Category Archives: Argentina

Pros and Cons of Argentina: Part 1 of 2

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After our last post about the Pros and Cons of Uruguay, we of course had to follow up with our perspective of Argentina. We were in Bariloche for 5 months and now in Cordoba for 2 years. We love it here for many reasons and want to tell you about it.

This one has been a much tougher list to write. Why do we love it here? Argentina has some very distinct problems and some of the country’s economic challenges are getting worse by the day. The Uruguay list was relatively simple. We’ve been away from it for over two years. We’ve had time to reflect and consider our lives within that context.

It’s like we can’t see the forest through the trees right now.

And, our standard disclaimer: There is no perfect place and not everyone will agree with the following, but here’s our take on Argentina.

I am addressing each point in the same order so show the switch from an Uruguay Con to an Argentina Pro for us. Hope you can follow my madness:

PROS:

  • Argentina is (Relatively) Cheap.  Where we were renting a 2 bedroom/1 bath house in Pocitos (Montevideo, Uruguay), we are now paying a little more than half to rent a 3 bedroom/3bath house with a pool in Cerro de Las Rosas (Cordoba, Argentina). Unfortunately, prices keep going up. Argentina does have 20% inflation, although they claim it is much lower. Since we are making dollars, Argentina is still much less expensive than Uruguay was for us. Kids items and electronics are still pricey (same as Uruguay) but housing, services and utilities are much less. 
  • Dry. We’re in Cordoba which is at the eastern side of the Sierras Chicas, a small range of mountains that run north-south. We have hot and slightly humid summers and dry, mild winters. It is glorious and we love the climate here. Like Uruguay, we walk everywhere so weather is a huge factor for our day-to-day comfort and we have to plan accordingly. I have never paid so much attention to the weather before we moved to South America. 
  • No Sickness! Maybe we got through all of our ‘Expat bugs’when we were in Uruguay but we haven’t had more than the sniffles here- and that is with one kid in school. We had our share of sinus infections and flu in the past and are super happy to report that in Cordoba, we have not been sick at all (Knock on wood!) 
  • Residency Process Was a Cinch. We were amazed that after a 4 hour appointment in migracion (1 hour of which across the street at a cafe, waiting for them to process paperwork) We had our temporary DNI papers in hand and were waiting the official cards in the mail. The cards came within 2-1/2 weeks and we are thrilled to now be permanent residents of Argentina. We did have a little help because of our infant daughter, who is a dual citizen because she was born here but we also know people here who are foreigners and have gotten their residency within just a few visits to migracion. MUCH faster than the 2+ years it has been taking in Uruguay. 
  • Incredibly Welcoming. We’ve met so many wonderful people here, from introductions in the park, coffee shops and school. We are invited to peoples homes for asados, birthday parties and baptisms. People are so genuine and really mean it when they offer to help. It is a wonderful community.  
  • Walkable Residential Neighborhoods: We are in the Cerro De Las Rosas area of Cordoba, about a 20 minute drive NW of the city center. The houses are more typical suburban, but still connected to create higher density. We live 4 blocks from one main shopping street, 10 blocks from another, 8 blocks from G’s school and the larger grocery stores have online ordering and delivery for what we can’t get within our neighborhood. We get lots of exercise, put many miles on our stroller and walk nearly everywhere we need to go. If we head downtown, we take the bus (Diferencial line), which is plush and airconditioned :) (Disclaimer: this is the nicest bus line and costs double what the standard busses here do- about $1 USD)
  • Easy To Get Further. We have never owned a car in South America, so we walk, take public transportation and the occasional taxi all through the city and surrounding areas. We’ve also taken busses to Carlos Paz (just over the Sierras from Cordoba) overnight busses to Buenos Aires, Mendoza and on to Santiago, Chile. We’ve also rented a car, but transportation is really easy without a car of our own- even with two kids.
  • Goods & Materials. There is a wide variety of items available here, mainly because it is a much larger market than tiny Uruguay. Clothing is not the best quality all the time, so you have to be choosy where you shop. If you know what you are looking for, stay out of the malls and shop in the center of town, there are some good deals to be had. Not quite like shopping USA good deals (for clothing especially) but it’s all relative. We’ve also found a great variety of imports, organic and specialty food items. You just have to know where to shop and maybe make a trip across town once per month or so to get them. :)  
  • Many ‘Mixed’ Families. We love the fact that there are so many expats here that have married Argentines. In fact, all of our expat friends, with the exception of a few missionary families, are Argentine/foreign mixed couples. They live here and are invested in a way that most transient expats are not. This give a great perspective on the ins and outs of the country and culture through people on the inside. In Uruguay, the expats we knew were like us – both members of the couple were from elsewhere. We really value all that we have learned through our local and expat friends throughout our journey.
  • Variety. There is a great variety of larger cities (Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Cordoba and Rosario) and a huge variety of climates/landscapes in a country as large as Argentina. From sub-tropical jungle in the northeast to semi-desert in the northwest, to mountainous ski-mecca around Bariloche and sleepy coastal beach towns on the east coast- all with the wide-open pampas inbetween. Argentina has a city and a landscape to fit nearly every preference.
  • Healthcare. I feel like I have won the healthcare lottery. I have Type 1 Diabetes, which in the past has made acquiring health coverage difficult at best. In Cordoba, we found APROSS, which is the provincial plan. Not only was I insurable through APROSS, coverage started from day 1 for both diabetes and pregnancy and also has 100% coverage of all of my Medtronic Insulin Pump supplies. The big deal: I pay $390 pesos per month for me and the baby. That’s it. So, as of posting this, it is about $48 USD per month if you’re using Argentina’s  blue rate of exchange. More about this and other countries take on healthcare at a previous post, Healthcare in the Rest of the World. Since signing with APROSS, Argentina has past a law stating that people with pre-exisiting conditions can no longer be banned from coverage by private insurers, although they can be charged more. I have such amazing care and inexpensive coverage, I wouldn’t dream of switching.

