When a foreigner thinks of wine from Argentina, they will almost always associate it with Mendoza. The majority of exported wines are from Mendoza, and the Mendozan wines are so good that they are starting to win many international awards. To truly appreciate these wines, it is important to know WHY these wines are so good.

Although many factors contribute to the fantastic wines coming from Mendoza, there is one reason in particular that gives Mendoza a huge advantage: the lack of precipitation and their form of irrigation. Mendoza has desert-like conditions and receives very little precipitation throughout the year.

Why is this good thing? Most importantly, grape-growers can control the exact amount of moisture their vines are getting by using an irrigation system that transports water down from the nearby mountains. The vines receive the correct amount of moisture at the exact time they should be receiving it. This means grape growers never have to worry about bloated, flavorless grapes caused from too much rain. They can ensure the grapes receive the correct amount of moisture to grow, but not so much they lose their flavor.

A lack of precipitation could be a very big problem grape grows, but Mendoza has the luxury of an ingenious irrigation system that was original developed by the aboriginals. The water that is used to irrigate the grapes comes from the mountains, and is therefore very pure and full of nutritional vitamins, contributing to healthy vines.

The dry conditions also mean there are very few molds or pests that are a threat to the grapes grown in Mendoza, meaning grape growers rarely have to spray their vines.

Mendozan grape growing conditions are truly ideal. The result is excellent quality grapes, and everyone knows that good wine can only be made from good grapes. In Buenos Aires, and any major city of Argentina, there is a huge selection of Mendozan wines. It is recommended you take full advantage of that, and try as many as possible!

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CompuMap

CompuMap is by far your best option for learning the bus (colectivos) system to get around Buenos Aires. It is also your best option for a map. Here is a list of things you can do with CompuMap:

- finding a direction
- which colectivo to take to get somewhere
- the entire route a colectivo takes
- neighbourhoods
- references/landmarks (such as hospitals. There aren´t too many references to start out, but you can add your own).
- getting a postal code

I have put together a quick list of the hotkeys you can use to navigate around CompuMap. It is important to know these so you can take full advantage of the features available on CompuMap. You can use the mouse for most of these, but the hotkeys are much quicker. There is a help section in the CompuMap program, but it is all in Spanish.

Hotkeys
Let click – zoom in
Right click – zoom out
Arrows – move the screen
- move the screen a small amount
A Shows the street number (under the mouse pointer)
O shows all buses that go within a 700 meters (under the mouse pointer)
L neighborhood (under the mouse pointer)
C street search
D direction search
O bus search
L searching for which bus will get you from two specified points
R References – this is how you can things such as hospitals, subway stops, etc.
V Review the searches you have done
I Print
End Exit CompuMap
B Find a postal code
T Indicate all searches made in red
O Show the names of all streets

Not sure where to get CompuMap? You can find some options here: Portable CompuMap Full v4.0.9.2 It is just a small .exe program and highly recommended!

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Most people unfamiliar with wine in Argentina (which is pretty much everyone when they first arrive) will often wonder how much they need to spend to buy a decent wine in a retail store. This is no easy question, because wine varies so much from person to person. However, here is something to start with, until you´re more comfortable buying wines in Buenos Aires. All prices in pesos of course.

$12 – $15: buys you a decent, cheap wine, the kind you can drink for any occasion. An every nights wine.
$18 – $25: Nice wine, the kind you can bring to someone´s house for dinner without having to pay too much. These are quite good.
$28 – $40: Starting to get very good. You can find wines in this range that are very good quality.
$40 – $70: Excellent wines, if you know what to pick
$70 and up: you can find exceptional wines for this price. Be aware that once you’re spending over $100, the wines need to age for a while before you really get to appreciate their benefits.

Where is the best place to buy wines?
Your best options are the vinotecas, which are specialty wine stores. This is where you will get the best selection, and the prices are about the same. One of the better chains is Ligier, which has a variety of locations throughout Buenos Aires. The more expensive supermarkets such as Disco, Jumbo, and Carrefour have decent selections as well. The small supermarkets are only good if you want a basic wine.

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When thinking of wine, people do not always associate it with Argentina. However, this is beginning to change, and for good reason. Argentine wines are starting to compete with some of the best wines in the world, evident by the international awards their wines have won. If you are visiting or living in Buenos Aires, no doubt you will be testing the Argentine Wine, and should be taking full advantage of the huge selection.  However, the first few times you go to buy wine, you will likely find it very confusing, and not have any idea which wines to buy, and how much you need to spend. As is true with wines from all countries, there are good, bad, excellent, and horrible wines produced in Argentina. Most importantly, you need to understand the different regions and which types of wine are good from which regions. Here is a BASIC breakdown of where the best wines come from for each region:

North (Salta, Catamarca) – the best Torrontes wines come from here. You can also find some very good Cabernet Sauvignon.

San Juan – This is a very dry, dessert like region, and because of these conditions, it is ideal for the production of Syrah and Viognier.

Mendoza – this is by far the best known wine region of Argentina, and for good reason. In general, the best Argentine wines are produced here, and the Malbecs are especially good. Many different grapes grow well in this region, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and Tempranillo.

Neuquen/Rio Negro – located in the south of Argentina, they produce the best Merlot and Pinot Noir.
This is a basic guide to help you know which region to look for when purchasing your wines. In general, it is very hard to find good Sauvingong Blanc, Pinto Gris, Pinot Noir, so before buying those, it is best to have a recommendation.

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The subway in Buenos Aires is quite limited, so it is necessary to learn how to take the city bus, which is known as the “colectivo” in Argentina.  It is an excellent way to get around the city and for a very low cost.  They go everywhere you could imagine within Gran Buenos Aires, and the most you will ever pay is $1.40.

One of the best things about the colectivos is their frequency.  Throughout the day and evening, they come by every 5-10 minutes, meaning you rarely have to wait.  They run 24 hours, but after midnight, the frequency starts to decrease.  There is never a specific schedule, meaning you just show up at the bus stop and wait for the next one to come by.

The colectivos are not always the most comfortable, and some are extremely old and noisy.  They are supposed to follow certain regulations regarding the noise output, but these regulations are not well enforced, and most buses surpass these levels.  Drivers tend to be crazy and love to drive fast, and turn corners quickly.  Be very careful when riding the bus, and make sure that if you are standing, you are holding on to something.

The colectivos are safe to take, though one should be careful when taking them through the rougher neighbourhoods.   There have been a few instances recently where the buses have been highjacked, and the pedestrians robbed.  This is rare though, and should not be worried about. The most dangerous part is waiting for the bus, if its night time, and in a shady area. Make sure you wait with someone.

Waiting for the bus
To catch the bus, find the street that it goes down, and look for a post with its number on it.  Each stop by each bus lines is marked by the number of the colectivo placed on a post.  To ensure the bus stops for you, you have to flag it down.  When you see your bus coming, make sure to stick your arm up which indicates you want to get on.  You will also notice here that the argentines line-up nicely for the buses.  Make sure to respect these lines, as people get upset if you try to don´t.

Once on the bus, you will have to tell the driver what fare you need.  You then enter your change into a machine behind the driver, and will receive a ticket once you have paid the correct amount.  You must pay with coins, although you do not need to have the exact amount.  The machine will give you change.

Note that if you are sitting down on the bus and an elderly, pregnant, or handicapped person gets on the bus, you are expected to give up your seat for them.

Cost
The routes of the colectivos are broken down into sections, but it is imposible to know and keep track of the sections.  It is easiest to just tell the driver where you are getting off, and they will tell you the amount you need to pay.  However, here is an approximate breakdown of the costs.

$1.10 – less than 6KM. When you travel withing one zone.
$1.25 – Between 6KM-9KM. When you get on in one zone, and cross to another. Staying within Capital Federal (before going into Gran Buenos Aires).
$1.40 – Between 9KM-12KM, going from La Capital into Gran Buenos Aires
$1.75 – Between 12KM-15KM, going from La Capital into Gran Buenos Aires

How to use the colectivos
There are various ways to find your way around the bus system of Buenos Aires.  Here are the two best options for you.

1. CompuMap Urbano de Buenos Aires – This is by far the best option, a real life saver!   It is a computerized map of Gran Buenos Aires, meaning it includes all of the suburbs.  You can easily find streets, addresses, but most important of all, bus routs.  You can enter two addresses, and it will show you the buses you can take, and the route that the bus takes.  The program takes a few minutes to learn, but is very basic and simple to use.   It is also much faster than any online map of Buenos Aires available.

2.  Guia T – this is a small book that comes in two sizes, with the whole book being a map of Buenos Aires.  The bigger one includes all of Gran Buenos Aires, whereas the smaller one only includes La Capital Federal.  It is just like any map book, with an index to help you find streets.  It also has all of the bus routes, so you can find your way around the city.  It lists all of the buses, and shows which streets they take.  It then uses a grid system to help you figure out what bus you need to take to get to where you want to go.

The Guia T can be a bit complicated to use, because you are always flipping pages, which makes it confusing to try to figure out where in the city you are.  Furthermore, it only tells you the streets of where the buses go, so it can be really difficult to figure out where the bus is going to go, and where you should get off. The main advantage of the Guia T is that you can bring it with you.  It can be purchased at any Kiosk in Buenos Aires.  The small one costs $4 and the larger one costs $8.

There are other websites that include maps and bus routes, but they can be very confusing and very slow.  I recommend one of the two options above.

