Two errant lines intersect in Chile, a TR with two perspectives.

[juddles]

The eagle has landed in SCL .

The eagle has now landed in LSC.

I captured the exact moment this person dared set foot on my sacred ground that is the IV Region of Chile. I see the true threat this, alias "JohnM", better known in security circles as "The Botanist", poses to this peaceful region. I will use his weaknesses and ply him with wine and seek to ascertain his no doubt evil intentions...

Sorry for the photo type - but I was exercising extreme caution before approaching the man:

 

[juddles]

My God this man works fast! Even under my trained eye he has clearly managed his first evil act. Within minutes of him having an "innocent" stroll on my beach, an invasion of never-before-seen evil algae commenced to ravage what is usually pristine sand:



This stuff is dastardly!

It appears at first to be natural vegetable matter, like a lettuce or pale spinach, and is pretty with it's bright green colouring - looks at first something that would be a tasty side thing on your plate. But when you actually examine it more closely, it is way too pretty green. And has a bizarre texture like something you have never felt. And once you get really close you feel that it is extremely slimy, yet far too tough for it's apparent delicate visage, and you realise that ingesting it could be a bad idea, even fatal?

My dread increases. I am sensing a greater Evil is at work here. I suspect I have more than one foe, that the threat is a combined thing. A biological attack by The Botanist was a dreadful enough thing to contemplate on its own, but here it appears it has an added level of horror - it appears to be Neil Perry inspired!!!

 

[love_the_life]

And how long is your guest staying?

 

[JohnM]

Well, I can’t beat that!

I’ll never look at an NP salad in the same way again . It has taken on even more evil connotations than its already dubious reputation .

The evening started innocently enough:

 

[love_the_life]

Well, I can’t beat that!

I’ll never look at an NP salad in the same way again . It has taken on even more evil connotations than its already dubious reputation .

The evening started innocently enough:

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Juddles broke out a table cloth for you? Or is that at a neighbourhood bar?

 

[RossM]

A bottle of beer!? What happened to the wine?

 

[Pussels]

Hmmm....interesting thread. I thought that the history behind this thread was worthy of dusting off my old model crystal ball which came with a 'history function'' built in. I think that option was fairly new when I bought it (cost me an arm and a leg extra though). Anyway, I found it under a heavy cardboard box at the back of my closet and decided to see if it still worked.

The first problem I found was that unfortunately, I left the batteries in it when I last used it and they had leaked (of course). After discarding the batteries and cleaning up the battery compartment, I decided to run it from external power rather than finding new batteries. Hey, the power supply that came with it still worked. It didn't turn on at first but after wriggling the power cord a bit, it finally came to life. The second problem I had was that it was so old that it didn't have a USB port on it, only the old centronics connector. After a couple of days I managed to find one from MSY which then enabled me to connect it to my computer. I was so old that that it would only look back in time in black and white (I think the colour models came out a few years later!). But, hey, it was finally up and running, yay!!

So anyway, I started to communicate with my old faithful crystal ball by firstly giving it your names (juddles and JohnM). And sure enough, grainy and noisy images started to appear in it! It seemed to be locking on to a timeline around the later eighties and early nighties. The exact year was difficult to read because the time or history function of my crystal ball at that time was really in its infancy. Boy, how technology has advanced. I read that the latest models even have a 'future looking'' function built in as standard. Cant wait to try that one out'when time permits!!

So, thought you guys may be interested in what it was able to show me. I would be so interested to know if any if it was really true or whether I need to take my crystal ball in for calibration again (damm it!!). First thing that came up was the coastal town you guys mentioned, Guanaqueros and then I could actually see the house you mentioned as it was back then. I could clearly see a gentleman working on it there. He was a fairly tall well built sort of a guy and had a beard, mostly dark coloured with some greying starting to appear, (but it was a very staticy image). And yes, his name was actually John. From time to time I could also see a woman in the images from time to time. She was of similar age and my crystal ball kept on trying to tell me that her name was Katty, or perhaps Katrina, Katerina! I thought nah, that can't be right as it doesn't sound like a Spanish name at all. Probably just the crystal ball going out of calibration again!!

The house appeared to be facing roughly north on a gently facing hill leading down to the beach. It looked pretty dry around and in the small village. I then asked my crystal ball to 'zoom in' a little on the tall male figure in the image (the one that had a beard). My crystal ball told me that he was some sort of engineer (electrical maybe?) and worked on a mountain top a couple of hours drive of where his house was. This John figure was clearly a 'hands-on' type of a guy with a real DIY bent, he liked doing a lot of things with his hands from what I could see.

All this sounded a bit strange to me so I thought my crystal ball was really out of wack, so I didn't ask it any more questions. The power supply was also getting a little too warm for my liking also, so, back in the box it went!

Anyway, probably none if this can really be true, but thought you may like to have a laugh over it while you are enjoying your Escudo beers.

cheers!

 

[juddles]

A bottle of beer!? What happened to the wine?

Slow down down young whippersnapper! That was cleary labeled the "start" of the evening

 

[juddles]

Juddles broke out a table cloth for you? Or is that at a neighbourhood bar?

