Rigamarole

Monday's job was to get ourselves to Ft. Pierce to check in with Customs. We had called in from Vero once we set foot on land .... amazing that we could be 'in' the country, but until we actually touch land, there is no requirement for us to let them know we are here. Technically, we could have motored up the ICW, anchored every night and as long as we don't touch American soil, we are still legal!
Well, once we called, we had 24 hours to get to a reporting station, the nearest one was at Ft. Pierce airport, 15 miles south. Many errands were on our list anyway, so renting a car wasn't a big hardship, or so we thought....
I called Enterprise Monday morning, and they asked if I could call back as they were pretty busy with customers in the store. Once we finished a couple of loads of laundry, we decided just to take the free city bus into town, thinking that if they were too busy to talk on the phone, they likely couldn't spare staff to come and pick us up. Into town we went, and we first came across the Budget rental office, so popped in there. No cars available today. We continued walking to the address where Google maps shows Enterprise, but didn't find the office. Then we found a pay phone and I gave them a call. I got directions to the office, but found out that they didn't have any cars available until late afternoon. Now the tension is beginning to rise...we need to be in Ft. Pierce and finished our paperwork by 6 when the Customs office closes. If worse comes to worse, we know we could take a taxi, but that would be a last resort. We headed back to the Budget office, and Greg asked if we could rent a car now for just a couple of hours. Even though their lot appeared to have lots of cars, they said all they had available was a passenger van, which would be $150 for two hours. We'll keep our fingers crossed that Enterprise comes through.
Back to the boat for lunch, and wait until 2:30 when we can call Enterprise back and see if they indeed have a car, and if someone can come and pick us up. Sure enough, at 2:45 their driver would be on his way shortly.
"should be there in about 15 minutes".
Meanwhile, we chatted with another Canadian cruiser who told us all the hassles they had had while crossing into the US on past trips, as well as horror stories they had heard from others. Great.
3 o'clock......3:20......3:30...... I told Greg I would give him an hour and then call back. At 3:45, I called and was told their driver had just left, should be about 10 minutes. This time, they were right! Ten minutes later the Enterprise van drove up, dropped some other people off ...... and drove away!!! Back to the phone to call them back (by now I have their number memorized), and explained what had happened.
"I'll call him, he'll be right back."
By 4:30 we were in the rental car office, waiting for our car to be washed. (Don't really care if it's clean, we just need to be in Ft. Pierce in less than an hour, and we are watching rush hour traffic build outside the windows).
Shortly after 5 we pull onto the airport property, looking for the Customs office. We found it behind the scaffolding and fencing of some apparently stalled construction project. We walk in ring the bell, and wait. Moments later the Customs Officer appears and asks us for our reporting number. Greg gives it to him. Then he asks for our passports. Check.
"OK, you're done"
Blank stare from us....
"That's it?"
"Yep."
No questions, no stamps, paper pushing, checking the system, nothing. Just a line through our reporting number, which was handwritten in a binder.
Done.

We left, glad that it had all worked out and headed to Carrabba's for a great dinner. Then hit a few stores for some things that had been on our 'wish list' in the Bahamas, including craft supplies, a bit of computer browsing, and then groceries.