All that being said, I’m going to leave you with rainbows and sunshine and happy feelings about Argentina. Not all the case though, as we’ll address the negatives in our  next installment. Stay tuned for the dark side of Argentina, plus a few things that are just plain bothersome. :)

 

Reflecting on Argentina

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I’ve been working on the Pros and Cons list of Argentina but it is proving much more difficult than the previous Uruguay list. It was stressing me out so I took a break, enjoyed a great, long Easter weekend with my family which is continuing until Wednesday April 3rd. (Today and Tuesday are also Argentine federal holidays, making this a 6 day weekend. It is on my Cons list. You’ll understand why.)

So, the Argentina Pros and Cons list is long and has been very difficult. Maybe it is that we are still too close to the situation- since we are still here. Maybe it is just that Argentina, by nature is more complex. I’ve decided to split the Pros and Cons into two lists. Even then, I don’t think my little lists will do justice to such a complex and varied country as Argentina.

At Iguazu Falls "Garganta del Diablo" March 2013

At Iguazu Falls “Garganta del Diablo” March 2013

So, here we are enjoying the variety of life in Argentina (definitely on the Pro’s list). In March, we spent one weekend at a friend’s farm near Ascochinga, one at Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian border which I must write about in a future post, one weekend home (whew!) and this weekend with the XL Easter tourism weekend. Its been a busy month and made even busier contemplating, writing and re-writing the Pros and Cons of Argentina post.

It’s coming. Promise.

Healthcare In The Rest Of The World

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082101778.html

A simple link. Read it.

There is so much wrong with healthcare in the United States and this article from the Washington post discusses the system in the USA compared to other countries, specifically Japan, Germany, France and Canada- although others are mentioned as well.

