2024-05-05 -34 -58

Location

A sawmill in General Rodriguez, a county near Buenos Aires.

Participants

Plans

As other people in this graticule have stated, most of the time the point is in an inaccessible place. This time is very accessible by train + bus. I will take train from Buenos Aires and then walk ~4km to the point and get as close as possible. Best case scenario there is someone there that I can ask for permission, if not I will stand on the public road as close as possible. I can get few meters from the site

Expedition

I left my home at 7am, the route would be mostly public transport and then some walking. I first took a bus to the Once Train Station(~1h) , where I took the train to Moreno Station (~1h) There I had to take another train to Las Malvinas Station, thats where the adventure began.

This train was different to the usual trains of the Mitre/J.L.Suarez/Tigre line that I take. It was older, It did not have automatic doors and sounded... rackety, it felt like I was no longer in the city, even if there was still a lot of concrete surrounding me. Moreno is not a safe neighborhood but I did not have to exit the station and people seemed just going on with their lives, no sketchy people around so I enjoyed the sounds and the movement of the train until the Las Malvinas Station.

I exit the train and start the route that I already memorized, I didn't want to use the phone too much in these streets that I did not know. I walked for 1km through the only street that had concrete, then I had 1.3kms of mud streets, some trash around and few people at that hour (9:30am) but everyone that walked past said hi, houses and the people were obviously poor but kind, did not feel unsafe (felt more unsafe on the city). Passed some dogs going for the Sex Geohash achievement (no pictures, I respect their privacy of doing it in the middle of the street), then a horse that was trying to eat something clean beside some trash. And a house with a sign stating that they were selling churros, this will come handy later. Finally I arrived to the highway that I had to cross.

There was an overpass so I just crossed the highway easily. Then I had to walk the last 1.7km to the point, It was by the side of the road, one of the first things I bumped into were GOATS! they were super cute and we talked for a bit, they were not happy finding out why they were there. Then (mere meters away from the mud neighborhood) there was a huge private neighborhood with a 3 meters tall electrified fence, some tennis courts and football fields. Luckily the point was not inside this neighborhood and I just passed it by the side. After some more walking I arrived!

As I had seen before the point was inside private property, I stood around a little hoping to see someone inside that I could ask permission, there was a car so there was probably someone inside but I did not want to yell. In the end I did no see anyone (only some chickens chilling on top of the spot) so I went around to be the closest possible to the point and take the proof. I was 10m from the point. So, so close and yet too far.

Then I walked back through the same route and bought some delicious home made churros, half a dozen for USD1.50, in the city that would be 4 dollars. And walked happily eating churros to recover the energy (that was my first meal).