News from Around the Hemisphere, Jan 15, 2014 (reposted from original location)

article from January 15, 2014
By Jamie Douglas

First off, an apology to my readers: I have not been writing as often as I would like, as I am not well... but not ill enough to refrain from occasionally spouting my opinions and pointing out interesting facts.

Mexico’s continuing problems

Poor Mexico! After the recent elections, there was hope that the violence would subside somewhat, but it is only getting worse in the states that have been flashpoints in the unfortunate war on drugs, which has cost over 100,000 lives over the past few years – one of which is the state of Michoacán, where I used to reside until I went to buy the newspaper for my morning coffee at Pátzcuaro restaurant where expats, artists and criminals alike would mingle.

Since that morning eight years ago, when I was shocked to see photos of 22 mutilated corpses on the back pages of La Voz de Michoacán, things have gotten progressively worse. In a recent article in Proceso [spanish], it is revealed that the Knights Templar, successors to the Zeta crime syndicate, have now entered politics on behalf of the PRI, the hyper-corrupt Mexican political party that bled the country dry for generations. After a brief respite, the PRI is back in power, with a little help from their usual election fraud along with the Knights Templar, who have become an economic force to contend with, as they have made hundreds of millions of dollars running the port of Lázaro Cárdenas and illegally mining iron ore.

As a result of long-standing collusion between the local, state and federal government and the cartels, Michoacán has come close to being an ungovernable failed state, and the neighboring states up and down the Pacific coast may follow.

When will the powers that be realize that the unfortunate war on drugs had the same results as the prohibition in the United States did? It enabled criminal elements to take over the country with diluted and dangerous unregulated alcohol, corrupting most major police forces by flooding them with money.

Panama and Nicaragua race for a wider canal across the isthmus

In 2006, Panama’s then-president Martin Torrijos announced a plan to expand the Panama Canal so it could accommodate today’s VLCCs. He boldly stated that this project would turn Panama into a first-world country. Perhaps he did not anticipate all of the corruption that would inevitably follow this proposal. Perhaps he underestimated the larceny of the Martinelli administration. But one thing is glaringly obvious: The conglomerate that bid on the work grossly underestimated the cost and time for building this ambitious project – and therein lies the current problem. The Panama Canal Authority is refusing to pay for the cost overruns and has threatened to take over the project by force mejeure.

Regardless of what will happen in this chapter of Panama Canal history, Panama will not be a first-world nation until it rids itself of all the scams that are at home there, including the banking and real estate sectors, much of which is run by American and Canadian expats, con men and women and convicted criminals trying to sell anything they can think of.

Meanwhile, a Chinese investor has put together a consortium of wealthy business people from China to build a canal clear across the isthmus in Nicaragua. This project is slated to begin in December of this year; and if successfully completed, it will be quite a thorn in the side of the Panama Canal Authority. But with the enormous nature of the project, one should not hold their breath. China may be riding high at the moment, but nothing lasts forever. The Chinese economy is already feeling the pain of the costs of their armed forces and high-speed rail networks.

I wonder why Mexico has not pursued the logical choice of building a trans-isthmus canal from Tehuantepec to the Caribbean. Perhaps the cost and logistics are too prohibitive, along with the opposition of the indigenous people.

Venezuela and crime

Venezuela’s sweetheart, actress and former Miss Universe Monica Spear, and her husband, Thomas Berry, were brutally murdered a few days ago when their car broke down. Their little 5-year-old daughter was also shot but survived.

Venezuela is a spectacular nation, blessed with abundant natural resources and stunning beauty. From Angel Falls to the Caribbean islands, nature has blessed this nation with abundant and fertile lands, not to mention the crude oil reserves in Lake Maracaibo and the gold in the ground.

Unfortunately, the riches of the nation have been distributed unequally to the point of forcing many into a life of serious crime. The homicide rate is near the top of world statistics, and the prisons are overflowing. The staggering amount and wide distribution of serious crimes is affecting everyone from the very poor to the very rich. Ironically, Monica Spear and her family moved to Miami out of fear for their safety. Nearing the end of a holiday vacation, fate caught up with them.

If there is one good thing that can be said about it, it is the fact that thousands of people came to her funeral and thousands more protested the senseless violence the Bolivarian nation is confronting.

And now the weather

After an early spring followed by another cold front, the Southern Cone countries of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina have been hit with several waves of severe weather, which included some of the most intense lightning and thunder this observer has ever witnessed.

Torrential rains in Brazil took their toll in human lives, and Uruguay also had several casualties, including a police officer who was killed in downtown Montevideo when hit by a swinging door he was trying to secure during one of the storms, which packed winds of up to 100 km/h.

Argentina also suffered one of the worst heat waves in their recorded history that was compounded by the failure of the electric grid in Buenos Aires, causing brownouts, blackouts and several heat-related casualties. The worst incident happened in the small beach town of Villa Gesell, where four youngsters were killed on the beach by lightning and another 22 injured. The tragedy happened so quickly that the victims never had a chance to escape.

I will not opine on the cause of all this severe weather, from the polar vortex to the unseasonably severe cold in Antarctica that caused an Australian tour boat to get stuck in the pack ice, forcing other important scientific programs to be interrupted when several additional ships had to be sent to their rescue. The Australian organizer of the trip defended his expedition as having valid scientific value by explaining that the lay observers on the ship were qualified to make observations of the current conditions in the region.

Antarctica, being the last frontier on this planet, has been exploited for high-end tourism for several years, and this latest problem is no different from any other for-profit organized tour.

Jamie Douglas

At large in Uruguay

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

The Wonders of Iguazu Falls

article from July 20, 2012

by Julie R Butler

Located at the edge of the farthest reaches of northeastern Argentina, they are called Cataratas do Iguaçu in Portuguese, Cataratas del Iguazú in Spanish, and Iguazu Falls in English. In the indigenous Tupí-Guaraní language, the name Yguasu means “big water.” Whatever you call them, they are magnificent, worthy of being named one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” as well as being a double UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to the existence of separate national parks on the Brazilian and the Argentinean sides of the river.

