Thinking, Planning... Thought I'd Drop In And Say Hi

[TedBoreal]

Teddy here, from Calgary.

We (my wife, 10 yo daughter and I) are in the preliminary stages of planning our Le Grand Voyage Part Deux. We take every fourth year off work to travel and see different places. Last trip in 2014-15 took us to ten countries in ten months. Next trip revolves around the Pacific - Fiji, Bali, Vietnam (for a second time) and Japan. We're looking for a base of operations to spend six months at, and BA is ont eh shrot list.

Which is what brings us here. So, like, hola!

 

[Girino]

BA is very expensive right now (food, clothes, airfares). I'd pick Santiago o Lima if you want to stay in South America.

 

[Ceviche]

Go to Medellin or Salta

 

[Mitch]

Salta=boring and hot

Lima=boring and dirty albeit good food.

Santiago=boring and inhabitants with zero personality.

Medellin=overrated and limited.

Come here and if price is an issue eat home more. = Vibrant culturally rich city with warm people even if they have their quirks.

 

[Ceviche]

Lima=boring and dirty albeit good food.

Medellin= limited.

so well said!

 

[mmoon]

Despite all the ranting and raving on this site, I do think most of us would vote for you to come to BA.
One other thing I might ask is where you think you might want to travel in South America? I'm not sure if your daughter is enrolled in school, so whether weekends and school breaks are your primary travel times, but I would mention that BA is very far away from many parts of So America, and certainly Central America...it's a 4-hour flight just to Lima. It sometimes really has limited our trips outside of the country. If you want to be more central in the region, what about Columbia?

 

[TruchoTango]

Mexico City.

Cheap as a thrift store. Great food. Wonderful people and culture. Easy flights. Way more efficient and organized than many other latin cities.

 

[Gringoboy]

You lot really know how to sell Argentina.

 

[GMXam]

Grass is always greener.

With all its quirks and inefficiencies, I love BA. That's one reason I will continue to come back. It's so much easier to list what I don't like about it (prices just keep rising, chemical exposure if walking around before 10am, not all the spices I like to use are available, limited meat-substitites - basically you get tofu, etc.). All that aside, I enjoy the city, the people, the cafe culture (although a little less frequently these days), the ease of getting around town without owning a car, less expensive healthcare if I need it, and the general flexibility of socializing.

If you're a frequent traveler, then you can adjust your plans after you arrive if you find BA is just not for you. Otherwise, have an awesome time here. It has a lot to offer, despite what you may read from frequent posters. It obviously made your list for a reason, as it did for all those who are here now.

The thing to keep in mind...many posters live here most of the year, if not all of it. Living here is a very different mindset from one who is here for six months. You'll likely have a higher tolerance for or less personalized perspective of things that bother those who live here.

In any case, if you choose BA, it's also a great base for seeing the rest of the country. It all depends on your budget and interests. Argentina has many beautiful places to see of different climates, cultures and landforms. We've taken a few weeks for Northern and Southern Argentina travel by car, and both road trips were an awesome experience.

 

[mmoon]

Agreed with GMXam. Frankly, in six months, you'll be lucky to experience even some of what there is to see in Argentina. But, if you're truly using BA as a base for other adventures on the continent, it is a haul to get out of the country.