WTF Teatro Colon?!

[jimdepalermo]

I was once told by a driver that only selected cabs can tout for business at the airports and ports and if your not one of them then you just have to hover around nearby.

He said it is a mafia thing, whatever that is.

I've been told the same. One taxista said that to pick up passengers inside the Buquebus terminal, the taxista must be known to the entrance guards and then pay a flat fee in advance. He said the guards share the money with the police there and the terminal managers. And then he added that he no longer does it after one passenger forced him to go to a comisería, where they ordered him to charge the meter rate, even though he was already out of pocket more than the amount on the meter....

Of course this could all be porteño rumor like so much of what we hear here.

 

[mhenna11]

My grandma is coming to visit and I wanted to take her on a tour of Teatro Colon. A month ago you could do a tour as an extrajero for 60 pesos (residents 15). I just checked and the new price is 110 pesos (residents 30 pesos). Now I guess I understand the difference in price b/w tourists and residents but seriously WTF, why do they expect people to pay 110 pesos for a 45 minute tour with 30 other people?

The tickets to the actual operas and concerts start at prices lower than this. The only thing is I don't think my grandma would want to go to anything that long. ugh. so frustrating.

Now my grandma won't be able to see this theater because I refuse to let us get robbed.

There are free concerts in the morning in the Colon. You can go and see the concert I think in the French room. It's amateur concert I think. But it's worth it just to for you guys to see the Colon being that it is free.

 

[puvenlee]

There are free concerts in the morning in the Colon. You can go and see the concert I think in the French room. It's amateur concert I think. But it's worth it just to for you guys to see the Colon being that it is free.

Can you give more information on this please?
Is it on Sundays, called 'Ciclo Intérpretes Argentinos'?
If it is that, the earliest performance is on April 15th this year.
http://www.teatrocolon.org.ar/es/index.php?id=ciclo_interpretes_argentinos

 

[allcraz]

I read this thread a week or so ago when thinking about taking my mom on a tour of Teatro Colon. We had actually already gone to a wonderful concert. I for some reason thought that the guided tour would take us backstage. It does not. I encourage anyone thinking of a tour to instead buy tickets in advance and get just as good of a price (if not better) and go see something on the program. I was very disappointed with the tour, bust mostly because I thought we would go backstage. I should have asked beforehand. On another note, the online purchases through the official website were very efficient for both the concert and the tour.

 

[Towncryr]

My novia and I and her daughter took the tour last November. I had never seen it and she had not been there since she was a little girl. The daughter had never been there. We were ALL totally and completely charmed by the magnificence and history of the building. I thought the tour and guide were also excellent.

Now, we were fortunate in that there was a ballet there that night also. We purchased tickets and went. It was fabulous....

Take Granny and let her enjoy one of the world's great buildings.... Give her some real joy that she will remember till you no longer have her....

 

[Lclc23]

hey all thanks for the replies i just wanted to point out that in my original post I said I understand the price differential for argentines. I'm mostly complaining about the absurdly high cost of a 45 minute tour! anyway my grandma wants to do it anyway even though neither of us is very 'rich' nor has an income.

Guess what? The tour guide isn't 'rich' either. Argentina has lots of inflation issues, ever think that the change in price was to give the tour guide a raise?

 

[davonz]

but I really really hope that some tourists back away from this, at least the ones that are on a budget. don`t get ripped off.

I think they are... i meet alot of tourists who were traveling around south america and cut their time sort in argentina to spend more time else where, where it is cheaper. They expected brazil to be expensive, but not arg, and were shocked at the prices..

And as for charging tourist more.. it pisses me off.. especially when argentines can come to my country, and pay the same amount as i do for everything, air tickets, national park camp site fee etc.. I am charged the local rate here, but it still is annoying they rip off tourists - its just the culture of if we can make a quick buck do it. And it doesnt matter if for example japanese people earn more money or have more money, it also costs them alot more to live in their own country, so why should they be ripped off as a tourist because they have to pay more to live at home...

 

[Napoleon]

Just had an American client go on the ENGLISH speaking Teatro Colon tour and she said that it was AR$250/person.

WTF?!?!

 

[PhilinBSAS]

Just had an American client go on the ENGLISH speaking Teatro Colon tour and she said that it was AR$250/person.

WTF?!?!

There is an Online complaints book .... http://www.teatrocol...id=libro_quejas

I got the impression from the row between Mrs K and her nemesis at the Gala reopening after the refurbishment that most of the cost of the work had been underwritten by the City Government? Certainly it is the BsAsGob yellow logo all over the website and no sign of "Opera Para Todos"

Price increase is therefore by the Hand of Macri?

The extensive restoration went over budget as well as overtime but they did do a magnificent job. The details are here:

http://haciendoelcol...osaires.gov.ar/

Nowhere in the world does opera pay its way. Having "affordable" tickets for performances means the money has to be made up from somewhere folks!

 

[Davidglen77]

Expect things to get much worse at Teatro Colón. Some of you are familiar with the fact that I used to own a small retail business here and the problems I had and know my blog. Well low and behold, the director of the "Agencia Gubernamental de Control" (Government Control Agency) that handles business licenses, inspections and their associated bribes and burocracy has been removed from the head of that agency, and has been re-assigned to the administration fo the Teatro Colón. His name is Javier Ibáñez, very sad politics in this city, failed in one agency, and reassigned to another cushy government job.......
My blog:
http://bienescrachados.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/mauricio-macri-y-la-corrupcion-en-la.html
Here's the article (it's in spanish):
http://cronologicosdigital.com.ar/como-pasar-de-la-barra-brava-al-teatro-colon/#comment-278