Patient Posting

Ushuaia 2007
Originally uploaded by agypsy.

I have become an expert in posting parcels from all over the world. That's because someone keeps adding rocks to my suitcase and I have to send them on to Oz, as on every weigh in my luggage is heavier, no matter how much I get rid of or post back.
Anyway, here in Ushuaia, it is a whole new experience. I would prefer to buy my box first, bring it home and pack it and then post it. Logical I would have thought, but here no, it's a little more complicated, as every parcel sent has to be inspected by the Aduana - Customs. So everyone arrives at the Correo with all their goodies to post, buys their box, or with their own in hand and waits for the lovely man to come and inspect. He flips through everything, books, the DVDs, inside shoes, clothing, etc whatever is being sent. It's a pretty cursory inspection and I'm not quite sure what he is looking for, but it's the same for everyone for parcels big and small. Then he leaves you to wrap, and for me supplies the papers to fill in to send OS. Those sending presents come armed with gift wrap, ribbon etc, and everyone has the obligatory brown paper, unless you buy a box, and the sticky tape. The post office resounds to the sound of tape being torn off the roll and stuck to boxes. At this stage it would be possible to include anything in the parcel as it's not checked again.
Then it's into the line to post your parcel, and this takes a while. There is only one man on the desk and he sort of fuddles around a lot of the time. Every parcel is weighed and measured, not exactly measured as he only has a small ruler, which he sort of quickly moves from place to place, except of course for mine, they are calculated to the last centimeter. I can't quite understand this bit because I buy my boxes from him, and I would have thought they were a standard size, but who am I to question?
I have actually managed to convince them to sell me boxes in advance in the promise that I will return in a day or two to post them. I bought two the other day, then walked over to the packing tables and, much to the horror of all, disassembled them. They are much easier to carry home flat. "Tourists" do strange things! But I know better than some of the locals who arrive with their boxes wrapped, sealed and ready to go and then have to pull them all apart for the inspection. Even had to lend my scissors to a guy today to get through the tape on his box.
But, in favour of the Argentinian Correo, two boxes I posted recently arrived on the doorstep in Oz almost before they left here. They only took a week, and that was with Anzac Day holiday, and the day lost travelling West. So there you go, the trip to Oz is almost quicker than my trip to the Post Office.