Moored Bahia Quintero
Wind South F3 slight breeze
Weather: Overcast, mild

This morning broke out the paint pots once again, continued a little upper deck maintenance, when I finished this section I will have completed one full lap of the deck and will be ready to start again.

In the afternoon I went ashore for an explore, certainly not the most upmarket part of Chile, which is fine by me, hopefully therefore not the most expensive either. I don’t feel particularly anxious about my safety at this stage, despite Juan’s warnings, though it never hurts to be careful. I wouldn’t wander down the back streets here in the middle of the night by myself, but I wouldn’t do that almost anywhere.

I found the bus station and learnt that several buses leave here for Santiago every day, including Sundays, so that is good to know, an option now is to leave Sylph and BC here when I go to Buenos Aires to collect the new sail. I also found out yesterday that there is another Australian yachtie with his boat on the hard here, he is in Santiago at the moment but is expected back on Sunday, so I look forward to making his acquaintance and hopefully having someone I can talk more than three year old Spanish to.

Meanwhile I plunge the depths of Camus’ collection of essays under the title of “The Myth of Sisyphus”. I am not the brightest of chaps so have read it twice through so far plus a bit, some of it is very good but a lot of it is very obscure to me, though compared to Kierkegaard, of whom Camus talks refers to quite a bit, it is child’s play, so I am persevering. I may post a précis if I feel so inclined when I have finished decoding it, then again, I may not.

Here is an extract which I think rather beautiful::

“Oedipus at the outset obeys fate without knowing it. But the moment he knows, his tragedy begins. Yet at the same moment, blind and desperate, he realizes that the only bond linking him to the world is the cool hand of a girl. Then a tremendous remark rings out: “Despite so many ordeals, my advanced age and the nobility of my soul make me conclude …

All is well.”

Bob Cat:

Here is another extract:

“If I were a tree amongst trees, a cat amongst animals, this life would have meaning, or rather this problem would not arise, for I should belong to this world.” I am glad I got a mention, noting I do not have ‘The Problem‘, only an inadequate supply of tuna. You guys should never have eaten that damned apple you know. And don’t go blaming Eve, or the serpent either for that matter.

No tuna! ….. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz