Servicing

Location:

Panama City

We take the bike to BMW as to plan on Monday 1 Sept. We are back on target. Unfortunately we have to wait to 11am for the mechanic to arrive and start work on the bike. Not only that, they do not have the spokes to repair the wheel.

Our freight agent insists he must have the bike no later than 4pm or else it will not make the flight to Caracus. Everything hinges on the speed of the service. It is nailbiting stuff. Whilst we wait Julio (Director of SOS in Panama) and Norma from SOS come to see us and offer any help they can for us whilst we are here. But all we can do it wait. The mechanic tells us he will not finish until 4pm but this is too late.

In the end we leave at 3.30pm with the airport some 40 minutes away. With the SOS truck leading the way, we follow them through to the airport as fast as we can go. We arrive there 5 minutes after deadline, but they take the bike. They have already started to build a crate for us. With paperwork done and the SOS team waiting with us, we get back to the hotel by 7pm that night.

It has been a hugely tiring day. Our visit to the SOS Village is now lined up for the next day. Now that we know the bike has gone, the only thing for us to do is book our own flights!