Here in Argentina, we have incredible healthcare at a fraction of what we paid in the USA. Our current costs are 390 pesos/month for me, the type 1 diabetic and our baby using APROSS, the provincial plan and 970 pesos/month for the other two members of our household (using MET, a private insurer and their most expensive plan). Total: 1360 pesos or $203 dollars/month at a 6.5 exchange rate.

With APROSS, there is a copay of $10 pesos, which is $1.54 dollars for my appointments (all baby appointments are without copay) and APROSS covers all of my Medtronic Insulin pump supplies with no copay. It is wonderful.

Enough said about how great the healthcare is here. Read the article:

 

By T.R. Reid — Five Myths About Health Care in the Rest of the World

New Year’s Eve in Cordoba

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The lanterns New Year’s eve is different in a country where it is summer rather than winter on December 31st. Last year was our first New Year’s eve in Cordoba, after living through it in Montevideo and again in Bariloche. Bariloche was quiet, but then again, nearly every day in the country outside of Bariloche is quiet. Why should New Year’s be an exception?

Montevideo and Cordoba are decidedly NOT quiet on New Year’s eve. They are the exact opposite of quiet. They are loud, obnoxious and extremely dangerous with every single person (or so it seems) lighting off fireworks. It’s similar on Christmas eve where we had about 30 minutes of fireworks last week but we are bracing for a lot more tonight.

The thing is, it’s not just one house or one fireworks display in the distance. It is coming from all around you. We live across from a park, so much of the noise comes from there, too. Seemingly every house lights off fireworks and there are pyrotechnics pop-up shops around town for the weeks leading up to the holidays.

We tend to be on the more reserved side and want to keep up the South American traditions, but also celebrate in our own way. Last year we purchased large paper lanterns that fill with hot air after lighting a giant wick on the bottom. They float away until the wick burns up (or burns the lantern). We lit paper lanterns like this when in Thailand many years ago and it was a peaceful way to celebrate while not contributing to the noise- unless you count the medium-sized-one crying. She did NOT like to let go of the lanterns last year!

We’ll be sending off paper lanterns again this year. After releasing the lanterns, we’ll lay in the backyard to enjoy the neighborhood display and our lanterns floating away peacefully in the not-so peaceful night.

Lets just hope the huge cracks, pops and bangs throughout the neighborhood don’t wake up the baby. Who am I kidding, they will. That’s okay, it’s New Year’s Eve. :)

Happy New Year everyone! Make it a safe and beautiful celebration, wherever you may be. Wishing all your dreams come true in 2013!

What Makes Our Story Unique

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Our goal for continuing this blog is to share our experiences living and traveling abroad as a family. We want to inspire people who may be considering the same and show that it is possible. You can follow your dreams and make living abroad a reality.

Although there are many other families who have lived abroad with many different circumstances, we think that our story is kind of interesting:

  • We are both from the Midwest of the USA. We are not a split-nationality marriage.
  • We’re 30-something Gen-X-ers that have started our own businesses.
  • We are in South America by choice. No job transfers, no family here.
  • We’ve lived in 3 different houses, in 3 cities in 2 countries. Lived on the coast in Uruguay, the mountains of Bariloche and the edge of the pampas, in Cordoba.
  • Hubby is a vegetarian living in the land of beef
  • I’ve had Type 1 Diabetes for the last 10 years and use an insulin pump
  • We have two little girls now (started this adventure with one!)
  • Had a baby in Argentina (An unexpected home birth. We’ll get to that story :)
  • Our 5-year old that is completely bilingual.
  • We speak English at home and Spanish everywhere else.
  • Traveled with two Pugs from the USA and into Montevideo, Bariloche and Cordoba. Our oldest, Pablo, died this past June.

So, in addition to traveling with kids and pets, balancing work online with sometimes sketchy internet/electrical connections, a maze of doctors and insurance options and a rich family life, we want to continue the story and create an open dialogue for comments and questions.

Are you considering moving to a foreign country? Just in the dreaming stage? You can do it and we’re here to inspire you with our story.

