| At
the moment it doesn’t take much to live large in Argentina. Since the currency
was devalued, just having dollars enables a nice standard of living. You
get three times more bang for your buck than you did in 2001. And they
do know how to live here. With a long tradition of dining out and great
ingredients (especially if beef is your thing) you simply can’t go wrong
in restaurants here.
I am used to
cheap food in Latin America. But not 5 star cuisine! My $10 dinner last
night included an excellent cut of beef, wine, dessert, style, service
and ambiance. Makes you wish you were hungry enough to do it all over again.
In another
city in southern Argentina I stayed in a very classy hotel. I could not
tell you how many stars it had but when you walked down the hallway the
lights came on in front of you as you proceeded. But that wasn’t the best
part. The price of the room included breakfast, delivered to your room
if requested. A luxurious hotel, with breakfast in bed for $33! Pretty
hard to beat.
And the residents
of Buenos Aires (they call themselves Porteños) love their cafes.
In some neighborhoods there is one on every corner. Elegant little places
with that are busy all day long. Then there are the massive ones with huge
banks of pastries on display. Your beverage is always served backed by
a small glass of soda water plus a croissant or small sample sized pastry.
Starbucks has not arrived in Buenos Aires yet. Perhaps for good reason.
Why would you grab a cup to go when you could linger and enjoy. |
