Tag: Argentina Posts

I’ve spent the last month taking in the sites in Buenos Aires, and am now starting to make plans for viewing a few sites outside of the city. The first location I’m probably going to visit is Iguazu Falls. If you are planning a trip to Iguazu Falls, then this post is for you. Iguazu Falls Iguazu Falls is a massive set of cascading waterfalls right on the border between Argentina and Brazil. People who have seen them say it’s one of the most impressive natural wonders in the world, and it’s something I’ve been anxiously awaiting for since I found out about them approximately six months ago. There are two ways to get to Iguaza Falls from Buenos Aires, by bus or by plane. Unlike North American busses, busses here are very comfortable and posh, often containing DVD players, hot meals, champagne, and the ability to put your seat […]

Had you asked me a few months ago about what language they speak in Argentina, I probably would have just said Spanish, assuming (erroneously of course) that all spanish speaking countries all speak the same form. Now that I’m here, I know what a lot of people in North American probably don’t – in Argentina they speak a fairly different form of spanish based on Voseo, and also have some very unique pronunciations. The main change in voseo that the second person singular (equivalent to you in english, i.e. you are) is changed from tu to vos. Unfortunately very few books even make mention of this change, and it’s only something you’ll be exposed to in voseo speaking countries. The problem is that very few books talk about it, so none of the conjugation tables show you how to properly conjugate verbs for that form. Pronunciation is quite a bit […]

Here are a few photos from the little apartment I’m renting in Palermo Soho. It’s located near the corners of Paraguay and Gurruchaga if anyone is interested. There are a few more on Flickr. In terms of location, the apartment is about a 5 block walk to the area of Palermo Soho with all the fancier restaurants and pubs (although, there are lots of little ones all over the place). About three or four blocks north of here is one of the main subway lines in the city, which will be nice (as soon as I start to use it). The only real downside is they are doing renovations on the apartment downstairs, and there’s a bit of noise during the day. But, nothing I can’t put up with.

I’ve been walking around spending pesos like they were going out of style this week, so I thought a post about money would be an interesting subject. I picked up around 1200 pesos when I arrived (which is about $300 CAD), and that’s lasted me until now. I’m starting to get a little bare (I think I have around 300 left or so), but I’ve stocked up the fridge, eaten out a few times, and gone on a few drinking adventures. First, the 100 peso bill. It seems to be the main one that banks and currency exchange places dish out. The only problem is many of the smaller establishments don’t seem to want to cash them, not unless you’re spending close to 100 pesos at their store. Surprisingly, a waitress at a fairly large Irish pub yesterday asked if I had something smaller, which I didn’t. Thankfully they still […]

We just launched a new version of BraveNewCode, and I’m officially on holidays now. So, starting tomorrow I’ll be relaxing, Christmas shopping, and finishing getting my things in order prior to the move. Today marks the two week mark until I leave Chilliwack. On Sunday the 2nd, I’ll finish saying my goodbyes around town and head into the city. I’ll be staying at a hotel for a few days out there so that I can visit with a few friends and do a bit of last minute shopping prior to flying out. It hasn’t completely hit me yet that I’ll be leaving and most likely not coming back for a full year. I’ve been so busy these last six weeks that I haven’t really had the chance to get excited. But thankfully it’s all starting to sink in. The first stop of course is Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’ve already met […]

Well, according to my little Excel spreadsheet, my trip begins in 96 days now. Depending on whether or not you’re a glass is half full or half empty kind of person, that will seem like a lot of time or not very much. It doesn’t seem like very much time to me, considering how much I need to still do before taking off. First, I gave notice on my apartment the other day. My landlord confirmed it today, which basically means the clock is ticking on this place. I’ve been waiting for October to officially arrive before starting the mad craigslist dash to sell pretty much everything that isn’t bolted down, so I have a few more days. Other than a few items, I’m hoping to hock the majority of what I own. Depending on where I end up later next year, I figure I can simply buy whatever I […]