Gotta Love Argentina

Right now I sit in my brother in law's apartment... and I have to admit: I love Argentina.

I know I know. It sounds crazy, considering it is almost impossible to do ANYTHING here. But that is somewhat the charm of the place. It takes two hours to drive twenty miles. It takes three weeks to get a passport renewed. If the only goal you have on your trip is to eat a steak... Well, you can't!

But that's o.k. Because you can still eat fresh pasta, breads, these little weird donuts that would put krispy creme out of business. You can eat to your heart's content. Just not a steak.

Apparently a tariff passed by the Argentine government made it impossible for the ranchers (gouchos) to compete in the international market against US beef. So the ranchers are punishing Buenos Aires by not delivering beef. It happens. But that was my wife's and mine only real goal on this trip... to eat lots of beef. Now that won't happen.

Rewind three years ago... We had one goal in Argentina. To renew my wife's passport. So we waited and waited at the police station. We spoke with dozens of officials, we appealed to commissars and cops alike. Strange women in blue lab coats gave us dirty looks. The problem was that we had to have a specific piece of paper to get the passport, an apostille. But nobody would tell us what piece of paper it was. "Yeah, you need my information, but I won't give it to you." was the attitude. Thanks to a hard working civil servant somewhere in Oregon, and my mother... we finally got the passport, and my wife and I were able to leave.

Now all I wish for is a steak. "That will cost $100.00 US dollars sir." "No gracias, I'll have the hot bowl of steam."

Even without steak the barbque is amazing. The pasta to die for, and the pastries will kill you with sweetness. So all in all not a bad culinary trip.

J