The Iguazu River begins far to the east of the falls, near the city of Curitiba on the western slope of the coastal mountains called Serra do Mar. It makes its way over 800 miles through dense, semitropical forest across the basalt plateau that was formed by a lava flow, over the edge of which the falls cascade so dramatically.

Rather than spanning straight across the river, this ledge stretches for 1.4 miles, bending and curving across a river that, helped by the numerous islands just above the drop-off, spreads itself out in a wide bend, providing for many waterfalls and cascades, to spectacular effect.

Devil’s Throat, so-named because it is in the form of a narrow chasm that channels an impressive half of the river’s flow, is the highlight for anyone who comes to experience this wonder of the natural world. Visitors to Argentina’s Iguazu National Park can ride the tourist train to the farthest station and then follow the catwalk that crosses the placid upper waters from island to island to reach the viewing platform at the very edge of the chasm. As one draws near, the sight of spray rising in a beckoning fog quickens the heart with anticipation. Upon arrival, the initial up-close encounter with the power of so much water plummeting at the chokepoint is breathtaking. Not only is the cascading water mesmerizing, but the misty spray, the tenacity of the tufts of green clinging to life on the precipices, and the grandeur of it all cause the visitor to linger, basking in the amazing energy of this inimitable setting.

The other train stop, named the Catarata Station, is the access point for viewing more of the falls via two walking circuits: the Upper Trail and the Lower Trail. If time or ailing knees are a concern, the upper path is the one to go with. It offers many views of the long line of cascades from the tops of waterfalls such as Adam and Eve that reveal its vast scope – complete with stunning rainbows, a veritable Garden of Eden (minus the apples, as it’s too hot here).

For the good-of-knee, the lower of the two trails is well worth the effort, bringing the visitor to the base of several cascades to experience the thrill of the water’s pounding arrival at the termination of its fall. This more extensive circuit also leads to a different part of the river, affording unforgettable panoramic viewpoints of the falls. Those who have scheduled plenty of time at the park can hop on a launch and head over to explore the wonders San Martin Island for a couple of hours.

Hikers who are interested in encountering some of the unique wildlife in the park may prefer to forego the train ride from the Visitors Center to the Catarata Station by taking the 15-minute walk along the Green Trail. For a much more intimate encounter with the natural setting, the off-the-beaten-path Macuco Nature Trail leads through the jungle to an isolated waterfall, requiring at least three hours to come and go.

Also available are excursions with Iguazu Jungle Explorer. The Great Adventure is a thrilling one-hour tour that combines a photo safari on an open 4x4 through the forest with a ride on a double-engine inflatable boat heading upriver through rapids to the mouth of Devil’s Throat, while the Nautical Adventure takes passengers along the shores of San Martin Island right up to the base of several falls. Both of these tours feature bilingual guides.

Spanish speakers will benefit from the intimate knowledge shared by the guides on the Ecological Tour, which navigates gently through the jungle on rowboats down a thread of the Upper Iguazu River. This tour through nature at its purest highlights the fact that the falls are not the only attraction of the park, and the farther away from the commotion of human activities one can get, the more likely they are spot an elusive puma, jaguar, or tapir.

Avid bird-watchers also flock to Iguazu Falls, as the multitude of birds that are known to live in the park represents almost half of the species that exist in Argentina, the eighth-largest country on the planet. The amazing Great Dusky Swift that nests on the sheer cliffs behind the falls is among the most intriguing of the feathered friends to be found at the falls.

  

And let’s not forget the romantics... Full moon tours offer either viewings of the moonrise over Devil’s Throat or full-moon-lit nighttime visits to the falls, each with dinner and a cocktail included, of course.

Additionally, the Yvyrá Retá Interpretive Center provides information about the Interior Atlantic Rainforest setting of the falls (and how fragile it is), as well as about the various cultures that have lived here throughout history. Visitors can even help the impoverished local indigenous community by purchasing unique Guaraní handicrafts in the park.

Photos by Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler:

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking.

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler

Mexico v Argentina Trade Relations

article from June 29, 2012

By Jamie Douglas

First off, I would like to give my sincere thanks to the many of you that sent me good wishes after my accident a few weeks ago. I was really overwhelmed by how many of you dear readers sent me their emotional support. Thank you very much; Mahalo nui loa; Merçi beaucoup; Grazie mille; Vielen herzlichen dank; Domo arigato; y Muchas gracias a todo mis lectores!

Now to the lead story: Back in 2002, Mexico and the Mercosur nations signed bilateral trade accords governing the importation and exportation of automobiles and auto parts. As has become the norm with Argentina and to a large degree Brazil, treaties are made to be broken when they are not to their advantage anymore, and such is the case here.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner recently announced that the treaty between the two nations would be suspended. Figures released by Mexico’s economic ministry show that in 2011, exports of automobiles and auto parts reached almost a billion US dollars, while Mexico imported almost US$300 million in automobiles and parts from Argentina.

That is a more-than 3:1 ratio in favor of Mexico. On the surface, it seems very unbalanced. But when you consider what an economic giant Mexico has become, with the help of the North American Free Trade agreement, it is a small wonder that the imbalance is not greater. Manufacturers from the United States and the rest of the world have set up shop in Mexico to take advantage of the lower labor costs and easy access to the North American market.

Mexico’s captains of industry, of course, realized that excess production could be marketed to the rest of Latin America, increasing employment as well as driving up the GNP. They sent trade representatives everywhere, from Guatemala to Argentina, as well as to the European Union, Japan and China, and they came back with very lucrative trade agreements that boosted Mexico’s economy and provided many new, good-paying jobs for the Aztec nation.

At the same time, Argentina and Brazil built up their automotive industries, exporting what they could, building up their own foreign reserves, creating jobs and making the politicians look good.

But that was then, and this is now. A nationalistic imbecile is running Argentina, continuing in the tradition of going from economic disaster to economic disaster, something I refer to as “Argentina’s circular history.” It runs in cycles of about 10 years from complete meltdown to utter chaos, and we are nearing the latter.

Cristina’s meddling with Mexico has awakened the fighting spirit of the Aztecs. They are not taking her lunacy lying down; in fact, they are getting ready (along with many other nations) to take this lunacy to the World Trade Organization.

