Let me begin the discussion.
I think that Aqualung's post will generate some interesting discussion. In fact, it was I that first introduced Aqualung to the forum since although he has been in argentina for the majority of his life he knew nothing of this forum prior to me telling him about it (true facts) Over the past several years of coming to Argentina, I have worked diligently at trying to understand the country's approach to business and day to day activities, both in BA and outside BA in several of the provinces both north and south. I have traveled as far south as Teirra del Fuego and am very familiar with the provinces north of BA, as far north as Corrientes. I have made many mistakes over the past five years but have endevoured to learn from them in the interest of getting the most for my tourist dollar so to speak. In fact, I now have quite a few personal friends in Argentina, mostly in the northern provinces, that are born and raised Argentines.
The fact that Aqualung does not understand the "flavour" of most of the US based comments in this forum is in fact not surprising at all. Having lived the majority of his life in Argentina he is, in fact, quite immune to certain aspects of Argentina culture that drive most Americans crazy. Having lived all these years and worked in BA, he does not realize that many Argentines (especially those raised outside of the microcosm that is Buenos Aires) share similiar frustrations with those that visit as tourists.
The central issue that I speak of relates to "corruption". I have found that what most tourists find frustrating about Argentina is a general sense that business in Argentina is based on the rip-off scale. For example, "let the buyer beware" could be the Argentine national motto. A clear example of this relates to my fishing experiences over the past 5 years. To make a long story short, what initially cost 5,000 USD for a week of fishing can easily be found for 3,000 pesos for the same time period, provided you get rid of the worhtless middlemen. Its kinda like "course knowledge" on the golf course per say.
But unfortunately, it goes a step farther in Argentina. Aqualung has been involved in police work in Argentina for a very long time (both before and after the last regime change) Unlike North America, there are many police officers in Argentina that consider taking a bribe as kinda doing business as usual. This is in no way limited to just tourist interaction. The police treat the locals the same way, just expect a lower bribe when they pull ya over. This general approach to the world can be seen in many Argentine business models. Think of it like a country controlled by real estate brokers where you cannot accomplish anything without giving up the appropriate referral fee.
I am fully aware that "greasing the skids in business" is not limited to Argentina. But imagine going into Albertsons (an American grocery store) and expecting that the pricing will be based on a "whatever we can get is fine" approach. NO ONE IN AMERICA WOULD SHOP THERE"!
So Aqualung, my friend (love that line) It's not that Americans think that Argentines are STUPID. What we see is that you do "STUPID BUSINESS" because in the end, when you're always trying to screw the customer for as much as you can. You really don't create much of a successful or stable economy and will always be subject to economic turmoil. When you combine this approach with insidious government practices, such as a corrupt police force and government officials, you will never rise above a second world country and stabilize your economy. And Argentines wonder why the world is very hesitant to do business with you (Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze).
Just my two cents.
Happy Mongering,
Toymann
Advice sought for Aussie tourist.
This is my first report. I have been reading the forum for some months now, and I have a straight question to ask here in relation to the economy. I am coming over to BA early next month from Australia. The Aust dollar has taken a hit with this crisis, down from 97c US in July to 62c today. I bought enough US$ in July to pay for 2 months rent on an apartment in BA. I was going to convert $AUD straight into AR pesos for the $1000US deposit, because I am going to travel for a while after my lease is up.
With all this talk of devaluation and banks closing, should I be biting the bullet and buying $US here for the deposit, even at the low price, so I don't get stuck with devalued pesos when I get the deposit back? Should I buy more $US to keep on me in case of bank closures?
Will anyone take $AUD at the cambios?
I was there last year for the first time, and all I had was my ATM cards.
And always remember the real cost of the crisis:-I could get a chica last year for $60-100AUD, and this year it will be $100 - $160AUD. Thats inflation!
This is not the right board, but also, besides photocopying my USD for the apartment owner so he doesn't swap them out for forgeries and counting out slowly and inspecting each note, is there anything I need to be on the lookout for?
Thanks in advance