Trips

A little while back smath pulled out the iron in our apartment... my immediate reaction was probably somewhat similar to what would happen if I saw a 10 year old walking around with a shotgun.

As it turned out, this iron had already fallen into the hands of someone who shouldn't have been using it.

Title: Something very bad has happened
Author: Samantha Marx
Taken: 7 Dec 2008 - 5:49pm
Living in a rented furnished apartment here in Buenos Aires. This sent chills down our spines. Scott <a href="http://scotthadfield.ca/2...

Title: Iguazu Falls
Author: Scott Hadfield
Taken: 21 Dec 2008 - 4:27pm

A couple weeks ago I visited Iguazu Falls with Sam and my parents. Iguazu falls (aka Cataratas del Iguazu) are in the most north east corner of Argentina where the borders of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil all meet. My parents paid for the trip as a birthday present to me.

The majority of the falls are within Argentina's border, with a small part of them in Brazil. The Brazilian side supposedly has some amazing views of the falls but unfortunately due to our not acting fast enough on the Brazilian visa front we couldn't visit that side. But no matter, the Argentinian side of the falls easily filled up our two days completely.

I've been in Buenos Aires for roughly one month now, and something that keeps surprising me is a lack of change all over the city. No one has enough, and everyone needs it. Imagine going to your local corner store, trying to purchase some things that cost around $4, and the clerk not being able to give you change from a $5 bill... ever.

If you are buying something at a kiosk, using a computer, making a phone call, at the subway, or buying something in a bakery, you will definitely need to use change. For example, if something costs $2.20, paying with a $5 peso bill will not likely be accepted. This becomes very difficult. Everywhere you go, people expect you to use your change; however, you need as much change as possible, because you will need to use it on the buses, and in these stores.
exposebuenosaires.com

This happens daily here. Vendors don't have enough change to last them a day, banks are only required to change a 20 peso bill per person (roughly 6 USD), the subways often let you on for free simply because they can't even change 10c from a peso (subway rides are 90c).

Normal shopping etiquette has completely broken down in Latin America's most elegant city. Sales staff have no compunction about peering into clients' purses and demanding the exact amount. Big supermarkets regularly round off the difference in their own favor, even though there is a law against it. Small mom-and pop stores, meanwhile, routinely offer candy as change in lieu of coins. And if you refuse to add more bon-bons to the swelling collection in your purse, many store owners prefer to lose the sale than to part with their precious cents.
time.com

If you want to take the bus you need change (fortunately not exact), the bus driver isn't allowed to accept money and if you don't have enough change (even 5c short) you'll be stuck walking as they often won't let you on. Any nearby shops will laugh at you if you ask them to change a bill.

(photo by: 'J')

Apparently the government has been making coins in record numbers this year, but regardless the problem has gotten worse.

"There's a black market involving the bus companies and the money transporters who collect their coin earnings each day," says Central Bank spokesman Fernando Meanos. "Instead of depositing the coins in the bank, these transporters are reselling the coins."
time.com

I've actually found the problem quite interesting since I've been here, and really can't do anything but laugh about it. It probably doesn't help that I've also started hoarding what little change I get ;-).

Shortly before I arrived in the city the entire subway system had to let people ride for free because they simply didn't have enough change and didn't want the situation to turn violent.

The only silver lining in the coin crisis for the long-suffering consumers in Buenos Aires, is that the city's perennially cheerful taxi drivers seem only too happy to round off fares in passengers' favor.
time.com

Not to mention the occasional free subway ride. About every 2nd or 3rd time I ride I get on for free since they simply have no change.

"Since I couldn't get coins at the bank I started buying them from a bus company paying a 5% commission," says taxi driver Antonio Corral. "I had a friend there who sold them to me on a side street close to the bus terminal. But now I just slice the cents off the fare instead, I lose about the same amount of money, but I don't lose as much time."
time.com

Title: Argentine Change
Author: Scott Hadfield
Taken: 26 Nov 2008 - 8:34am
This is used in my blog post: Short Changed in Buenos Aires.

Also posted on NowPublic.com

For my birthday yesterday, Sam got me for a present (among other things), a massage at a spa just a few doors away from our apartment. Before this I'd never had a massage, always a bit too awkward and not really sure how it works (or if I'd just laugh the whole time due to ticklishness).

This place was pretty classy and the guy at the front desk even spoke English, making me slightly less nervous about the whole situation. Sam jokingly said something like "yeah, don't worry, it's a men's spa but they have women masseuse, they massage your ass and stuff, but that costs extra and I didn't pay for it :-p".

At this point, one of the girls fetched me and showed me around the facility and to the shower area, signaling for me to shower first. They had a steam room, sauna, jacuzzi, and some kind of a funky shower that didn't work properly. I wasn't really sure if I was suppose to go naked or bathing suited... so I made a compromise and wore boxer briefs.

