South American friends from Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and

goin_south says on Nov 4, 2006, 04:37:

no, but we want objective reports on Buenos Aires monpirri; no bs.
maybe you can talk someone into kidnapping you and keeping you in that forlorn and war-torn, yet beautiful land,
Aaaaahhhh,...Colombia!

yeah, monpirri. don't forget to go trout fishing in Chile/Argentina.

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

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Monpirri says on Nov 4, 2006, 04:46:

I will do so! Don't know yet if I will have time to visit Colombia since I'm on a scheduled trip.

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Waterdawg says on Nov 4, 2006, 06:24:

I can help with Eky-door What do you want to know .. Place is safe , well the taxi drivers are all race car drivers ( Its a latin thing ) .. Just use good sense when out and about ..

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Monpirri says on Nov 4, 2006, 06:48:

You know the usual things The usual things that a visitor for the first time wants to know; scenery sites, resturants recommendations, festivals during this season, gifts to bring back...
Eky door? Never heard of it.

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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jfsawatzky says on Nov 4, 2006, 07:07:

eky door = ecuador jejejej ...I believe waterdawg means ecuador = eky door

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goin_south says on Nov 4, 2006, 08:35:

get lost in Lima.
Now, those ladies speak an all-together different sort of language!

"No hay tal cosa, como ' español perfecto '."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

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Monpirri says on Nov 4, 2006, 14:05:

I love them all. Ecuatorianas, limeñas, chilenas, argentinas! Todas son como las flores.
From Ecuador, from Lima, from Chile and from Argentina.

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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RUV says on Nov 4, 2006, 16:06:

You are in luck. Argentina is really nice around this time. It should be like Southern California weather. I have been to Argentina, Buenos Aires, several times. It is a really nice, safe, and a clean city. Allot more so then Bogota, Medellin or Cali. The food is allot better as well. If you love beef, wine, Italian food this is the place. I missed the fresh empanadas in the morning with a cup of coffe. Check out Recoleta. This is an upscale part of Buenos Aires, lots of resturants and clubs, ect.

Looking at the exchange rate it is allot cheaper as well. Stock up on cloths here, leather goods, cashimier, shoes, and suites.

PS, Argentina girls are hot.

Good luck,

Wish I was going.

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Monpirri says on Nov 4, 2006, 17:17:

Ruv Che, thank you for your advise. Good weather, italian food, Recoleta, exchange rate, stock up clothes and hot girls, this is really good travel news!!

Regards,
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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riverplate says on Nov 4, 2006, 21:50:

Best steak in Bs. As. If you want the best steak in Bs. As. (and that's saying a lot in Argentina) go to El Trapiche in Palermo and enjoy a red meat lover's heaven.

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podborski says on Nov 4, 2006, 22:28:

weather is great here in BsAs right now.

recommendations:

Campo Bravo: pretty good (not great) parilla in trendy Las Canitas. Food is good, and not expensive, but you go more for the ambience. It's always busy, best thing is you get free champagne while you wait the obligatory 30 minutes for a table. Try to get one outside, the girl watching is as good as it gets. Go between 9:30 and 10 pm. Earlier no one is there, later you have to wait an hour for a table.

Also Kandi and Soul Cafe in las canitas for a late (after midnight) drink.

Palermo hollywood

Bar Unico for a nice neighbourhood bar (Honduras y Fitzroy). Acabar is a very popular restuarant.

Palermo Soho/Viejo:

Best part of Buenos Aires, IMHO. Much better than Recoleta. You definitely need to spend a nice sunny afternoon at Mama Racha cafe/restaurant(corner of Armenia and Nicaragua) overlooking parque Armenia. Then walk 3 short blocks to Plaza serrano and on weekends join the huge crowds shopping at the outdoor market or having a coffee at el Taller.

Locals tell me La Cabrera is the best steak (on Cabrera at J.L Borges more or less), but I'll have to try el trapiche to see if riverplate is right.

If you have to do tourist things, go to la bombanera where they give you a tour of the stadium and they have a little museum and giftshop so you can buy a boca jr's shirt (which might not make you popular in colombia!)

When you arrive, do NOT book a taxi at one of the indoor travel info desks. Go outside to the kiosk. Even there it is an expensive ride, about 50 Argy pesos ($16 USD).

Be wary of fast talking cab drivers who tell you your pesos are false and try to confuse you by asking for other bills and then don't give you the first one back.

La boca may not be safe at night. No reason to be there after dark anyway. San telmo has some nice restaurants, but I'd stay in Palermo if i were you, or recoleta if you can't get a place in Palermo.

If you have time for a short trip, take the ferry across to colonia in Uruguay. Quiet place for a lunch. I wouldn't spend much time there though.

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RUV says on Nov 4, 2006, 23:23:

Monpirri,
Honestly I would Monpirri,

Honestly I would be traveling to Argentina more often except airfare is more expesive then Colombia. There is an area in the city where they have several leather shops. I had a card and an address I will see if I can find if for you. All kinds of different leather goods. Exchange rate is 1 dollar to roughly 3.1 pesos. This is really good. There economy really sucks, great for you.

