Competition in Buenos Aires and…Argentina

Well….one day I decided to have my Phone fix line….I said to Ana…Ana…I like the offer of Telecom…w can get it…but she answered me…”No it’s not possible”…NO POSSIBLE? I thought…how is it possible that it’s not possible? ;) This is the beginning to understand some of the Argentinean Paradox…

COMPETITION in Buenos Aires and Argentina!!!!

Actually there is no competition in Argentina…Phone lines…how does it work? WELL…there are 2 main company…Telecom and Telefonica and believe me…they DON’T COMPETE each other…one company has the west of the city and another one has the East of the city!!!!….I could’nt believe it but…It’ the TRUE!!! That’s why their offers are mostly the same…and of course the services quite bad….In the internet there are a couple of more layers but the quality standards are all very low…actually in this moment I am writing about them…my internet connection crashed twice!

Well…but the NO Competition” is in everything…Do you want to flight in Argentina?… ;) You can chose… Aerolineas Argentinas or Lan…. NOTHING ELSE….

that’s why flying inside Argentina costs 2 or 3 times than the correspondent flights in Europe!!…so…most of  the people use the buses cause the beautiful trains Argentina owned…with the Public Administration went bankrupt!

Ok…so…now I want to go to Uruguay from Buenos Aires….how to get there? By boat…easy….so..let me chose between…. 2 Companies again!!!!! Yes…true… Bouquebus or Colonia Express. Colonia express is a bit cheaper but prices are almost the same…Another great example of “competition in the Argentinean way ;)

We’ll talk later about the new protectionism in Argentina that pushes up the bad quality Argentinean products and makes them much more expensive …. all that makes happy and richer the companies that produce bad stuff and makes sad all the consumers that pay 2 or 3 times more for Anything and get a very bad quality….Don’t expect any Argentinean product survives too long…believe me ;) …. but we’ll talk later about this problem.

Day Trip to Lujan

Well…a nice day outside the city is the best thing to recharge my “bio battery” ;)

Day Trip to Lujan

So….where to go? To Lujan…to visit the Zoo. Lujan is a nice village next to Capital Federal, in the province of Buenos Aires. About 70 Km away from the city center.

 

 

 

We had our breakfast and then….by car at about 10.40 we leaved the city.  We took the highway and after around 50 minutes we arrived to the Zoo of Lujan.

 

 

 

Actually it’s not a a typical Zoo…as for example the Temaiken Park…it’s more a “Farm Zoo”…You walk through the chicken and the ducks…it’s quite funny…

 

 

 

there is also a kind of Museums of old Stuff for the agriculture and old military cars and trucks. It’s a nice place to spend 1 day. You can also touch Tigers, Lions and several other animals….the tour with the Camel :)

 

 

 

Inside there are also a couple of restaurants and snackeries….Actually a sandwich with meat (of course) can cost between 15 and 30 pesos and 1 small portion of french fries costs 10 pesos.

We had a very funny day  at the Zoo of Lujan (The fee entrance is 50 pesos per adult)….

 

Thanks to Giorgio’s House for the photos

Pasta in Buenos Aires

Well…last night we had a very nice “pasta Party” in my Bed and Breakfast in Buenos Aires :)

Everything for free of course… There is no Fee for Fun ;) Actually the atmosphere was very relaxed and fun…I started this cooking day at the supermarket…This time I went around 2 p.m. …when most of the people is eating so…no queue ;) Then…I went home and I started my cooking day :)

The main Target was: Pasta with Sicilian Pistacchi ;)

So…how did I make it? 100 grams of Butter then when the Butter is melt I put 1 well cut onion…Then I added about 300 gr. of Fresh shredded Pistacchio (coming from Sicily – Bronte) then I added 100 grams of Mascarpone Cheese and half liter of Milk Cream….at the end…1 glass of Cognac….well…for the “importation problems” I couldn’t find so I mixed some white wine with the whiskey (several things from outside Argentina are difficult to find now and the Argentinean product prices are increasing a lot…not the quality!!)

Very very good… The pasta was really good and made us even more happy…it was a fun night…well…8 girls and 2 men….I don’t know why Men in Argentina refused to spend the time with hose so nice and cute girls …. well…we were more lucky then them….that’s sure ;)

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Ana, Irina, Danielita, Lali, Federica, Rebecca,Leticia,Silvina,Tomas and Giorgio

The Fake Wealth of Buenos Aires

 

Last night I went to the supermarket cause I needed to buy some food…what a surprise…the prices grew a lot… 1 Kg of chicken with no bones it’s 51 pesos / Kg (8.80€ per Kg!)  The Milk 1.12€ per liter (minimum!) In Italy I spend 0.65 € per liter!!

Then I went to pay….a long queue….I had to wait around 30 minutes before paying…Actually the cashiers of the Buenos Aires Supermarkets are the slowest in the world…no kidding….I have even seen some cashiers talking at the mobile phone to their boyfriend…1 hand  on the phone and another hand on the products…Well…anyway the thing that shocked me this time, even more, was….to see that now almost all people doesn’t use cash anymore….JUST CREDIT CARDS at the supermarket….A woman in front of me had to pay 78 pesos (13.50€)…she gave 2 Credit Cards…the cashier asked her “how many installments“….she answered 1…and after he checked….there were NO FUNDS available in her Credit Card!!!

This is a clear photography of a very sick country where all the “wealth” se see is fake….The big speculators are making money and the normal people are losing and losing….but the terrible thing is that like at the end of 2000 (just before the big crash) I am seeing the same thing….people spend much more than what they have and they feel happy and secure…they didn’t realize what’s going on (again!!)…Prices grow every day and they use more the Credit Cards….and sometimes they don’t even get just 78 pesos credit…

Their attitude is: “Enjoy your life”… I remember the difference from the first time I came to Argentina….After the big crack that caused a big shock, people were more….humble….they accepted their poverty with a great dignity….there was a very good solidarity between each other…but in just 10 year (1 cycle) they totally changed….they refuse the concept of poverty…the solidarity finished….they looks too proud and they want to feel wealthy …. for this reason the Big Banks are “helping” them !!! Banks are very good to rob the poor and medium class people…they are giving them what these people wish…the feeling of being wealthy….but what will happen in the next 12 months??….Prices grow 16%/20% a year, taxes are growing (ABL which is the local tax for houses and apartment grew 300% in 1 year….and 5 years ago grew another 250%!!) – Subway prices grew 100% in the last year….

The big deal for Argentina was the Economic Crisis of Europe and USA so the Big Speculator came to Argentina to invest and make money….but Argentina is one of the less reliable countries in South America so…the investors are not real investors…they just speculate cause they know that the government can change the rules all the times….SO….the risk is that when finally the economic crisis will end in USA and Europe, all this “Investors” will take away (but they are already doing that) the money from Argentina and they’ll put their money in some reliable countries where the economy will be ready to grow again so….the result could be another disaster for Argentina :(

Back to Buenos Aires – Fitness Center Costs

Well…I was in Italy during a few months…I was exactly in Sicily. During this period I enjoyed Italy (not all of course ;) ) and I went skiing in South Tyrol and hike and climb in Sicily.

For this reason I didn’t write too much about Buenos Aires…well..no I am back but the surprise is that the prices here increased a lot…I went to buy some stuff and everything is much more expensive than last year. 10 Plastic Bags for the garbage 4 US$!!!…

I also got some info about some fitness center cause I need to stay fit for my next adventures…well….I first check the company: Sport Club…Here in Buenos Aires making sport sounds like a luxury…The “cheapest” solution is 1 year Fee which cost 3000 pesos!! (around 50 US$ per month….in Sicily I used to pay 25 US$ per month for a 12 months) If you chose to pay per month…the price is just crazy….I mean…110 US$ per month!!!!…Later today I am going to check 2 more fitness centers…Ok…just…do it. I went to Megathlon…2450 pesos if I pay 6 months in advance!!!! (which means 90 US$ per month!!!!!)….Is it a joke? :)

Well…finally I found another one “La Sede Group” which costs 150 pesos per months (33 US$ per month) plus 30 pesos for the inscription. (From Monday to Friday 7 a.m./1 a.m. Saturday 8 a.m./10 p.m. Sunday 5 p.m./9 p.m.)…

I’ll start tomorrow morning. I’ll also have to go to the doctor cause the Fitness center needs to know I am in a good health.

