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THE
COUNTRY :
Argentina
is a fabulous and vast country to visit. Amazingly varied country,
with its snow-capped Andes, humid jungle and penguin colonies
is still a major destination for travelers. It measures 5000km
by 1500km and, it ranks as the world's eighth largest state.
Thanks to its longitudinal position, standing between the Tropic
of Cancer and the most southerly reaches of the planet's landmass,
the country encompasses a staggering diversity of climates and
landscapes.
The
mainland points down like a massive stalactite on the map, from
the hot and humid jungles of its northeast and the bone-dry highland
steppes of its northwest down through windswept Patagonia to the
end-of-the-world archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, a territory
that is shared with Chile.
It was once said that Argentina is actually the most American
of all European countries.
Argentina
is a highly exciting destination for outdoors enthusiasts, whether
you're keen to tackle radical rock faces or prefer to appreciate
the vast open spaces at a more gentle pace, hiking or on horseback.
World-class fly-fishing, horse riding, trekking and rock climbing
options abound, as do opportunities for white-water rafting, skiing,
ice-climbing, and even – for those with sufficient stamina
and preparation, expeditions onto the Patagonia. The Patagonian
Andes provide the focus for most of these activities, most particularly
the area of the central Lake District around Bariloche.
The
huge metropolis of Buenos Aires, home to two-fifths of the population,
is one of the most exciting, charming and fascinating of all South
American capitals. It's an immensely enjoyable place just
to wander about, stopping off for an espresso or an ice cream,
or people watching, or shopping, or simply soaking up the unique
atmosphere. Its many barrios, or neighborhoods, are startlingly
different, some old-fashioned, others trustingly modern, but all
of them oozing character. Added to that, Buenos Aires is the country's
gastronomic Mecca and boasts a frenzied nightlife that makes it
one of the world's great round-the-clock cities.
FOOD:
You
can find the best "beef" of the world in Argentina.
The barbecue or asado is an institution, every bit a part
of the Argentine way of life as football and tango. But that's
not the whole story. In general, you always eat well in Argentina,
portions are always generous and the raw ingredients are of an
amazingly high quality. The produce of Argentina's vineyards
is increasingly available abroad; they make the perfect companion
to a juicy grilled bife de chorizo. Fast food is extremely
popular but you can snack on local specialties such as empanadas
and lomitos if you want to avoid the ubiquitous multinational
burger chains.
Argentineans
love eating out, even if that only means sharing a pizza in a
shopping mall or grabbing a dozen empanadas, and in Buenos
Aires especially eateries stay open all day and till very late.
The quality of restaurants is high.
The
sacred national delicacy dulce de leche is often provided
for spreading on toast or bread, as is top-notch honey. The restaurant
opens for dinner before 8pm, and in the hotter months – and
all year round in Buenos Aires – few people turn up before
10 or 11pm. Don't be surprised to see people pouring into
restaurants well after midnight.
To
ring the changes in your diet, you can tap into the variety of
cuisines reflecting the mosaic of different communities who have
migrated to Argentina over the decades. Italian influences on
the local cuisine are very strong, and authentic Italian cooking,
with a marked Genoese flavor, is available all over the country.
Spanish restaurants serve tapas and familiar dishes such as paella
while specifically Basque restaurants are also fairly commonplace.
These are often the places to head for if fish or seafood takes
your fancy. Chinese and, increasingly, Korean restaurants are
to be found in nearly every Argentine town. Japanese, Indian and
Thai food has become fashionable in Buenos Aires, where nearly
every national cuisine from Armenian to Vietnamese via Persian
and Polish is available.
On
the other hand, Arab or Middle Eastern food, including specialties
such as kebabs and kepe, seasoned ground raw meat, is
far more widespread, as is German fare, such as sauerkraut (chucrút)
and frankfurters, along with Central and Eastern European food,
often served in choperías or beer-gardens. Welsh
tearooms are a specialty of Patagonia, where tea and scones are
part of the Welsh community's identity.
