Venezuela - Let us discuss it.

[gouchobob]

Maybe Lee just wants to experience Hugo's 21st century socialism first hand. Personally this brings to mind the saying jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

 

[Brigadier]

Lee mi advice is that you can be an a crazy american traveler, thats great. But dont lose the common sense, you should have a homeplace from where you make your flights to the rest to the world and pull out your gray hair to the air, and after than that back to home, that's what I would do in your place. BA like NY or LA at least in this continent (America) are great places to be your homeplace... reflect on this words, nothing else.
The best for you!!...

 

[citygirl]

My two cents and its not really worth a PM so I'll share here

I found Caracas really dangerous. We had armed guards at the hotel because gunmen had entered the lobby and held everyone up. I was forbidden by my Venezuelan friends to walk alone - anywhere, anytime. Maybe they were extra cautious but that was their feedback. It was one of the few places I've been where I really felt unsafe everywhere.

Yes, the black market for dollars is alive and well. And double the exchange rate of what the government offers.

If I were leaving Arg, I would look at Colombia or Brasil in a heartbeat. Venezuela, not so much.

 

[sergio]

So why have you grown to hate Argentina?

 

[LAtoBA]

I second mini! Brazil definitely. Nice beaches, extremely friendly people, relatively stable, and a lot of smaller cities that are not as violent as Rio, Sao Paulo, or Salvador, such as Maceio in the North or even Belo Horizonte futher south.

I think an even more appropriate city from what I can gather from your tastes is Florianopolis! Safe, clean, nice people, more expensive, but its definitely got that more affluent vibe on the island. Only thing about Brazil it's not like Argentina where a good chunk of the people at least speak broken english or intermediate english. It will be hard to find english speakers except among the affluent and elite. But with Spanish you would be fluent in Portuguese within 6 months to a year anyway.

After Brazil I would suggest Costa Rica or Colombia as well. IMO Panama is too generic if you're looking for something distinctive from the US. It's like living in Puerto Rico...or better still, Miami.

I don't know much on Venezuela so I can't comment.

 

[ssr]

I second mini! Brazil definitely. Nice beaches, extremely friendly people, relatively stable, and a lot of smaller cities that are not as violent as Rio, Sao Paulo, or Salvador, such as Maceio in the North or even Belo Horizonte futher south.

I think an even more appropriate city from what I can gather from your tastes is Florianopolis! Safe, clean, nice people, more expensive, but its definitely got that more affluent vibe on the island. Only thing about Brazil it's not like Argentina where a good chunk of the people at least speak broken english or intermediate english. It will be hard to find english speakers except among the affluent and elite. But with Spanish you would be fluent in Portuguese within 6 months to a year anyway...

I adore Brazil and would move there in a heartbeat myself but aren't they pretty strict about their visa laws? My five-year visa allows me stays of 90 concurrent days and 180 days total for each year. I've heard that if you go over that they start charging you per day so not only do you get a big bill on the way out but they might not let you back in. Is that the case? It seems like being a perma-tourist/expat/whatever in Brazil is a bit trickier than being one in Argentina.

And I've never really had problems communicating in Floripa. Been there a bunch of times and met so many people each time. Damn, Brazil is so much friendlier than Argentina and the food (and, well, everything else) is so much better. Yeah, Lee, go to Brazil.

 

[LAtoBA]

I adore Brazil and would move there in a heartbeat myself but aren't they pretty strict about their visa laws? My five-year visa allows me stays of 90 concurrent days and 180 days total for each year. I've heard that if you go over that they start charging you per day so not only do you get a big bill on the way out but they might not let you back in. Is that the case? It seems like being a perma-tourist/expat/whatever in Brazil is a bit trickier than being one in Argentina.

And I've never really had problems communicating in Floripa. Been there a bunch of times and met so many people each time. Damn, Brazil is so much friendlier than Argentina and the food (and, well, everything else) is so much better. Yeah, Lee, go to Brazil.

Yes, you're right. The visa laws are much more stringent than in Argentina, even with the new "crackdown". If they catch you after your visa has expired you are typically given about 10 days to leave the country before you can be deported. I think it varies case by case but typically they tell you not to come back for 6 months. You aren't barred for life unless you are a repeat offender.

One strategy that many expats do is live for six months in Brazil, the other 6 in Argentina. It works for a lot of people.

And yes you're right the food is a lot better with much more variety. Brazilians make Argentines look like Germans, and Argentines are not an unfriendly people. There's a reason why so many Argentines go to vacation in Brazil and have a thing for Samba and Brazilians. Brazil gets a strike against it for not having as many job opportunities as Argentina however, and for being two times more expensive. The cost of living is comparable to the states, while salaries are considerably lower.

Wait now I'm starting to remember why I don't live there now.

 

[marksoc]

There's a reason why so many Argentines go to vacation in Brazil and have a thing for Samba and Brazilians.

Yes, and the name of the game is "easy sex", nothing else.

 

[mini]

Brazil gets a strike against it for not having as many job opportunities as Argentina however, and for being two times more expensive. The cost of living is comparable to the states, while salaries are considerably lower.

Wait now I'm starting to remember why I don't live there now.

I'm not sure that it is true that there are fewer jobs. The economy of Brazil is in a much better position than Argentina.

And although it is more expensive in Brazil the salaries are higher than here. But yes, salaries in AR & BR are both lower than in the US . I'm not sure Lee is going to be working, at least not as a local.

I don't know much about the visa thing. 6/6month thing would be great. Not feasible for us sadly.

 

[RichardP]

Lee, if you are an urbanite, I doubt that you will find another city in Latin America like Buenos Aires. After visiting some of the places that are being mentioned on this thread, it might not seem like such a bad place to be.