They told me that I have to go to the public hospital and have the check up. It’s free.

So…The MOST EXPENSIVE fitness center in Buenos Aires is MEGATHLON…

SPORT Club at number 2 and a good option (for me) it was La Sede…

Now…After I found a good fitness center…I have to find the right food…Argentinians are not fun of the healthy food…They love sugar and red meat…which is good…SOMETIMES ;) I tried to find some dark chocolate (70% chocolate)…well..the “darkest” one I found was at 45%!!!….We’ll talk about the diet another time ;)

Relaxing day at Tigre

 

Eben and Amanda have visited Argentina a few days ago with a very important goal: Luna de miel = Honey moon =: o)

The City of Buenos Aires is very welcoming  during the day and during the night. There are many activities to do!
To enjoy  Buenos Aires at the best , let you to be seduced by its charm … enjoy and walk during the day and at night go out without any concrete plans. : D

The summer weather in the city of Buenos Aires is very hot and escape out of town to feel the nature can be a good idea. There is a nice place nearby called TIGRE, just 45 minutes by car or 1 hr. train from Retiro Station (the train ticket is very cheap and there are several trains every day), is a quiet place (except the market of course ;) , and full of nature . It is perfect for a day trip or two relaxing days.

The tour began early in the morning. 7:00 a.m..
Amanda and Eben  prepared their backpacks, their water, sunglasses, water bottle, light clothing, mosquito spray, towels and cameras.
The proposal was: a full day on an island in Tigre and an extra surprise ….

We used my car and we got the Pan American Highway to the intersection with Route provincial Tigre.
From there, I parked my car and went straight to the port to take the local boat to our secret island. O)
On the island we expected Rosana, with a great breakfast to get the energy for the day’s activities.
Rosana is an expert on biosphere, and knows a lot about nature and ecological importance of the Delta Argentino.
Amanda was very interested in learning more about the history of the Delta because she is bilingual teacher for 5 years old children . Amanda and Eben are from Portland, USA.

After breakfast, we made the tour of the island with its lush green vegetation to listen to the sound of the native birds and animals of the place.

Meanwhile, in the central part of the house, a man prepared a fire for  the barbecue.

The lunch was super rich. We all ate too much! And our bellies were so big as the smiles of happiness.

After lunch there were two possible alternatives …. a) having  a relaxing siesta on the banks of the river b) make some other activities to burn some calories! ah ah ah ….

Obviously …. we had to activate the body. Thus, Eben and Amanda decided to take the oars and a kayak, go out for action by the Delta channels.
I decided to keep my calories  and have a nap.

By late afternoon, the boat came for us and when it arrived to the port of Tigre, we went for a walk by the Puerto de Frutos.
It was a little late …. but not many people had the same  fun of Amanda and Eben. : O)
Then we went to visit the art museum in Tigre. It is a beautiful French-style palace where a different artist each month interactive exhibits his works.
In this opportunity playing with the exhibits made with plastic bags and a house ……. sunken in the ground.
Eben and Amanda had a great time playing with pictures of the house and with bags, we laugh so much that now was the moment of surprise for them …..
Before returning to the big city, the boulevard Paseo Victoria was the perfect place to end our adventure day. We chose a nice bar facing the river to take our last beer in Argentina and enjoy the last night in Buenos Aires.
In the bar, Amanda became friends with a very friendly black dog that decided to take  a nap at her feet while we ate and drank beer  and french fries enjoying the warm summer night in front of the Delta.
The day had begun ….. 7:00 a.m. and finished at 23.00hs and it was time to go home. Cheerful and happy, the car was silent for a few minutes … zzzzzzzzzz ;)

The next day, my new good friends “Amandita” and Eben went towards Ezeiza, it was time to go home … I will miss them both and their ironic jokes mixed English and Spanglish.

ah …. but one more surprise was waiting for me now …..
EBEN AND AMANDA THANKS A LOT for the good Wine and Book you gave me!! J
I promise to read the book and obviously ….. the wine is already on my desk ;) !

A big kiss and I wish you a lot of happiness for your new life together. The hope soon with your kids!!

