Paraguay or Argentina???

[moontang]

Figuring out where to go for the next Wyoming Winter, Covid willing.  Concerned about import ripoffs, much more than immigration corruption..only staying 90 days.  Cordoba looked interesting and so does Asuncion...pretty easy to get to both...As always, I appreciate (most of) your comments and opinions.  

 

[Somtamnication]

Grew up in both. Paraguay is very much an unspoiled by tourism area. Nice people and lovely places to see. Argentina is nice, great food and you can have the best of both worlds (beaches and mountains).

 

In hindsight, I would have gone to Asuncion if my brain had been working  20 years back!

[bkk6060]

Argentina:  Good food, wine, and sexy girls.

[moontang]

6 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

Grew up in both. Paraguay is very much an unspoiled by tourism area. Nice people and lovely places to see. Argentina is nice, great food and you can have the best of both worlds (beaches and mountains).

 

In hindsight, I would have gone to Asuncion if my brain had been working  20 years back!

Yeah..i had read that Paraguay hadn't been ruined by tourism..like many other places.  Maybe the lack of beaches keeps the trashpackers away, but it didn't seem to work for CNX.  Seem like there might be an interesting river culture in Paraguay.

[moontang]

1 minute ago, bkk6060 said:

Argentina:  Good food, wine, and sexy girls.

Any tax ripoffs like Thailand?

[Somtamnication]

4 hours ago, moontang said:

Any tax ripoffs like Thailand?

 

All of South America is corrupted! However, there are always ways around it and unlike 40 years ago, they are not so blatantly open about it.

You can own property, proper banks and atms. Try out some of the walking videos for both Asuncion and Cordoba, or BA. Very interesting. And the one thing they have that you will not find in Thailand: being humble. (Waiting for the rocks to fly). BA is very expensive but the other areas are not.

[moontang]

1 hour ago, Somtamnication said:

 

All of South America is corrupted! However, there are always ways around it and unlike 40 years ago, they are not so blatantly open about it.

You can own property, proper banks and atms. Try out some of the walking videos for both Asuncion and Cordoba, or BA. Very interesting. And the one thing they have that you will not find in Thailand: being humble. (Waiting for the rocks to fly). BA is very expensive but the other areas are not.

Just asking for a friend, but what kind of donation woukd be expected from an overnight guest? 

[Somtamnication]

No idea. I doubt they ask for one.

[decca60]

On 6/26/2021 at 5:27 AM, bkk6060 said:

Argentina:  Good food, wine, and sexy girls.

 I just think you have never been living in Argentina. I did for 8 years in Cordoba province. Never again..... specially now... Covid management is a total fiasco, high criminality, interprovincial travelling prohibited and more than 40% inflation. Good food, yes if you're not fed up with asado empanadas milanesas and hamburgesas everywhere. Good wines, yes some are but at ridiculous prices, and the sexy girls .... yes from time to time.... try to find fresh (non frozen) fish or sea food in Cordoba.... good luck. For the rest, except the jesuitic story, the Che museum in Alta Gracia ( just worthless) you will enjoy the corn fields and the desertic Sierras. And if you're not physically assaulted consider yourself as a lucky man. 

 

Paraguay is a nice country I prefer Asuncion 10 times to 1 to Buenos Aires..  suerte

[rickudon]

All of South America is currently experiencing high Covid-19 infection rates. And Health care may be compromised by lack of investment. Wait another year.

[domdom]

Hello,

 

I cannot tell you about Paraguay but have been living in Argentina Cordoba province Santa Maria dept for 6 years..

Went there after living 6 years here, seeing more bad sides than good ones..

Situation was quite OK in 2008 but soon worsened and I happily run from there 6 years ago to come back to Thaiiand..

Good wines reasonably priced, yes..

Good food, no, if you are not in Patagonia or Buenos Aires, very limited choice, asados, asados and asados... !! In Cordoba capital 4 or 5 offering something different.. No fresh fish, someimes fresh river fish coming from Rosario, forget about shrimps etc..

Then deliquency is terrible and even more for the last year.. to rob your wallet or phone they don t hesitate to put a gun on your head.. My son is still there with his family as he married an argentinian, so these are recent news..

Check by yourself on line with La voz del interior for Cordoba, or lanacion.com.ar for general news

One very important point, difficult to get money there.. By western union you can.. otherwise for the time being high comissions to withdraw money with your international card and limited amounts (last week in one time you could gdt only 4000 pesos with 900 pesos comission !!

No possibility to transfer money from foreign bank account to a 3rd party (for example to a garage to buy a car) you need to open an account in your name and money will enter and be cleared through the central bank which needs days and gons of documentation..

Life is not cheap, petrol, TVs, fridges, clothes, shoes, everything is much more expensive than here..