Here is some more info:
Calle Florida (Street): Is a tourist location. Stores and resturants. Small shops (leather), a little over priced but you can haggle. Do not be afraid to walk a way. Nice play you can check out.

Casinos:
The Casino in Tigre, this is a little far away. Here is a web site: http://www.trileniumcasino.com.ar/

Riverboat casino in Puerto Madero. Could not find a web site. Better option, closer to your hotel. Assuming you will be somewhere in down town Buenos Aires. Ask about it at the hotel.

Recoleta, nice play to hang out and have dinner and drinks. Clubs and girly clubs. Young hip area where the young, rich and upper class hang out. Lots of hotties. http://recoleta.8k.com/

Puerto Madero, nice resturants. Really upper clase resturants. Really nice. A must see. http://www.puertomadero.com

Some more sites:
http://www.barriolascanitas.com.ar/rest.htm
San Telmo http://www.revistazonasur.com.ar/

I do not know much about the rest of the countries on your list. Good luck and let me know how it went.

PS, I found the people friendly, but not as friendly as Colombians. Ditto on the girls. Still a great place to go, especially if it is free.

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Monpirri says on Nov 5, 2006, 02:49:

podborski I really appreciate your time to share all those great tips!! We would try to do as much possible within the time frame.
Rub, again thank your tourism travel guide. I would certainly visit some of the places mentioned here by you guys and maybe I would post some good photos.
Parilla, parillada and churasco here I come! Just keep bringing the wine!

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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podborski says on Nov 5, 2006, 04:19:

if you need a place to stay I'd highly recommend da vinci residences on Libertad in Recoleta. Nice apartments in an old mansion. I paid $55 USD a night for a 1 bedroom with full kitchen, dining room, living room, outdoor terrace. All in classic BsAs style. Book ahead of time! (cash only)

If you like wine, you'll love it here. You can get wine at any little hole in the wall restaurant, unlike in Colombia (my only peeve about Col!).

The executive lunches often include a nice glass of wine. Lunches run about 12 to 18 pesos ($4 to $6)in the best places, so more than in Col, but the food is far better.

Probably the best food advice I can give you is to go to the very best restaurants for the executive menu (mainly weekday lunches). You'll get the same food they serve at night for $50 pesos but only pay 15 or 18.

The lower end places charge almost the same price, and the food is average at best (unless you really know your way around of course). Often the cheaper places don't include a coffee or a bottle of water so when you add that in they can me more expensive than the high end places.

The mark up on wine in restaurants is about 10%, not the 100-200% I am used to in north america. Try Dona Paula if you see it on a menu, excellent reds, worth the price. Luigi Bosca is nice too.

Just read in the newspaper about another study that showed that mice fed lots of fatty food but also a substance found in red wine showed no ill effects of the bad diet. Just another reason to drink more red wine! (good news as I finish eating my sunday morning bacon and eggs breakfast. Best bacon I ever had too. They do meat right here, for sure.)

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Monpirri says on Nov 5, 2006, 07:18:

Podborski Thanks anyway for da vinci residences on Libertad in Recoleta, hotel accommodations has been take care by the firm, but if I return to Buenos Aires, now I now where to go.
I hope we have time for at least one bottle of wine.
About your comments, ""in the best places, so more than in Col, but the food is far better." I do not know if you are aware that I am a Big promoter of Colombian gastronomy here PBH. I have posted lots of topics about our great cooking.
I even go to the extreme to claim that Colombia has one of the best culinary in the world! I know what are you thinking right now, and you are not alone because some of my paisanos would think the same, I am crazy! Even worst some of them will start waving flags here stating that I am wrong and that the best cooking comes from blah, blah, blah…
Colombian cooking is exemplary in preparation and taste and it’s very regional! As you are aware the country has been engulfed in chaos and stuff like that for many years. No time to organize and/or promote 200% la cucina colombiana.

Argentina probably has the best European food over Colombia or over any country in South America. There is no debate here.
About your breakfast or bacon, yep, I remember I used eat a lot of bacon and I even learned how to make it crispy and almost free of oil. Just place the slices of bacon on a paper towel and fold the paper over the slice couple of times and put it in the microwave for one or two minutes. The result is wonderful: crispy beacon and without too much grease or oil!

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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RUV says on Nov 5, 2006, 11:37:

Monpirri,
As for Colombia Monpirri,

As for Colombia food being the best food is a matter of personal taste. I personally think it is a little bland. I love to eat beef, so Argentina is perfect. There is no place like a juicy steak in Argentina. When you take the cab from the airport to the city you can see the trucks bringing in the cows into the cities. Chicken in mustard sauce is great. As for your breakfast, try the fresh empanadas. Cheese empanadas are great. I also notice more of a variety of foods in Argentina. I like the fresh fruits and variety that Colombia has to offer.

Podborski, I wish I was Argentina. The weather must be really nice. I have been thinking of hitting Argentina some time in April. Thanks for the info on Da Vinci Residence, it looks nice. I may check it out.

Good luck Monpirri. Oh you have to change from “Tu / Usted” to “Vos”.

