Colonia to Buenos Aires

First job this morning was to obtain an exit stamp from Immigration. After a shower I paid the Hidrografia for one night on a buoy. This time it cost Urg$190, a 19% increase from Urg$160 in January. Last year the amenities block was refurbished. Less than a year later some areas were looking distinctly second hand with render peeling away from the ceiling and woodwork deteriorating.

Lastly I cleared out with the Prefectura and 12:00 we were ready to go.

There was virtually no wind as the buoy was dropped and we cleared Colonia harbour.


As this fast Buquebus ferry passed about a mile outside the harbour a light southerly breeze appeared and we motor sailed with full main and yankee.


An isolated danger buoy at the western approaches to Colonia.


There followed an uneventful sail/motor sail across to Buenos Aires. The wind, mostly from the south, veered a tad to the west but it was possible to sail most of the way.

Approaching Buenos Aires.


The inner basin of Darsena Norte and Yacht Club Argentino.


Access to Puerto Madero used to be via an opening bridge. The old british swing bridge had been demolished and there was now only a pedestrian footbtidge. Arriving at 17:40 we had to wait for the 18:00 opening. Meantime a slow BuqueBus ferry came in to berth.


As usual, a rib from Yacht Club Puerto Madero came out to escort us in and by 19:15 Kiriwina was all fast on her berth.

Puerto Sauce to Colonia

Weather conditions looked pretty benign so I decided to go round to Colonia today. I cleared out with the Prefectura and said adios to the very helpful staff at the Hidrografia.

Kiriwina has been at Puerto Sauce since February and I reckon it is the safest port I have seen in Uruguay. By safe I mean being able to leave the boat unattended for long periods of time.

I am not a big fan of the Uruguayan mooring system of lines to steel buoys astern and bow lines ashore. With up to 3m variation in water levels this system needs constant attention. On the buoys, however, a yacht is quite safe. Puerto Sauce is well sheltered and the staff keep a good eye on moored yachts.

The one downside at Puerto Sauce is the adjacent paper mill. With the wind in the wrong direction there is an unpleasant smell and the topsides get quite dirty. I spent a couple of hours giving Kiriwina a good wash down and rigging the foresails.

By mid afternoon all was ready and at 14:00 we left Puerto Sauce.



Initially there was some wind but it gradually died as we motor sailed then motored to Colonia.

ROU buoy off Punta Sande.


We arrived at Colonia around 20:45 and picked up a visitor buoy. The port was pretty empty with a couple of Argentine yachts on the breakwater and a few on the buoys.

Montevideo to Puerto Sauce.

I slept for most of the overnight flight from Miami.

Passing over Montevideo on our approach to Carracas airport.



Almost down.


An Iberia Airbus landing at the same time as us and the new Carracas terminal.


Our AA Boeing on the gate.


Carracas is not a large airport and with two big jets landing the volume of passengers overwhelmed them. Arrivals are fed down an escalator into the immigration hall which quickly filled but the escalator kept feeding in more passengers and things started to look dodgy until someone stopped the escalator.

After a longish wait at immigration I was cleared through and caught a city bus to Tres Cruces coach station where, after a couple of hours I caught my coach to Puerto Sauce.

Back on board all was well and I got on with preparing for departure.

Washington to Miami

Up early to catch our 08:30 flight from Washington to Miami. There was a free shuttle bus to the airport and AA had a checkin desk outside on the footpath. I'm not sure why but it worked well and our bags were checked through to BsAs and Montevideo.

Our aircraft on the stand at Washington.


After a very smooth flight down we arrived in Miami, left some carry on bags at left luggage and took a bus to Miami beach.

The first thing that strikes one is the light. It is brilliantly vivid. Here we are a couple of blocks from the beach.


Parking is cheap here.


Lovely pastel colours and lots art deco along the closest street to the beach. It is not actually on the beach but set back about 400 metres behind a sand barrier and gardens.






Miami beach.


Blue sky, turquoise sea, white sand and Nancy.


This is the closest I have been to seawater for quite a while.


Later we took a bus to downtown and wandered around a bit. There is

Downtown Miami at the waterfront...


...and later on in the evening.


Back at the airport we found that the left luggage facility closed at 21:00 instead of at the 23:00 indicated on the airport web site.
We missed it by 7 minutes an it would prove to be an expensive error.

Miami airport before departure.

Washington

A beautiful autumn day on which to explore Washington but first we had to return our rented car to Alamo.

Washington Monument.


Looking down on Union Station.


Alamo were über efficient. We had filled the car with petrol and had no luggage. The attendant had a handheld device into which he entered our details before checking over the car. In a couple of minutes we were done.

Ever since we rented the car I had been expecting Alamo to find a way to nail us and get more money from us. I couldn't have been more surprised. Their service was excellent, the car was just fine, they extended the rental period easily and efficiently and charged us exactly what they said they would when we made the reservation. Thanks Alamo!


Washington Union Station


Poster for the "Southwest Chief" Amtrak service from Chicago to Los Angeles.


A fine piece of railway architecture.




Nancy with the Capitol building in the distance.


Self and another view of the Capitol.


Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

WW2 Aermacchi fighter.



P51D Mustang


Messerschmitt 109


Spitfire


Douglas DC3


National Gallery of Art.

Rotunda



Garden Court.


United States Environment Protection Agency.




Secret Service vehicle near the White House.


Nancy and the White House.


We ate not far from the White House and made our way back to the hotel on Washington's excellent metro.

Floyd to Washington

Morning view from Kiki's living room.


Breakfast at Kiki's, Floyd, Virginia.


Kiki and Nancy in his garden with the almost finished house.


Kiki's american dream.


This bridge grosses a gully between the road and access lane to Kiki's property. He bought the bridge second hand dismantled and reinstalled it.


Our Alamo rental at the entrance to Kiki's place.


Floyd was a real surprise we really enjoyed our two days there. Thank's Kiki.

We returned to Washington via I81 and I66, a much quicker trip than the scenic route we took on the way down. Our flight on Monday leaves from Reagan airport at Arlington on the south side of Washington. We decided to stay nearby and drove around looking for a hotel. Rates were not for the budget minded. After being quoted between $150 and $350 plus plus plus we found the
Americana hotel in Crystal City, Arlington, for $120 all included.

It is a 60's building and looks a bit dated amongst all the new towers in Crystal City but it was just fine and we booked in for two nights.

Later in the evening we drove up to Adams Morgan where Kiki and his long term colleague Miguel play latin music in the Argentine owed
Rumba Cafe.

Nancy with Miguel and Kiki. Last together in Quito, Ecuador during the 80's.


Cafe Rumba. We ate well at considerably more than Argentine prices and at around 23:30 the music started.




This part of Washington is extremely busy at night. We drove back to Arlington at around 02:30.

Floyd, Virginia

The view from the top of Kiki's property down to his house in progress. What a lovely spot.



Kiki the took us for a tour of the area. The largest town nearby is Christianburg which sort of merges into nearby Blacksburg, home to Virginia Tech, and which looked as though it is growing rapidly.

We had a lovely day wandering about and doing a bit of shopping.

Later in the evening we went into the centre of Floyd. At first sight yesterday Floayd struck us a place where not much happens. Wrong. It was teeming with people. The police directed traffic. Bluegrass groups were playing just about anywhere they could find space.



The music store was still open at nine oclock in the evening.


We went to a mexican restaurant.

Kiki and Nancy who last met in Quito over 20 years ago.