 

Tren de las Sierras

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Saturday October 13th we took the Tren de las Sierras for a ‘Saturday Adventure Day’ and we were pleasantly surprised by the entire day.

The train station is near-ish our house and although we’ve walked to Dinosaurio Mall (next door to the station) before, we didn’t have the time nor did we want to expend the energy before a potentially long day. A $20 peso taxi ride and we were there. The station was dated but fine, looking like a traditional train station that you may see in any small town. Tickets from the Rodriguez del Busto station, which is the start, to the final stop in Cosquin were $5.80 pesos for each adult and $3.30 for G, with the baby traveling for free. That totals about $2.50 USD total for our tickets for a 2 hour ride!

 The trains were really nice and much more modern than we were expecting but thankfully I asked ahead of time and there are NO bathrooms aboard the trains. We chose our seats (after a quick stop in the bathroom) and within a few minutes we were on our way. The route took us west out of Cordoba Capital, through the sierra mountains, along a small   river to Lago San Roque (where the town of Villa Carlos Paz is along the lake’s southwest shore). Then northwest to the town of Cosquín.

Now this is not a high speed train and it makes frequent (although fast stops) along the way. Our goal was the experience and the adventure rather than the end location. The plan included riding the train to the end of the line in Cosquin, stopping for lunch, playing at the park for a while and turning around to ride the train back again. On Saturday there are only two outbound trains and two inbound so we were sure to check on the times each way. There was one longer stop en route where there were vendors on the train platform selling bottled beverages and homemade goodies. We bought a round handmade brick-oven flatbread for $5 pesos. It was the heaviest bread ever and must have had a full kilo of flour used to make it. It was perfect.

Once in Cosquin, our plan came together perfectly. It was a sunny and slightly breezy day with warm temps and it was comfortable to be out during midday.  We had a relaxing walk where we found a cute local restaurant for lunch and stopped at an arcade afterwards for G. Then a quick stop for ice cream (yum!) and off to the park to run around a bit. After a while, it was time to walk the 3 blocks back to the Cosquin train station.

This train station was undergoing repairs and the building itself was closed. There was a ticket booth along the back of the building and port-a-potties that were thankfully well serviced. Sorry for all the bathroom commentary, but with small kids, you have to pay attention to these things!!! The train was nearly full when leaving as it was the last of the day but we got there early so we had no problem finding seats.

After a total of 4 hours on the trains looking at beautiful Argentine countryside and about 3 hours on the ground in Cosquin, we were tired, but happy for a successful and inexpensive Saturday Adventure Day in Cordoba Province.  Many more to come!

 


 

Rebirth of UR MOVING WHERE!

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The decision has been made. The commitment is real. We’re back and blogging again about our lives in South America! Check out this short video about our plans:

We’re in Cordoba, Argentina and absolutely love it here. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll tell you about:

  • Renting a house as foreigners
  • Banking and exchange rates- some great tricks
  • Travel with kids
  • Location Independent lifestyle/Location Independent Parenting
  • Renting a car (or “You Better Be Able To Drive A Stick”)
  • Places to visit in and around Cordoba Capital
  • The Medical System and Health Insurance
  • Looking back at our time in Montevideo, Uruguay and Bariloche, Argentina

Thanks for following our adventures and we look forward to hearing from you!

Our Continuing Adventures

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Thanks to those of you who have written asking if we’re okay.  Yes, we’re fine. Just busy and what gets pushed to the back burner? Our travel blog. Work, family and setting up our lives in a new place has taken priority.

Yes, we’re in a new place, but before I tell you where, I’m going to back up to September 2010:

We made it to Bariloche and had a fantastic time there from the end of September through the end of February.  5 months of glorious views, nature hikes and our self-imposed retreat to figure out what our future may hold. We visited the tops of mountains, tiny charming Salones de Té, ate more smoked foods than I ever care to admit and left there with an extra 10 lbs each, despite all the hiking :)

The house we stayed at for those 5 months was perfect for us and in a great location right off the bus line. We managed without a car, even though we were staying 23 km outside of the city of Bariloche (just a few km from Hotel Llao Llao). Geneva attended a small Waldorf preschool called Mandala, about 12 km from our house. Nestled among the pine trees, Mandala was a fantastic nurturing environment with a mixed-age class.

