Freedom and Independence - my new car!

It seems very extravagant telling people on here I have bought a car here so soon – but I now have my freedom and independence....very exciting! Having a car means I can now leave the house after dark and be safe (and not confined to the house!) which makes all the difference as it gets dark at 5.30/6.00! Also I can visit people like Dave and Esther and Ken and Sue without having to rely on them to come and pick me up and take me home again afterwards. I still walk into town etc, but it means we can go grocery shopping in the car and so not have to pay to catch a taxi back every time as we have been doing. The best bit is I can go exploring and see where on earth I’m living! I have no problems catching the bus when we go away etc but trying to get a bus to go to the lake (25 min drive and much, much longer on bus!) is a nightmare – and now I can go! I had great traumas deciding whether to get this or not, but I talked to Esther and told her I was thinking of getting one next year and her opinion was that if I’m getting one next year, why not get it now and get the most out of it! Good point I thought! Also, they spent 10 months looking for a decent used car as they are hard to come by and so I should grab this one quickly whilst I can!
I have always fancied rally driving and now all my dreams have come true – as that is what driving in Honduras is like! There is no such thing as a driving lesson here – you see 15 year olds driving around! Also no driving test to speak of! There is one I will take when I get my residency, but it consists of looking at 2 colours and saying which is green and which is red – you certainly don’t get in a car! When the police pull you over (which they randomly do) I can just show them my UK licence – Esther showed them her Ontario Health Card and they didn’t seem to notice! People drive like maniacs and there are no real rules- it’s great but you do have to be awake!!
So...my car...it’s a Toyota 4runner 4x4. 3L V6. It’s huge compared to my Fiesta!! It’s 17 years old – apparently that’s not too old for here. I have bought it off a parent of one of my Grade 1 boy’s and he is a mechanic and so the car has been well looked after and in good condition. Before I bought it I took it to another mechanic to look at just to make sure it was ok and that I was paying a good price for what it was and he seemed really pleased with it all. I’ve already taken it back to said mechanic to tighten the clutch and change the locks – he put Yale locks in the doors as he insists they are safer. Amused me! So, I can now get around and be independent again – hurray! I’m now just broke!