The Argentina Thread

[sidis 9823]

 

All things travel to Argentina and Argentinian culture...

[texasdago 7567]

Be careful which posters send you places... ahem ahem

[Mo Horn 8825]

BA is my favorite city in South America. Iguazu is fantastic. Now I want a steak and a Malbec.

[Enchubben 5510]

I'm interested in planning a week long Argentina dove hunting type trip at one of these luxury lodges with a large crew a year or two out.    Would maybe be interested in a day, two days even three days away from the lodge for other various activities.  Anybody have experience doing something like this in South America or Argentina/Uruguay and have any tips or recommendations?

[Mo Horn 8825]

 

This thread has a bunch of info

[TechTech 99]

39 minutes ago, Enchubben said:

I'm interested in planning a week long Argentina dove hunting type trip at one of these luxury lodges with a large crew a year or two out.    Would maybe be interested in a day, two days even three days away from the lodge for other various activities.  Anybody have experience doing something like this in South America or Argentina/Uruguay and have any tips or recommendations?

yes

 

unfortunately Argentina is closed to non nationals right now but I am hanging out in SA right now waiting for it to open. 

Edited March 18, 2021 by TechTech

[Enchubben 5510]

9 minutes ago, TechTech said:

yes

unfortunately Argentina is closed to non nationals right now but I am hanging out in SA right now waiting for it to open. 

Since I’m probably looking at fall 2022 at this point, I’m assuming it will be open by then but who knows.

Would you recommend Buenos Aires for a day or no?

[TechTech 99]

3 minutes ago, Enchubben said:

Since I’m probably looking at fall 2022 at this point, I’m assuming it will be open by then but who knows.

Would you recommend Buenos Aires for a day or no?

Yes. 1000%

Rosario too and then Mendoza if you want the Napa wine experience. There is a fuck ton to do. 

[Spoosner 86]

There seem to be 2 Argentina threads, but I'm going with this one as it has the most recent reply.

I've got it stuck in my head that I want to take the family down to Argentina for around 5-6 weeks starting in July. Rent an apartment in BA for 3-4 weeks, hire a nanny or put kids in daycare, wife and I work as little as possible to keep our jobs, explore BA, take weekend trips, and then take actual vacation for 1-2 weeks before heading home for the kids to start school.

I used to be fluent, but am down to conversational due to inactivity. Hoping this would help. My kids are 3 and 6, both in Spanish immersion programs so the language would be no surprise to them. My wife would need to practice before we go, but would not be nervous about it.

I'm aware it's technically winter, but average high/low of 59/47 according to google sounds glorious compared to Austin at that time. We also like to ski, so might fill a weekend with that.

Is this a great idea or just ok? Recommended neighborhood (seems to be Palermo)? Think it will be easy to find care for the kids? Any real safety concerns above and beyond travel to any foreign big city? Thoughts on the best weekend trips? Helpful websites? I welcome it all. 

[Firemans4Horn 18034]

I rented an apartment in Palermo Soho for a month in 2008 (god that makes me feel old). I loved that area; I walked or took the subway everywhere. Recoleta is a nice neighborhood to stay in. Spanish lessons are cheap if you want to go for a week with your wife and oldest kid. 

You won’t be out late with your kids so I don’t think you will run into much crime beyond pick pockets.

Bariloche is the ski area and a magical place. 
 

Weekend trips: Uruguay, Iguazu Falls, Mendoza (I’d spend a week there)

 

[tx 3 putt 76869]

Do it. Get around some, it’s a beautiful country. I’m familiar with the nuequen area, it’s damn easy living 

[Napoleon 8660]

On 1/25/2024 at 4:58 PM, Spoosner said:

There seem to be 2 Argentina threads, but I'm going with this one as it has the most recent reply.

I've got it stuck in my head that I want to take the family down to Argentina for around 5-6 weeks starting in July. Rent an apartment in BA for 3-4 weeks, hire a nanny or put kids in daycare, wife and I work as little as possible to keep our jobs, explore BA, take weekend trips, and then take actual vacation for 1-2 weeks before heading home for the kids to start school.

I used to be fluent, but am down to conversational due to inactivity. Hoping this would help. My kids are 3 and 6, both in Spanish immersion programs so the language would be no surprise to them. My wife would need to practice before we go, but would not be nervous about it.