 SPANISH

Eben y Amanda han visitado Argentina días atrás con un objetivo muy importante: Luna de miel = Honey moon  :o )

 La Ciudad de Buenos Aires los recibió con sus brazos abiertos durante el dia y durante la noche. Hay Muchas actividades para hacer !

El verdadero secreto de la ciudad de Buenos Aires es simplemente dejarse seducir…disfrutar y caminar durante el dia y durante la noche salir a sorprenderse, sin planes concretos. :D

 El clima de verano en la ciudad de Buenos Aires es muy caliente y muchos porteños preferimos escapar fuera de la ciudad a contactarnos con la naturaleza. Un lugar muy cercano llamado TIGRE, a solo 45 minutos en auto o 1hs. en tren desde Retiro, es completamente tranquilo, y pleno de naturaleza ideal para pasar un dia o dos alejados de la ciudad y el calor.

 El tour comenzó temprano en la mañana. 07.00am.

Eben y Amanda prepararon sus mochilas, su agua, los lentes para el sol, la botella de agua, ropa liviana, spray para mosquitos, toallas, y camaras de foto.

La propuesta era: un dia completo en Tigre en una isla y una sorpresa extra….

 Salimos temprano en mi auto por la ruta Panamericana hasta la interseccion con la ruta provincial de Tigre.

Desde allí, estacioné mi auto y fuimos directamente al puerto a tomar el barco local hasta nuestra isla secreta. ;o)

En la isla nos esperaba Rosana, con un gran breakfast y mucha energia para las actividades del dia.

Rosana es experta en biosfera, y sabe mucho sobre la naturaleza y la importancia ecologica del Delta Argentino.

Amanda estuvo muy interesada en aprender más sobre la historia del Delta ya que ella es maestra bilingue para  niños de 05 años. Ellos son de Portland, Estados Unidos.

 Luego del desayuno, recorrimos la isla con su exhuberante vegetación absolutamente verde y escuchamos el sonido de los pajaros nativos y de los animales del lugar.

 Mientras tanto, en la parte central de la casa, un hombre preparaba el fuego para cocinar la parrillada que comeríamos al medio dia.

 El almuerzo estuvo super rico. Todos comimos demasiado!!! Y nuestras panzas estaban tan grandes como nuestras sonrisas de felicidad.

 Luego del almuerzo habia dos alternativas posibles…. a) dormir una relajante siesta a la orilla del rio  b) hacer otra actividad para eliminar tantas calorias ! ah ah ah….

 Obviamente….habia que activar el cuerpo. Es asi que Eben y Amanda decidieron tomar los remos y con un Kayak, salir en busca de acción por los canales del Delta.

Yo….decidi conservar mis calorias conmigo un momento más…..y dormi una siesta.

 Al terminar la tarde, el barco nos vino a buscar y una vez arribados al puerto de Tigre, fuimos a caminar por el PUERTO DE FRUTOS.

Era un poquito tarde….no habia muchas personas pero la diversión de Amanda e Eben eran evidentes. :o )

Luego pasamos a visitar el museo de arte de Tigre. Es un hermoso palacio estilo francés donde un artista diferente cada mes expone sus obras interactivas.

En esta oportunidad participamos jugando con las obras expuestas realizadas con bolsas de plastico y …….una casa hundida en la tierra.

Eben y Amanda se divirtieron mucho jugando con fotos en la casita y con las bolsas, nos reimos tanto que ahora era el momento de la sorpresa para ellos…..

Antes de volver a la gran ciudad, el boulevard PASEO VICTORICA era el lugar ideal para terminar nuestro dia de aventura.

Elegimos un lindo bar frente al rio para tomar nuestras ultimas cervezas de Argentina y disfrutar de la ultima noche en Buenos Aires.

En el bar, Amanda se hizo amiga de un perrito negro muy amistoso que durmio una siesta a sus pies mientras nosotros comiamos papas fritas y tomabamos cerveza disfrutando la calida noche de verano frente al Delta.

El dia habia comenzado 07.00 am …..ya eran las 23.00hs y era hora de volver a casa. Alegres y felices, el auto estuvo en silencio un par de minutos…

 Al dia siguiente, mis buenos amigos “Amandita” e Eben salieron rumbo a Ezeiza, era hora de volver a casa…Los extrañaré a los dos y a sus chistes irónicos mezclados entre ingles y spanglish.

 ah….pero una sorpresa más estaba esperándome ahora a mi…..

