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Gates and Allen cause a stir on the way to Antarctica
Big headlines, but no confirmation
The local right-wing paper La Nacion, suggests today that BillyG might have arrived to go aboard the Octupus, the world's fourth largest super-yatch, property of Microsoft's "accidental billionaire" Paul Allen. Or maybe he didn't. The paper is uncertain, but is entitled "Large security operation due to Bill Gates' alleged visit to Ushuaia".
According to La Nacion, Paul Allen decided to park his "extraordinarily huge" yatch in the Ushuaia bay, while a private plane landed on the city airport at 4:32pm yesterday (GMT -3), carrying "eighteen guests" for Allen's "planned trip to Antarctica". Two choppers, part of the ship's security apparatus later transferred the guests from the airport to Allen's humble craft.
The article describes Allen's boat, which has, "a crew of 54 people, and carries several other smaller craft on board like swift boats, water bikes, and even a tiny yellow submarine". Allen's little yellow submarine aboard the Octopus can carry up to eight people, according to the news story.
The Argentine coast guard mounted a "reinforced" security operation, to guarantee the safety of the "famous sailor" *cough*. "Two of our ships escorted Allen's yatch until it reached the end of the Beagle channel" the coast guarding force told the local paper. It seems that having a country's own military ships escort you was not enough to make Allen sleep soundly, as the news report adds that "Allen's security personnel circled around the yatch last night in the same boat used yesterday to bring groceries bought in stores at Ushuaia city".
The story ends saying that "according to sources related to the tourism sector, the ship's crew contracted four SUVs to bring passengers to a sightseeing tour of the Tierra del Fuego National Park, but nobody could confirm if Paul Allen himself was among them".
BillG allegedly .. where?
Ushuaia is one of the world's southernmost cities, located on the province of Tierra del Fuego. During the first
half of the 20th century the city was known for its prison, the remote destination for Argentina's "most dangerous"
criminals - including socialists and anarchists who dared to go on strike during the first decades of the 1900s. Since
Tierra del Fuego is an island, it was thought that it was a good idea to send the bad guys down there, as the chances
of escaping were grim. Construction of the Ushuaia prison started in around 1902. Inmates enjoyed both the beautiful
landscape and also forced labour, like cutting wood and building houses and even a railway. The train that travels that
railway still remains, and is dubbed "Tren del Fin del Mundo" (End of the Earth Train). The route is referred to as the
southernmost railway in the world.
The Ushuaia prison was closed in March 1947 and today acts as a museum. Only one inmate managed to escape the Ushuaia prison, that was Simon Radowitzky, an anarchist activist. He was re-captured after just 23 days of freedom. On a related note, the government of Argentina of the early 20th Century may have given inspiration to George W. Bush and its current imbroglio with the Gitmo detainees who were in legal limbo. When the Ushuaia prison was in operation, Argentine anarchists and socialists were sent there in a similar state of legal limbo, without having the official category of convicted felons.
Today, the Ushuaia harbour is one of Argentina's busiest seaports, and one of the most scenic. Ushuaia is now a thriving tourist destination, and the commercial center for the area. The other most important city in Tierra del Fuego is Rio Grande, the province's industrial capital, where a law promoting industrial development gave birth to a thriving electronic products assembly industry, including heavyweights like Samsung and Philips.
Should I stay or should I go?
Back to the subject of William Gates, founder of the world's largest convicted software monopolist and his buddy
Allen. As the INQ's South American outpost is in Buenos Aires,
1470 miles from the action, this scribbler was unable to find out if Sir William was there or not,
but it seems Paul Allen's
little boat is definitely is down here, that's for sure. If you see the camera-shy BillG walking anywhere else,
let us know. Or ask quiet whispering Ballmer. µ
L'INQS
Paul Allen's Yatchs, bought with your "Windows Tax"
money
Paul Allen, the Accidental Zillonaire
Ushuaia in pictures
Ushuaia on the Wikipedia
Top 10 things to see and do in
Ushuaia
Google
Satellite view
Biography of Simon Radowitzky
Microsoft, convicted monopolist,
BBC extract
Mapcrow: Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
Mapcrow: London->Ushuaia
Another Yellow Submarine
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