Ladies and Gentlemen...

The SAAB has arrived!

Well...it arrived a few weeks ago - but nothing is simple in Bahrain. So the process to actually GET our vehicle looked like this:

1. Get the mail that Saab is here - yay!

2. Check on Visas that we applied for weeks ago because we can't get the Saab without our CPR card (NOT the kind of card you need to show you can save a life - the kind of card, or actually a piece of paper, that we have to have to show that we are legit) and we can't get the CPR cards without the Visas. 

3. Wait another week for Visas

4. Get Visas - apply for CPR card

5. Wait another week

6. Get CPR card and arrange for "The Dinar Man" to help us go through the process. (Supposedly the places that we need to go to get this done are far out there and really complicated - so you hire someone to help you). People either use a guy named Gollum, or "The Dinar Man" we went with "The Dinar Man" Though I guess that when you need your oiled changed you call Gollum, he picks up your car, gets the oil changed, and brings it back to you. Pretty sweet. Not sure of Gollum's last name or if he is with a company, but this is just how things work here. Back to the point...

7. Meet "The Dinar Man" ride with him to the VPC (Vehicle Processing Center) where the Saab been sitting for the past few weeks

8. Inspect and pick up car --- it arrived safe and sound! yay!

9. Follow "The Dinar Man" through the crazy Bahraini traffic - try not to get hit

11. Arrive at the "Traffic Directorate" the Bahrain version of the DMV

12. Wait in the first line for vehicle inspection

13. Get vehicle inspected, it's all good. (I was surprised by this, I have one friend that had to get a tiny dent fixed before they would let her finish the process. Ridiculous)

14. Wait in line just to get a number to wait for the next step

15. Get a number

16. Wait for number to be called

17. Number is called - go up to counter to register the car

18. Get back in line for a cashier

19. Pay for the registration

20. Go back to finish the registration

21. Car is registered - yay...now wait in another line to order license plates

22. Wait for plates to be made

23. Guy installs the plates on car...and it's free!!! Free as in, "Free To Go" this entire process was definitely NOT free. 

24. From here on out say a quick prayer every day that we don't get hit by the insane drivers. (see post here to learn more)

It's official...

This process took Andrew ALL DAY. We complain about our DMV...you have NO IDEA.

I've never been so happy to see Andrew's little car. Another tidbit of home...just wish it was my car. Also - apparently when the Saab arrived, Bahrain valued it 2500 BD....almost $7000! That's about $3k over what it KBB'd for in the states, and supposedly we can sell it for that here. Yep...the Saab might not make the trip back with us. We might have to sell it. 

Then again, Andrew loves his car so much, I'm going to have to pry his dead body out of it. We will probably have this car FOREVER. He actually said, "This can be Caden's first car." Yep, that gave me an anxiety attack. Caden..driving...Lord help us. Not to mention that is 10 years in the future. 10 more years with that car...seriously? 

Then again, no one can have as awesome of a first car as I did. 1988 Ford Bronco II. White with a red stripe...red interior. It rocked! The Bucking Bronco (we lovingly nicknamed it that since I was HORRIBLE at driving a stick and often stalled out). I loved that car. It was horrible - but it was a great.

My Dad knew what he was doing. It was pretty sturdy. 

In other news in Bahrain driving - they just released a new set of driving rules.

All of the infractions have a fine...no big deal...BUT they also add 'plus prison time' for a lot of them. No joke. Speeding by over 15 km per hour...pay a fee and go to prison for 1-3 months. Oh, and the fine for having an 'infant in the front seat' - 50 BD. NO mention of carseats. I'm pretty sure locals don't use them at all. All in all, I don't know if I should be scared, or laugh. 

Rules mean nothing when they aren't enforced. Today while driving there were all of these signs, "STOP! POLICE CHECK POINT!" "STOP"...well everyone was driving right through the the cops were sitting in the shade. I think one of them was sleeping. 

Pretty awesome. 

and That's 'Watts' She Said...