ARGENTINA

JANUARY 2006


Buenos Aires: Old currency on display at the
Museo Histórico del Banco de la Provencia de Buenos Aires
(History Museum of the Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires)

Argentina is a wonderful, safe place to visit. I should have definitely given it more time, and I'd love to come back here someday. I would highly recommmend Argentina to anyone coming to South America, especially because it's an absolute bargain...almost to the point that it's embarrassing. Three words: Count your change!

Why is Argentina such a bargain? Because its economy collapsed in November, 2001. I remember this well, because I was in Spain in 2002, and I kept meeting Argentinians who came there to find work.

Here's the really short version of what happened to Argentina:

  • In 1991, the government decided to peg the peso to the U.S. dollar (one for one) in an attempt to fight inflation and improve confidence in the battered economy
  • The result: an exchange rate that had no resemblance to the reality of the poor economic conditions
  • In 2001, the economy suffered a Chernobyl-style meltdown. Argentina defaulted on 800 billion dollars in foreign debt. Citizens made a mad dash to the banks. Accounts were frozen. Life savings were lost. People marched in the streets banging on pots and pans
  • The Argentine government devalued its currency ending the fixed link with the dollar. The peso plummeted. Currently you get about 24 pesos per dollar
  • The result: Argentine products are now much cheaper for those paying in foreign currencies. Great news for guys like me who get to enjoy a nationwide bargain basement sale. Bad news for businesses that have invested here. Worse news for the people of Argentina who've seen their standard of living get its teeth knocked out
  • On a brighter note, the economy has stabilized and improved, and unemployment has dropped. Still, everyone I talked to said that things will never be the same

    Although I traveled through Argentina for many hours and many miles by bus, I only visited Buenos Aires.

    Buenos Aires: is not your typical South American city; it's more European. If someone blindfolded me and plopped me in the middle of this city, I'd probably guess I was somewhere in Spain. So, take one part Europe, one part South America, add a dose of ego and New York attitude...instant Buenos Aires!

    The good news: there are actually places to grab a slice of pizza, just like in New York. I know this is hard to believe, but outside of the United States, this is not an easy thing to find.

    The bad news: You'll discover, as I did, that many sidewalks are narrow, and most people walk really slow. Maybe I'm losing my patience, but there were several occasions when I wanted to take my foot and push them out of the way.

    In the center of the city is Plaza de Mayo. There lies the great Casa Rosada where Evita (and later Madonna playing the role of Evita) stood on the top floor balcony overlooking the square. Who was Evita? María Eva Duarte de Perón (1919 - 1952) was the second wife of President Juan Domingo Perón and the First Lady of Argentina for six years. She had great charisma, was incredibly loved by the poor, and is considered one of the great women of the 20th century...although I highly doubt she ever sang "Don't Cry for me Argentina."

    So, I walk into an English Pub. I'm really happy about this, because I've been to English and Irish pubs all over the world, and I know there are two things I can count on:

    1. I can get an ice-cold, imported beer
    2. I can order that beer in English.

    I march in, order in English, and proceed to get ripped to shreds for not ordering in Spanish. Now, mind you, the blackboard announced it was "HAPPY HOUR" in large letters, not ORA FELIZ. I was too stunned by the verbal assault to defend myself. I guess technically she was right, and I've got to believe there are a large number of arrogant foreigners coming into a place like this. The happy hour was two for one; I ordered the second beer in Spanish. I'll tell you one thing, you can bet your life that when I was at the Irish Pub in Kiev, Ukraine, I didn't order that beer in Ukrainian.

    Also, I'd like to take this time to discuss women who wear shirts that expose their belly. Am I wrong when I say that if you don't have the belly, don't wear the shirt? I have seen the midriffs of soooo many girls/women from age 10 to 70 (slight exaggeration), and maybe like 5% of them have any business showing the world what they have. My favorites: pregnant women, women who've had cesarean sections, and obviously overweight women. I don't show the world my ugly, pale buttocks. I'll tell you what...look at the picture of my mosquito bitten feet at the bottom of this page, and we'll call it even.


    Buenos Aires: Has someone moved the Washington Monument?
    No, it's an obelisk built in 1936 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the city
    Height: 67 meters (220 ft); Washington Monument: 170 meters (555 ft)


    Buenos Aires: Casa Rosada where Evita (and Madonna as Evita) stood on the top floor balcony


    Buenos Aires: Mausoleums of La Recoleta Cemetery


    Eva Perón's (Evita's) gravesite


    Eva Perón's (Evita's) gravesite marker


    Buenos Aires: San Telmo is a trendy neighborhood south of the city center


    Buenos Aires: The Calle Florida pedestrian mall in the heart of the city


    Buenos Aires: A mural in La Boca, a colorful, touristy area (not accessible by subway)


    Buenos Aires: The colors of La Boca along Caminito


    Puppets for sale in La Boca


    Budget traveler's enemies: mosquito bites and diarrhea (diarrhea not pictured)