OK, You can stop worrying now

Of course you aren´t worrying because I didn´t tell you there was a potential problem.

Today was a good day, but rather boring. I spent several hours waiting in the local hospital. Everything is OK, but I´d better tell you the story.

Last week, after getting sand in my eyes, which is painful with contact lenses, I became aware of something in my right eye that looked like a bit of brown fluff. When it didn´t go away I emailed my optometrist, who said that it was very likely a harmless "vitreous floater" but I must get the eye checked in case there´s a rip in the retina. So today:

9 o´clock - go to hospital. Told to come back at 1pm to give details of name, etc. I understood that the doctor would be seeing patients from 2pm.

1 o´clock - wait around. Told that details will be collected at 2pm and the doctor will start seeing patients at 4pm.

2 o´clock - form queue in apparently random order to make appointment. No that´s not right, to get my name on the list. Pay 15 pesos ($7.50). Told to come back at 5pm to see the doctor at 5:15 or 5:30.

5 o´clock - return to hospital and take seat outside the opthalmology room.

6:15 - see the doctor. A friend had translated the correspondence with my optometrist into Spanish. Your translation was excellent, Tracey. All was clear to Dr Gruccio, who applied pupil-dilating fluid.

6:20 - sit outside again "for 20 minutes" while the fluid takes effect.

6:50 - readmitted to consulting room. Retina examined very carefully. Given the all clear.

So that´s all right.

I then went to the bus terminal to book seats to Rio Gallegos and Ushuaia. Because of the strong winds the ferry isn´t running and the buses can´t get to Ushuaia. I have to go back tomorrow and see what the situation is.

I don´t mind an extra day in El Calafate, but I do want to see a bit of Tierra del Fuego before I step on a plane out of Ushuaia next Sunday.

I think I shall go back to a "parilla libre", an all you can eat BBQ buffet, eat a kilo of steak and drink lots of red wine to remind myself that it doesn´t really matter.