The day came in late January for Jim to move permanently to Boquete. We had hoped the container contents would arrive after the house was completed, but that didn’t happen. It took 5 weeks from the day it left the house to the day it arrived in Boquete.
First, we had to pack up and wrap everything and load it into a 40′ container
Container begins loading
They pack it tight so it doesn’t move
The container was then taken to the loading yard and put aboard a ship that took it from Miami to Panama City.
Container on the High Seas
No, this isn’t our ship….but it does happen. We bought insurance, just in case.
Yes, it CAN happen
When it got to Panama City, it was taken off the ship, and then the Customs officials had to examine the contents and approve its entry into the country. Because Jim has a Pensionado Visa here, he is allowed one 40′ container with his household goods, tax free.
At the port, it’s unloaded
Next, the container is loaded onto an 18 wheeler and brought from PC to Boquete, where it is parked at the bottom of the mountain.
It’s parked at the bottom of the mountain
The next day 6 guys arrived with a smaller truck, and everything was offloaded into the smaller truck. It took 4 trips to unload the container, and then they had to come to my condo to load up my stuff.
Then it is unloaded into smaller truck
Finally, everything arrived at the house…4,200 feet above sea level where it started from.
Here comes the truck….it took 4 trips to empty the container
Friends Carrie and Ian helped us inventory every piece as it left the truck….each piece was numbered and had to be recorded on the inventory sheet. I don’t know what we would have done without them. 6 guys unloading quickly and we had to keep up with all the numbers and direct them as to where to put each item.
Each numbered box had to be checked off
If the house was complete, we could have unwrapped everything….but it wasn’t. There were no windows on the back side and many other things are left to be done. So, we have left everything wrapped (it’s the dry, windy season and dust covers everything) until the windows come in…hopefully the end of this week. Our gardener Denis has to stay in the house at night to make sure nothing is taken….hopefully we will move in over the weekend.
Everything moved inside
Stay tuned for more….
Penny In Paradise 