don't try to figure it out

Oh I forgot a few things in my last post so you get two today/tonight/this afternoon or whenever you read it.

Trying to apply North American logic proves frustrating and fruitless when difficult situations arise but in the past 48 hours I have had two that are just baffling to me.

Insurance is mandatory in Argentina for all vehicles.  I bought insurance in Coyhaique, Chile for liability only, that covered me for Chile, Bolivia, Arg, Uruguay, Brasil, Paraguay.  I paid $28 or so from a company call Mapfre.  Well it expired on Saturday. I drove Sunday without it and then spent 2 hours Monday morning buying new insurance.  (then wasted another 2 trying to scan my documents to email to the shipping agent here in BA)  So I go to ACA, the ARG version of AAA.  They can’t insure US vehicles.  They guide me to a Mapfre Agent in Bahia Blanca.  Mapfre Chile can insure US vehicles but Mapfre ARG can’t.  So he calls someone, gets a phone and fax for chile and says call them.  So I head back to the ACA office. They call 6! companies before they find one that will insure me.  So my logic tells me if Canada required someone to insure their car companies would be lining up to do it.  Not here. It’s the law and finable but no one will do it. So I head over to the company they found and I get a policy.  I ask how much it is for comprehensive, just in case, he tells me $2200.  I asked 4 times and made him write it down in pesos and dollars. Yes that number is right, $2200 for one month. Liability only ends up being only $70 but for Arg only.   Needless to say when I was in Chile I should have got 2 months. They require it but won’t sell it. Genius plan.

I arrive in Buenos Aires and go to the shipping company to work on that process.  They can’t load my truck into a container until I show proof I’m leaving the country. Makes sense right?  They don’t want me sticking around and stealing a job.  Oh wait how can I buy a ticket when I don’t know when I can put my truck into a container?  All Americans are rich you can buy a $2k flight then eat the ticket when we can’t get you out of here.  If I had believed what the guys and gal in Ushuaia told me I’d be out $36k in plane tickets.  I told them to get me a quote and assure me it is happening in a contract then I’ll book my flight.  After that I’ll find a place to print it off. Who uses paper tickets anymore?  Okay I could have made this rant a lot more humorous or cantankerous but it’s 1:30am and I’m tired. Just remember. LOGIC DOES NOT APPLY in South America.