Fast forward a bit… we were planning our departure from Bariloche and had Córdoba, Argentina on our radar. Córdoba is in the middle of the country and is the second largest city in Argentina after Buenos Aires.  Reviews of Córdoba were mixed. Some seemed to love it, others thought it left a lot to be desired. We wanted to check it out for ourselves because we thought it may just have the big-city feel that we were looking for without the immensity of Buenos Aires.

The question was, how to get there? We had a few options and picked an unlikely combination. They were:

  • Bus from Bariloche to Córdoba: Cheap, but 23 hrs +/- with a 3-year-old
  • Rent a car and drive directly: Insanely expensive for a one-way-rental in AR
  • Fly: Through Buenos Aires to Córdoba. Not too expensive, but we had a lot of baggage, and it’s not very adventurous at all.

Our choice? Drive north through Chile instead, then fly from Santiago to Córdoba (via Montevideo)! We shipped most of our things to arrive in Córdoba ahead of us on Via Bariloche bus service.  Incredibly cheap and worked out perfectly, but I digress…

It took us 11 days for the entire journey, but we had a lot of fun doing it. We had a friend in Bariloche drive us in his SUV through the Andes to Puerto Montt, Chile. We stayed there for a few days, explored the surrounding areas of Choloé and Puerto Varas (even seeing penguins along the way).  And were completely wowed by the Mount-Fuji-esque Osorno volcano. We rented a car in Puerto Montt to head north.  One way rentals are much less expensive in Chile than they are in Argentina.  Think about it, with the geography of Chile, it is almost impossible not to drive north-south, or in our case, the opposite.

After Puerto Montt, we drove north to Pucón and stayed there for 3 days.  I loved the bohemian, backpacker vibe but felt a little unsettled looking up at a smoking volcano all day. We’re midwesterners and total wimps about earthquakes and volcanoes!

Then, a marathon drive from Púcon to Santiago all in one day. About 700 miles of some incredibly gorgeous countryside. Chile had incredible infrastructure and Ruta 5 (aka extension of the Pan-American Highway), which we were traveling is perfectly maintained with some beautiful bridges, tunnels and of course, numerous toll booths along the spectacular landscape. All totaled for the journey in Chile, we spent 27,100 Chilean pesos (about $58.00 USD) on 14 toll booths. That is not counting any between Bariloche and Puerto Montt.

One night in Santiago and we were off to Valparaiso where we spent two nights. After a stressful entry to Valparaiso where Google was telling us our hotel was in one area where it was really about a km away (those narrow, steep, winding roads are not good for a mid-size rental car and people who are not used to said hilly streets) we eventually found where we needed to be.

Impression of Valparaiso: Meh. I was really disappointed because I thought it would be great. If we had to do it again, we’d stay in Viña del Mar and spend a day in nearby Valparaiso. We loved the beaches, energy and playgrounds of Viña (with a 3-year-old, playgrounds are a big deal).

After contemplating if we wanted to extend our time to stay in Vína, we pressed back to Santiago airport to turn in our rental car and catch a very roundabout flight to Córdoba.

After a glorious 24 hours layover in Montevideo with friends, we hopped our final flight to Córdoba and arrived late into our hotel room.

All this time (and for several additional weeks) our dogs were enjoying the paradise of Bariloche. We decided that this travel schedule would be impossible with 2 dogs in tow, so we left them with a wonderful family that watches small dogs.  We knew that the dogs would be happy in a home setting, a family with three young girls and a great property to roam freely- and we wouldn’t have to worry.