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podborski says on Nov 5, 2006, 13:27:

I agree with you monpirri! I actually love a lot of the food in Colombia, and the steaks are great, just that argy beef is even one step above.

What I was referring to was ONLY the executive lunches. You know, in Col you get cheap food, and it isn't bad, but you know the juice might be sugar water, the dessert is a tiny square of jello or flan. Here the executive lunch is like eating in zona rosa, juice is ALWAYS fresh squeezed, chocolate mousse for dessert, that sort of thing.

Of course I would love more spicy food in Colombia, but honestly there is a severe lack of that in BsAs. There is no equivalent to Wok here for example. Lots of Japanese restaurants but they do not IMHO compare to the quality I found in Colombia.

What argentina has is an endless number of parillas. You get tired of it (unless you are an argy). I know of exactly ONE place to get a good curry, ONE place to get good vietnamese food. Even good italian food is hard to find. And there are lots of horrible pasta lunches, the sauce is gross.

And they don't eat soup here! What I'd give for a bowl of ajiaco or sancocho. Some places serve locro, but not too many.

And of course, I have never experienced the exceptional, fast, friendly service I had in Colombia. In fact, I have experienced a lot of horribly bad service here. Cleanliness? Oh my god. At one parilla I watched the cook pick up meat he dropped on the floor in full view of everyone and plop it on the plate. Didn't even try to wash it, let alone throw it out. Disgusting. Colombia wins in this regard by a country mile.

So don't get me wrong, in general I prefer Colombian food. But BsAs has potential to become a great culinary city. And of course I am FAR from the expert. I am sure many posters here know of great restaurants here that I have yet to discover. But it isn't the paradise some people think it is.

What BsAs does offer is a great steak dinner with good wine far cheaper than you would get in Bogota.

Just met some young american guys who opened a Burrito shop in recoleta, they are doing very well, getting lots of publicity. I wish I knew something about the restaurant business, I think you could make a killing here catering to tourists.

I will have cafe/bar restaurant in my little place, but I am partnering with some guys who know how to do it. I am reluctant to hire argy staff, they are unreliable and have bad attitudes (in general). I am seriously thinking of bringing in Colombian staff.

As one guy said to me (after I had received a ridiculous monetary demand from a local I was considering hiring) 'buy an argy for what they are worth, sell them for what they think they are worth'.

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Monpirri says on Nov 5, 2006, 15:40:

Documents required to enter Colombia Does anybody know if I need any other document besides the passport to enter Colombia from Ecuador?
I just realized that I could stay in Colombia for the holidays, that’s if we can change my return flight from Ecuador to Colombia, and from Colombia to the states.

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Monpirri says on Nov 5, 2006, 15:44:

Podborski Thanks for your comment!
Regards,
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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calocalo says on Nov 7, 2006, 10:06:

Peru Hi guys,

Forum newbie here. If you ever go to Peru (born and raised there) just mind your bearings when leaving the airport at Lima as it is by far the most caothic one I've yet been at.

Traffic in Lima is horrendous, unless you are an adrenaline junkie do not drive there, take a cab (avoid combis if you can unless you have a local friend). Lima is a city that has grown a lot in the last 15 years or so, so expect anything you would expect in other big cities. Once past the traffic and the airport hassle you should be set. Food (my opinion) is excellent in Peru, and there is a lot of places to visit, if you are into history, don't miss the gold museum.

Travel to provinces is usually uneventful, however, if travelling by bus DO NOT PICK THE CHEAPEST OPTION! as such companies are not usually big on safety and do not employ certified drivers.

When travelling to the Sierra, depending on how high are you planning to go, allow for a few days of adaptation as "soroche" can somewhat dampen your spirits.

And a last piece of advise, do not eat anywhere other than clean restaurants, as your gringo bowels won't react favorably to the local bacteria at first...

Other than that, enjoy the place, it has a lot of places to see and the people is usually friendly.

Cheers,

"children and madmen tell the truth. So we educate the former and lock up the later."

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Monpirri says on Nov 7, 2006, 11:06:

Calocalo Thank you for your travel advise to Peru. I am familiar with some of the peruvian dishes and agree with you on peruvian foods is also great.
Peruvian gastronomy also have been overcasted with chaos or internal conflicts within the country in the past several years, that is the reason Peruvian cuisine is still relatively unknown to the rest of the world! I agree with this, "Food (my opinion) is excellent in Peru"
I love ceviche de pescado and lomo saltado?

I have a friend who I am planing to visit in Cusco, of course, if we do have enough time for touring.

Regards,
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Monpirri says on Nov 7, 2006, 18:31:

Venezuela here I come! Because of sudden change in schedule due to elections in Venezuela, we are going to Venezuela first. Will arrive there on Thursday around 10:00 a.m.
Will continue to go to Buenos Aires after we have finished our deployment in Caracas.

Ciao and good bye.

P.S. Will post again from Sud America, umm don't know when, when I am settled and focus.

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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goin_south says on Nov 7, 2006, 23:43:

buen viajara (remember the poor parrot)
"Tengo mucha compasión para el loro."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

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Monpirri says on Nov 10, 2006, 21:56:

I told her not to follow me whenever I go… I did not know that this place was going to be so much fun. There are several of miles from Simón Bolívar International Airport towards the city, where all you see on both sides of the road is gorgeous green mountains, after this splendid panorama, lots of dirty and detiorated buildings followed the course. But, as we approached Caracas, the city became alive and very attractive with people and cars motion.
Upon our arrival at the Intercontinental Hotel, we asked the Maitre di or concierge for a good restaurant to have something to eat. He told us to go to “Caraca de Ayer” a restaurant for arepas. Arepas are very big here in Venezuela. Yep, the country is another arepa land!!

I told Shakira not follow me every where I go. Well, she won’t listen because she is here tonight in the city and Caracas is ready for her! She will be performing tomorrow, Saturday, November 11 at the Air force Base, "La Carlota". http://www.evenpro.com/newssha1.asp

Will stay in Venezuela for two weeks before heading to conquer Buenos Aires.

Hasta pronto.

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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goin_south says on Nov 10, 2006, 22:08:

You should be so happy, now to know you and G5 have a common point at which to meet: Intercontinental Hotel.
Monpirri, Let them eat Arepas; maybe they will kill themselves with arepas, in Venezuela.

"Tengo mucha compasión para el loro."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 11, 2006, 01:41:

yeah, you know those venecos they think they invented the arepa, los joropos, Simon Bolivar and stuff...

One of the hottest places on earth I've been is Caracas Airport at 5 a.m and 28 degrees.

Keep on reporting, monpirri!

Cheers,
Desi


«Sé que los seres humanos y los peces podrán coexistir en paz». ( George W. Bush, Saginaw 29-09-00)

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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Monpirri says on Nov 11, 2006, 10:44:

Yep Greetings from arepa land! The Venezuelans make the arepas about one inch thick, well let me not be like some “gringos” friends of mine who visit one city in Colombia, or one or two restaurants and they go post for the world with a real confidence what Colombian cuisine is all about. I do not want to make that error because I have been only in one city and in one or two restaurants. Maybe if visit more restaurants I will be able to see if all the arepas from Venezuela are thick or not.
Galecito, something that you may enjoy though, women here dress to kill! They want to make sure that their assets are valued and are ready for trade just in case there is a potential Wall Street investor. Venezolanas when they dress to go out they make sure their garments facilitate an easy expose to their privileges areas, and if they wear casual clothing, they also make sure that their garments contour their divine outlines. Muchas curvas peligrosas.
I found the city too expensive for me and there is a lot of chaos in human services or customer services/information. Colombians who love Salsa will love Venezuela, Salsa is all I hear in the taxis and everywhere, you also hear Merengue. I found the Venezuelans are very similar to Dominicans and Cubans, I meant, the way they express themselves.

Regards,
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Monpirri says on Nov 11, 2006, 10:46:

Desi Greetings from the hottest places on earth, well it has been ok so far, maybe because we are spending a lot of time indoors or maybe we are in a different season. I went out this morning to a local supermarket to buy bottles of water and snacks, but left the hotel around 7:30 a.m or so. As I venture to go out, I will found out more about the weather here.
I hope we finish early because we do not want to be here during the elections. I will continue to report as time permits or as interesting things happen. I have to go now because Shakira is waiting for me at the lobby.
Cheers, ciao, bye bye…

Regards,
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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goin_south says on Nov 11, 2006, 11:16:

monpirri "Tengo mucha compasión para Shakira."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 11, 2006, 12:06:

LOL galecito that was cute!

Monpi thanks for the report keep up the good work,
Cheers,
Desi

«Sé que los seres humanos y los peces podrán coexistir en paz». ( George W. Bush, Saginaw 29-09-00)

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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Plato says on Nov 11, 2006, 13:35:

Wow! Venezuela! Keep reporting Monpirri1. I appreciate it very much!

I lived there many moons ago. Arepas are awesome over there, but are distinctly different from Paisaland arepas . My favorite is Reina Pepiada.

It’s true about he women. They are absolutely gorgeous and very willing if they find men attractive. They are pretty liberal about sex. Men gotta dance salsa though, and top shelf Scotch is the way to go. On Saturday nights, you’ll rarely find vacancy in the hotels in Caracas unless you plan ahead – people are getting busy! The tascas (Spanish Pubs) are great! They serve a heavy stew before you start drinking – it’s part of the custom.

Caracas is truly cosmopolitan; you’ll find a lot of different people there, especially Europeans.

A word of caution to the men interested in going to Caracas: promiscuity is big time there so be careful. One night stands are frequent especially if you’re having a fabulous time.


Keep ‘em coming Monpirri1. Now I’m going to give my brother a call who lives in one of the suburbs of Caracas.

Cheers!

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

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goin_south says on Nov 11, 2006, 18:35:

Plato Just wondering, from a few things you have written today: Have you been to Colombia? If not, then...

"Tengo mucha compasión para..........PLATO."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

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Plato says on Nov 11, 2006, 21:36:

Gale - No I haven't been to Colombia. I wrote about this in my first post a month ago. I have plenty of family in Medellin and Barranquilla. My family likes to visit the States more so than I wanted to visit Colombia, so that's how I got to know them all. Many times, my family told me not to visit Medellin because it was so bad with the cartel in the 80s. How's that for a motivater? I was told the same again with the in the 90s with the lawless guerillas.

Apparently, jobs and work really suck over there too; companies tend to lay you off before you're vested in anything like pensions. You can give a company 10 to 15 years and all of a sudden you're out of work. I find that terrible.

I've heard all kinds of stories from my family - and they visit Colombia often. Consequently, they're sore that I lived in Venezuela without ever having gone to Colombia. I never cared for Colombia's politics, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. I understand it's different right now.

The stuff I write about and know are from my experiences growing up in a Colombian enclave in Queens, NY, never about Colombia per se. Thus I never make any comments regarding personal experiences from the place.

I know about Colombian culture because it was imported to Queens and so forth. I speak highly of Venezuela and its people because I lived there. If you intimate that one can find similar, if not the same, things in Colombia, well, you can make that judgement, not me. As mentioned previously, I haven't ever been to Colombia, and never felt a dire need to go either. Recently, that feeling has changed.

I know about Colombian women in the States and they are not nearly the same as how they are described in Colombia. Quite frankly, although they are beautiful, I'm not too impressed otherwise. I require a tad more than physical beauty and sex appeal to qualify as a complete package. Someone else here made the same judgement (I forget who) and I agree with him. Maybe that's why Gringos go to Colombia so that they can get them from the source. Apparently, you have gone to Colombia so you can verify. I plan to go next year.

I tell you this: I know for sure that Venezuelan women are the same in the States as they are in Venezuela. I never got a feeling of there being ulterior motives in my dealings with them. They seem to be more balanced - a complete package in my opinion. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Colombian women in the States. And yes, I've known plenty here in the States. I even question the motives of some Colombian women in my family.


So, if not then . . . what? Have you've been to Venezuela and are you from NYC???

Regards,

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

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goin_south says on Nov 11, 2006, 21:54:

Otro curiosidad: If a gringo wishes to marry a lady from Venezuela, is it as difficult? or more, or less, than it is to marry a Colombiana? (and to then live in the EEUU?)

"Tengo mucha compasión para shakira."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

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Plato says on Nov 11, 2006, 21:57:

I suppose it's less difficult for a Gringo to marry a Venezuelan women. It's also less difficult for Venezuelans to travel to the States too. Politics are way different in Venezuela than in Colombia. That shouldn't be that surprising.


Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

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Monpirri says on Nov 12, 2006, 06:25:

Plato I have not seen Reina Pepiada yet? Here is the list from “Caracas de Ayer” restaurant:
Arepas de Atun,
Arepas de Pulpo
Arepas de Bacalo
Arepas de Salpicon de Mariscos
Arepas de Carne mechada
Arepas de Caraotas
Arepas de Pernil
Arepas de Queso and three more arepas with different types of quesos The price ranges from $4,200 Bs to $9,650 Bs Do you remember any of these arepas?
Caracas is an interesting city; very busy from where the site where I work and it’s very pretty around las Mercedes, where the hotel is located. Yep, there are a lot of Europeans here and also quite a few American businesses.
Venezuela, however, has lot of crimes almost daily. I have been watching their local channels and I read "El Nacional" or "El Universal" newspapers. People feel unsecured in many zones or barrios.
Venezuela is lucky though because she does not the MEDIA stalking her about her numerous murder rate or about her daily violence. Venezuela is also lucky because she does not a website where people would gather to post how dangerous the country it is. In essence, because Venezuela does not have to worry too much about what the media says. While the constant pounding of negative information about the country is practically absent, Venezuela has managed to grow in different areas. Last year, for example over 200,000 more new cars were purchased in Venezuela and I have seen also lots of very important constructions going on.

Wave of violent crime sweeps Venezuela
http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2006/04/21/wave_of_violent_crime_sweeps_venezuela/

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Plato says on Nov 12, 2006, 08:12:

Monpirri1,Thank you once Monpirri1,

Thank you once again for your fine journal entries on Venezuela. I look forward to reading about your other visits as well, like Argentina. I have many friends there.

As you demonstrated, the variety of Venezuelan arepas is only limited by the imagination. When I was there, the bolivare was 68 to $1.00 USD. 50,000 Bolivares per month was a good professional salary. The borderline salary was around 25,000. You would be able to live in Baruta with this. I lived in Alto Prado.

Yes Monpirri1, crime is rampant there. There are certain places middle/professional class Venezuelans can’t go to, otherwise they will be in a lot of trouble. As you know, there is a big Dominican enclave. When my Dominican buddies came to visit me from the States, they took me into areas I would never go to by myself. One of these areas was Casalta – a very rough neighborhood. But, since I was with my friends and they had family there – all was fine. My family thought I was nuts going there.

The division between the “well to do” and the poor classes are distinct. For example, Avenida de las Mercedes is an awesome strip and a lot of the middle to upper class “sifrinos” go there to enjoy the pubs. I certainly loved that place. Also, there is El Centro Venezolano-Americano, which is in Las Mercedes where I taught English for a brief period. I also worked in Chacao teaching martial arts to kids at a cultural institute (La Casa de Cultura de Chacao - I wonder if it’s still there??).

I’ve met so many telenovela stars over there too. Do you recall “Cara Sucia” from many years ago? I traveled with her and other models around Venezuela. (My life was splendid back then! Wow! So many beautiful women!) My sister was in the advertising industry.

Try hiking Avila Mountain – it’s a great exercise and a lot of Venezuelans do this on Saturday mornings. There’s a path to the North of the Caracas. Ask someone how to get there.

Look forward to reading you soon!


Warm Regards,

Plato

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those [liberals] who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.--Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321)

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utopiacowboy says on Nov 12, 2006, 08:15:

Actually there are some forums about Venezuela on the web. Here is just one: http://www.perspectives.com/forums/forum40/ I am sure that there are as many idiots on those forums as there are here on PBSH.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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goin_south says on Nov 12, 2006, 12:10:

I'm not so sure I understand, still...about the difficulty In marrying and getting a Colombiana to the USA (as opposed to, 'from other country'). I have thought it was mostly a 'world-wide' effect, from post-9/11 fall-out. Or is this situation so many on PBsH find ourselves in with the long, drawn-out process of moving our beloved to the EEUU, only peculiar to Colombia? and, why? Is is just because of the Drug Thing associated with Colombia?

I am sure it has been said before here, but is not Venezuela also a cocaine-producing nation? I know Peru is, and...Bolivia? So, then is it difficult to get Peruvianas into the USA?

I suppose this deserves another thread, but...I don't think my friend, Count Monpirri will mind (because he is preoccupied with Shakira)

No. No. Not giving up on my Colombiana. Just curious.

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

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Monpirri says on Nov 18, 2006, 04:31:

Galecito Facts of Life...
In Venezuela a bottle of coke or a bottle of water costs more than one Liter of Gasoline. One liter of water costs $1,052 Bolivares and a bottle of coke costs about $1,500 Bs. On the other hand, one liter of gas in Venezuela cost 95 Bs. A car with 40 liters uses an average of $4,000 or $5000 Bs in gas in a week at 97 Bs per liter or about $2.00 USD at week!
Here is the math: $1.00 USD = 2,150 Bs Official exchange
$1.00 USD = 3,000 Bs Black market
I’m still in Caracas but our new site is a city called Valencia, about two or three hours from Caracas and the work site is about two hours away from the beach!! We were unable to find a hotel in Valencia because of the festival season so we are back in Caracas in the same hotel. I guess the next two days we are going to commute from here to over there.

“Let the good times roll!”
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Monpirri says on Nov 24, 2006, 06:19:

Greetings from Barquisimeto, Venezuela I had a great time in Venezuela, today we flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I only have words of praise for Venezuela and its people. Venezuela is a pretty country with thousand of beautiful girls, lots of new autos and very cheap gasoline.
Venezuelans speak highly of Colombia and Colombians and I did not disclose my place of birth when I heard their comments.
There are several Colombian companies in Venezuela and there are high expectations of several Venezuelan companies moving to Colombia to do business from there.

Every citizen I have encountered has been very helpful. Viva La Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela!

Que chevere vale,
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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goin_south says on Nov 24, 2006, 07:05:

que bueno, monpirri Saluda Chavez para mi, tambien.

"Tengo mucha compasión para el loro."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

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Monpirri says on Dec 4, 2006, 01:46:

Vos vistes mi Buenos Aires querido? Buenos Aires is a truly cosmopolitan city; great outdoor cafes, nice shopping centers or stores, lots of fine restaurants, their gastronomic might is very European and Parrilla or asados can be found in almost every restaurant.
We lived for the past week in Buenos Aires newest neighborhood, Puerto Madero, from the Hilton we enjoyed the outdoors walks around the river, few minutes away from downtown. San Telmo the oldest neighborhood, we visited it during the San Telmo fair on Sunday and shop from the street vendors stationed along the street. I had the opportunity to visit or drive by several tourist sites: Florida Street, La Boca, Recoleta, Pink House, Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest highway in the world, the highway has about fourteen or sixteen lanes.
Oh, the weather was ideal since we are in Spring and December 21 the Summer starts. Again, my experience with the Argentinians has been very positive; they are very sociable and helpful.
That’s it for now, we are heading to another site Villa Mercedes and on Wednesday we are going to Chile.

Regards,

Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 5, 2006, 06:56:

sounds like like you're having a great time, monpirri. I thought you were working...I'm just envious, of course. Did you take the same flight with Shaki?

Cheers and enjoy,
Desi

«Sé que los seres humanos y los peces podrán coexistir en paz». ( George W. Bush, Saginaw 29-09-00)

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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Monpirri says on Dec 7, 2006, 13:58:

Desi I am not quite sure what type of work we are doing. I think the contract outlined an IT deployment or a job throughout South America, but yep it seems like a vacation. We travel from city to city, from hotel to hotel (Mostly five stars) from airline to airline.
For instance, when we finished the project in Buenos Aires we were not able to book a flight from Buenos Aires to Villa Mercedes our next site in BA.
We managed to hire a taxi or van to take us to Villa Mercedes in la Provincia de San Luis. Pedro our driver was recommended by the Hotel's front Desk so we hired him to drive us to Villa Mercedes. He picked us up after work and drove us to Villa Mercedes, about 750 kilometers or about 10 or 11 hours. We arrived at the Amerian Palace Hotel Casino www.amerian.com in Villa Mercedes around 4:00 a.m and got up at 7:00 a.m. to go to work at 8:00 in the morning. We finished the project in one day around 5:00 p.m drove back to Buenos Aires via San Miguel, Cordoba, Santa Fe and finally Buenos Aires Provincia. It was very pleasant to drive along all these Provincias and see all the green scenery during the day. We stopped by La Parrilla an outdoor restaurant along the road. This type of restaurant must to had been our 100th restaurants since restaurant that sell parrilla are very popular in Argentina!

We arrived at the Airport in Buenos Aires around 3:30 p.m checked in at Airport in and took off at 5:30 p.m. via Air Canada to Santiago de Chile. We arrived last night in Santiago and today we just got off from work.
Tomorrow is a holiday in Chile, thanks goodness we are off. On Saturday we are planning to visit Viña de Mar and Valparaiso and we are planning to eat all the fish from the ocean, Sunday we flight to Peru. Unfortunately, Ecuador has been cancelled from our list because another group of engineers are doing it. We will finish in Peru in one week! I am debating to stay in Colombia for Christmas and return to the states in January. What do you recommend? Should I continue with this nightmare?

If anyone is interested in hiring Pedro’s services, a guide and transportation in Buenos Aries and surrounding areas, contact Pedro at: pedzac at hotmail.com or aptraslados at yahoo.com.ar. He is very knowledge about the country, travel sites, Argentinean history, culinary, etc, etc. His wife owns a tourist agency in Buenos Aires

Regards,

Monpirri

P.S. When we arrived on Saturday in Buenos Aires, Shakira was in Buenos Aires one day before or Friday and she performed until Saturday. We almost flew together.

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Monpirri says on Dec 10, 2006, 22:29:

Chile a great wine producer among other things I found Chile very similar to Argentina, both countries have a significant European influences, but Chile has a very stable and healthy economy and consequently you see numerous Chileans visiting Argentina. Chile is expensive and Argentina is cheap. I also met in Viña del Mar Argentineans from Medoza visiting the beach. Viña del Mar is close to Mendoza, Argentina.
Chile also has lots of new cars on the road and they are planning t retire all the semi-old buses by the beginning of next year.

About Chilean gastronomy, unfortunately, I was not able to pinpoint their cuisine during my brief visit. I did see however the Chileans empanadas in some restaurants, I become familiar with Chilean empanadas when I was a resident of the state of New Jersey. Their empanadas are also delicious!
Chilean gastronomy was almost not present in the restaurants that I visited. Then again, I did not have much time to go and scout out different restaurants. On two different restaurants I asked for the local beer and the waiter proudly brought me Kunstmann, a beer with a German name. I was lucky I met Tania who is a proud Chilean and told me about all the great Chilean cooking and the seafood business, in one restaurant she gladly pointed to me a local beer and I gladly ordered it. Chile is the second largest producer of salmon in the world. I guess will return to Chile when I have more time and will try the cooking I missed and visit the places I was not able to do so.

Upon our arrival in Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, we got ripped off in Chile. Inside the Airport we were approached by two or three taxi hustlers and we agreed to their fee and left the airport with them. I should have remembered Podborski’s advice, do Not book a taxi indoors, go outside! The con artists and ultimately the driver charged us 50,000 Chilean pesos from the Airport to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santiago. Later, we found out the cost of the trip is around 10,000 to 12,000 Chilean pesos.

On the way back from the beach to Santiago, a Chilean person who was sitting next to me on the bus chatted with me for about an hour about the US and Chile and he showed me during the journey several viñas along the way on both sides of the road. I must to have seen 5 or 7 grape fields where wine is produced. It was a very pretty scenery also.
Chile is so European, according to the Chilean friend riding with us in the bus, the Chilean Army wears the same look of uniform as the German Army uniform. The Navy and the Air Force are the same as the English military. Chile has a strong relationship with England way back many years ago. In fact, in the South of Chile there is a large German community and there are also large British communities in Chile. He also shared the fact, that Chileans can visit England without any problems and British can also visit Chile without any hassles. I now realized why our Project Manager who is from England upon our arrival to the Chilean Airport he went straight through Customs without any problems! We, American citizens, on the other hand, were held back and were told to go to back to a window and pay $100 USD per person; it is called the reciprocity fee.

As I watch the evening news, I say we were lucky that we left Santiago on Sunday morning because our hotel was located in midtown downtown on Ave Liberator O'Higgins or Alameda. Alameda Avenue has been closed due to the violent clashes between police and Pinochet opponents who set up fire barricades.

Regards,
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Dec 10, 2006, 23:58:

You'd be surprised if you met the local Chilean community here in Sweden how little they resemble us Europeans in everything. I know that they claim much European ancestry, the same with Argentinians, but really, not really. I recently spent hours with a very drunk Chilean at a party who was weighed down by the memory of having grown up in one of the German colonies and had a deep trauma because of the sombre inheritance of his father's Nazi past. I have plenty of Chilean co-workers and for the most part we get along great, but I've never met a group of compatriots that intrigue against each others more, not even Colombians in exile are capable of so much pot stirring.

Now, about the Chilean Spanish: I've met Chileans who are very well spoken but the majority of them who live here in exile speak a very strange dialect: every other word ends in -po (sipo, nopo) and every fifth word is related with egg. (Huevon). Plus that they speak very fast and with a strange rising and falling intonation.

Great wines, though!

Cheers,
Desi

«Sé que los seres humanos y los peces podrán coexistir en paz». ( George W. Bush, Saginaw 29-09-00)

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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Monpirri says on Dec 11, 2006, 17:00:

As usual you are right I do not know why some people from some countries prefer to be from another place rather than be from their own place of birth.
That's the reason some countries are losing their culture, traditions, folklore and gastronomy!
So far I am very impressed with Peru, I will tell you a little bit more about it perhaps tomorrow because I am getting a bit stressed out because I'm reaching the end of the tour and I do not have much time to book a flight ASAP to Bogotá.

Regards,
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Monpirri says on Dec 15, 2006, 05:53:

Perú leads in promoting their home cooking. In my brief visit throughout South America I was able to find out a little bit about the gastronomy in four countries. Among Argentina, Chile and Venezuela, Perú is the leader in proudly advertising their home cuisine and it's very easy to find a restaurant that cooks Peruvian in downtown.
The first thing I did when I arrived at the hotel was to ask the front desk assistant for a good Peruvian restaurant, the gentleman immediately produced a brochure and gladly gave it to me. I walked outside and grabbed the taxi waiting outside.
The taxi driver was happy that I was heading to a Peruvian restaurant to try their cooking. Well, it was not my first time that I was trying their dishes from this country because I used to live in New Jersey at one time. The taxi driver amicably told me that at one time in Perú used to be a lot of foreigner chefs but now all the chefs are all Peruvians.
El Señorio de Sulco restaurant, Malecón Cisneros 1470 (Final Av. Pardo) Miraflores, Lima – Perú (511) 441 0183/441 0389 www.senoriodesulco.com. At El Señorio del Sulco restaurant a warm and helpful lady escorted me to the second floor. There, the magnificent displayed of Peruvian Buffet was awaiting and the girl who serves the buffet. She explained each dish on the buffet with great ease and answered all my questions with an appreciative smile.
I tried, again, the best known and most popular Peruvian dish, ceviche de pescado and I also tried for the firs time ceviche mixto, (fish ceviche and mixed seafood ceviche) arroz con mariscos, (rice with seafood) lomo saltado (a dish of Chinese influence), papa a la huancaína, chicha of purple corn and pico sour. Bread was served with three different type of butter; herb, olives, and corn butter.

Peruvian restaurants had an ad campaign from December 4 thru December 10th Semana de la Anchoveta or Week of Anchovies. They were promoting a new gourmet dish, anchovies ceviche! I tried the tiny sample, less than one sixteenth of a teaspoonful.
The new delicatessen Ceviche of anchovies has also a good potential in the table. No, I did not try the coca ice cream for dessert, I did not know they have it until I checked their website.
Perú deserves a high five for their great efforts in promoting 200% their home cooking.

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Monpirri says on Dec 21, 2006, 07:57:

Memories of South America Well, my Vivitar digital camera was stolen at Simon Bolivar Airport in Caracas, Venezuela.

Top:Tamanaco Intercontinental in Caracas, Venezuela



Simon Bolivar was born in this house.

Valdivia, Chile

The best of Peruvian cuisine

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Qubo says on Dec 21, 2006, 10:55:

Monpirri1,
Thanks for Monpirri1,

Thanks for sharing..great pics..wow, that hotel in venezuela looks fabulous...now i want to go to venezuela..how much is it a night?

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Monpirri says on Dec 21, 2006, 12:07:

Qubo You are welcome.
I am glad you liked the pictures. I do not know how much they paid. The IT company got a special discount maybe around $150 per night?
You can email them and find out: caracas at interconti.com

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Monpirri says on Dec 23, 2006, 05:01:

When in Venezuela If you ever need a taxi driver when visiting Venezuela, call Jorge he's very professional and honest person and he was born in Colombia. He lives with his wife in Valencia, Venezuela for several years.
I just found the note where I wrote his info.
Jorge "George" Tel. # 0414 430 9320 taverahj at hotmail.com He has a large brand new Ford SUV big enough to accommodate three people with a lots of luggage. The majority of the taxis over there are very small for passengers with several pieces of luggage. His fees are very modest, much cheaper than the average taxi driver.

Cheers,
Monpirri

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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Monpirri says on Jan 13, 2007, 03:16:

What' s up with the video commercials... Video commercials are popping up on the top of a story. I just saw one, A look at Joan Jett’s Journey.
I have to admit I like the song “I love Rock & Roll”

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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