Only way, take advantage of the "blue" money.. for example oficial dolar (BNA) is 94/100, blue is 171/174, solidario is 165 and contado con liqui 164, MEP contado 164.

You can find the rates on cronista.com.ar or dolarsi or dolarhoy

On top of all this be ready to wait 6 weeks for a letter coming from Europe, queue up 3 hours outside when you go to bank or post office, have a lot of electricity cuts, average internet..

There are good hospitals if you are able to pay for it..

I wish you all the best

[domdom]

35 minutes ago, rickudon said:

All of South America is currently experiencing high Covid-19 infection rates. And Health care may be compromised by lack of investment. Wait another year.

Absolutely true, no schools in big towns, full hospitals, my daughter in law has been needing an urgent surgery for 2 months and just got an opportunity for next week (with a big brown envelope...) and even so, was very difficult to find..

As told, if you go for private big hospitals, care level is good.. In Cordoba Capital there is a very good cardiological hospital IMC Instituto Modelo Cardiologico and agood hospital Allende and also for tests, checkings doctors consultancies, MRI etc Oulton Center

Have a nice afternoon

[sghanchey]

Argentina is a financial basket case. Almost impossible to get funds transferred to or from the country, and ATMs dispense very limited amounts of cash (and that's if you don't get mugged after your transaction). Petty crime in Buenos Aires is rampant, although if a bandit is armed, I don't call it "petty", but bag snatching and phone grabbing are pretty common. Half the population is in  therapy with a psychiatrist, and this was long before the financial crisis. Beef and wine are great. Not so many pretty girls interested in gringos as in Colombia (for ex), and much more expensive. Think again, Wyoming cowboy. 

[SomchaiCNX]

Did some research a couple years ago and Uruguay was the place that came out as one of the best options. Many Argentinians are visiting their beaches, to far for the average American (keeps the prices low). Mild climate good wine, good food, good health care, cheap property, but high fuel prices. Easy immigration rules that allow you a passport after (5?) years. 4,5 million people with about 1.5 million living in the capital Montevideo.  Less corruption than the rest of South America. In those days they had an interesting president who was the lowest paid in the world and still he give part of his salary to the people and drove an old VW beetle.  He spend some time in jail due to his political views (far left). I hate the left but only can have respect for this man. Hope he is still alive and in good health. Difficult flight connections to get there from Thailand and other parts of the world.

[SomchaiCNX]

1 hour ago, sghanchey said:

Argentina is a financial basket case. Almost impossible to get funds transferred to or from the country, and ATMs dispense very limited amounts of cash (and that's if you don't get mugged after your transaction). Petty crime in Buenos Aires is rampant, although if a bandit is armed, I don't call it "petty", but bag snatching and phone grabbing are pretty common. Half the population is in  therapy with a psychiatrist, and this was long before the financial crisis. Beef and wine are great. Not so many pretty girls interested in gringos as in Colombia (for ex), and much more expensive. Think again, Wyoming cowboy. 

Yes and they had many financial problems also with the IMF rules. Argentina is just a small boat trip away from Uruguay.

 

[mrbojangles]

@jellydog

 

[moontang]

11 hours ago, sghanchey said:

Argentina is a financial basket case. Almost impossible to get funds transferred to or from the country, and ATMs dispense very limited amounts of cash (and that's if you don't get mugged after your transaction). Petty crime in Buenos Aires is rampant, although if a bandit is armed, I don't call it "petty", but bag snatching and phone grabbing are pretty common. Half the population is in  therapy with a psychiatrist, and this was long before the financial crisis. Beef and wine are great. Not so many pretty girls interested in gringos as in Colombia (for ex), and much more expensive. Think again, Wyoming cowboy. 

Best steaks... worst place for an easy <deleted>. 

[jomtienisgood]

On 6/26/2021 at 11:16 AM, moontang said:

Just asking for a friend, but what kind of donation woukd be expected from an overnight guest? 

If it's just for a friend, a knife in the back. 555555

[stephen tracy]

I spent a month in Buenos Aires in 2012 and had a great time. It's a lovely city to walk around with plenty of outdoor dining/coffee shops/ bars etc. The only negative thing I can remember about it was, unlike Bangkok, where I never worry about pick pockets on public transport and leaving my laptop on a table in a bar/restaurant when I go fo the toilet or have a cigarettes' etc, When I was in BA at that time, this was an issue but not sure how it is now. There was a lot of unemployment when I was there. Fortunately, I never had anything stolen. Neither will you if you just be a vigilant, but no need to go nuts.  Probably no worse than central London nowadays! 

[zhounan]

Why not Greece or Portugal?

[SomchaiCNX]

8 hours ago, zhounan said:

Why not Greece or Portugal?

Cars (if you need one) in Portugal can be very expensive and property laws and building regulations can be very tricky. Due to huge fires in 2017 (if I remember well) they added extra building restrictions in some areas that many people (foreigners are not aware of).