Now, to add to the chorus of nations reaming Argentina for their protectionist measures, the USA has demanded that Argentina immediately put an end to their illegal import- and export-licensing regulations, which have turned major multinational corporations such as BMW into exporters of rice in order to expatriate their income.

Already, the USA and others have filed complaints with the WTO in Geneva. US attaché Rachel Bae took a much harder stance against Argentina, which already is the subject of several lawsuits filed by the European Union over the completely outrageous steps the administration of Empress Cristina Fernández has taken to freeze imports wherever she can.

Cry for Argentina! Once a nation of such great wealth and promise, it has been subject to incompetent and corrupt leaders. Why is it that a nation that has such an abundance of wealth and natural resources has been exploited by its own leadership for over 201 years? Argentineans, as a whole, are a wonderful and lively people; but they have fallen for the bullshit being dished out by their leadership for all that time. And the beat goes on!

Jamie Douglas

Safely across the Río de la Plata, in the land of the lovely Tannat wine

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

So What Happened? The Nomadic Expat Hits the Road Again

article from June 24, 2012

By Jamie Douglas

Those of you who have followed my writings may have noticed my silence for the past few weeks. No, I did not get arrested for sedition against the Argentinean turkey-necked vulture Presidenta Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. I was detained for a few hours, but that was much later.

What happened was that I took a Three-Stooges-like fall in our house in Mendoza a few weeks ago. I have absolutely no recollection of what happened or why. It was my Andrew Breitbart moment – without all the cocaine and alcohol. I crashed headfirst into a cement wall, landing on a carafe that we used as a doorstop and crunching my sternum. I was also suffering from loss of eyesight in my right eye, loss of motor skills, balance, etc. A scan done at our local hospital lead to study by the experts, which revealed that further study by more experts was needed.

At the same time, our living arrangements underwent a slight metamorphosis. Also, I had begun to feel the same way about Argentina as I once did about the USA, and we, that is, my wife Julie R and I, decided to once again migrate. We already knew that we could not leave the country with our Renault 12 from the last millennium, due to the Argentinean bureaucracy that prohibits foreigners from taking an Argentinean vehicle out of the country. Taking rentals is permissible. Makes sense, right? In Argentina, it does. So pretty much exactly a month ago, we made a no-brainer decision to use the car to go to the northeastern reaches of Argentina, Iguazu Falls, recently voted as one of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature.”

The cross-country trip was boring as can be, and gasoline had about doubled in price, when we could find it. Some of the cities we had to drive through were absolute chaos. Because of my vision problems, we always found an inn to spend the night at by late afternoon, where we met some wonderful people in really out-of-the-way places. After five days of driving, we stopped 40 km south of Iguazu Falls in a small town named Wanda. That was on Friday. The weather forecast called for rain and fog for the next couple of days, so we stayed in our cozy cabin, which we filled up with all of our belongings.

A couple of hundred yards up the road, we were told, was a lovely Swiss restaurant. We went there with a German couple who are bicycling across South America. We all ordered what would be considered filet mignon, including my until-recently red-meat-abstaining wife. We all agreed that it was the best beef we had ever had. The food was so good that we ate there every day, sometimes twice a day. Prices were below what one would expect to pay for such fantastic gourmet meals.

On Tuesday, we finally went to the most spectacular falls in the world. There is simply nothing to compare to its immenseness. Not even the price of admission, which is a steep Ar$130 plus $30 for parking, could dampen the experience. So for the two of us, it was $290, or, with the regularly falling Argentinean peso, about US$90 - worth every worthless peso we spent.

I have spent almost a month filming at Victoria Falls in Africa, much of it by helicopter, and been to Niagara Falls and various other earthly spectacles, but this filled my bucket list to overflowing. Julie has promised to write more about the falls as well as our travels through parts of Uruguay, so look for that soon. The poor thing is very ill right now, but she’ll be back soon. And I am getting ready to build myself a new computer from two super-motherboards and processors so that we can work independently again.

But back to Iguazu: We decided to stay an extra day with our gracious hosts in Wanda to repack properly. We had hopes to sell our Renault in some larger city down the road for whatever we could get, or failing that, we would drive it to the Uruguayan border and just take a taxi across the border, abandoning a vehicle that has many more kilometers to go. We packed everything neatly, loaded the roof rack with our suitcases and went to say our goodbyes, casually mentioning our plans for the car – at which point our hostess, Marta, stopped us cold. She told us that her husband’s brother was looking for a car. It turned out he did not have the money right then; however, another man did! Later that night, we had dinner at the Swiss restaurant again and related our good fortune to the innkeeper, who lamented his bad luck at not knowing we wanted to sell the car, because he, too, would have bought it from us.

Returned to the cabañas, we unpacked the car and waited for the guy to show up on Friday morning to go to the notary to transfer ownership. When he did not show at the appointed time in the morning, I became worried. But he showed about one hour later, so we went to the notary and – ¡que milagro! – it was more or less a done deal. After jumping through a series of bureaucratic hoops, we were free to go back to Uruguay with a few grand more than we expected. We gave all the household goods that we were not quite ready to part with when we left Mendoza to the housekeeper, and I traded my printer for three days stay at the cabañas and made arrangements to take a bus south on Saturday night to the border town of Colón, across the river from Paysandú, Uruguay.

This is where things got a little complicated. The bus we took, a Singer Line bus, was the most luxurious ever (though the food sucked, as always), but they decided that since we were the only two passengers getting off at this town, which was 16 km from the highway, they would just drop us off on the shoulder of the freeway in the dark, from where we had to climb over four sets of guard rails with all our belongings and hike to a Shell station. We had coffee and croissants, and they called us a taxi, which took us to the Colón bus station.

It being early Sunday morning, there was no bus to Paysandú until about 9 pm. So, after short deliberations, we decided to take a taxi across the border. Our driver, a surly woman sucking on her mate, was none too happy about all that luggage, explaining that her car was brand new. When we got to the border checkpoint, she was even less happy when they sent her to a holding area while we were interrogated for an hour or so. After a few hundred pesos changed ownership, however, we were finally allowed to leave the country, and we reentered Uruguay precisely three years to the day after we first entered in 2009.

The adventure called Argentina is over for us, but the continuing drama of the circular history of that poor country continues. Corruption and ineptitude must have been written into their constitution. The current president is even less capable that Juan Peron’s second wife was – much dumber; but having surrounded herself with a bunch of crony yes-men who are currently slowly working on having the constitution changed to allow her to run again, a Supreme Court that is stacked and both the upper and lower house majority, she can run roughshod over the population ...but more on all that in future personal attacks on the imbecile woman.

We have ended up back at our beloved beach house under the lighthouse in La Paloma where, as I write this, I listen to the gentle waves lapping at the shore while a small fire is keeping me warm. Our canine friends Vito and Luna where very happy to see us back, recognizing us even after two and a half years. I was amazed at how excited they were when they saw us. And two human friends we had left behind here just recently moved back, as well.

For those of you who were considering whether to move to Santiago, Buenos Aires, Asuncion or Montevideo/Punta del Este (yes you A.L.), they had a coup d’état in Paraguay a few days ago, and there is a new guerilla army that is growing by the day. I forecast changes for Chile as well. Some of you might remember my predicting, many months ago, that Angela Merkel’s lapdog, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, would be defeated in the French presidential elections, which started a shit storm from Francophiles. Well I am sorry to tell them, but “I told you so.” We are living in very unsettled times, and changes are coming at us with blinding speed. Latin America is still the evolving child of the old Spanish Empire. Uruguay, at present, is a good place to be. Will it stay that way? Only the shadow knows!

Jamie Douglas

No more Malbec Wine. It’s back to Tannat.

[All photos by Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler]

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

South America News Roundup May 11, 2012: Dignified Death in Argentina, Quinoa in the Andes, Floods in Paraguay, Water Cannons in Chile

article from May 11, 2012

by Julie R Butler

Argentina: Dignified death law

The Argentine Senate has approved a “dignified death” law by a vote of 55-0, with 17 abstentions. The law was already passed in the Lower House last year. It eliminates the need for family members to find a judge who would sign a court order to refuse treatment or put an end to life-support.

Medical ethicists assure that removing feeding tubes is more humane than force-feeding the dying because the human body naturally shuts down its systems and can even induce feelings of euphoria that make the passing more calm and comfortable. Euthanasia is expressly prohibited by the new law, and the patient or representative must have signed document stating their wishes before a notary and two witnesses.

The Andes: Quinoa exports soar

Quinoa, a grain-like member of the spinach family, has been grown for food in the Andean regions of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia for thousands of years. It is high in protein and has an excellent amino acid profile and good amounts of calcium, iron, and phosphorous. Like many indigenous foods, it was once looked down upon as “Indian food,” fit only for the poorest of the poor. But now, it has become a profitable cash crop for Peru and Bolivia, with a growing market in industrialized nations.

While this is good news for the farmers of these countries, it also raises several concerns. Suitable land is scarce in regions of Bolivia, causing violence over land claims. Another issue is that all of this nutritious food will be exported, leaving none left for the poorest of the poor.

Paraguay: Widespread flooding

Devastating floods began to hit the Chaco region of western Paraguay in mid-April. Some areas could not even accommodate emergency helicopters because of a lack of dry land.

The Paraguayan Chaco is nicknamed “Infierno Verde” (Green Hell), due to its extreme weather. The heat in the summer is intense, and the agriculture in the region has been plagued by extended droughts in recent years.

Heavy rains there continued through the end of the month, causing the affected area to spread to the capital city of Asunción, the latest region to have been declared a “state of emergency” due to flooding along the banks of the Río Paraguay.

As of April 29, 1,000 people had to be evacuated in Asunción and about 500 in Concepción, 570 km from the capital, while some 70,000 have been displaced in the Chaco.

Chile: Piñera, polls, and police

Recent news out of Chile serves as the perfect follow-up to the point I made recently in my article about the "Red Diaper Baby."

First, there is the recent polling that has Piñera’s approval rating dipping lower than it has ever been since he became president of Chile in 2010. This, despite the healthy economy, as food and fuel prices have fallen over the past few weeks. Political scientist Jose Viacava says that Chileans want more than good economic indicators; they are pushing for deeper reform in the country’s political and economic model. At least the president can take solace in the fact that the Concertación, the center-left opposition party, fares even worse in the polls. Perhaps part of the reason for so much discontent is that the carabineros spent US$6.7 million on 10 new riot control vehicles equipped with water cannons, feeding directly into the point that education reform activist, Camila Vallejo, was making in her response, as reported by The New York Times, to Piñera’s comment that “nothing in life is free. Someone has to pay”:

“Obviously someone has to pay, but there’s no reason why it must be families financing between 80 and 100 percent of it.” Why not the state — through taxes on large corporations, the nationalization of resources, a reduction in financing for the military? When yet another march ended in violence, Vallejo and her fellow students collected hundreds of tear-gas shells and brought them to La Moneda. “Here are more than 50 million pesos worth of tear-gas bombs,” announced Vallejo, money, she said, that could have been spent on education. Students formed the shells into a peace sign on the plaza, and Vallejo crouched in the center. The resulting image was published all over the world.

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking.

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler

Thinking of Moving to Argentina? A Word to the Wise

article from April 10, 2012

By Jamie Douglas

Once a favorite destination for expats, Argentina is being turned into a sadly neglected country by nationalistic socialism, rampant political corruption and total economic ineptitude. Que lástima.

The government of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is currently nationalizing whatever it can get its hands on, starting with YPF-Repsol and Petrobras, the Spanish and Brazilian oil companies that have been doing business in the Southern Cone nation because this country is unable to run its own oil exploration. These exploration companies, rather than dealing with one authority, have to pay off the corrupt local officials of every province they want to do business in, to hell with international treaties.

The nation is racing backwards at supersonic speed, and will soon be back in 2002.

Example 1: We live near a relatively large town with several major supermarkets. During Easter Week, they were out of milk for three days. While orange juice is a luxury here, selling for over US$2 per liter, stores rarely have it. Rice, sugar, flower, cooking oil, and even the beloved mate are all in short supply.

Example 2: Fuel stations are often out of fuel. Many times, the amount of fuel you are allowed to purchase is limited to AR$50, when they have it at all. Of course, if you have the extra US dollars per gallon, you can go to one of the rare Shell or Petrobras stations and pay more to fill your tank.

I actually got to fill up the modest tank on my Renault today. And the wait was only about 20 minutes. During the peak harvest season, many trucks waited in line for days to get fuel while the fruit and produce rotted. Nobody in the government did anything about it. Meanwhile, exports to Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay continued unabated. There are some highly intelligent people at work here, somewhere, but not in the government.

Example 3: The last time the economy tanked, it was because of fiscal mismanagement and the lunatic idea of tying the new peso, called the austral, to the US dollar. And a lunatic idea it was. It led to the biggest sovereign default in the history of the world. It makes Greece look downright attractive in comparison. A lot of it, of course, had to do with high-cost imports of luxury goods. After the catastrophe, the Argentine government decided to set up a free-trade zone in Tierra del Fuego, where they would manufacture air conditioners and assemble computers, fans, microwaves and all kinds of domestic appliances. That would be wonderful, if the consumer would actually save money on these domestic products. I took a close look at the tiniest of microwaves today just to see where it was made because it cost US$250 for the same kind you get at Wal-Mart for $30. Sure enough, it was made in Tierra del Fuego!

Item 4: Taking your profits out of the country:  Forget it. Repatriating your money is forbidden unless you can get that unobtainable permit to send dollars out of Argentina. So what is a multinational company like, say, BMW to do? (It’s not like they sell a lot of their cars here.) In order to repatriate their money, they have to buy rice and export it to someplace that wants it, paying to ship it, warehouse it and broker it. Now that is messed up!

Item 5: As an Argentine citizen, you cannot take or send more than US$300 per person per month out of the country. It is illegal to send money to relatives who may be croaking in a hospital in Bolivia or anywhere else. And effective April 2, Malvinas Day, Argentinean citizens are unable to use their credit and debit cards abroad at all. All the borders and airports now have money-sniffing dogs, and they are quite good a sniffing out the loot, which will then become property of the state.

On the other hand, there are so many properties available all over this marvelous country that if you want to make a go of it, you will have many choices at very affordable prices. The important thing is to come here with family and all and get a feel for it. Having a working knowledge of Spanish is essential. Outside of the major cities, you will not find many fluent English speakers. But do not go down the street loudly proclaiming how this person dresses like a clown (it might be Cristina!) or that one there has a beer gut. You might be surprised at how many people understand English.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Argentina

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

The Real April Fool: Argentina's Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

article from April 1, 2012

By Jamie Douglas

Many have attempted the colossal feat of making the Southern Cone nation the laughing stock of the world, and finally, the widow of the former president, being La Presidenta in her own right, has succeeded!

The buildup has been anticipated and therefore comes as no surprise. Since her reelection last October, it has been a steady drumbeat to fascism coming from the Casa Rosada, with new financial regulations, import restrictions and less personal freedom to do with your money as you want. Add to that the constant treaty violations with Mercosur’s junior members, Uruguay and Paraguay, her flaky excuse to not attend the Mercosur meeting in Asuncion (had a headache and could not fly) and now, the demands made on Mexico, also breaking an important trade treaty there, whereby Argentina exported  about a million automobiles to Mexico and vice versa. But now it just does not suit Argentina anymore. They still want to export to Mexico but don’t want to allow Mexican cars to enter Argentina anymore.

For a long time now, there have been severe import restrictions on any merchandise entering Argentina. There are huge stockpiles of books and publications sitting in warehouses at border crossings between Uruguay and Argentina. Last week, the government of Argentina issued a formal statement that was heartily laughed at around the world: The printing ink has lead in it, and the public could be injured when they lick their fingers to turn the pages. The most embarrassing part of that folly is that both ink and paper are shipped over to Uruguay from Argentina in the first place!

Argentinean customs is also holding up many life-saving medications, as well as car parts, food items and just about anything you can think off. Even items from the Mercosur trade zone are being held back. The one thing that apparently sneaks its way past those eagle-eyed inspectors is makeup; tons of it, from the looks of it, all required in the name of national security, so that La Cristina can maintain that “condor” look.

And in keeping the populace baffled with all her bullshit, her government has spent 1.25 billion pesos on promoting itself in 2010, 25 times as much as was spent under the administration of her husband, Néstor Kirchner. Since she took control, however, she has used the very large funds to declare war on her enemies by diverting government pesos into massive advertising campaigns. Argentina has a national decree that stipulates that the money be spent in a balanced way, but La Cristina has gone out of her way to ignore that.

Just like the blatant vote-buying that was happening leading up to the last presidential election, where she promised everybody a chicken or some pork and flat-screen TVs for the jubilados (retirees).The federal government’s share of advertising in the nation comes to over 9% of all advertising in the country, about the same as the second-  and third-largest advertisers in the country – Unilever and Proctor and Gamble – combined. To put it in perspective, that is 6.5 times as much as Canada spends! But then again, Canada does not have that much to lie about to its citizens, probably precisely 6.5 times less.

Some of the latest effluent to emerge lately is a new decree that Argentineans traveling abroad are not able to use their debit cards, as of today, to buy things or withdraw funds from their bank accounts at home, unless they are US dollar accounts. All of these rules and regulations are regurgitated on a daily base from the government’s Official Bulletin. Those of you fluent in Spanish are forewarned!

Being as this is akin to the period when Argentina’s General Galtieri started the unfortunate war against the UK over the Malvinas/Falkland Islands, I do have a serious question for my Argentinean brothers and sisters. Since when does a nation celebrate getting their asses kicked as severely, as they did 30 years ago? We were in Mendoza a month ago for the Vendimia Wine Harvest Festival, and a sad-looking bunch of Malvinas veterans hobbled by in the parade. I had to control myself from committing suicide by lynching by shouting out: “THEY LIED TO YOU!”

I have no recollection of the USA ever celebrating the end of their misfortunate incursion into Vietnam. Yippee, it’s April 30! Let’s celebrate our humiliating defeat at the hands of a peasant army that kicked our asses, B-52s and all.

Now for the hate mail, I thank you in advance.

Jamie Douglas

Going Totally Insane in San Rafael, Mendoza

[Image of President Kirchner with children, Maximo and Florencia Kirchner at second inauguration via Wikipedia]

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Easy Credit in Argentina

article from March 21, 2012

By Jamie Douglas

We live outside a relatively small town southwest of San Rafael in Mendoza province. To say that the area is very poor would be a good description. Out in the country where we live, a few kilometers away from the small dusty town of Salto de las Rosas, many of our neighbors are illegal Bolivian and Peruvian immigrants who make a living from the dirt that they inhabit. Literally! I don’t know if they own the land they live on, as it looks more like they are squatters to me. Almost all the homes are made of mud bricks. It is not much, but to them it is a lot more than they could ever accomplish in Bolivia or Peru. Not much wealth is displayed externally, except for the TV antennas on every shack, and more and more are sporting the US$50 satellite systems being sold in small and large stores alike.

The main sources of income in these latitudes are seasonal fruit picking and year-round brick making. They build these intricate structures out of raw mud bricks, with vent holes and a very unique way of stacking them, and then they stuff it with a special kind of wood and let is smolder for weeks. The end result is that giant trucks from all over the country come to pick up huge loads of bricks. There is some heavy equipment involved, such as forklifts, but it all appears to be communally owned.

I give you all the above information to show just how poor this particular area is. We are just a few kilometers south of the wine belt, so there really is a lot of poverty here for most of the year. You should know that in this region there are also a lot of really poor Argentineans as well as a number of legal Bolivians, Peruvians and Paraguayans. They have documentos to show that they are legal residents.

Now to the point of this message: We have been trying to distribute our meager income to as many locals as we can. We buy fruits and vegetables from La Familia, a sweet, hard-working family of Bolivianos selling great quality fruits and veggies out of their home; Carlito and his family provide us with meat and chicken; and we get our staple foods from the little Atomo minimarket, a branch of a larger chain.

So last Saturday I went to the Atomo to make some purchases, and in the tiny parking lot out front was a car dealer with a brand new Peugeot 207, a very small car he was trying to sell by draping two turbo-vixens over it, bending in the aluminum foil-thin skin (the turbo vixens are optional). I could not help it – I had to go find out how he was going to convince the local populace to get one of them.

“Oh, es muy simple,” he stated. “All I need is for you to come to my office with your documentos and two utility bills in your name, and you can own one with no money down, no payments until six months from now and then you have five years – interest free – and best of all, the loan is in Argentinean pesos.”

Talk about money in the bank! The Argentinean peso is constantly devaluing and nobody can predict what calamities will befall the Southern Cone nation over the next five and a half years, but it will be quite a few. So buying a few cars on these terms, taking them to a barn and shrink-wrapping them for the future should be a very good investment.

This is the economic reality today in Argentina. The banknotes are so old and worn out that you are compelled to wash your hands after handling them. Giving the cars away on these kinds of terms shows how the economic engine, which stalled a couple of years ago, is being fueled. Lies about inflation, poverty, unemployment and anything else a government could lie about led to this situation. It has gotten so bad that the International Monetary Fund is closing their regional office, the nation’s economy has tanked and all Empress Cristina can talk about is “Las Malvinas,” the old nationalistic standby for diverting attention from domestic problems.

But just like in the upcoming elections in France, Greece, USA, Germany, etc, the people will continue to be baffled by all the bullshit and make all the wrong choices, as always.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

[Photo from San Rafael Department, Mendoza, Argentina by Jamie Douglas]

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Crumbling Infrastructures: Buenos Aires, Caracas

article from February 25, 2012

By Jamie Douglas

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Ash Wednesday in Buenos Aires turned out to be a very tragic day. A fully loaded commuter train with over 2,000 porteños on board suffered a suspected mechanical failure in its brake system, slamming into the end-of-the-line barrier at the Once station in the capital city, with devastating results. Fifty dead and 650 injured – ¡que horror! – a very inappropriate end to the Carnival festivities, although not altogether unexpected.

The infrastructure of the city of Buenos Aires has been crumbling since the 1980s, but the bottom really fell out during the last financial crisis when Argentina defaulted on its sovereign debt. Looking at the photos and videos of this catastrophe, I was astonished to discover that the rolling stock looked to be from about 1950s or 60s and in very bad shape, even just look at. Buenos Aires has become somewhat of a dangerous eyesore, where you are not safe in the best of neighborhoods anymore.

Those of us who always admired the city as “the Paris of South America” now look at it as a crumbling city, a city where you can still look up at the beautiful facades of those magnificent edifices built in the 1920s; but while looking up and admiring that, be careful, because the sidewalks are hazards to your health. There are not just cracks, but holes and missing manhole covers – and you really have to be very careful where your next step will take you, as there are so many dogs that use the sidewalks as their toilet.

Then there are all the homeless sleeping and living in the entryways to abandoned businesses. And whatever you do, exercise extreme caution when using an ATM. It’s not that robbers in Buenos Aires are very sophisticated; in fact, they are quite clumsy, spilling a drink on you or dropping mud from a balcony to cause a major distraction, or dropping something in front of you, trying to take advantage of the Good Samaritan in you so they can grab your wallet, purse or bags. The current economic downturn has led to a lack of public safety, with the federal police abandoning their patrol duties on the subway and trains, leaving that to the local police, who are either part of the criminal gangs or not present at all.

So for those of you contemplating moving to Buenos Aires, be aware. Crime is surging, inflation is over 25%, and public confidence has reached new lows. It was only a couple of weeks ago that a well-known French photographer was stabbed to death at 8:30 in the morning, in a very populated and “safe” section of town, the park dedicated to the Falklands War Veterans in Retiro. ...it makes the photographer in me want to leave that part of my life behind. Whenever I stepped out while in Buenos Aires with my Nikon camera, the people at the front desk of my hotel would warn me, shopkeepers would warn me and waiters in restaurants would have me hide my equipment. Fortunately, we were always very aware of our surroundings. And when the guy came by with a huge key ring and dropped it at my feet, it was me who kept a local from running after him. It was such an obvious attempt to separate us from our luggage in front of the hotel that it was almost laughable. Jajaja!