Hmmm, I could take that in various ways - are you suggesting that I am such an uncouth person that I would not have a tablecloth even just for myself??

No, it is not a neighbourhood bar in the sense that it is my personal bar area And yes, in deference to such an "exalted guest" as the uninformed in AFF could be mistakenly thinking that JohnM is, I did actually shake off the deposits of cigarette ash and less wholesome other things to celebrate his arrival. I try to be a good host, even to an insane and evil spreader of mayhem.

 

[JohnM]

That young whippersnapper is my errant younger brother getting involved here .

 

[love_the_life]

Hmmm, I could take that in various ways - are you suggesting that I am such an uncouth person that I would not have a tablecloth even just for myself??

No, it is not a neighbourhood bar in the sense that it is my personal bar area And yes, in deference to such an "exalted guest" as the uninformed in AFF could be mistakenly thinking that JohnM is, I did actually shake off the deposits of cigarette ash and less wholesome other things to celebrate his arrival. I try to be a good host, even to an insane and evil spreader of mayhem.

Who uses a table cloth these days, especially if there are no guests. Certainly not me.
But, you have shown yourself to be a cultured and refined host by the use of said cloth. I’m impressed.
Pretty nice bar area too to sit out at.

 

[JohnM]

Yesterday we did a little exploring around Guanaqueros and to some of Juddles’ childhood fishing and hillside wandering haunts, with ceviche and an empanada for lunch at nearby Tongoy. Back in the afternoon to see the resident sea lions and dogs scrapping at the jetty as some fish were being cleaned.

Followed by dinner at home and a little too much red wine, my head is telling me this morning...

 

[JohnM]

He wasn’t really asleep on the job ...

The wine was beginning to flow over some artichokes for a starter. It continued to flow...

 

[lakeman]

Another table cloth !
Double couth !
Perhaps I saw a 3rd one ?

 

[JohnM]

No NP salads and QF picnic cutlery here, either....

 

[jastel]

The upstairs desk was open last night and looking around down below, it seems that only the upstairs desk may be in operation these days. It’s impossible to miss, being clearly marked with Australian flags and signs to pay the reciprocity fee. It appears that Australians are the only people subject to this impost (my hazy recollection is that some others also had to pay in the past.)

The biggest PITA last night was that my flight arrival coincided with several others. Stopping to pay the RF (the only person needing to do so) put me at the back of the long line at paaport control. The line did move quickly though.

A word of warning if you come in from elsewhere when they expect very few Australians is that most of the booths will be closed. The agent on duty, instead of occupying the booth nearest the concourse, was in the middle one of five. Initiatially it looked like they were closed but closer examination revealed a diminutive agent lurking under not particularly bright lighting.

This impost and its attendant bureaucracy really is an archaic nonsense that both governments should have their heads banged together about IMO.

Agree with you...just glad I have another passport to show them to avoid this.

 

[love_the_life]

They're pretty fierce spines there - watch the fingers! The market looks wonderful.
Interesting to see the sea lions, there was an article here today about a woman who was lunged at and bitten down to the bone by a young fur seal at Port Fairy in Victoria. Last year rangers euthanised a big male there as it took up residence at the marina and was threatening people.

 

[juddles]

.....dusting off my old model crystal ball which came with a 'history function'' built in.....

Hmmmmm, interesting crystal ball - let me now see if I can hack into it from afar with my trusty pocket computer - the games get even murkier........

 

[juddles]

Day 2 and I feel even more that I have underestimated my enemy.

I thought that having foreknowledge of the wicked intent of the Botanist, and using my professional skills, that this chapter in the eternal struggle between Evil and Good would be won by me. But I suddenly have doubts.

After the aftermath of the NP-assisted assault on my beach, I was exhausted, and perhaps let my guard down. So on day 2 yet again I fell into the trap of momentarily letting The Botanist aka “JohnM’ have a few seconds unsupervised. It was truly mere seconds, but by then the damage was already done.

He asked to go for “a walk”, an innocent sounding request, but this enabled him to invade another area, separate from the now desolate beach. Now it was the countryside itself. As I said, I let my guard down (to quietly enjoy a Marlboro), but then got an uneasy feeling – The Botanist had escaped my sight. As I raced to where he could be, I caught him in the act...

My beautiful yet delicate countryside is resident to cactuses, being an arid area. A magnificent yet delicate tree. They rarely but beautifully deploy a simple large pale yellow single flower, a joy to see in the desert. But as I raced towards this miscreant, I saw that a member of a cactus clan was almost glowing with red inflorescences. This is not right! The Botanist had warped it into a monster! And I caught the cough in the act of recording his mischievous deeds. Just like a graffiti artist photographs their obscene works, here was JohnM gleefully recording his. I could only film this with my mobile phone – no audio, but it haunts me his chilling laughter as he went about his diabolical acts.

 

[juddles]

No doubt proud of his evil deeds, The Botanist then added insult to permanent damage by soiling my beautiful sun deck with his gloating form: