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.

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

A Short Excursion to Las Leñas

article from October 17, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

This time of year, the weather is likely to change faster than the forecast, so when we saw that Friday, October 14, was going to be clear, we decided to take a daytrip up to the famous Las Leñas ski resort in the Andes, just southwest of San Rafael, before the summer sun melted all the snow. The ride there was about 250 km of mostly fine road, almost all of it relatively flat and straight, through a landscape somewhat resembling New Mexico, with the exception that there are huge snowcapped mountains getting closer all the time: the Andes!

We found that with the price of gasoline in Argentina being over US$5 per gallon, our trusty Renault (el Renolito) loved being in fifth gear, propelling us at between 90 and 100 km/h while I was barely touching the gas pedal, giving us over 30 mpg. We left our house at about 10:30, and by 1 pm, we were at the turnoff to Las Leñas, where the not-so-excellent road started its winding climb up the mountain. Within a very short time, we passed the tree line, not that we were in a forest or anything. The way to the resort was very sparsely populated, with only four or five houses along the way, mostly without electricity, excepting the small collection of tourist cabañas at Los Molles.

A short distance before we got to Las Leñas, there was a small roadside area with a hotel, ski rental and a lift, but it was closed. This year, lack of snow, as well as water for snowmaking machines, cut the season short, closing the slopes on Sept 25. However, even though the slopes were partially barren, the shady sides and gullies still had quite a bit of the white stuff, giving us a good idea of just how deep it must have been.

Finally, we got to Las Leñas, and with our built-up appetite, we looked for a restaurant. I was immediately taken aback by the lack of charm the place exhibited. The whole “town” consisted of a few very ugly hotels and one restaurant, which was closed. There went my milanesa fix! There were other restaurants, but they were in the closed hotels. A couple of buses had made their way up the mountain as well, and many of the passengers were seated on the outdoor patio of the closed restaurant, taking pictures and passing around their mate gourds. A couple I briefly spoke with, porteños, (meaning from Buenos Aires) expressed their extreme disappointment over their trip. Hours on the bus and there is nothing here to see!

But we did not look at it that way. I had seen on the map that there was a dirt road that continued for about 20km more to a place called Valle Hermoso, which means “Beautiful Valley.” Maybe they had milanesas there! The drive started out quite nicely, with huge peaks looking down at us on either side and from straight ahead, and snow was currently falling on the peaks, giving the range a misty look. But after maybe 5 km, I was beginning to seriously doubt that we would get our milanesa, and shortly after that realization, we came to the end of our off-road adventure, as the roadway was covered in several meters of snow for as far as I could see. We had reached the avalanche zone. Good time to get out, take some pictures and let our dog, Chica, do her maniacal running through the snow. Fortunately, Julie had brought some apples and oranges, staving off starvation –and scurvy – for the time being.

After a while of enjoying all the grandeur and the intriguing colors of unknown flora, I turned the car around on the narrow ledge and we started back down valley, with our dog happily getting her exercise running alongside. Back through that homely modern ski village and down we went back toward Route 40.

It was not until we were heading back to San Rafael that we found a little rustic roadside inn, which welcomed us with friendly smiles and fed us sufficiently. By 7 pm, we were pulling back into our driveway and heading into the kitchen to cook ourselves a decent meal – to go with that Fine Malbec Wine.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

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.

Mendoza: Heart of Argentina’s Wine Country

article from October 13, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

Serving as the capital city of the province with the same name, the city of Mendoza’s metropolitan area renders it the fourth largest in Argentina. Nine hundred thousand area inhabitants make sure that all the grapes are picked and the olives harvested and pressed for the lucrative olive oil market that is centered around this region. The city is more famously the center of the winemaking industry in the province of Mendoza.

Mendoza was founded in 1561 by Pedro del Castillo but has suffered from several severe earthquakes, with the one in 1861 being calculated to have been a 7.2 on the SWM scale – severe enough to kill more than one third of the city’s population and destroy almost all the buildings, including the cabildo, the government house. Wisely, the city was moved and rebuilt with earthquakes in mind, using a better method of construction that, to this date, has resisted further tremors.

Compared to its southern neighbor San Rafael, the city of Mendoza is downright cosmopolitan. There are a number (seven, at the time of this writing) of free Wi-Fi access points serving web surfers. The thoroughly modern CBD stands out from the neighboring areas with several tall buildings overlooking the nearby Parque San Martín, a 971-acre urban oasis that opened to the public in 1898. There are 34 sculptures scattered throughout the park. It is made up of many different little areas that allow one to forget that they are in a large urban area. The park is home to the Malvinas Stadium, the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, the very imposing monument of the Army of the Andes and a large amphitheater.

