The air down there

Depending on your news consumption of the goings on in South America you may or may not know that for the past two weeks, BA has been swallowed in smoke (see view from our balcony above). Some days are so bad we avoid leaving the house and don't take Utta on walks. Its a real bummer to say the least. At first I didn't realize what was going on. I'd walk outside at night and smell burning and would think to myself "strange" is someone burning trash? Then not think about it again until the next day or two. See, depending on the wind, it blows in to town either a little or in full gusts at a time. Its now common knowledge that the fires running untethered in the countrysides are a result of arson. Some of the same angry farmers that protested the new taxes a month ago (negotiations are still underway) set fire to the country knowing full well that the smoke would wreak havoc on the nearby cities and also shut down major highways that transport food and other basic necessities. Nice way to deal with their frustration eh?

Meanwhile, people walk around (if they dare) with scarves over their faces and suffer. I was already supersensitive to toxic smells (thanks to the pregnancy hormones) so this for me is torture. Last week the government asked the public to avoid exercising outdoors and take caution if you have allergies or asthma but "not to worry as there are no real health risks!" The past two days thank god have been clear and smoke free - for us in BA at least. The winds shifted and sent the hellish blanket of smoke to Rosario and other unfortunate Argentine cities now under scourge. They say the only thing we can do is pray for rain to put it out as the fires are too extensive for firefighters to treat. Most Argentines I know give me a roll of the eyes, a kind of weary resignation and say "yeah, in this country its always one thing or another".