Caracas, Venezuela

In Caracas (how similar that sounds to carcass!), Venezuela’s Clown Prince is now following his destiny, which looks to be an appointment with Mr. D. After denying rumors about having The Big “C,” he just announced that a new lesion of about 2 centimeters had been discovered in an undisclosed location “near his pelvis,” where surgeons in Cuba last June had removed a baseball-sized malignant tumor, and after a few rounds of chemotherapy he had declared himself to be cancer free. Hallelujah!

Except that he is not. For the first time since his medical misadventures began, he openly stated that it was probably a malignant growth. Various experts in the field of his unknown cancer have previously stated that he in all likelihood suffers from Steve Jobism, which is denial of his terminal condition and the putting off of the immediate treatment of his disease. After all, a bull can only be a bull if he has his cajones; and now that a young, virile opposition leader has emerged, Henrique Capriles, the 39-year-old governor of Miranda State, the chances of Venezuela’s return to the civilized world are getting better with every moment that Chávez waits to have radical surgery. I do wish him well in his battle for life, but more importantly, I wish Venezuela only the best in its recovery from the years of darkness. Let there be light!

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Is Argentina Really Schizophrenic or Are They a Nation of Great Actors?

article from February 18, 2012

By Jamie Douglas

The answer is neither. They are just a nation in incredible denial of everything from the government of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner being so untruthful about the nation’s inflationary figures to the incredible energy shortage facing the nation.

Every day, up and down this nation, you can see thousands of trucks and automobiles waiting at the few gas stations scattered around the country, sitting there sometimes for a mere few hours, or as was the case earlier this week, two to three days, with the consequence of lost productivity in untold tons of cargo not being moved from farm to market, and this at the peak of harvest time.

The Argentine Confederation of Transport Workers on Wednesday, Feb 15, ratified a chicane against British ships. They will randomly block any vessel flying any type of British ensign from being allowed to dock in Argentina, as well as slowing down the docking and departure procedures to six hours each on those vessels that are allowed. The head of the maritime workers union, Omar Suárez, stated that this will be selectively carried out without notice and that it could spread all over Latin America.

Apparently, word did not get to Mr. Suárez in time to avoid the embarrassing revelation that currently, the British Rugby, belonging to BP and flying the flag of the Isle of Man, is berthed in Puerto Ingeniero White, where the lovely 84,000 ton LNGC carrier, the third of five awarded to British Petroleum last December, is unloading its cargo.

The main problem for continued delivery is not the empty barking of a neutered dog – in this instance, a trade union that has lost all its power with the Peronista justicialista administration – but rather, that energy-hungry Argentina must pay for all of its purchases on the spot market with US cash dollars, something that is not exactly in abundance in this bankrupt and self-delusional nation. It would be amusing if it were not such a Greek tragedy playing itself out in the Southern Cone.

So the average Argentinean spends a good portion of their vacation waiting for the YPF tanker trucks to come into the gas station to unload their cargoes of precious refined fluids, only to get to the head of the line and find that they are out again. The consumers are wise to the fact that they need to get their fuel when they can. They buy several drums worth and any other containers they can fill.

Meanwhile Argentina’s Energy Institute, known by its Spanish initials as IAE, has issued a strong warning that the country faces an “unprecedented energy crisis” after squandering its existing resources by exporting huge amounts to Chile for several years to earn foreign exchange reserves, thereby selling to Peter what they stole from Paul and owed to Néstor. A better-worded statement released by the IAE, which is made up of former energy ministers of the nation (go figure; they suddenly got to be the “wise elders”), put it this way: “…the current energy situation in Argentina is no surprise: it was expected since there are not now, nor have there been for a long time, comprehensive long term policies for the industry. In fact there has been a total lack of an adequate implementation of serious policies.”

Under Néstor Kirchner’s administration, and continuing under the puppetry of his stand-in, his now-widowed wife, Cristina, the country’s reserves of crude dropped 6% while the formerly overabundant natural gas reserves fell by 41% as the nation’s artificial affluence has put hundreds of thousands of new vehicles on the road – all on easy credit, of course. Meanwhile, the actual production of refined products fell by almost one-fifth, which has led to the current shortages affecting agricultural production.

Cristina’s answer is to renationalize the oil companies. Good luck with that, Argentina. We already experienced what happened when Aerolineas Argentinas was re-nationalized: forty pilots per aircraft and a payroll of over 10,000 people.

Good luck Argentina, particularly those of you in line trying to buy fuel.

Jamie Douglas

Sitting Pretty in San Rafael, Mendoza

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Sean Penn Comes to Argentina

article from February 15, 2012

By Jamie Douglas

Actor and political activist Sean Penn has now made it to Argentina to throw the weight of his support behind the Argentine’s claims of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. He arrived in Buenos Aires, hat in hand, to beg for more aid for the people of Haiti, which is still suffering from the horrendous earthquake that devastated that poor, hyper-corrupt country on that disastrous afternoon of January 12, 2010.

Aid poured in, evangelical missionaries came to steal children, and former President George W. Bush made a rare appearance since the end of his disgraceful two terms in office, wiping his hands on Bill Clinton’s shirt after shaking a victim’s hand. (At least this time, nobody stole his watch.)

What has been stolen are hundreds of millions of US dollars, outright stolen or misappropriated since the aid money started flowing in while millions are still living in tents under the most inhumane conditions. I am sorry to say it, but that is business as usual in Haiti.

The ultimate insult is for a second-rate actor such as Sean Penn to come to Argentina, calling for an end to this ridiculous colonialism, a situation that the world cannot tolerate in these enlightened days. So he wants the Falklands, instead, to become an Argentinean colony?

What about US colonialism in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and Samoa, just to mention the biggies? From living in the US Virgin Islands, I know all-too well what the economic and crime situation is there and how the US government forced its purchase of the islands then neglected and ignored them. And let us not overlook the former Kingdom of Hawaii, where, as in Alaska, thousands of military-service personnel voted for statehood, completely nullifying the will of the actual inhabitants.

So the best Cristina can come up with for a suggestion to fix Haiti is to begin preparing and training the Haitians to have their own armed forces. Poor dumb Cristina, she was obviously on a different planet when Haiti last had a military, which was used for no other purpose than to subjugate, terrorize and murder its own citizens.