Mendoza is home to the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia, or National Grape Harvest Festival, with next year marking the 75th anniversary of this event celebrating the famous wines of the region, which have been produced since the 17th century. This festival is truly one of the most spectacular celebrations in Argentina, lasting from the last Friday in February through the end of the first weekend in March. The highlight of the opening weekend is the Benediction of the Fruit. On the first Friday in March, beauty queens from each of the 18 departments are paraded through the center of town, each with her elaborate gown that is designed to celebrate that region’s winemaking traditions. One of those young ladies, of course, will be selected to be the queen of the event, and she will reign for the year. Saturday morning will feature the Carrousel Vendimial, where once again, the aspiring beauty queens will parade through town. They are followed by folkloric dancers that are representative of the various styles in the different regions.

Then there is the Acto Central, the actual highlight of the whole festival, which takes place in Parque San Martín’s Frank Romero Day Amphitheatre, which pays homage to “El Virgen de Carrodilla” and features a large selection of yet more dance, music and other entertainment. The highlight of this extravaganza is the selection of the Reina Nacional de la Vendimia, the National Wine Queen!

But if you are unable to make it to Mendoza during this wonderful event, fret not. There are smaller events scheduled throughout the year, and you will always find many diversions in and around the city. Not very far from the heart of the city is the hemisphere’s tallest mountain, 22,841-foot Mt Aconcagua, and there are many opportunities to go fishing, hiking, camping, mountaineering, rafting and horseback riding in the region. In the southern winter, there are several world-class ski areas to enjoy, from beginner to expert.

Back in the city, you will find numerous sidewalk cafés, many fine dining establishments and a variety of upscale stores and boutiques. If it’s culture you are after, there are many museums and performance venues, as well as universities. Mendoza is also a longtime favorite for those wanting to learn castellano, the proper Spanish that is spoken in the country. But it is the ever-present Andes mountains hovering just to the west that make this such a lovely destination.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

[Images of Mendoza City, Mendoza winery via Wikipedia;
Image of Vendimia by 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.

A Visit to Cañon del Atuel, San Rafael, Mendoza

article from October 12, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

Springtime has arrived in our town! All the trees have their colorful clothing back, and this past weekend, which was a three-day holiday, brought many visitors to this area to enjoy the many diversions available in Valle Grande, an exciting destination that is less than an hour’s drive from the city of San Rafael. Monday brought the much-anticipated clear and sunny skies, after several days of cloudy, windy and even rainy weather.

We decided it was time to join the masses and take an introductory journey to the fabled Valle Grande, after our long winter’s hibernation.

We got up very early, at 9 am (early for writers who stay up until 2-3 am), and by 10, with cameras loaded, along with dog food and water in the trunk of our feisty Renault 12, we and our formerly chica dog, Chica, set out on our adventure. Fortunately, I had filled the gas tank on Friday, as there was no fuel to be had on Monday. I’m afraid that is becoming par for the course, here.

We turned off the main route through San Rafael, Route 143, onto Route 173 and followed the road past several scenic villages at a leisurely pace. Before we knew it, we were arriving at Valle Grande, at the mouth of a very scenic, narrow canyon, with adventure-sports businesses, campgrounds and cabins left and right. Whatever the heart desires, it is available here. From our observations, river rafting seems to be one of the more popular sports enjoyed here by visitors, followed closely by mountain biking. For the not-too-faint-of-heart, there is an exciting system of zip lines crisscrossing the canyon. Besides the commercial campgrounds, there are many spots where the hardy were camping under the willow trees; but with the proximity of restaurants and stores no more than half hour away, roughing it was made easy. And of course, a few liters of the fine regional wine with a campfire at night kept the spirit and soul warm on the almost-full-moon final nights of the holiday weekend.

The Cañon del Atuel stretches for some 60 km between El Nihuil Dam, which is at an altitude of 1,250 meters, down to 700 meters in San Rafael. Immediately after the dam, at the end of Nihuil Reservoir, there is a very steep drop off into the narrow and winding canyon leading to Valle Grande at the opposite end. Along the way, there are 4 power plants taking advantage of the water’s descent. The Valle Grande Reservoir is so low that about 100 meters of formerly flooded landscape is exposed. I believe the government’s pronouncement that the region is in a severe drought emergency.

After a lovely lunch at a very reasonable price, we set out on the long stretch from the bottom of the canyon to the top, a leisurely journey of about two and a half hours, which took us past some amazing rock formations that would be right at home in the American West. We were forced to halt our progress several times to admire the constantly changing colors of the rocks and eroded volcanic remnants. While doing the loop, we encountered quite a few hearty sportspeople on mountain bikes.

After climbing out of the canyon just below the Nihuil Dam, we made a short visit to the little town of Villa el Nihuil, also a tourist destination, with many free campsites all along the lakeshore. After taking in all the sights, we were back at our house by 5 pm, having thoroughly enjoyed playing tourist for a day in our own backyard.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

All photos by Jamie Douglas and Julie R Butler (mostly Jamie):

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.