Argentina Travel Experience: Discovering the Country’s Love and Hate Moments
I spent half a month in Argentina and loved it, especially Buenos Aires! I hope to have the opportunity to live here for a while in the future! But there are some things I must complain about! (I still recommend everyone to visit. Consider these complaints as pre-trip preparation. I will write a detailed guide on food, drinks, and entertainment later, so you can bookmark this for now.)
1. Pay attention to your property safety. My phone was snatched by a motorbike thief on my first night; see my previous note for details. Nothing else bad happened after that. It feels relatively safe during the day, but be cautious at night! Be careful of your phone being stolen at nightclubs; it’s best to use a waist pouch instead of keeping it in your pants pocket.
2. The mosquitoes in Buenos Aires are a real problem! It rained for two weeks before I arrived, and with the hot weather, there was a massive mosquito outbreak. You can see people swatting mosquitoes everywhere, and no one’s arms or legs are spared. I got bitten over a dozen times! The worst part is, all the insect repellent sprays in the city were sold out!
I asked at 8-9 stores and couldn’t find any. The Chinese supermarket owner said they couldn’t get any stock! So, please prepare insect repellent in your home country before coming!
3. Due to the severe currency devaluation, you need to carry a large stack of cash every time you go out! I’m used to mobile payments, so carrying a lot of cash is really inconvenient. The current exchange rate is 1 USD to 1000 pesos, and you have to carry the cash in a small bag; you can’t go out without a bag! Every time you pay, you have to count a huge number of bills! It’s extremely troublesome!
4. Many bus routes in BA exhibit an uncertainty principle. First, some bus stops shown on Google Maps are not entirely accurate, and sometimes you can’t find the stop. Second, different lines have different stops, and the distance between stops might be just a few meters, often leading to standing at the wrong stop.
If you stand at the wrong stop, the driver won’t stop, even if it’s just a few meters away! Third, the same line has different branches like A, B, C, D, and the routes are slightly different. I still haven’t figured this out.
5. Many Uber drivers drive very aggressively and use their phones while driving. I often feel scared when riding with them!
6. The English proficiency is very low! Even in BA, even in tourist areas, many service staff and workers hardly speak English. You need to use a lot of body language and translation apps. But you can feel their enthusiasm; even though they know you don’t understand Spanish, they still talk to you a lot.
7. Most restaurants open very late, usually after 8 PM. I’m okay with this, but those who are used to having dinner at 6 PM should pay attention to the restaurant opening hours. Nightclubs also only start getting lively after 2 AM.
8. Many steak restaurants serve colossal portions, often starting at a whopping 500g. Even with my hearty appetite, I find it nearly impossible to finish one by myself! The sheer volume left me so stuffed that I swore off steak for the next six months!
These are just a few of the gripes I’ve encountered. Feel free to share your own experiences and add to the list!