While waiting for the masseuse (there were actually two, I was getting the "four hands" treatment) I chilled in the jacuzzi and the steam room. The main masseuse fetched me, introduced me to the other one and took me to a private massage room. Both were quite fine looking Argentine ladies, though in the "fake" sort of way (bleach blonde, fake n' bake, enhanced breast types), but I'm not about to judge.

The massage was 1h long, and all I really knew was that the first 30mins was suppose to be a harder massage and the second softer. The two masseuses didn't speak much english, and when asking me what I would like, I could only really understand "aromatic" and "tantric" (<-- this got my ears perked up a bit). I got them to clarify a little bit, and in the end explained to them that I'd like a harder massage to start followed by a softer one. They seemed cool with that.

** This is where it starts getting interesting **

One of the girls signaled to me that I could remove my shorts. So I did. Lay face down and the massage commenced. They began with one massaging my upper back / shoulders, and the other... my ass. At this point I was like "hmm... I guess Sam /did/ pay the extra ;-)". As the massage progressed it was clear that one of the girls was a lot more... forward? then the other. The massage got a little bit interesting at points, but nothing I decided to say anything about, for all I knew it was still a normal massage ;). The one girl then started moving in such a way as to rub her breasts up against my hands (and yes, she was equal with both hand).

** And this was the first time I touched fake breasts (or fake breasts touched me? I know, I'm inexperienced, but I'm not afraid to admit it) **

Shortly after they asked me to roll onto my back, and covered my eyes with like a little eye covery thingy. They then massaged that side of my body for about 10 minutes or so... they were getting a little bit close for comfort, but I declined to say anything again as nothing /that/ inappropriate had happened yet, and if anything, a little less "personal" then when I was on my back... and then... one of the girls leaned up to my ear and whispered... and I swear to god I am /NOT/ lying about this, and please keep in mind and believe me when I tell you that while the massage was very nice and relaxing, in no way was I aroused in a sexual fashion... so she leans in and whispers ... "scott, you want happy ending?"

** The End **

Decided to venture to El Caminito yesterday. Took us only 4 hours to make the 30 minute trip (probably 1.5h if we'd walked). Caminito is located in La Boca, which is considered one of Buenos Aires' poorest and dangerous Neighbourhoods. The guide book had phrases such as "if you must walk... whatever you do don't turn left on ... and don't even think about walking back along the water ..."

Title: Colourful Caminito Sign
Author: Scott Hadfield
Taken: 22 Nov 2008 - 1:26pm
El Caminito, now very touristy, is an area in the La Boca neighbourhood area of Buenos Aires.

Anyway, we decided to take the subway to plaza de mayo and then hop on a bus the rest of the way. The bus however, seemed to be going in the opposite direction of where we wanted to go... by the time the bus passed the original subway station we started at, we figured we might be on the right bus going in the wrong direction. Having nowhere to be really, we stayed on the bus to get a nice little tour of Buenos Aires... 1h later when the bus was in the middle of nowhere... we got kicked off and had to find another bus back (we were hoping maybe he'd just turn around and start the route from that end, but no luck.

In Buenos Aires you have to have change to ride the bus, you can't buy a pack of tickets, always change. We /thought/ we had enough change for the day... but turns out busses in the suburbs cost significantly more. We bought one ticket, got yelled at by the bus driver a little bit and then took our seats. Hopped off at a subway station and decided to try our luck again. At this point we were out of change, and apparently so were the subway people... so they let us board for free (subway costs 90c/ride, we gave them 2 pesos and they couldn't even change 20c worth).

We knew we'd need more change to catch another bus at this point, so we stopped at a small "kiosko" (a little corner store type thing) and tried to find some unevenly priced items (if you ask for change they'll laugh at you). We managed to get 50c which was enough to add to our existing change collection to get us into Caminito. Hopped on the right bus going the /right/ way this time and arrived about 10 minutes later.

Title: Colourful Caminito
Author: Scott Hadfield
Taken: 22 Nov 2008 - 9:05pm
El Caminito, now very touristy, is an area in the La Boca neighbourhood area of Buenos Aires.

El Caminito used to be right next to the BA docks and supposedly the poor people living there would beg docked ships for extra paint they had. The area now is primarily for tourists and even overwhelmed me a little bit with just how touristy it was (easily the most touristy place I've been in years). It's located on the edge of the La Boca neighbourhood, which apparently has the highest crime rate in Buenos Aires. Though supposedly the area is a lot safer now than it use to be even a few years ago.

On our way out, I tried to buy a hot dog but almost failed due to the vendor not having even a peso of change (!!). And then boarding the bus... well, no one had change so the bus driver just let us all on for free.

Change in Buenos Aires is a serious issue. I'll be writing more about that in my next post.

You can see all my El Caminito photos here. Or my whole Argentina set.