I'm aware it's technically winter, but average high/low of 59/47 according to google sounds glorious compared to Austin at that time. We also like to ski, so might fill a weekend with that.

Is this a great idea or just ok? Recommended neighborhood (seems to be Palermo)? Think it will be easy to find care for the kids? Any real safety concerns above and beyond travel to any foreign big city? Thoughts on the best weekend trips? Helpful websites? I welcome it all. 

If I were going to Argentina for 5-6 weeks, I would go from late October to the start of December…

Like I did when I went back for 7 weeks in 2015…

…after living there for 7 1/2 years (Buenos Aires).

ARGIE WINTER:

-It’s not harsh, but it is dark & depressing. 

-Skiing is available.

-The Spanish is fucked up and will take a bit to understand the accent, the unexplained choice not to pronounce any “s” going into a consonant nor most “s”s at the end of words. That doesn’t even cover the slang (“lunfardo”) or the words that are inexplicably different than the word in most other Spanish countries. 
 

BARRIOS…

-You should look at RECOLETA & the various PALERMOs (SoHo, Hollywood, Alto…). And anywhere near embassies (Barrio Norte in addition to those other places.)

-You are NOT staying in La Boca.

-Sketchy, but okay… San Telmo, Barracas, Boedo, Once, Abasto, Villa Crespo… I would live, or have lived, in the last 3, but I’m a poor. I have also lived in much nicer areas (Palermo Hollywood, Barrio Norte, Recoleta, Jardin Botanico de Palermo, Palermo Zoologico…). You want to stay in a nice area.

…Just realized that I may have a place for you.

An American couple (with no kids) tend to leave their sweet flat in Palermo SoHo  every Buenos Aires winter and try to rent it out. It has a great roof deck with a partially (grill).

Send me a PM to remind me to look into it. 

I’ll post more later.

 

[Orale 1087]

You should absolutely do it. BA may be my favorite city in the world. I'm partial to Palermo which has amazing restaurants, architecture, and streets shaded with massive trees. It's very safe and quite affordable by U.S. standards, particularly with inflation there as it is.

You might also consider a long weekend to Patagonia weather permitting. Bring lots of cash in hundreds as the ATMs were often out of cash or limited how much you could take out last time I visited. Plus you can exchange it for the blue rate which is much higher than what a bank or official money exchange will give you.

This expat forum is a good place to learn more about a longer stay. https://baexpats.org/forums/expat-life.6/

[UTPhil2006 3804]

@Ldogg53 can probably assist 

[tx 3 putt 76869]

I agree oct to dec is prime weather. Ive been there in june, in a snow storm

[Spoosner 86]

Thanks for the replies.

I don't really have a choice on the timing. My wife and I can't leave until after July 4th for work reasons, and we need to be back a few days ahead of school starting for the boys.

Thanks @Orale, I signed up and posted a couple questions to the expat site. Just what I need, another message board in my life, ha!

@Napoleon I'll shoot you a PM. I was looking somewhat exclusively at Palermo, but good to know Recoleta may be an option as well.

I'd like to have our boys play with other kids rather than a nanny/babysitter situation. I found this place: https://www.clubdeamigos.org.ar/ and have requested information. I understand the schools have their 2 week winter break in the second half of July. I'm hoping that means maybe there are camp type options around then for parents to put their kids in, and not the opposite that everything like that shuts down.

[Napoleon 8660]

11 hours ago, Orale said:

This expat forum is a good place to learn more about a longer stay. https://baexpats.org/forums/expat-life.6/

I used to post lot in that forum from 2007-2012, or so. Used “Napoleon” there too. 

I think that there is a lot more action on some Facebook closed groups. I will look them up and link them here after I have eaten something. 👍

[texasdago 7567]

Will agree that Buenos Aires is one of the best cities in the world. Been 4 times.  

[Napoleon 8660]

Facebook groups to join.
 

 

Go through and look up subjects you’re interested in before just asking a question that may have been addressed 20-50 times already.

1) Apartment 

My friends with the sweet apartment have moved on from that pad. 

-Today he (hopefully) will see if that place may be available.

-That place usually is an annual lease and my friends would sublet it for 1-3 months in June-> August. (They cannot sublet their new place.)

