Pedestrian Crossings

Here in Nunez our local supermarket is a few blocks walk. To get there we pass under General Paz motorway.

The south side is in the city of Buenos Aires. Crossing under the motorway we enter Vicente Lopez in the Province of Buenos Aires.

The city is run by Mayor Macri who, so far as I can see does a pretty good job.

Approaching the motorway underpass and adjacent on ramp.

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The on ramp is very busy a but on the city side there are pedestrian lights. No real problems although some drivers carry on through when the light is red.

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On the other side, in the Province, there is an off ramp with a police checkpoint and a marked crossing but no pedestrian lights. I’m not sure whether this is down to the Provincial government or the local administration in Vicente Lopez.

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Traffic streams down the ramp and totally ignores the crossing. The pedestrian has two options. Wait, often for quite some time or with careful timing step onto the crossing and force the issue. The latter option risks annoying Argentine drivers who are very reluctant to stop at any time.

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Argentine Election 2013

Some weeks ago the primaries were held. The local candidate for the governing Frente Victoria was happy to share his poster with President Kirchner and Buenos Aires Governor Scioli.

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As final election day (27th October) approaches it looks as though the Kirchner brand is becoming toxic.
Now the candidate does not wish to share. On his new poster there is no sign of the president or governor.

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He has money behind him though. These posters are widespread.

Costa Concordia Upright

Here she is this morning. Upright but still sunk. Fantastic job by the salvors.
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Costa Concordia

This morning Titan Salvage and their italian partners began to right Costa Concordia with the event being streamed live. 
After an act of epic navigational stupidity by her master
Costa Concordia ended up on a rocky shore partially submerged with a port list of around 70˚.
Here she is in January 2012 not long after the incident.
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Titan won a competitive tender with their ambitious plan to right the ship, re-float her and tow her away to be scrapped. Details are
here.
Here she is this afternoon.
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Her funnel was been cut off during preparations and the previously submerged heavily fouled area is clearly visible.
By sunset she had been moved about 15˚ towards the vertical and all was going well. Outstanding work.
They expect her to be upright by dawn tomorrow.

Sheet Car Repair

Finally found somewhere to repair my Lewmar mainsheet car. Excellent job at a cost of around £39 probably with an element of Gringo Tax.

I tried to drill the screw out and failed, as did a workshop with fixed drill mount. How these chaps did it I don’t know but they even made the insert square so it can’t rotate. Impressive.

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The car body is aluminium with many stainless steel components. Lewmar make no effort to insulate these components. Add frequent dousings with salt water and the inevitable corrosion happens. In my case a screw broke when I attempted removal (In 2008).

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Puerto Sauce and Buenos Aires

This morning things were distinctly bouncy on board with 20 knots of WSW wind. Spent the day tidying and cleaning the boat

This port is exposed from just south of west through to NNW. Water levels can vary by up to 3 metres. This is no problem on a buoy but can be difficult on the dock.

I moved Kiriwina back to about 5m from the dock with enough slack in the lines to allow for vertical movement.

All being well on board I got a lift into Colonia and caught the evening slow ferry back to Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires to Piriapolis

My surgeon has given me person to sail.

Last night I bought a ticket on Buquebus to Montevideo via Colonia. Sure enough, by using the Uruguay page, I was not charged the Argentine 20% foreign purchase tax.

Rather than risking train or traffic I had a nice trip down from Tigre to Puerto Madero on Sturla Viajes. Very pleasant with coffee and a newspaper thrown in. Their terminal is just minutes from Buquebus.

Buquebus, leaving Buenos Aries at 09:45, was on time to Colonia and Montevideo where I caught an onward bus to Piriapolis within a few minutes.

Arriving back at Kiriwina around 18:00 my correctly prepared rudder was there on the dock. Thanks Laurence.

All was well on board with a completely dry bilge.

Second Eye Surgery

Second Surgery

I had my second surgery this afternoon. More or less the same as before but I remained conscious throughout. Didn’t feel a thing though.

This time silicon oil has been injected into my eye to hold the retina in place. I understand that this is a more invasive procedure but also more robust in holding my retina in place. Whereas the gas would have dissolved naturally over time the oil will need to be removed in about three months.

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Later in the evening my dressing was removed as instructed. My eye was still numb.

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Eye Surgery Failed

Looks as though my eye surgery has failed.

The retina has fallen off again. A second procedure will be required.

Eye Surgery

My surgery was performed at Sanatorio de la Trinidad, San Isidro. It was a very busy place but I checked in and, after preparation, was ushered into surgery pretty much on time.

Ninety minutes later I was bandaged up and sent home with strict instructions re movement and activity. A gas bubble had been injected into my eye to hold the repaired retina in place during healing.


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Uh Oh. I have an eye problem!

Visited Instituto Oftalmológico del Norte this afternoon. After looking at my eye for 30 seconds the doctor ushered me into see a specialist.

He had a longer look and stated that immediate surgery was necessary. The next slot was tomorrow at 14:00.

My left retina was badly detached with two tears and a hole. This is quite serious.

Payment was arranged and surgery confirmed for tomorrow.

The boat will have to stay in Piriapolis for a while.

Fragata Libertad

Propaganda from Argentine government supporters. The Argentine navy sail training ship is returning after being detained in Ghana.

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Happy New Year - Buenos Aires

Happy New Year

πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸΈπŸΈπŸΈπŸŽˆπŸŽˆπŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘―πŸ‘―
πŸŽŠπŸŽŠπŸŽŠπŸŽŠπŸ‘―πŸ‘―πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘πŸŽ‰πŸŽˆπŸŽˆπŸŽ‰πŸΈπŸΈπŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸ·πŸ·πŸ·πŸ‘„
πŸ·πŸ‘„πŸ·πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸŽ‰πŸΈπŸŽˆπŸŽˆπŸŽˆπŸ‘―πŸ‘―πŸ‘―πŸ‘„πŸ‘πŸ·πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸŽ‰
πŸ‘πŸŽ‰πŸΈπŸŽˆπŸŽˆπŸŽˆπŸΈπŸΈπŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸ·πŸ·πŸ·πŸ·πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„
πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘„πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘―πŸ‘―πŸ‘―πŸ·πŸ·πŸ·πŸ·πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰


Saw in the new year in Boulogne on the northern side of Buenos Aires.
Strong winds bought a cool change and by midnight it was below 20ºc.

Lots of people outside on the streets at midnight letting off fireworks. Anybody could let off whatever fireworks they had. One neighbour, who happened to be in the fireworks trade, put on a spectacular display.

Yesterday morning a doctor was on TV warning people to take care with fireworks. This morning one hospital reported 35 admissions, including many children, with firework injuries.