Just a “to catch your eyes” title… During my travels in the eighties, there were many situations which were mentally recorded for later life. This is later life, and some of these happenings are coming back to me as these entries multiply. Comments are far from judgmental; they mostly reflect the individual goodness or the, I guess, “badness” we encounter along the way. Luckily for me, I can honestly say I have been given far much more “goodness” than “badness”. A 1983 snapshot follows.
-“Apúrate que ya voy tarde para el aeropuerto”
-“Hurry up… I’m already late for the airport”
The above was not a rare exchange at home. After all, there were usually two - three one week trips per month, sometimes even four if these outings were 2-3 days short. Once one becomes accustomed to the hassle of being “The Traveling Guy”, a lot of habits become ingrained.
On this particular outing, I was to go to Honduras and Guatemala
Remember this saying? All best laid plans… How true… how true!!
During this trip there were two sessions of one day consulting during the first two legs and then, on the last leg, a major new product presentation and launching, where I was to be the “Keynote” speaker and endorser of the product, on behalf of the Association I represented. This, after two one day meetings with the sales managers were completed, in order to make sure that all details of the product were fully understood.
As I was leaving Guatemala to go to Panama I remembered that, when traveling from the US Guatemala and had no visa, but I remembered that I had seen people buy these on arrival at Panama
On arrival, I inquired as to where I could buy the visa and here the dance began in earnest…
-“De donde viene?” -“Where do you come from?”
At this point, having been on the only flight which had recently arrived, or would be arriving for the next three hours, I became somewhat on guard.
-“Guatemala
-“But you have a US Passport”
-‘Yes, I do”
-What is your business here?” My passport had at least 15 entries into Panama
-“I have a meeting to attend” No sense in getting into an argument, right?
-“Where is your visa?”
-“I could not purchase it in Guatemala
-“You cannot buy it here; you have a US
-“I’m sure this has happened before and there is a solution; what would I have to do?
In many developing countries, there are people without scruples who work at the airport entry/exit points and make this a place to shake down those who come through; Latin America is no different. As my travel time increased, these issues would come up every so often and would be dealt with quickly and quietly. It would not be so this time; I guess the duty officer saw me as a “mark”. It was about 8:45pm and the airport was quickly becoming very quiet and very empty. The immigration officer knew this and was going to try and make the most out of this “fool” who just landed into his hands. I expected that his answer to the last question would be somewhere around 60 – 75$; the visa would be issued and the pocket money would be enhanced by another 30-40$$.
He was hungry. -“It will cost you $300 to get in”.
I thought he was kidding; but he was dead serious and something actually snapped inside me. I had the money; besides, it would be put under “general expenses” for the trip. But, I decided this was way too much of a shake down. And I was not going to pay it.
-“I don’t have that much money with me”
-“How much do you have?”
- “ I have $70 in cash, not more.”
-“That will not get you in” –“You will have to stay in the airport until the first flight leaves for the US
- “OK, I will” I said, looking at him straight to his eyes. “Can I make a phone call?” –“Sure, there is a public phone over there on the far wall… but” he added with a smirk “you can’t cross this yellow line over here”. At this point he turned and left.
I looked around for a place to actually set myself down and, from an empty duty free shop counter, being readied for the night, a young guy took his phone to the limit of the cord and just made it to “my” side of the yellow line. He said –“Use this, these bastards like to steal all they can and they give us all a pretty bad name”
I was able to make a phone call to the President of the company that had hired us (a personal friend as well) and, guess what? His neighbor and friend was the then current Minister of the Interior under whose dominion came all entry/exit ports. Well, rock breaks scissors and paper covers rock. Within 30 minutes of my call, there was a very contrite immigration officer handing me my passport and visa (courtesy of the Ministry) giving me all manners of apologies and ushering me into the beautiful country of Panama; and I say this last from my heart. It is a beautiful country, warm and friendly.
In one same instance, I was exposed to the bad and the good, this last in the person of the young guy who risked, I am sure, a retaliatory strike had his help been found out. To me, he represented the vast majority of people I had met in Panama.
He just saw me cross the line and, with a smile in his lips and a wink of the eye, simply said:
-“Bienvenido a Panama
Be well, Be Back!!
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