Visiting Buenos Aires

Hello Ferfal,

I've enjoyed reading your blog for the last few months. My wife and I traveled to BA twice in 2008 and absolutely fell in love with the city and it's food, architecture and fashion. Coming from NYC we've always been conscious of our surrounding and have made the extra effort to not draw attention to ourselves, which is a challenge within itself considering I'm African American and didn't see any other people of color while I was there. At any rate we really want to go back, but I have to admit that I'm a bit reluctant after reading your blog and having one of my co-workers on the way back to the airport [EZE] telling me his taxi was the last one through on a road block that was being finished made of firey tires on the 4 lane highway.

Typically we spent the majority of our time in Palermo Viejo and ventured to the other tourist barrios. On both trips my wife and I felt secure in barrios like Palermo Viejo as there was a cop every couple of blocks, still as in the USA and in NYC, the SHTF is getting worse and there is less money to go around for everything. Would you recommend that we go back to BA this year or should we wait? Also would you say the a city like Montevedio or Punta del Este are safer compared to BA? What other South America cities would you recommend, as we love BA, but security wise may not be the best idea to go back in the near future?

- js

Hi JS, as you say, it’s difficult to go unnoticed since almost everyone here is white. People quickly will know you are an American tourist = Rich Guy (hey! At least for our parameters :) )
If you liked Buenos Aires and want to visit, given the situation as I see it today, things wont be getting better, rather the opposite.
Keep in mind that this blog is about survival and prepping. There’s an entire world out there and people just get by without worrying much.
Besides, Palermo is much safer than the southern suburbs where I live.
Staying in Palermo, Recoleta and other capital district barrios is as safe as it gets in Argentina. Thats no guarantee of anything of course, you have to be careful. Staying within those places and having a good time in the capital is playing it safe.
The problem here is that as nice as everyone and everything is, things suddenly can go to hell as your friend experienced.
They cut the road to the airport with burning tires, and you have to either walk there or loose the plane ( MUCH safer to loose the plane, you risk getting your stuff robbed if you walk in that place).
Some people dig that as part of the trip, even join the protest and take pics!, others get freaked out.
If you want to visit BsAs, do so and have a great time, just understand these things are a part of life here, you have to take it easy and not let it get to you.
Keep in mind that its in our dictatorsbest interest, I mean presidential marriage or whatever they call themselves these days, to attract tourism and thus keep the capital as safe as possible. This time I assure you you’ll find 3 cops per block where you found just one before.
If you haven’t been to Punta del Este, I sure advice you to visit.
You can come to Buenos Aires (stay in the place you already somewhat got to know) and take the Buquebus boat to Punta del Este. Its a very nice trip.
Again, if you are here and need help or just want to grab a cup of coffee, just let me know.
Take care and good luck.

FerFAL