TRANSPORT:
TAXIS:
There are two main types of taxi in Argentina: regular urban taxis
that you can flag down in the street; and remises, or
minicab radio taxis, that you must book by phone or at their central
booking booth. Urban taxis are fixed with meters and each municipality
has its own rates. Buenos Aires, like New York, is a city that
seems to be suffering from a taxi plague: you'll rarely have
problems finding one. Remises operate with rates fixed according
to the destination.
PLANES:
Argentina's most important domestic airport by far is Buenos
Aires's Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. There are connections from
the Aeroparque to all provincial capitals and major tourist centers
of the country, including Bariloche (Patagonia), Córdoba
and Ushuaia. Most people who are keen to get an overview of Argentina's
tremendous variety in a limited time will rely heavily on domestic
flights to combat the vast distances involved (what takes two
hours by plane might take twenty by bus) – and even if you're
not pushed for time.
BUS:
By far the most common method of transport in Argentina is the
bus. There are hundreds of private companies, most of which concentrate
on one particular region, although a few. A high proportion of
buses are modern, models designed for long-distance travel, with
video, etc. On longer journeys, snacks, and even hot meals, are
served (included in the ticket price). Some of the more luxurious
services have waiter service and are usually worth the extra money
for long night-rides: coche cama and pullman
services have wide, fully recumbent seats; and semi-cama
services are not far behind in terms of seat comfort.
Buying
tickets are normally a simple on-the-spot matter, but you must
plan in advance if traveling in peak summer season (mid-Dec to
Feb), especially if you're taking a long-distance bus from
Buenos Aires or any other major city to a particularly popular
holiday destination, when you must often buy your ticket two to
three days in advance.
CHANGE
MONEY AND GET CASH:
ATMs
(called cajeros automáticos) are plentiful in Argentina.
All machines take all credit cards or helpfully display those
that can be used: you can nearly always get money out with Visa
or Mastercard, or with any other cards linked to the Plus or Cirrus
systems. Machines are mostly multilingual.
Traveler checks can't be used like cash but they can be changed
in all banks.
Another
way of getting cash is through to Western Union. This Company
operates through all post offices in Argentina at all towns.
VISAS:
Citizens
of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, South Africa,
Switzerland, Britain, Ireland and other Western European nations
do not need a visa for tourist trips of up to ninety days –
which can be extended by a further sixty days – at the time
of going to press, but always verify this in advance with your
local consulate, as the situation can change. You only need a
valid passport.
INTERNET
SERVICES:
Argentina
is fast catching on to the Internet, and is one of the best developed
of the Latin American countries in terms of using it as a business
tool. All towns in Argentina have a public place for accessing
the Internet, with inexpensive rates: less than US$0.33 per hour.
All cities have hundreds of Internet cafés, office rooms,
and telephone call centers. You can find free access in libraries
and cultural centers.
ELECTRICITY:
220V/50Hz is standard throughout the country. The sockets are
two-pronged with round pins, but are different to the two-pin
European plugs. Adapters will probably be needed and can be bought
at any electrical shops.
LAUNDRY:
Most towns and cities have a plentiful supply of laundries (lavanderías
or lavaderos). Many of them also do dry-cleaning, though
you may have to go to a tintorería. Self-service
places are almost unheard of; you normally give your name and
leave your washing to pick it up later. Rates are inexpensive.
The quality is good and the service is usually quick and reliable.
One important word of vocabulary to know is planchado
(ironed).
TELEPHONE
JACKS:
Argentina uses international standard telephone jacks (the same
as those used in the USA), compatible with all standard fax and
email connections.
AIRLINES
in USA and CANADA:
Aerolíneas
Argentinas (US tel 1-800/333-0276; Canada tel 1-800/688-0008;
www.aerolineas.com.ar). Daily non-stop flights from New
York and Miami with connections from other major cities in the
US and Canada.
American
Airlines (tel 1-800/433-7300; www.americanair.com).
Daily non-stop service from Miami and New York with connections
from other major cities in the US and Canada.
