Ex-president,Néstor Kirchner, who passed away October 27, 2010 was the latest in a long line of charismatic and single-minded leaders who have shaped Argentina’s history since independence. In the ragged history of Argentine politics, he was part of a phenomenon which remains constant amongst all the turmoil -– the figure of the all-powerful leader known as […]
Safety for Female Travelers
Argentina is a relatively safe country for women to travel alone. Argentina’s men have a reputation for freely expressing their appreciation for women passing by on the street and as being charming devils who will say anything to get what they want, but it is much more likely that a single female traveler will suffer […]
Money Exchange & Other Hustles on Florida St.
Florida Street near LaValle on downtown Buenos Aires’ pedestrian mall, it’s inevitable to come across some shady-looking characters yelling out, ‘cambio, cambio!’ These ‘unofficial’ (read: illegal) money changers, are known in Lunfardo as arbolitos. Until Argentina regularized its currency situation in late 2015, these money changers did offer dollar and euro exchange rates that were […]
The Buses of Buenos Aires
The buses of Buenos Aires are like old men in a bar – loud, smoky, rough around the edges, but dependably, they always show up – usually sooner rather than later. The buses, called colectivos, or bondis in the local lingo, lunfardo are quite reliable, inexpensive and comprehensive, moving six and half million passengers a […]
Rolling through the Andes: The Old Patagonian Express
On the outskirts of Esquel, a tranquil town in the heart of Patagonia’s Chubut province, the quiet is broken at regular intervals by the piercing whistle and familiar chugging of ‘La Trochita,’ as the Old Patagonian Express is affectionately called to by locals. La Trochita, which translates as ‘narrow gauge,’is steam-powered locomotive that appears as […]
