People fall in love with Argentina because it has the unique juxtaposition of a European capital literally on the edge of the wild wild west. Colossal, café-lined boulevards kept in line by magnificent Haussman architecture extends out to one of the greatest expanses of the world, interrupted only by rivers which throb out of the Andean Massif. Said in one breath, Argentina harbors two dominating characteristics at first glance:  sheer size and the dazzling energy of the people.

If you flipped Argentina horizontally, you would get four time zones out of it east to west.

Or more specifically, through the awesome energy of Argentina's human element: at two in the morning grandmothers can be seen sharing ice creams with toddlers, parents not yet out from dinner.

Buenos Aires

Along the chic Recoletta neighborhood giant fig trees, some with branches that extend hundred feet horizontally with the support of pillars, shade plazas filled with people sipping cafés and arguing about Eva Peron.  Taxi drivers will insult their government to no end, offering up such theoretical infusions that there's a difference between communism and Marxism, but punctuate it with personal questions, until finally they invite you to watch a football match with them.

The Expanse

Argentina's portion of the southern cone region translates, north to south, into a copious range of climates: Rain forests in northeast, dry wine growing regions along the cordillera, rich pasture land around the capital's pampas, high desert in the south and glacier filled skiing and teeming a Pacific on either side.  The land is dotted with enclaves of Welsh farmers, Italian port workers, Spanish estancianeros, British railroad byrons and their offshoot mixtures of polo players, financial analysts and of course, romantics, caught in a seeming endless embrace with tango and longing.

Somewhere out of this deep gene pool, and expanse of natural resource, a burgeoning economy has come alive.  For the first time in decades families and companies are keeping their money in the country.  Privatizations have streamlined infrastructure and famous real estate powerhouses like George Soros and telecommunication giants like Ted Turner are coming to Argentina. Examples of both explain why:  Soros bought a building which he rents just the sign on top of it to Chrysler for $300,000 a year alone.  Meanwhile, to Turner's delight, Argentina boasts the highest per capita cable connectivity in the world --behind only the United States and Canada!

Agribusiness has been one long bumper crop.  At any level, even on the family scale, small to medium-sized estancias support themselves (trucks, horses, lavish weekends, employees to boot!).

Jobs, Work & Opportunity -

Despite the lingering effects of Argentina's recession and its current double digit unemployment, work is remarkably easy to obtain in Argentina for foreigners.