Interesting evening.
Well, our nocturnal visitors were no problem. We must have gone out like a light. There was nobody else to be seen in the park when severe wind woke us at around 2pm. My initial concern was a branch breaking off the large willow we were parked under! Looking out the side window in the Caranex the horizon was lit with continuous lightning flashes, moving closer to us. Then the thunder started.
Jumping out of bed the first concern, making sure nothing in the caranex would get wet. Then going around the guy ropes and pegs outside, making sure they were secure, all without attire…:) The rain was just starting, but never developed. Withing 30 minutes or so, the thunder died away, as did the wind. Talk about anti climax!! What it taught me, again, was to disregard the conditions when erecting the tent. Always assume the worst. I was looking forward to a good old inundation to test our tent improvements. It’s so long since we have experienced rain.
Ants carefully carrying these green pellets down into their nest.
A new day.
By 7am un-rested, it was time to kick the day off. By 11am we were on the road again.
It’s about 600k’s to Buenos Aries. Too far for one days drive after such a late start so we set this place as a stop-over.
Another drive of 250ks on straight and sometimes badly damaged roads. There are trucks and trucks and trucks. Hauling all sorts. YPF are the dominant fuel supplier and they must have thousands of tankers on the road at any one time in Argentina. Poki, with her improved performance, deals with each truck beautifully. It used to be a multi dimensional undertaking. Have I got enough clear road to get passed? Is the car or truck coming towards me far enough away? No more. Put the foot down now and passed in a heartbeat.
We are driving in a huge flat plain. Seriously covered in sunflowers.
The roads are not too dissimilar to ours in NZ. Single lane. Some of the countryside too.
An interesting load. Underneath it all, an old F150 Ford utility!! I couldn’t get the photo till after it had gone past.
Musings on Argentina
I’m undecided about Argentina. It has vast reserves of arable land. It has a large population. 46million. It has suffered from decades of misrule. Once upon a time, a country of flourishing prosperity. The earliest inhabitants we interestingly the primitive tribes of lower Patagonia. Itinerant Indians with a subsistance fishing and hunting life.
I digress for a moment, because the above photo is interesting. The four occupants of the bark canoe, note the fire burning in the midst, one of the children are said to be Jemmy Button, one of three taken back to England by Robert Fitz-Roy, given an education and status but returned latter to Patagonia, to totally renounce his learning. Interesting story, but frankly, I do not think photography would have been sufficiently developed in the 1830’s for the photo to stack up. Regardless it was the woman’s role, to never let the fire go out, as without fire for heat and food preparation, circumstances were dire. Also, the fire must never be exposed to the canoe structure.
Argentina, like the rest of South America, has a fascinating history. Spanish, British, French, Portuguese all influential, but it was the intervention of Simon Bolivar in Peru and other northern countries that saw Argentina split form Peruvian influence. In the 1880’s to early 1900’s Argentina grew rapidly with the influx of Europeans. The British provided finance for large rail infrastructure and industrial development. In 1881 Argentina and Chile reached agreement on Chileans having access to the Pacific Ocean, and Argentina, the Atlantic. Hence the confusion of borders in southern Patagonia.
With the influx of British finance, Britain gave Argentina access for its products on the British market. America too assisted with finance but placed tariffs on the importation of Argentine products, thus ensuring Britain retained greatest influence.
The Peron’s!
From the late 40’s the Peron name become synonomous with change and instability culminating in the installation of a military government in 1976. Like Chile, many were “disappeared” during the “dirty war”. Up to an estimated 30,000.
Today, in Argentina.
It worries me that there is so much political effort being put into placing signs all over the country, proclaiming the Malvina’s as Argentine. Since 1833 British inhabitants have occupied the islands. I have to be very careful here as there could well be an Argentine readership and I do not want to inflame passions or be making wild assumptions about this sensitive topic. However as they were in the 70’s The Falklands or Malvinas were used by politicians to build public fervour, in both camps with disastrous consequences. I suspect the same is happening again now?
What do I see today?
Given that we have yet to visit the capital, a once glowing and prosperous city and region, my comments are made from what I have seen to date. There is much infrastructure ruin and abandonment. No doubt many reasons for that. Maybe the current government can turn the economy around. Certainly, talking with those students a few days ago, they have hope and optimism. It would be great to hear of Argentina once again looking outward and it’s people sharing the spoils of success.
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Caught up with your route on our map, where to now Tonto? You are starting to get into a more populated part of SA, which of course can bring problems. The weather may be one of them, starting to get warm? BTW, prefer my cure for mozzies to yours for prostate. Just saying.
P.S. Sounds like Luxon needs to sit down to pee, looks like he is going to roll over for votes.
If only readers knew what you were on about..:)
Very warm indeed. Night time is the challenge. Big cities are going to be relatively quiet this time of year?
Luxon is what he was always going to be, an appeaser. Should ensure National relegated next time. The fat lady hasn’t sung yet!