I do have a friend who manages apartments in the AirBnB realm. She won’t cut any deals, but she also is someone I trust. I will reach out to her after I hear back from my friend about his former apartment.

2) Babysitters:

This is not an easy thing to find. 

Most Argentines either have family watch their kids or their maid stays late to watch their kids.

Using the Expat Facebook group would be a good way to find how expats have solved this issue.

3) “Dolar Blue”

Start researching foreign exchange rates for cash. 

There is usually a street rate for cash exchange that is drastically different than the official exchange. 

Basically, the government restricts the purchase of foreign currencies at banks and the government may drastically change the exchange rate at any time, so locals buy foreign currency on the black market as soon as they get paid.

This little custom means that you could get 1.5x to 2.5x the official exchange rate… but some credit cards have started giving the street rate and a new president took power in December and it is all quite confusing.

[marriedup 71]

I rented a house in Chacras de Coria near Mendoza for a month when my kids were younger. I said at the time that we should have never returned to the US and still kind of think that. There is a TexasEx that is COO at Vines of Mendoza and she was a great resource in setting up wine tours, horseback riding and dinner recs and pretty much anything else. BA is great, but highly recoomend the wine country.

[lemonlime 5503]

On 1/28/2024 at 1:05 AM, Orale said:

 Bring lots of cash in hundreds as the ATMs were often out of cash or limited how much you could take out last time I visited. Plus you can exchange it for the blue rate which is much higher than what a bank or official money exchange will give you.
 

This.  You can also send USD to yourself using Western Union.  Don't use an ATM in Argentina.  You should also bring something to put all those pesos into.  I exchanged 100 USD there, and received a giant stack of pesos, I think 130,000 pesos or so.  Their largest bill in regular circulation is a 1000 peso note which is worth less than $1 (fluctuates constantly though).

[texasdago 7567]

On 1/31/2024 at 4:07 PM, marriedup said:

I said at the time that we should have never returned to the US and still kind of think that.

I know what you mean... I know what you mean.  Should have bought real estate in 2005.

[CycleTex87 2966]

On 1/30/2024 at 9:29 AM, Napoleon said:

3) “Dolar Blue”

Start researching foreign exchange rates for cash. 

There is usually a street rate for cash exchange that is drastically different than the official exchange. 

Basically, the government restricts the purchase of foreign currencies at banks and the government may drastically change the exchange rate at any time, so locals buy foreign currency on the black market as soon as they get paid.

This little custom means that you could get 1.5x to 2.5x the official exchange rate… but some credit cards have started giving the street rate and a new president took power in December and it is all quite confusing.

I had this same experience in Venezuela regarding the “street” exchange rate.  Also, don’t know if this is the case in Argentina but in some African countries a crisp brand new $100 bill brought a better exchange rate than any other denomination.  Don’t bring old wrinkly notes. 

[Firemans4Horn 18034]

5 hours ago, texasdago said:

I know what you mean... I know what you mean.  Should have bought real estate in 2005.

It’s probably worth less in US Dollar terms now than it was in 2005. Go buy whatever you want today. 

[texasdago 7567]

17 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

It’s probably worth less in US Dollar terms now than it was in 2005. Go buy whatever you want today. 

Not from what I just saw.  Prices were so cheap back then.

[Napoleon 8660]

42 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

I had this same experience in Venezuela regarding the “street” exchange rate.  Also, don’t know if this is the case in Argentina but in some African countries a crisp brand new $100 bill brought a better exchange rate than any other denomination.  Don’t bring old wrinkly notes. 

Pretty much.

1) $100s & $50s got the best rate.
-$20s & $10s got a lower rate. (Don’t know if you can change $5s & $1s.)

2) The bills have to be the latest design or you can’t find a place that will take them. Make sure bills are the latest design.

3) Torn bills, taped bills, or bills with writing on them will be rejected. Check ALL of your bills before your trip.

4) I would go to the bank the day before (or day of) my flight and ask for new $100s out of the vault  

5) I sometimes took just under $10,000 when flying back. Maybe $1,950 for me and $8,000 for a friend who managed some apartments his family owned in the early 2010s.

