Our New Van!

Most of you know I have been dying for my first minivan for a long time. It was a very exciting day when we picked up our very first seven passenger vehicle. Buying a vehicle here is very different from in the states. You can’t look it up in Consumer Guide because the models are different here. You don’t take it for a test drive and have your trusted mechanic check it out. New vehicles are very expensive, so the only reasonable purchase is a used vehicle with an uncertain history. You have two options when looking for a vehicle to purchase, the “lemon lot” on-base where military people leaving the island park the vehicle they are selling or the local Japanese used car lots that cater to military people. We choose the local used car lot because they offered a one year warranty and that helped us feel better about the purchase. After walking around several lots in killer heat and humidity we made our selection based on the obvious condition of the van , the miles, and very importantly how fast the air conditioning cooled the van. After handing over $3600 in $50’s (cash is the only accepted payment, no checks or credit cards) we drove away. So cross your fingers and hope our van lasts our 3 years here.

Getting use to driving on the island has been crazy. Think about everything you do when you drive. Start with the side of the car you walk up to, putting on your seatbelt, putting the vehicle in gear, and looking over your shoulder to back up; it is completely opposite here. The blinker and windshield wiper controls are opposite as well, so we were constantly turning on the wipers when we were making a turn (Brand thought that was hilarious). Driving down the road is fine, it is when you need to make a turn that you have to think “keep my butt on the center line” and turn onto the correct side of the road. Now that we have been driving around for the last 2 weeks it feels more natural, I am not as nervous. It helps that the speed limit on-base is 30 kph (18 mph) and 50 kph (30 mph) on the major off-base roads.