Author Topic: Argentina Master Thread  (Read 159710 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #100 on: May 25, 2012, 02:30:02 AM »
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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #101 on: May 25, 2012, 03:06:49 AM »
Wow Dan awesome trip report!! I love the detail you put into it, thank you so much.

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #102 on: May 25, 2012, 06:33:27 AM »
I agree with you I just have no clue where the Jewish area is aside from there being food in Abasto and a chabad in Recoleta which Dan mentioned. Where would you reccomend spending Shabbos? I am now trying to find a good hotel in Recoleta.
Sorry, haven't the slightest clue.  Was there a few years ago.. barely remember.

But I do happen to remember Shabbos as a highlight.. Seeing these huge shul's with a tremendous amount of mispalelim etc..

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #103 on: May 25, 2012, 07:05:52 AM »
Once is the jewish community, Abasto is nearby.  It's one of the more run down/dirty/dangerous sections of the city, especially at night.

Funny because in Sao Paulo the jews have all moved to the nicest/safest section of the city but I guess that just didn't happen in Argentina.


I do understand wanting to be near Once for shabbos, so if you don't mind switching hotels it's not a bad idea.
I would recommend buying Hyatt nights/points off someone.

Interesting you mention that, b/c if you ask some of the frum people who currently reside in SP, and are not rolling in dough, they'll tell you how they're $truggling to keep up.. Jardins is one of THE most expensive areas (think Rua Osacr Freire and Paulista), and yet for some odd reason, these large frum families are expected to live there(?!).

Imagine if the standard for the Frum family in NYC was to live on the upper east side!

Bom Retiro may be dangerous, but at least they can somewhat afford it (not even)..

I don't know if you spent some time at all talking to locals in BA, but the parnasa matzav there (from what i hear) keeps on getting worse and worse (living in "once" not withstanding!).  People are struggling.. They really need lots of Tzedoko there, hope you contributed some   ;D

Offline Dan

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #104 on: May 25, 2012, 10:09:55 AM »
Interesting you mention that, b/c if you ask some of the frum people who currently reside in SP, and are not rolling in dough, they'll tell you how they're $truggling to keep up.. Jardins is one of THE most expensive areas (think Rua Osacr Freire and Paulista), and yet for some odd reason, these large frum families are expected to live there(?!).

Imagine if the standard for the Frum family in NYC was to live on the upper east side!

Bom Retiro may be dangerous, but at least they can somewhat afford it (not even)..

I don't know if you spent some time at all talking to locals in BA, but the parnasa matzav there (from what i hear) keeps on getting worse and worse (living in "once" not withstanding!).  People are struggling.. They really need lots of Tzedoko there, hope you contributed some   ;D
Nobody forced people to move from Bom Retiro to Jardins.  People want to live in a neighborhood where you can walk outside at night without the feat of being murdered.

If your choice of neighborhoods was Harlem and the UES I think most people would scrap together the extra savings to live in the UES to be safe.  Luckily in the US there are more options, but those are the 2 primary jewish communities in SP and nobody wants to be the last one standing in Bom Retiro.

Due to having a baby and there benig no eruv in BA I admit to not getting to know the primary BA jewish community at all (except for the interesting Chabad of Recoleta), but in Brazil while plenty of people are struggling they still have a standard of living that is extremely high, much higher than those struggling in NYC IMHO.  I mean even the poorest of families have 1 or 2 live-in maids that spoil the Brazilian kids and parents to no end, and they all eat like kings as food and labor are cheap.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2012, 10:14:24 AM by Dan »
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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #105 on: May 25, 2012, 10:15:51 AM »
Nobody forced people to move from Bom Retiro to Jardins.  People want to live in a neighborhood where you can walk outside at night without the feat of being murdered.

If your choice of neighborhoods was Harlem and the UES I think most people would scrap together the extra savings to live in the UES to be safe.  Luckily in the US there are more options, but those are the 2 primary jewish communities in SP and nobody wants to be the last one standing in Bom Retiro.

Due to having a baby and there benig no eruv in BA I admit to not getting to know the primary BA jewish community at all (except for the interesting Chabad of Recoleta), but in Brazil while plenty of people are struggling they still have a standard of living that is extremely high, much higher than those struggling in NYC IMHO.  I mean even the poorest of families have 1 or 2 live-in maids that spoil the Brazilian kids and parents to no end, and they all eat like kings as food and labor are cheap.

OT here but GREAT new pic of the little guy. :)  He's getting big KyH.
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline Dan

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #106 on: May 25, 2012, 10:20:31 AM »
TY, and yes he is!
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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #107 on: May 25, 2012, 11:11:06 AM »
Wow Dan awesome trip report!! I love the detail you put into it, thank you so much.
Thanks!
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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #108 on: May 29, 2012, 03:39:30 PM »
Nobody forced people to move from Bom Retiro to Jardins.  People want to live in a neighborhood where you can walk outside at night without the feat of being murdered.

If your choice of neighborhoods was Harlem and the UES I think most people would scrap together the extra savings to live in the UES to be safe.  Luckily in the US there are more options, but those are the 2 primary jewish communities in SP and nobody wants to be the last one standing in Bom Retiro.

Due to having a baby and there benig no eruv in BA I admit to not getting to know the primary BA jewish community at all (except for the interesting Chabad of Recoleta), but in Brazil while plenty of people are struggling they still have a standard of living that is extremely high, much higher than those struggling in NYC IMHO.  I mean even the poorest of families have 1 or 2 live-in maids that spoil the Brazilian kids and parents to no end, and they all eat like kings as food and labor are cheap.
IMHO 'once' is much better and safer than bom retiro and you cannot compare them, once might be dirty  and not a nice place as bom retiro but the streets are full of frum jews and there isnt as much crime.

Offline Galitzyaner

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #109 on: May 29, 2012, 05:39:48 PM »
IMHO 'once' is much better and safer than bom retiro and you cannot compare them, once might be dirty  and not a nice place as bom retiro but the streets are full of frum jews and there isnt as much crime.
That's for the most part what I'm saying, Dan.

Although talking about dirty, I recall that when i was in Once (a few years back, for a few days), I remember trying to see if I can go one street w/o seeing a piles of dog excretion on the sidewalk (forget about the broken sidewalks)!

In Bom Retiro it's a whole different game, it's everything above plus homeless (people and dogs) bodies lying on the sidewalks!

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #110 on: May 29, 2012, 05:49:06 PM »
Nobody forced people to move from Bom Retiro to Jardins.  People want to live in a neighborhood where you can walk outside at night without the feat of being murdered.

If your choice of neighborhoods was Harlem and the UES I think most people would scrap together the extra savings to live in the UES to be safe.  Luckily in the US there are more options, but those are the 2 primary jewish communities in SP and nobody wants to be the last one standing in Bom Retiro.

Due to having a baby and there benig no eruv in BA I admit to not getting to know the primary BA jewish community at all (except for the interesting Chabad of Recoleta), but in Brazil while plenty of people are struggling they still have a standard of living that is extremely high, much higher than those struggling in NYC IMHO.  I mean even the poorest of families have 1 or 2 live-in maids that spoil the Brazilian kids and parents to no end, and they all eat like kings as food and labor are cheap.
Your correct, but it aint' anymore as dandy.  The labor is no more so cheap (wages are skyrocketing in Brazil), and Kosher food is not cheap (idk when it was..), quite expensive actually.., Once is the real bargain. Just Kosher meat is no cheaper in Brazil than the USA....

BTW, I've never been there, but am just curious, re. "the interesting Chabad of Recoleta", can you elaborate  :D?
(I assume you mean they have a very strong "magnet"  ;)  )

Offline Dan

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #111 on: May 30, 2012, 11:05:46 AM »
Your correct, but it aint' anymore as dandy.  The labor is no more so cheap (wages are skyrocketing in Brazil), and Kosher food is not cheap (idk when it was..), quite expensive actually.., Once is the real bargain. Just Kosher meat is no cheaper in Brazil than the USA....

BTW, I've never been there, but am just curious, re. "the interesting Chabad of Recoleta", can you elaborate  :D?
(I assume you mean they have a very strong "magnet"  ;)  )
Oh well, back when I was in Brazil (04-05) everything was very cheap.  But then again it was 3 Reais to the dollar back then and I'm sure there's been inflation since then as well.

Frankly I didn't find Once to be such a bargain (even at a whopping 5.4 Pesos to the dollar) or the food to be too great (save for the Ice Cream shops and Asian in Palermo).
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Offline Galitzyaner

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #112 on: May 30, 2012, 12:24:39 PM »
Oh well, back when I was in Brazil (04-05) everything was very cheap.  But then again it was 3 Reais to the dollar back then and I'm sure there's been inflation since then as well.

Frankly I didn't find Once to be such a bargain (even at a whopping 5.4 Pesos to the dollar) or the food to be too great (save for the Ice Cream shops and Asian in Palermo).
3 Reais to the dollar??!!! huhhh  :o  When I was there (a few years after you), it was already hovering around 1.8!!!
And when i spent my year there, ...even Guarana wasn't (so) cheap!  Even produce was already not cheap...
And Kosher food was the biggest rip off by far.. (compared to NY ;)),  keep that in mind when you visit Brazil next.

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #113 on: May 30, 2012, 01:41:33 PM »
3 Reais to the dollar??!!! huhhh  :o  When I was there (a few years after you)
You missed out on the good times then :D
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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #114 on: May 30, 2012, 06:53:12 PM »
[Now i understand why you thought Kosher food was inexpensive there..] +with all that beef they would leave for you guys in the kitchen?! ehhh,  Fuhgetabboutit! :D

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #115 on: May 30, 2012, 06:56:22 PM »
I used to get shnitzel, fries, and a guarana for 15 Reais from Kosher Center for lunch.  $3 of perfection.
Only topped by the hot chocolate danishes that made me late for seder by 5 minutes every day :D
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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #116 on: May 30, 2012, 07:12:43 PM »
Wowww!  Amazing! a whole other world of difference in my times  At least you chopped arein ;)  Lucky you!

The only thing we had near that wasn't a semi-ripoff, was this Kosher juice store a block away (I'm guessing it probably wasn't there in your days, and it for all i know closed down already), which would make for you juices and smoothies for bargain deal$ as  compared to USA.

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #117 on: May 30, 2012, 07:14:35 PM »
Wowww!  Amazing! a whole other world of difference in my times  At least you chopped arein ;)  Lucky you!

The only thing we had near that wasn't a semi-ripoff, was this Kosher juice store a block away (I'm guessing it probably wasn't there in your days, and it for all i know closed down already), which would make for you juices and smoothies for bargain deal$ as  compared to USA.
And we were jealous of the shluchim before us with their tales of 4 Reais to the dollar and things costing less as well :D
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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #118 on: May 30, 2012, 07:17:08 PM »
OMG!  Your killing me  >:( !
Meu deus!

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Re: Argentina Master Thread
« Reply #119 on: June 05, 2012, 12:26:03 AM »
I just booked a flight from IGR to AEP on Aerolinas Argentinas using despegar. Is it possible that my ticket will not be valid as I just realized there is a difference in fares between residents and non residents and I may have got a resident fare?

For the record when I go to the Aerolinas website and put in my info it says that it is confirmed but for some odd reason although at first my credit card had been charged by aerolinas, now the charge is not there. So wierd.