GRACIAS EBEN Y AMANDA POR EL LIBRO Y EL VINO QUE ME HAN REGALADO !!!!

Prometo leer el libro y obviamente…..el vino ya está en mi mesa de año nuevo esperando por mi !

 Un gran beso a los dos y mucha felicidad para su nueva vida juntos.

The Ritual of the Mate

The Ritual of Mate 

Drinking mate with your friends and family is a traditional Argentina ritual that visitors to Argentina and other South American countries find fascinating. Yerba mate

Yerba mate with stems

Image via Wikipedia

is the national drink of Argentina. It is also popular in Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil. According to the classical Argentine way, the act of drinking yerba mate is a highly stylized, ritualistic process.Centuries ago, Jesuits tried to ban the mate brew for they considered it addictive. But after they realized that natives would actually work more and better –mate acted as a stimulator and body energizer- they abandoned the idea.

Mate is served with a metal straw from a shared hollow calabash gourd. The straw is called a bombilla in Latin American Spanish, a bomba in Portuguese, and a masassa in Arabic. The straw is traditionally made of silver. Modern commercially available straws are typically made of nickel silver, called Alpaca, stainless steel, or hollow-stemmed cane. The gourd is known as a mate or a guampa, while in Brazil it has the specific name of chimarrão or cuia. Even if the water comes in a very modern thermos, the infusion is traditionally drunk from mates or cuias. However, “tea-bag” type infusions of mate (mate cocido) have been on the market in Argentina for many years under such trade names as “Cruz de Malta” and in Brazil under the name “Mate Leão”.

The purpose of mate is hospitality; preparing and serving it is a ritual. It is also an equalizer, as everyone sips in turn from the same bombilla

 Sunday morning at home: … special feelings like locals.

Sunday breakfasts are different in our homey bed and breakfast in Buenos Aires.
Last morning it was very quiet in the city of Buenos Aires. I could hear the birds singing in the trees, and the sound of my footsteps on the street when I walked to the bakery to find the “sweet milk invoices” for breakfast.
Daily I prepare the table with orange juice and coffee cups with milk, but each Sunday is my special day because it’s the Mate Day.
While everyone is sleeping, I organize the table with some fruits, oranges or tangerines or bananas, some cereals, and special bills dulce de leche, Argentina symbol of identity either.
In the kitchen you can hear the sound of the kettle which indicates that the water is ready to prepare the mate.
One by one our friends guests are approaching the breakfast table.
A soft popular music of Mercedes Sosa Argentina is playing and harmonizing the morning at home.
The day is sunny and warm.
All sitting around the table and waiting for the coffee, but this time it was a surprise day:
Did you know that Argentina is the largest producer of yerba mate in the world?
They have tried to grow it in other countries, but it was not possible to reproduce the seed outside the Area of ​​South America.
What is the yerba mate? Indians tell a story that about a farmer Misiones “Guarani” that saved the life of an Indian woman from  being eaten by a jaguar. The woman was actually the personification of the moon and in gratitude he gave the man a magical plant that wakes the sleepers, accelerates the lazy, and makes friends with people who are not known. The name of the plant is: yerba mate.
Beyond the Indian legend, the reality is that the properties of yerba mate are true: improved focus, it is diuretic and antioxidant among other things.
Our friends were excited to know more about the mysterious drink of South America.
It is not addictive, it is not dangerous, I explained them all before. And everyone laughed a lot about my spontaneous comment.
But the most important quality of mate is no doubt his power to “make people friends”…Drink more mate and make less wars! It is the symbol of friendship, solidarity, companionship. Share a mate with another person is something very significant for the Argentines, Paraguayans, Brazilians uruguayos..
We use to drink mate in the morning, in the afternoon after lunch time and in the evening, before going to sleep.
We share the mate with friends at the park or in the car, at home or office.
Sharing, taking care of the others, being attentive to their preferences, (with sugar or honey, ginger, or other herbs … etc …)
Sharing a mate is the most beautiful symbolic metaphor for:  AMISTAD (Friendship).

Welcome to Buenos Aires! With the  hope to see you to drink some mate next Sunday. :)

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