We Got (Car) Trouble Right Here in Oceany City
Not really cooking up a pot of dog gumbo. I wouldn't do that to a dog. It's from a roll of odd photos I took in New Orleans a few months after Hurricane Katrina when visiting family.
But today made about as much sense as if I started trying to round up the local Fidos and making gumbo.
A few days ago I was updating you on the car bingo lottery scheme of storing our friend in Canada's car until he comes back. It's a sad piece of machinery that I hate riding in. We take it out once a week to run so that it doesn't seize up. It's 30 years old, extremely dirty and filled with trash. Our friend is an older gentleman who is somewhat unconventional.
Monday he called and insisted we buy the car from him. It has so many things wrong with it. We tried to get the soon to expire Retive inspection done, and the car failed miserably. A long laundry list of faults. It's currently at one of the few reputable shops in town being given an estimate.
Our friend called back and offered us this mechanical old mule for the munificent sum of fifteen hundred dollars. CR Blue Book is three thousand. The values on cars here is two to four times value in the States. Everything has to be imported, the Ticos just keep fixing up their rolling scrap iron, gas is six bucks a gallon. When the costs of owning a vehicle are so extreme most folks make an effort to keep them in decent running shape.
Jim's seriously considering it. Then holding it until the tourist ban lifts, and reselling it to a newly arriving Gringo for the full 3K. After having detailed and thoroughly cleaned the poor old thing. It all depends on how many bucks it will take to bring it up to pass the inspection.
One thing Jim is not adverse to is making a quick buck.

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