Driving lessons in Buenos Aires.

(The following contains mature subject matter and may not be suitable for some audiences).
Lessons learned while riding the incredibly affordable cabs in BA.
1.Rules are generally to be ignored. By being different from everyone else, you risk injury.
Traffic lites are considered rules.
Painted lanes on streets are ill advised guidelines.
Using turn signals is just a rule.
Using head lites at nite is another silly rule.
Having any space between you and the next vehicle, is a dangerous rule, as another car will slip in.
2.Slowing down at uncontrolled intersections indicates a lack of manhood. If you are in control of a motorcycle this means you must accelerate on approaching such intersections. If you are a taxi, you also accelerate, but you do give way, to other taxis, if you see them.
3. Use of more than one hand, (which means having more than three fingers) on the steering wheel, shows that you are getting too old to navigate quickly. Other indicators of this are any use of gears lower than 3rd or 4rth and/or speeds lower than 55 in heavy traffic, including approaching red traffic lites. Such colors are meant to be ignored with full gusto. They will change.
4. Motorcycles are detested by all, but most of all by taxis, and second by buses. To reduce the m/c numbers it is important to play a full speed game of chicken with them. This involves a rapid approach and attempt to touch their back wheel with your bumper as they weave in and out of heavy traffic. If no m/c are around, it is accepted for taxis to practice the same with buses. Buses are also part of the game, lets cut in front of a vehicle as close as we can to their bumper while they are not looking. This works better if you do not own the taxi you are driving as few win this game. We saw similar behavior by water skiers who cut right in front on our catamaran on the River Delta cruise.. Obviously off duty cabbies.
5. Pedestrians can walk across a street anytime there is a break in traffic. The pedestrian defines what constitutes a ¨break¨, in some instances we have seen this to be as small as a change in attention.
6. At the sign of any holdup in forward motion, always hit the horn immediately and repeatedly. That is what your other hand does when it is not out the window gesticulating. We some some old school drivers who would use one of the three fingers on the wheel to also operate the horn. For left hand gesticulation, only one finger receives any significant use, the rest are along for support.

As a passenger we were grateful for our training in aircraft crashes, as we just usually bent over our knees, with our hands over our heads during our usually brief rides. It is cautioned that if you must look, the side window is best, as a forward view will usually cause you to revisit what you had for your last meal. This is not recommended as a weight reduction scheme.

March 10. BA- Tigre and the River Platte.
When you first see this river you know its wide, since you can not see the other side on a clear day. Somewhere over there across this sea of reddy muddy water is Uruguay. We satisfied my need for Choripan (their pork hot dog) on the side of the river, where boats were sailing (as long as they drew less than 3 ft- else they were dredging) The pier had lots of fishermen, eager for a catch. I could never eat anyting out of this river. Then off to Tigre, the river delta, on a tourist train (ie, air conditioned) that visits very attractive suburbs, but not quickly as the engineers were working to rule. A legacy of the Peronś is a very strong union system and their incredible work ethic…bite me.

At, Tigre we took a catamaran and followed a lazy 90 minute tour. This delta is immense, cut by innumerable channels into thousands of islands. Its settled either by rowing clubs ( Ie RVYC style) or personal villas, mansions, and golf courses. Picture antebellum style, big lawns, huge trees and lushness. There are huge channels and then some only a canoe = two man rowing skull, can get through. There are thousands and thousands of islands and places. You could put all of the Fraser Delta into one tiny corner of this area. This has become prime real estate since the economic crisis, because travel is just so expensive now.
And the channels are full of catamarans, canoes, row boats, big and bigger power cruisers, all wood fast bus-ferries- looking like they were built in the thirties. Its said criminals just disappear into the delta and the police quit looking for them.
Our return to BA saw us at Porte Moderne. A testimony that not everyone suffers in an economic crisis. Local investors took over abandoned custom houses in 1998, and created a new urban area, and a fortune. Terry Hui would have done well here! We settled into some serious rib eye steak for about 10 dollars. Just the best beef, yet again. Home before sunrise.

Mar 9. Recolta cemetary and craft fair. On Saturdays at Recoleta Plaza is this huge handicraft fair. So after we strolled through San Telmo (which has their market on Sunday) savoring the tango atmosphere, it was off to Recoleta Cemetery for the token visit to the tomb of Evita. This evokes memories of New Orleans cemetery, but on much grander scale. A site not to be missed. Lots art and majesty on tombs.
The craft fair was full of the most wonderous things from all over Argentina. It’s a carnival atmosphere, with locals, tourists all jumbled together. One rule, if the price is not marked, it is expensive. Again in a city full of people, they never seem crowded. BA deserves its place as a very livable city. Much more so than Vancouver.
No matter who we meet, when we say we are from Vancouver, the answer is always¨That is such a beautiful city¨. Its too bad we are so short sighted not to make it more livable. Easy walking districts, alfresco dining, less reliance on cars, lots of good value eateries and cafes etc. But we are also too juvenile in our approach to alcohol. For many, one glass of wine or one drink is all they have here. I have yet to see anyone who has drunk too much.
Cabs are everywhere and very cheap. Gas is 60 cents a litre, thanks to Chavez. Things are dirty, but the air and sky are clear. No grit in the air. 500 yrs of civilization does achieve something we lack.

Business reality in Argentina. We met two younger BA residents on board. Hercules Lombard and Monica Aares. Hercules is an Afrikaans from South Africa, who traveled as soon as apartheid was dropped in S.Africa. He met Monica when he hit BA while looking for a room. Monica has a low cost hotel (pension). Once they met, his traveling days were over.
They shared the business challenges they face. BA has suffered through 2 economic crisis’s in the past years. Most of the middle class had their savings and equity wiped out. For Monica this means that employees see no hope except in gaming the system.One example is that they work about a year and then do their best to get fired. They receive one month pay as severance. Then they go to the labor board and lie that they worked perhaps 20 years. Hercules and Monica have not won a case like this yet. Monica went back to school and passed her bar exam, to at least reduce the legal bills.
Another issue is finding good employees, ones who will take any responsibility. They have tried many things including importing workers from Europe. However the imports soon figure out the rules and the game is played again.

Recolta cemetery and craft fair. On Saturdays at Recoleta Plaza is this huge handicraft fair. So after we strolled through San Telmo (which has their market on Sunday) savoring the tango atmosphere, it was off to Recoleta Cemetery for the token visit to the tomb of Evita. This evokes memories of New Orleans cemetery, but on grander scale. A site not to be missed. Lots art and majesty on tombs.
The craft fair was full of the most wondrous things from all over Argentina. Its a carnival atmosphere, with locals, tourists all jumbled together. One rule, if the price is not marked, it is expensive. Again in a city full of people, they never seem crowded. BA deserves its place as a very livable city. Much more so than Vancouver.
No matter who we meet, when we say we are from Vancouver, the answer is always¨That is such a beautiful city¨. Its too bad we are so short sighted not to make it more livable. Easy walking districts, alfresco dining, less reliance on cars. Lots of eateries and cafes etc. But we are also too juvenile in our approach to alcohol. For many, one glass of wine or one drink is all they have here. I have yet to see anyone who has drunk too much.
Cabs are everywhere and very cheap. Gas is 60 cents a liter, thanks to Chavez. Things are dirty, but the air and sky are clear. No grit in the air.