Canadian
Airlines (Canada tel 1-800/665-1177; US tel 1-800/426-7000;
www.cdnair.ca). Daily flights from Toronto via São
Paulo with connections from other major Canadian cities.
United
Airlines (tel 1-800/538-2929; www.ual.com). Daily
non-stop service from Miami and New York with connections from
other major cities in the US.
AIRLINES in EUROPE:
Aerolíneas
Argentinas (tel 0845/601 1915; www.aerolineas.com.ar).
Daily flights from London Gatwick and Heathrow to Buenos Aires
via Madrid, in conjunction with Iberia Airlines.
Air
France (UK tel tel 0845/0845 111; Ireland tel tel 01/814 4060;
www.airfrance.fr). Flies daily from London Heathrow, Birmingham,
Dublin and Manchester via Paris and São Paulo.
American
Airlines (UK tel tel 0345/789789; tel Ireland tel 01/602 0550;
www.aa.com). Daily flights from London Gatwick and Heathrow
via Miami or New York.
British
Airways (UK tel tel 0845/773 3377; Ireland tel tel 0141/222
2345; www.britishairways.com). Five flights a week from
London Gatwick to Buenos Aires: the only carrier offering highly
convenient non-stop flights between the two cities.
Iberia
(UK tel 020/7830 0011; Ireland tel tel 0990/341341; www.iberia.com).
Non-stop daily flights from Madrid to Buenos Aires, with connections
from London Gatwick and Heathrow, Manchester and Dublin. One free
stopover allowed with some fares.
KLM
(tel 0990/750900; www.klm.nl). Three flights a week from
Amsterdam via São Paulo, with connecting flights to and from
a dozen airports across the UK, including Manchester, London Heathrow,
Stansted and London City Airport.
Lufthansa
(UK tel tel 0345/737747; Ireland tel tel 01/844 5544); www.lufthansa.co.uk).
Flies daily from London Heathrow or Stansted, and from Dublin,
all via Frankfurt.
Swissair
(tel 020/7434 7300; www.swissair.com). Flies four times
a week from London Heathrow via Zurich and São Paulo.
United
Airlines (tel 01426/915500; www.ual.com). Two flights
a day from London Heathrow, via Chicago or New York. Stopovers
may be possible with some fares.
Varig
Brazilian Airlines (UK tel tel 020/7287 1414; Ireland tel
tel 0845/603 7601; www.varig.com.br). Daily from London
Heathrow via Rio or São Paulo, with stopovers possible en
route.
AIRLINES in AUSTRALIA and
NEW ZELAND:
Aerolíneas
Argentinas (Sydney tel 02/9283 3660; Auckland tel 09/379 3675).
Two flights a week from Sydney to Buenos Aires via Auckland: onward
connections to all Agentinian provincial capitals and major South
American gateways.
Air
New Zealand (Sydney tel 13/2476; Auckland tel 0800/737000
or 09/357 3000). Several flights a week from Brisbane, Melbourne
and Sydney to Papeete where you can connect with Lan-Chile for
flights on to Buenos Aries via Easter Island and Santiago.
Lan-Chile
(Sydney tel 02/9244 2333 or 1800/221572; Brisbane tel 07/3407
7188). Flies once a week from both Brisbane and Sydney to Buenos
Aires, and via Auckland, Papeete, Easter Island and Santiago –
you may have to overnight in Santiago on some flights. Onward
connections to major Argentinian cities.
Qantas
(Sydney tel 13/1211; Auckland tel 09/357 8900 or 0800/808767;
www.qantas.com.au). Code-shares with Aerolíneas Argentinas
to provide an additional two flights a week to Buenos Aires from
Melbourne via Auckland.
United
Airlines (Sydney tel 13/1777; Auckland tel 09/379 3800; www.ual.com).
Daily service from Sydney to Buenos Aires via Los Angeles or San
Francisco and Miami.
Varig
Brazilian (Sydney tel 02/9321 9179; Auckland tel 09/379 4455).
Several flights a week from Miami to Buenos Aires via Río.
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