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There are many things you can do to avoid dangerous situations when you’re in Buenos Aires.  Below are a few tips to help you stay safe:

• When taking money out from an ATM, don´t take out too much.  What is too much?   Keep it under $2000 for sure, better to keep it at or under $1500.  Try not to take out money at night, unless it is in a very busy area.  Keep an eye on your surroundings when entering and leaving the ATM.

• Keep an eye on your stuff, at all times!!!   Always hold on to it, don´t just assume you´ll notice if someone tries to take something.  This is especially important in restaurants, bars, and crowded areas.

• If possible, stay at home with your laptop.  This may not be ideal, as it is always nice to get out of the house or hostel or hotel.  However, in the end, it is much safer.  If you do go to a cyber cafe or a place with WiFi, go to a really busy one, like Aroma.

• If you are walking around quiet neighborhoods at night, try to make sure you are not alone.   It’s better if you are with at least one other person.  If you are female, this is even more important.

• It is fine to use the radio taxis.  They are all different companies, but for the most part, they are quite safe (although they love to rip you off).  However, if you can remember, take down the number in the circle on the side of the taxi in case something happens.  This way, you can track down who committed the crime.   Also, do your best to act like you know what your doing and you know where you are going.

• Make sure you know of the dangerous places in the city of buenos aires

• Avoid demonstrations.  In Buenos Aires, there are demonstrations every week, sometimes daily.  Although they are usually ok, they can get dangerous, and it is always better to avoid them.  Even most Argentines will avoid demonstrations.

• If someone tries to mug you, give them what they want.  They generally have a weapon, and are not afraid to use it.  Cooperate, and usually there are no further problems.

Follow these tips and use your common sense, and you are much less likely to have anything happen to you.   Make sure you always carry around documentation, and know what to do if something does happen to you.  It is always important to stay aware in Buenos Aires, even if you feel safe.  Doing so will ensure you make the best out of your time here.

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If you were to mention in North America that you were going to Argentina, most people would ask “Is it safe?”  Or they will talk about how they heard people are kidnapped, that there is a lot of crime and that it’s a dangerous place to visit.   Is Buenos Aires dangerous?   This is a difficult question without a concrete answer.

In general, yes, there is a certain degree of danger here.  Being the capital of Argentina, and a city of 13 million people, it is the most dangerous city in Argentina.  I must admit that personally, I have never felt threatened in Buenos Aires.  I walk around by myself at whatever time of the day or night, and have never had anything happen or almost happen to me.  I have never even seen any crime as it was happening.  In general, Buenos Aires is quite safe, much more so than some of the other major cities in South America, such as Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Quito, or Bogota.  However, there is certainly a lot crime in this city, and one must be careful, smart, and lucky to live or vacation here without ever having any problems.

If you watch the news, every day you will hear of a robbery or a murder.  This is not uncommon, but this is the same in any huge city throughout the world.  However, crime is currently on the increase in Argentina, as the economic situation is deteriorating, and especially because of the high inflation, there is more and more poverty every day.  Some of the most common crimes you need to watch out for are as follows:

Petty crimes – this mostly includes robbery when you’re not paying attention.  The thieves here are VERY good.  Be extremely careful when you are on the crowded subways, they can easily take something out of your purse or bag without you noticing.  Something that has happened quite a lot to people is that they have had their purses stolen while in a restaurant.  They hang it on their chair, or think they are keeping an eye on it, and when they are ready to leave, all of a sudden it is no longer there.  Make sure this does not happen to you!

Laptop robbery – unfortunately, laptop robbery is starting to become somewhat common.  Electronics are worth a fortune, so you can imagine how much they can sell your fancy laptop for.  They are usually stolen from people as they are leaving coffee shops that have WiFi, and is often done as a team.  One person will have a coffee inside, scope out someone who is leaving with a nice laptop, call their friend outside and tell them who to go after.   They essentially mug you, forcing you to give them your laptop.  This does not mean you can never go to a cyber cafe, but be aware.  It is best to go to a somewhat busy cafe in a busy area, where this is less likely to happen.

Mugging – this is somewhat common.  A thief goes after you on the street, and asks for your money.  They usually have a knife, sometimes a gun.  Give them whatever they ask for, and they usually leave you alone.

ATM robberies – also somewhat common.  They wait for someone to go to an ATM, withdraw a lot of money, and will then mug them as they are leaving.   You will notice that at the ATMs here, you have to wait outside the doors if the machines are in use.  You don´t enter the ATM room and make a line inside, as that is a security risk for those withdrawing money.  In respect to them, you line-up outside the doors until they leave.

Kidnappings – these were quite common closer to the crisis in 2001, specifically tourists.  There are still a fair amount of kidnappings that take place; however, it is more commonly the teenagers of rich Argentine parents that are the victims.

These are the most common crimes that you will hear about, or that are most likely to happen to you.  As I mention above, it is important to be careful and smart to stay safe in Buenos Aires.

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