After missing the fourth car deal (don’t worry, we’ve got a fifth lined up :), we decided to get out of this city oven with temperatures close to 40 degrees. The destination was determined by the weather forecast and the only sub-30 place within a 24h bus ride range was Mar del Plata, so there we went.

Not to take chances with Ken’s neck, we took the slightly more expensive Suite class in the bus. Remembering every bus ride during school or going skiing as an eternal, painful journey, where people are piled like sardines and then started smelling like them too, I was prepared for the worst. However, they could have called our seats Royal Suite, or travel-like-a-baby Suite, because it was just amazing! We had our own bed! 180 degrees flat. And we slept like babies.

Before we left Buenos Aires, we did have a rather strange experience. Walking aimlessly around town to kill time until the nightbus, we decided to catch a movie in the main shopping district. Then a police car drove through the busy pedestrian street and then another. People didn’t seem to notice, but the shop attenders did, and suddenly all shops closed up and pulled down their railings withing 2 minutes. Informing what was going on, they told me not to worry, it’s only a precaution. Apparently some looting was reported a few blocks away and these shop owners did not want to take any chances. We went in the cinema not knowing what to find when we walked out.

This story describes well the economic situation here at the moment. Inflation is very high and confidence in the Argentinian pesos dropping. Within two weeks, we saw the informal exchange rate drop from 8.8 to 9.5 per dollar (the official is around 6.3). Imports are very expensive or prohibited (like for my guitar). All of this makes people nervous, especially during the Christmas season where presents are expected. Most people keep working, I guess it’s not their first crisis. Because the Argentinians are such nice people, I wish them the best of luck.