Having been here now for just about a month here's a continuation of my observations of Buenos Aires life thus far, and no I wont post anything else about 160 peso mens jackets which I havent seen anymore since, and yes, having been here longer, I agree that this must've been a fluke find on the price, however I still think clothing in general is much cheaper and in many cases better quality than what you'd get in the States or Europe being as even there some ¨reputable¨ labels are made in China.
DINING OUT
I still find it cheap. IMO, good menu's running around 38-55 pesos for pretty complete meals at quality restaurants are a deal whether you translate it into dollars or euros.
Dinner or non-menu ordering can be more expensive yes, but even the most expensive meal I have had yet here was dinner for 2 at Cabaña Las Lilas costing 520 pesos which is about 140 USD and less than 100 €. (This is with a normal bottle of Malbec, I will point out there were wines on the menu that cost 3000 pesos)
I have found, however, that the waiters will try to get you to add on extra things which can quickly turn a 45 peso lunch into a 70 peso lunch (coffee not being included, price of cubierto not included in menu pricing, etc) and often times con you into getting things that are more expensive than you think they are such as with the wines. In one restaurant, I literally had to quote the waiter the item and the price ¨el vino x de 63 pesos..¨
SAFETY
Nothing major has occured, thankfully, but 2 minor disturbing incidents. The cleaning lady in my shared flat was apparently stealing (not from me) while cleaning the place, and my landlord let her go after my 2nd week. Also, I have joined a gym in Palermo, and I happen to have forgotten my watch one afternoon inside my locker. I didnt realise it until I went to bed that night so I went back the next morning. No ¨lost and found¨ department here it seems the policy is ¨finders keepers¨ thankfully the watch was not expensive but it still gives me a bad vibe in general!
For the most part, i have found the city and the people to be very welcoming, however, with perhaps the exception which I'm sure many of you have also gotten which I hate, about Porteños automatically assuming we are on vacation and as such we have tons of bucks to burn blindly. I find from speaking to many Argentines that everybody right now is kind of ¨waiting in the wings¨ to see what happens with the country politically and that this is having a huge affect on everything in general.
DINING OUT
I still find it cheap. IMO, good menu's running around 38-55 pesos for pretty complete meals at quality restaurants are a deal whether you translate it into dollars or euros.
Dinner or non-menu ordering can be more expensive yes, but even the most expensive meal I have had yet here was dinner for 2 at Cabaña Las Lilas costing 520 pesos which is about 140 USD and less than 100 €. (This is with a normal bottle of Malbec, I will point out there were wines on the menu that cost 3000 pesos)
I have found, however, that the waiters will try to get you to add on extra things which can quickly turn a 45 peso lunch into a 70 peso lunch (coffee not being included, price of cubierto not included in menu pricing, etc) and often times con you into getting things that are more expensive than you think they are such as with the wines. In one restaurant, I literally had to quote the waiter the item and the price ¨el vino x de 63 pesos..¨
SAFETY
Nothing major has occured, thankfully, but 2 minor disturbing incidents. The cleaning lady in my shared flat was apparently stealing (not from me) while cleaning the place, and my landlord let her go after my 2nd week. Also, I have joined a gym in Palermo, and I happen to have forgotten my watch one afternoon inside my locker. I didnt realise it until I went to bed that night so I went back the next morning. No ¨lost and found¨ department here it seems the policy is ¨finders keepers¨ thankfully the watch was not expensive but it still gives me a bad vibe in general!
For the most part, i have found the city and the people to be very welcoming, however, with perhaps the exception which I'm sure many of you have also gotten which I hate, about Porteños automatically assuming we are on vacation and as such we have tons of bucks to burn blindly. I find from speaking to many Argentines that everybody right now is kind of ¨waiting in the wings¨ to see what happens with the country politically and that this is having a huge affect on everything in general.
