How To Save Money On Your Longer Stay In Argentina
March 31, 2011 by Anil P.
Filed under Guest Post
This is a guest post by Marcello Arrambide, who has been working for freedom his entire life. He’s unlocked the secret through day trading and now wanders the world and shares his experience on his website: Wandering Trader’s Travels. He has visited over 30 countries on 4 different continents including the elusive Antarctica.
When I was living in Buenos Aires for over 3 months, I was able to not only get to know Argentinian culture, but actually see everything that it has to offer. Every single weekend I would pick up and go to a new city for a new adventure. There are so many things to see in the country that I even had to come back to Argentina when I moved to Chile. The country of Argentina has everything for any tourist; ranging from the bustling cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires, the animal haven of Puerto Madryn, or even the gateway to Antarctica for the diehard traveler. We all want to save money and time on our travels and there are certainly things you can skip in Argentina. Here are a few things you can avoid to save money in Argentina.
Getting a Hostel or Hotel Room Instead of Renting an Apartment
The cosmopolitan city caters to tourists and many times you can find a great apartment with Internet and air conditioning for as cheap as $200-$300 a week (or $600-$700 a month). You can also find 3G data services with many of the cell phone operators. Why stay at a hotel when you will be able to save on not only accommodation, but food as well? I was able to buy fresh, steroid free prime steaks for $2.50 each. Add the veggies and onions and you have lunch or dinner for $3.
Don’t Give Your Car or Keys To Anyone in Salta, Argentina
There are so many things to see around the city of Salta that will cost you much more when seen via tour. Public transportation available but you’ll be severely limited to only a few places rather than getting full accessibility. Renting a car in Salta is strongly recommended and shortly after, finding a place to park will be your biggest dilemma.
Cars in Salta are broken into at a frantic rate and insurance in Argentina does not cover break-ins. Ask your hostel if they have a trusted garage or find a hotel nearby and ask to park your car there (a nice tip will help your chances). Under no circumstances should you give them your keys!
Enter the Country Through Buenos Aires International Airport
The United States and other countries levy high entrance taxes for tourists; and Argentina reciprocates. It’s not a matter of being able to get into a country as it is paying $100 or more every time you arrive. US citizens entering Argentina via Buenos Aires International Airport have to pay a reciprocity fee of $131 (Canadian $70, Australians $100), yet avoiding this fee is easy by traveling through the land borders. One such border is taking a bus from Santiago, Chile to Mendoza, Argentina. Though there is bad news, Chile exacts a $140 reciprocity fee for US citizens.
Don’t Take the Tours in Puerto Madryn
This is another location where there are many things to see outside the city. Flights are restricted to the Puerto Madryn airport for environmental reasons so most travelers enter through the airport in Trelew. It’s only about an hour away from Puerto Madryn! The famous Punta Tombo Penguin Colony is about 2 hours away from the airport and 3 hours from Puerto Madryn. Tourists go to this area of Patagonia to interact with animals, not to stand 50 feet away from them. If you take tours you won’t be able to stop in the middle of the tracks and walk to the beach to get close to both penguins and elephant seals. This of course, is where the picture (right) was taken.
Don’t Spend More Than 2 days in Either Cordoba or Rosario
These two cities are the second and third largest cities in Argentina, respectively. There aren’t many things to do in either city for more than two days. Cordoba does have very interesting towns about 1-2 hours away but the actual city won’t take you that long to explore. The first, Alta Gracia, is where you can find a great museum in the child hood home of Che Guevera. The second, Villa General Belgrano, is a very interesting German town where the supposed “third largest Oktoberfest” is held.
Things You Shouldn’t Do in Ushuaia
The End of the World train that is heavily marketed is a complete waste of time. Every local and tourist that I have spoken to has said the same, the $70 you spent could have gone towards to a good King Crab dinner (that’s actually what I prefer but you really should try that and the lamb). The track has been shortened so you pay all that money for a very short train ride through the forest.
Lakes country in Ushuaia is also very expensive and not worth the trip. Global warming has caused a lot of weather changes in Tierra del Fuego which causes the weather to change every 15 minutes. You drive into the famous southern tip of the world to see a lake. When traveling to Argentina you can see lakes in Bariloche and Calafate that are more beautiful and much cheaper.
Thank you very much Marcello for your tips from Argentina; a country I have not written enough about myself! You can follow Marcello on his blog Wandering Trader, on Twitter @WanderingTrader, and on his Facebook page.
Sights And Sounds From The Gulf’s Best Corniche: Muscat, Oman
March 29, 2011 by Anil P.
Filed under Pictures and Video
The other major cities in the Gulf states have their fair share of corniches, which is a fancy French word for road by the water, one typically with a cliff on either side. Perhaps it’s the absence of skyscrapers looming on the horizon or nature’s inclusion of the rocky cliffs along the skyline, but Muscat, Oman’s corniche is visually unique in the region.
Muscat, and Oman in general, makes you feel like it’s a nation undercover. Hiding its wealthy status and oil money, along with throngs of visible tourists, it’s tough to be the wiser. There isn’t the modern blitz of metal like in Dubai, or anything resembling the real-time metamorphosis of the landscape in Qatar. This militarily strategic tip of the country in the Gulf of Oman has seen the likes of the Persians and Ottomans, but now is a hub of jogging, shopping, and the drinking of endless amounts of highly sugared black tea.
These guys were much more lively the few hands before I shyly asked to take a video of their card game. (Click here if you can’t see the video.) I hung around a bit, trying to figure out the exact rules of what they were playing – and while I didn’t accomplish that, I learned to show up the next morning around 5am or so.
Immediately to the left, at the end of the main corniche path, is Muscat’s famous fish market. More than a seafood shopping paradise, it’s a social event and rather male-oriented gathering point. You’ll just have to get up very early to catch it – then relax afterward with some strong tea at one of the many inexpensive cafes outside of Mutrah Souk, which tends to get rolling later in the afternoon. The heart of Muscat’s pulse doesn’t beat from its markets or souks but rather just outside, along the calm waves of Oman’s coast; not to be confused with the concrete paradises of its northern neighbors.
The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2011: Final Four
The Elite 8 of The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament was a series of upsets for the most part, with strong favorites Istanbul and Jerusalem being bumped out by the smaller Porto and Chaing Mai. Rio also moved on to the Final Four, quietly yet again, although now all eyes will be set on the Brazilian city against the Prague powerhouse. (Register to vote now.)
It’s now crunch time and up to you to decide the two cities that will face off in Friday’s Championship. Porto or Chiang Mai – Prague or Rio de Janiero; you’ve got two days to determine who moves on. There can be only one best city – polls are open until this Thursday, March 31rst at 6pm US EST. You must register to vote – good luck everyone! (Email and RSS subscribers will need to click through to this page to vote.)
The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2011 - Final Four: Prague vs. Rio de Janiero
- Prague, Czech Republic - (Jeruen) (51%, 18 Votes)
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - (Rachel) (49%, 17 Votes)
Total Voters: 35
Loading ...The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2011 - Final Four: Porto vs. Chiang Mai
- Porto, Portugal - (Stephen) (73%, 24 Votes)
- Chiang Mai, Thailand - (Jeremy) (27%, 9 Votes)
Total Voters: 33
Loading ...You can view the entire tournament bracket in full size or click the image to view in wide-screen.
The Final Four round is a short one, so get your votes in quickly! The Championship kicks off early this Friday, April 1rst.
Don’t worry if you missed this contest, I run several throughout the year. You can be the first to find out about the next one by signing up for my email updates, RSS feed, or bi-monthly newsletter.
Traveling Before And Behind The Protests In Bahrain
I originally was going to title this post something along the lines of what makes Bahrain a wonderful place to travel – though despite the recent unrest it seemed rather contradictory. Whenever I go to a new place, I often leave with a few key impressions that color my thoughts and writing. With Bahrain, the overwhelming sense that it’s a little known country was one such impression; then, a few days after I left it was all over the news.
That collective blank slate was filled with images of protests and stories of murdered bystanders, demonstrating the complexity and at the same time hiding the diversity within Bahrain.
Walking Around A Walled Yet Open Society
Bahrain, like many of its Gulf state neighbors, has the regional blend of creative skyscrapers looming in the horizon, signaling a power and wealth that few places demonstrate so effectively. When you get down into the smaller streets and neighborhoods however, you see the backbone of the nation – its countless hard working immigrants upon which Bahrain is built. Walking down the streets of these communities is almost like strolling through a live world map – slowly passing by India, Nepal, Thailand and others with each block.
The number and variety of immigrants, primarily from southeast Asia also makes Bahrain a fantastic place to eat. The variety of affordable small stands and hole-in-the-wall type restaurants lets you enjoy the best foods of the working classes. Not the fluffy designer stuff you’ll find in the high end restaurants; it’s the kind of food that makes you feel like the cook is your friend for the meal.
Then there are the intimidating walls and practically guarded Shiite communities scattered throughout many blocks and streets heading in and out of Manama. Take one of the local buses to Manama’s Bar Bar Temple and you’ll see one rather large one with a cemetery by the main road. The large black flags are both intimidating and inviting for the curious traveler; under normal circumstances most of the neighborhoods are quite accessible.
A Conserved Liberalism
An open-closed society, Bahrain is a cultural crossroads between some powerful players in its life – Iran to the east, the Saudis to the west, and the US Navy’s 5th fleet floating in its harbors. Bahrain is a good example of a society that simply can’t be closed; anytime you have that many different people in one place, ideas are bound to flow. They might not be a smooth or soft (take the current protests) as in other countries, but you get a sense the direction is forward.
Being a foreign traveler is, by and large, in Bahrain a very comfortable state. Plop yourself off just about anywhere and you probably won’t feel out of place; not to mention the masses speak English with an exceptional fluency.
Can’t Discount The Beaches And Cheap Gas
Being an island (technically there are 33), Bahrain is full of coastline, most of which is free and relatively absent of other people. The beaches in Bahrain aren’t quite tropical and the sand compacted and firm, but whether you’re looking for (or hiding from) humanity you’ll find a perfect spot on one of them. Access to the coasts is best done by car – gas is only 29 cents per liter – and you’ll have endless choice.
Not to mention bumping into the Tree of Life, mysteriously growing in the middle of Bahrain’s interior oil fields, the world’s third biggest mosque, or the simple bliss of seeing fishing boats bob into the sunset.
