The beach was quite filthy today, with a mix of organic stuff—shells and some kind of eggs—and the ubiquitous plastic.
For some reason (it not being tourist season), beach cleanup crews had been at work, as evidenced by the bags everywhere waiting for the tractor that will carry them away. So of all of that expanse of beach, where do you suppose my dog decides to take a shit?
You’re right if you said on top of one of those bags, and not only that, exactly where someone will reach to pick it up.
This will be a little obscure to someone who hasn’t actually suffered through daily life in Acodike’s Uruguay. Gas for cooking (“Supergas”) comes in metal gas bottles sold by many vendors. All have phone numbers, and will bring gas on demand for a slight charge. And of course everyone has a cell phone, so anyone can phone anytime, anywhere, and have replacement gas within a few minutes.
However, one company thinks we still live in the 1990s, and has its drivers – apparently on commission, based on their wasteful repetition and overlap – drive back and forth endlessly, with a tinny and piercing version of Beethoven’s Für Elise screeching at high volume. Yes, the ice cream truck “music,” but not tempting you once a day. No, just driving up and back every street, occasionally turning the noise off abruptly, which makes it no less jarring. Not every truck is the same, and I’ve heard as many as three different ones in the space of a couple of hours.
Everyone (above a certain level of awareness, with the bar set pretty low) hates them. But they just persist with their noise pollution, because es lo que hay – that’s how it is.
Today – blissfully! – we have reached the afternoon without their intrusion. From being an acoustic hell the last few days, Uruguay suddenly seems like a nice place to live again.
Ya think? New filter cartridges above; the ones below have been in place for all of three months.
A few minutes later, all set to go again. One of the cartridges is supposed to be changed twice a year. No way! Four times a year for each.
You can see water that came out of the tap (more than once) here. Unfortunately, when we had a well hand-drilled shortly after arriving, they stopped when they reached water at 17.5 meters. Had I known better, I would have had them go 10 meters more for potable water, not just irrigation water. Alas, it was done, and to revisit it now would involve removing one of our two avocado trees, and that is not happening.
Here it is, in all its glory, from the airport at 7:58 AM Wednesday morning. Probably 15-20 kilometers away, blowing over the heart of the city of Montevideo.
There is a reported case of Dengue Fever in Pocitos, one of the most upscale and populous regions of Montevideo. And a couple dozen more suspected cases.
So, what’s a government to do?
Why, the obvious: freak out and poison every living thing in the vicinity, assuredly killing every bee, butterfly, and ladybug, and probably severely impacting the health of small pets and children as well. Oh, yeah, and I guess it kind of wipes out any songbirds too
But you can be sure it’s perfectly safe, and that the HAZMAT suits are just a fashion statement. Some politico went on TV to say that rather than shut themselves inside, residents should open all their windows to allow the lovely curative chemical vapors to permeate everything in their living space.
Reminiscent of the USA in the 1950s: running behind the DDT truck…
Just another day in Yesterguay.
Pocitos photos courtesy of Lee Nelson. DDT photo shamelessly kited from somewhere.
Someone who stayed in Montevideo several years ago asked me about the horrific black cloud he saw every day over the city. I knew nothing of it, but learned it’s the product of the ANCAP refinery in the city. ANCAP is the scandal-ridden national oil company which, despite its monopoly on petroleum, alcohol, and Portland cement, and which, in response to crude oil prices dropping 60%, lowered prices at the pump by almost 3%, manages to “lose” money.
Ah yes, in the most progressive, least corrupt country in Latin America!
