Argentina in general.....
Trip Start
Apr 12, 2012
1
22
Trip End
May 04, 2012
Buenos Aires, Capital Federal District, Argentina
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Language - the spanish in south america is slightly different than the spanish in north and central america, however it seemed to be quite okay to get across what you want and some people have some english which was handy. Many places have WIFI so if you have a phone that you can get a translator installed on you can type in what you want! Also if you are booking tours, ask for an English guide, it might cost you an extra $10 pesos but it's worth it. If the tour company tells you they don't do that, walk down the street to the next company.
Money - it is very easy to use the bank machines in Argentina and not at all easy to exchange money, banks are closed all holidays and weekends and sometimes for the afternoon. Also they will not exchange funds for you, you have to find a cambio (cash exchange). Most places also take visa/mastercard (some cards charge a service fee for use in outside your home country). If you don't have to carry large amounts of cash, avoid it. Also, there are alot of fake $100 bills, the ink is different and there should also be a superimposed image in the white part of the bill. In two instances these fake bills have been recieved out of the national bank machines so the banks are not looking for this however the vendors absolutely do. There's also not alot of small change coins in change, $1 and $2 coins so if you get them, hang onto them in case you need to get on a bus. Also your change you receive from a store will not generally be exact, often they don't have the exact change they need to give you back.
Bus Terminals - most of the bus terminals are set up so that one bus line has multiple kiosks. The kiosks are organized by area they travel to. There seem to be three different types of 'omnibus' travel - cama which is a normal seat usually no meal service. Cama Executve - seats recline midway and the leg rests are at about a 45 degree angle, check if there is a meal service or not, sometimes it is not included also blankets and pillows are generally available. Cama Suite - seats recline midway, leg rests come up so they're horizontal, curtains surround your seat, meals are included. Drinks are provided on most buses as well and include water, sodas, wine or champagne. There's generally a server on the bus as well. At the depot baggage handlers often 'require' $2 peso to load / unload your luggage. They will give you a baggage tag which you'll need to be able to get your luggage back. Also, the kiosks will give you a general area of where the bus might be (slots 18-30), then you sit back, wait for a bus to show up with the name of the bus line you're travelling with and the name of the city you're travelling to at the approximate time. Strangely once you get used to this process it really works quite well. The buses all take most major credit cards and you will need to show your passport.
Cabs - when leaving the airports there will often be guys hanging out asking if you need a ride somewhere, they are 'sedan' drivers and not 'cab' drivers and because of this they feel like they can double or triple the cost a normal cab would charge - find yourself a 'radio cab', they are in most cities and will charge you by the meter. Also, if you do not speak spanish, I recommend you write down the name and address of the hotel and give it to the driver if he doesn't understand, it's the easiest way to get across what you are trying to say.
Airports - for any flight in Argentina you want to arrive with at least 3 hours before your flight. They line up to get into another line up then line up some more to get through security and another line up to get onto the flight so you do not want to be late. On the other hand, almost all of the internal flights within South America are late so plan on the other end to have a couple hours before you have to be anywhere. The security is a bit of a joke but they do it anyway and you can bring bottles of wine (up to 4 I think) purchased within the country as carryon within Argentina.
Tour Companies - pricing and tour content are generally similar within most tour companies. They take credit cards and in some cases will need your passport number. Always ask what's not included, most times lunch is not included and sometimes gate fees for some things. What I learned is that if you join the group for lunch, it's a nice visit but it cuts back on your time in the town you are there to visit - so if you want to see the town, decline the lunch, go find an empanada shack and go for a wander around town.
Pick Pockets - as with any place you travel if you flash around alotta cash and fancy jewellry you're likely to get robbed, so use your head. Be careful where you set your bags as well, someone can easily just walk by and pick them up. The most current trick on the trains in Buenos Aires is to make a big deal of pretend vomiting and a side kick of the vomitter is wandering through the crowds picking pockets of the people watching. Most pick pockets will have a jacket or something draped over their arms.
Medical - there are many walk in clinics and you can go to any of them generally free of charge.