Within the first three days in a hotel in Córdoba, we knew this is a place we want to stay for a while. Centro (downtown) is busy, with great shopping, Jesuit churches and historic sites, a tree-lined cannal winding through the city and a huge amount of pedestrian areas.

We found a month-long temporary rental in Nuevo Centro, a small furnished apartment that was in a great spot.

While we liked the apartment and the neighborhood, it was loud with traffic and parties on the weekends (it’s near the universities, so many young people). We knew this all going into this rental, but  thought for a month, it’s not bad. We had the option to renew there indefinitely but the building did not accept dogs and ideally, we wanted more space and a more residential neighborhood.

Next chapter to come about our housing search, schools, health insurance and cost of living in Córdoba……

Living the Life, Bariloche Style

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We made it into San Carlos de Bariloche late last night after a long day of travel.

Our non-stop flights were booked months ago with Pluna but we learned two weeks ago that the Pluna permit was pulled by the Argentine government and Pluna was no longer allowed to fly into Bariloche. Luckily, the airline re-accommodated us on other airlines and we ended up flying Pluna to Buenos Aires and LAN from BA to Bariloche – after a 5 hour layover in Buenos Aires. It was late when we finally arrived in Bariloche and even later after we claimed all of our bags and the dogs, but we made it. Many thanks to our new landlord Jamie, who picked us up from the airport in his truck. We all just barely fit.

The house we are renting is exceeding our expectations and we even had a bottle of wine, a box of handmade Bariloche chocolates and a budín to greet us upon arrival. Fabulous! We are exploring every inch of the space and getting unpacked. The dogs already love having a fenced-in yard for the first time in their lives and the many plants and birds have been a huge source of entertainment already for our daughter.

The most spectacular aspect of the house is not the inside, but the view to the outside. We’d seen photos of this view before we got here, but it is even more breathtaking in person. It looks like a painted set in a play and it’s hard to believe it is real and we can gaze onto this very landscape every day we are here.

I think we’re going to enjoy being in San Carlos de Bariloche. We have a lot to do to set up our (temporary) lives here but we can’t wait to get out and explore.

Our Next Adventure

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Bariloche, Buenos Aires, Uruguay MapUruguay has been our home for the past 16 months and we love it. Through the ups and downs of adjusting to life in a different culture, we have been truly fortunate to find ourselves in such a place.

We are ready for a new adventure, most likely temporary but we don’t know. All signs are pointing us toward San Carlos de Bariloche,  Argentina. We plan to be there for the low season of October through December. If you don’t know Bariloche, it is a very different type of place from Montevideo. Located in the mountainous area of northern Patagonia, spring is the low season there with skiing being the main draw in winter and hiking/water sports in the summer.  Since we have never lived in the mountains but would like to, this area really appeals to us.  There are other towns nearby such as San Martín de los Andes and El Bolsón that we plan to explore and the variety of outdoor activities in this mountain/lakes region is incredible.

One challenge with our plan is how to live in a more rural area without a car.  The Bariloche area has a great bus system that runs a loop from downtown to the main roads, with other buses running long distances from Bariloche. While we explored living within the city proper, we were told in no uncertain terms that while the city has all the modern conveniences, the city is not why people come to live in Bariloche. Now we are researching temporary rentals on the main bus loop or within a decent walking distance to the city center.

Our flight is booked for September 25th, our current landlord is notified of our lease termination and we are starting the purging process all over again.  There is no turning back now!

Our list of things to sell will be coming shortly. It is amazing how much you can acquire even when you live in a furnished  rental and never really purchased much.  Alas, we have plenty of housewares, toys, clothes, books and cloth diaper supplies that we will be selling.  The plan is to come back to Montevideo during/after high season 2011 but we don’t want to store all our extra stuff, so away it goes.

Wish us luck!  This extended vacation will hopefully be just the thing we’re looking for.  New things to learn and explore within a beautiful, restorative environment.  You can’t forget the great German architecture, handmade chocolates and artisan beers produced in the Bariloche region!  Sounds like my kind of place!!