He wired the money to me, I withdrew it in crisp $100s at the bank and then dropped them at his place. He would change money right before paying the monthly building fees (with doormen), paying maintenance workers & maids, paying taxes, utility bills…

You hold your money in dollars and then you change what you need, when you need it. You DO NOT change all of your US dollars the day you arrive if you are staying longer than a week or two. 

A) There might be a governmental decree and you can lose the value of half of your money overnight.
B) If you find that you only used about half your money, you won’t be able to change it back into dollars at a bank (ARG or USA) or at the airport (ARG or USA). You’ll have to go through the black market and you’ll lose value on the re-exchange  

Argentina, Venezuela, Zimbabwe were the Three Musketeers of Inflation/Foreign Currency related Arbitrage on the world stage while I was down there. 

 

 

[deac_tracy 516]

On 1/30/2024 at 10:29 AM, Napoleon said:

 

3) “Dolar Blue”

 

This little custom means that you could get 1.5x to 2.5x the official exchange rate… but some credit cards have started giving the street rate and a new president took power in December and it is all quite confusing.

Was just in Argentina last November and I believe every foreign credit card gives the "street" rate now. The rate though is close but not exactly the blue dollar rate. Blue dollar rate was 900 per dollar when I first got there but moved up to 950 per dollar two weeks later by the time I left. The credit card rate was about 850 per dollar and it stayed constant pretty much the entire trip. As said earlier, they take a lot off if the dollar is ripped. 

 

Just looked online and the dollar is even higher there now. Holy shit!

[Napoleon 8660]

29 minutes ago, deac_tracy said:

Was just in Argentina last November and I believe every foreign credit card gives the "street" rate now. The rate though is close but not exactly the blue dollar rate. Blue dollar rate was 900 per dollar when I first got there but moved up to 950 per dollar two weeks later by the time I left. The credit card rate was about 850 per dollar and it stayed constant pretty much the entire trip. As said earlier, they take a lot off if the dollar is ripped. 

Just looked online and the dollar is even higher there now. Holy shit!

There was an election and the new president, a radio/TV personality, changed the official exchange rate to the Blue Dolar rate overnight. 

So the official rate went from something like

AR$385 to US $1 to…

AR$785 to US $1.

Ummmm… that’s a calm and rational move. 🙄

So overnight everyone living & working in pesos got roughly a 50%-ish pay cut. Not surprisingly, this has caused a bit of upheaval. Especially for senior citizens/retired people (Jubilados).

I saw this reposted by my former Spanish tutor last week. (Not the name at the bottom of the image.)

Retirees vs Riot Police

 

Public Service Announcement: 

If you are with your wife & small kids, you probably just want to walk around any protests. 👍 No need to get close and see why there is tension.

Edited February 6 by Napoleon

[texasdago 7567]

12 hours ago, Napoleon said:

Public Service Announcement: 

If you are with your wife & small kids, you probably just want to walk around any protests. 👍 No need to get close and see why there is tension.

...and from what I remember, there is always a protest

[SimonBolivar 10957]

I've found on Roku that there's a free tan.tv app for Argentina. Our tv has been on Encuentro for a week now and we're ready to invade the Malvinas.  

[Napoleon 8660]

1 hour ago, texasdago said:

...and from what I remember, there is always a protest

Yes, I regularly had to wait for a protest to pass to enter one of the HSBC corporate buildings where I taught English classes around lunch or at the end of the day.

The Plaza de Mayo (the main square), the Congreso (in front of the Congress building), and in the “microcentro” (downtown banking & business district) are where the largest number of protests occur. 

I think that it was early 2013, but maybe 2014, an American amiga of mine in BA who also worked/works in tourism posted on Facebook that she a a news item that said:

”In the previous year, there were an AVERAGE of 4 (FOUR) protests a day in Buenos Aires.”

Don’t know if those averages were just for weekdays (when nearly all of the protests happen) or if they included  the weekends in that average, but I definitely laughed and nodded my head. 

For the people whose lives don’t take them to the city center, they would see one or two protests a year. 

[Horndog 2228]

The ESMA Museum is a must. It has a full and candid exploration of the political turmoil of the 70s and the thousands of "disappeared", many of whom were tortured before their execution. Some of the bodies were tossed from planes into the river and some of those washed up on the Uruguayan shore.