Granted, since gaining independence from France on January 1, 1804, the country has been one of chaos and instability. Under French rule, there was in place the dehumanizing system of a wealthy minority exploiting the illiterate poor majority, which was continued after the bloody revolution, with the mulatto children of the rich plantation owners taking over control. Many of these mulattos took advantage of their newly elevated social status to gain financial control, as well as control over most of the land, perpetuating the previous economic system of master and slave. One major difference was that the new rulers had to make massive reparations to their former masters, the French slave owners, in order to get recognition from the nation of France.

Despite democratic government, it was sugar that was king, and both Haiti and Hawaii produced an abundance of it. By 1789, Saint-Domingue, as Haiti was then known, produced 60% of the world’s coffee as well as 40% of the sugar consumed in England and France.

It would have served both Sean Penn and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to take a brief history lesson about Western colonialism before having that lovely photo opportunity in the Casa Rosada. Sean Penn, of course, is trying to keep his name in the headlines while doing good for the people of Haiti and for the NGO that helps street children in the north of Argentina and Haiti; but I must confess, I am a little uneasy with the fact that a Catholic priest, Father Carlos Molina, seems to be in charge of that project – for obvious reasons. Letting Catholic priests be in charge of NGOs dealing with young boys is somewhat like letting an elephant guard your vegetable patch.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Experience the Finest of Mendoza

article from January 22, 2012

by Julie R Butler

The city of Mendoza, Argentina, is many things: a leafy desert oasis, an important agricultural center, a travel hub, a cultural gem, a wine connoisseur’s paradise, and a base camp for outdoor adventures in the high Andes, to name a few of those things. While the name Mendoza is probably most closely associated with wine, there is something for everyone in this provincial capital.

Mendoza is among the top most-visited cities in the country, along with Buenos Aires and Córdoba, with its wide, tree-lined avenues and relaxing, shade-filled parks being a welcome respite from the crush of humanity in those two megalopolises. The setting is nothing less than spectacular, with the Cordón del Plata towering from the west, behind which looms the highest peak outside of the Himalayas, Cerro Acongagua.

Some who fly into Mendoza might find it hard to believe that they are in a semi-desert climate because of the agreeable greenery and the gurgling fountains. And flying into Mendoza from international destinations via Lima, Peru or Santiago, Chile can be advantageous because the hefty reciprocity fee that is charged to US, Canadian, and Australian passport holders at both of the airports that serve Buenos Aires is not charged here (if you book your bags through at Santiago, you will not be charged the fee in Chile, either). From here, the closest major destination is Santiago, a nine-hour bus trip (allowing two-hours for the border crossing); while within the country, Córdoba is ten hours to the north by bus. So you might as well stick around for a while before heading off again.

Wine tours are what Mendoza is famous for throughout the world. Traditional bodegas (the word used in Argentina for wineries), can be found in nearby Luján and Maipú. Tours range from do-it-yourself bicycle tours that will include a wine tasting, as long as you show genuine interest in making a purchase, to personalized private tours that include gourmet meals. One and a half hours to the southwest is the Valle de Uco, where you will find many innovative, foreign-owned wineries that are moving beyond the famous Malbecs and other wines that are enjoyed by the Argentines, producing world-class blends with a growing number of grape varieties that are new to the region.

If art and culture are your passions, then Mendoza has much to offer. Visits to art and historical museums will be interspersed with pleasant strolls through the beautiful city center with its many plazas (where you are likely to find artists with their easels, capturing the ambiance for posterity); lingering coffee breaks at the numerous cafés (where the people-watching is superb, as long as it is not siesta time); shopping excursions for leather goods or wine (great bargains are to be had); and delicious meals that range from traditional Argentine beef barbecues to modern cuisines (mmmm!).

Then there is the natural splendor of the Andes Mountains to explore. Activities include everything from day hikes to serious mountaineering excursions, rafting to paragliding, fly-fishing to horseback riding, and anything else that you can image the Western Hemisphere’s highest mountains to offer.

All that activity calls for a spa treatment! Termas de Chachueta comprises a network of hot springs that are located just an hour away from the city. The full luxury treatment includes masseuses, Jacuzzis, and more, with a buffet lunch, to boot. Or, you can simply soak in the warm healing waters in a relaxing natural setting.

Back to the city: You will find it to be bustling in the morning and very quiet during the hot afternoon hours of siesta, springing back to life for the evening and into the nighttime, when the youth come out to see and be seen. The dinner hours begin at 8 pm, theater or music shows do not begin until after 10 pm, and the bars and dance clubs are empty until about 1 am, with the party going on into the wee hours.

In order to experience the best of Mendoza, I recommend Posada de Rosas Garden Apartments. My husband and I visited the posada recently and had the chance to sit down and talk to the proprietors, Ellen and Riccardo, over coffee and croissants.

A tour of the grounds revealed three elegant studio apartments, each opening onto a captivating courtyard that includes a lush garden, a romantic terrace, a grape arbor, a very inviting swimming pool, and of course, a parilla, or Argentine barbecue. During the heat of the day, the earthy colors in the sitting area in the residential home at the front of the property was the perfect setting for our little gathering, from where the play of bright sunlight off the patio just outside created the peaceful ambiance of a quiet oasis in the middle of a bustling city.

During out chat, I was even more impressed with the character of Ellen and Riccardo, finding them not only to be very interesting people, but also very professional, very attuned to what travelers need, very informed about the region, very attentive to every little detail, and wonderful hosts. They operate Amazing Mendoza Tours, a highly regarded tour company that offers different kinds of excursions and tours, including cooking classes, visits to artists’ studios, and much more. They very successfully take advantage of the knowledge and skills of a professional travel writer and an artist, with both of them being experienced travelers, themselves.

And if all of that were not enough, well, you know what they say about location (location, location). Posada de Rosas is within easy walking distance of Mendoza’s main square, Plaza Independencia, in one direction and Parque General San Martín, the 420-hectare park that is considered to be one of Mendoza’s highlights in the other direction, as well as the vibrant nightlife center of “Aristedes.”

So when you come to Mendoza, be sure to make bookings and purchase travel tickets well in advance, particularly if it is during the high season, December to March.

[Image of Mendoza via Wikipedia]

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking.

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler