2 Months in BA

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george22

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I am trying to spend my 2 month sabbatical in BA with wife and 3 kids (10,8,6). I don't want a touristy experience. We live in Portland, Oregon. Ideally want to get kids to be in a soccer camp for few weeks while spouse and I get to relax and unwind/work from home (spouse does not have sabbatical!). And then make time for us to travel as family to the must see places out there in a car or public transportation. We've already done a major road trip (with many days of tent camping) with all 3 kids in the USA and we can handle that just fine. We are also devout Catholic, so want to visit some local churches/pilgrimage centers.

In addition to all of the above, I am interested to volunteer to speak to high school or college kids for couple days (I have a PhD in electrical engineering and work in the chip industry). Want to keep this budget friendly.. We only have a 20 grand budget.

Any thoughts?
 
So, a few questions/comments:

- If you don't want a touristy experience why come to Buenos Aires? Why not go somewhere rural?
- Soccer camp will be very difficult if you and your kids don't speak Spanish, unless you're looking to get fleeced for being rich gringos
- Your wife is going to be working remotely I assume? If so, this will require you to stay in cities/towns for a good internet connection
- Camping/roadtrips in Argentina aren't the same as the US, Argentina isn't I-5 to Disneyland, depending on where you go/what you want to see
you need to do some preparation and investigation
- Someone else may be more knowledgeable than me on this given my... senitments on catholicism, but you'll want to visit the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Luján, about an hour and change west of Buenos Aires. She's the patron saint of Argentina, and I there's also some sort of pilgrimage route in the middle of the country too, but I can't remember it's name/when it happens/what it's about
- Again, do you speak Spanish? And even so, no offense, but I'm not sure a school is going to be interested in having some random gringo come speak when we have people in this industry here already
- The average salary in Argentina is 4K USD a YEAR, you guys will be fine, also I think it's important to practice some modesty as you're coming from a place of extreme privilege in a country where 66% of children live in poverty and millions of people are indigent. It may not be your intention, but it comes across as out of touch worrying about a budget friendliness when said budget is the equivalent of someone coming to the US on vacation for two month with 250K USD for two months of vacation.
 
Thanks for the response! We know basic Spanish, but cannot carry on a conversation. Are you saying one cannot have a non-touristy life in Buenos Aires?
Where would be a rural area with internet and basic amenities?
 
Find a location in the Provincia de Buenos Aires with good internet and rural atmosphere. For example Mercedes, 100 kmts. from B.A.
 
george22 said:
And then make time for us to travel as family to the must see places out there in a car or public transportation.
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I don't know about "must-see", but for day trips outside the city, I've been really impressed with how far you can get on the light rail system here. The Laguna de Chascomus comes to mind as a transit-accessible trip.

And I'm not Catholic, so I'm not sure how meaningful this sort of sightseeing would be, but San Nicolas de Arroyo is a nice town not too far away from Buenos Aires and has a big santuario. You could also continue on to Rosario from there on a weekend road trip, if that's of interest.


If Quilombo is trying to say that you can't have a non-touristy life in the city, I don't agree, but living somewhere outside the capital would be a different experience than the city itself. You could also consider other cities (e.g. Cordoba, Mendoza, Bariloche, San Miguel de Tucumán or Rosario) that would offer a different experience than living in the Buenos Aires area. Could also be cheaper, depending.
 
@george22 when are you planning to come? The recommendations for summer and winter holiday time, and low season, would be very different. Aer you planning to have a car here?
 
Planning for summer 2024 Mid June to mid August. I can drive and willing to rent a car if that is what is needed to make my experience enjoyable. But prefer to take public transportation if it's safe and convenient.
 
Contact this club to see what they have available https://www.clubdeamigos.org.ar/asociate
They have a list of prices, but I don't think those prices include the membership price. Contact them and see if you can get someone that speaks English to explain everything. They may not have anything happening in June, July and August. If you stay in Buenos Aires Capital Federal you don't need to rent a car.
 
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george22 said:
Planning for summer 2024 Mid June to mid August. I can drive and willing to rent a car if that is what is needed to make my experience enjoyable. But prefer to take public transportation if it's safe and convenient.
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Right, so winter then :) Not so much fun for outdoor activities, even if a Buenos Aires winter doesn't really compare with a northern hemisphere one. Plus the 2nd half of July is normally winter holidays so kids' activities stop then.

Nice things to do around Buenos Aires in spring or autumn would be to spend weekends canoeing, sailing, and BBQ-ing in the Parana delta, go on "safari" in Entre Rios, take trips in the car ferries to Colonia and Montevideo, or in the passenger ferry to Carmelo (vineyards and river beaches), 4-5 hours driving (a bit longer by train) gets you to the Atlantic Coast and Mar del Plata. All those things are possible in winter as well, but it will be anorak weather, especially anywhere near the coast.
 
I just chatted with someone at the club. Apparently, the cost is around $100 per child. I think either you or your wife also have to be members, and that costs around $150 each. They do have soccer and other activities during the months that you plan to be here. The club is in a great area surrounded by parks. From what I've noticed in pickup soccer games around the city, the skill level is very high here. Your kids could become soccer stars when they return home!
 
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