going to follow it up and Sandra was going to organise the final copy of the orginal bill of lading document when I left. Not everyone is out to make life difficult.
So, yes, maybe tomorrow. I have no expectations anymore. From now on I will be charged storage fees on top of any other fee I am given...

anyway enough of that. I need to leave now and catch up with a few friends.


chau