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ADDRESSES These are nearly always written with the name only
followed by the street number - thus, San Martín 2443; the only
exception is with avenues, where the abbreviation Av. or Avda. appears
before the avenue name - thus, Av. San Martín 2443. Pasajes (Pje.) and
Bulevares (Bv.) are far less commonplace. The relatively rare
abbreviation c/ for calle ("street"), is used only to avoid confusion in
a city which has streets named after other cities: thus c/Tucumán 564,
Salta or c/Salta 1097, Tucumán. If the name is followed by s/n ( sin
número ), it means the building is numberless, frequently the case in
small villages and for larger buildings such as hotels or town halls; we
do not include the s/n abbrevation in the addresses we list. Sometimes
streets whose names have been officially changed continue to be referred
to by their former names, even in written addresses. In most cities,
blocks or cuadras go up in 100s, making it relatively easy to work out
on a map where house no. 977 or a restaurant at no. 2233 is located.
BARGAINING There is no real tradition of haggling, although you can
always try it when buying pricey artwork, antiques, etc. Expensive
services such as excursions and car rental are obvious candidates for
bargaining sessions while hotel room rates can be beaten down, off
season, late at night or if you're paying cash ( efectivo ). But try and
be reasonable, especially in the case of already low-priced crafts or
high-quality goods and services that are obviously worth every centavo.
CONSULATES A very large number of countries from all five
continents have embassies in Buenos Aires, mostly in the Barrio Norte,
but in the provinces few countries maintain consulates. In the big
provincial capitals you'll find diplomatic missions representing some
other South American countries, along with those European countries with
large communities in Argentina, especially Italy, Spain, Germany and
Switzerland, plus the Netherlands.
EARTHQUAKES Seismic activity is very much a reality in western
and, to a lesser extent, in northwestern Argentina, since the Andes lie
along one of the world's most unstable fault lines. Some of the planet's
strongest ever quakes have hit the cities of San Juan and Mendoza over
the last hundred and fifty years. Since then all buildings have been
quake-proofed. It's unlikely that you'll find yourself in a violent
tremor but, if ever you do, the first rule is not to panic. Don't use
lifts or rush out into the street, whatever you do - this is how most
injuries and fatalities are caused. Electricity supplies are programmed
to go down if the quake is over five on the Richter scale.
ELECTRICITY 220V/50Hz is standard throughout the country. The
sockets are two-pronged with round pins, but are different to the two-pin
European plugs. Adapters will probably be needed and can be bought at a
string of electrical shops along Calle Talcahuano, in Buenos Aires; some
but not all of the multi-adaptors on sale at airports will do the trick,
so check the instructions.
HOMOSEXUALITY The word that best sums up the attitude to gay men
and lesbians in Argentina is ambivalence. Discreet relationships are
quite well tolerated, but in this overwhelmingly Roman Catholic nation
any "deviance", including any explicit physical contact between members
of the same sex (let alone transvestism or overtly intimate behaviour)
will be almost universally disapproved of, to say the least. Violent
manifestations of homophobia are rare, however, especially now that the
Church and the military have less influence on mores. Gay and lesbian
associations are springing up in the major cities, notably in Buenos
Aires, where nightlife and meeting places are increasingly open, but
rural areas still do their best to act as if homosexuality doesn't exist.
The same goes for even the most liberal-minded parents and, in this
country where psychotherapy has become a pseudo-religion, don't be
surprised to see analysts and "parapsychologists" advertising their
"cures" - even in gay magazines. Arbitrary decisions by the mysterious
but powerful National Media Commission in recent months have resulted in
raids at the offices of NX , the main gay and lesbian magazine (on sale
in kiosks in downtown Buenos Aires and other big cities), because it
printed pictures of "two men dangerously close to each other".
LAUNDRY Most towns and cities have a plentiful supply of
laundries ( lavanderías or lavaderos ), especially since not everyone
has a washing machine. Laverap is a virtually nationwide chain of
laundries and is mostly dependable. Some of them also do dry-cleaning,
though you may have to go to a tintorería . Self-service places are
almost unheard of; you normally give your name and leave your washing to
pick it up later. Laundry is either charged by weight or itemized, but
rates are not excessive, especially compared with the high prices
charged by hotels. Furthermore, the quality is good and the service is
usually quick and reliable. One important word of vocabulary to know is
planchado (ironed).
PHOTOGRAPHY Photographic film is not cheap and black-and-white
and fast films, especially slides, are not always easy to lay your hands
on, though standard film, of all brands, is widespread and reliable.
Since fast film is recommended in places like the altiplano, bring a
plentiful supply with you, and the same goes for all camera spares and
supplies, which sell for exorbitant prices here even in the rare duty-free
zones. Developing and printing are usually of high quality but are also
quite expensive; slides aren't processed in that many places and black-and-white
film won't always be accepted - outside Buenos Aires the situation is
extremely erratic. A constant, how ever, is that you should watch out
where you take photos: sensitive border areas and all military
installations, including many civilian airports, are camera no-go areas,
so keep an eye out for signs and take no risks.
STUDENT CARDS These are not as useful as they can be in some
countries, as museums and the like often refuse to give student
discounts. Some bus companies, however, do give a 10-15 percent discount
for holders of ISIC cards, as do certain hotels, laundries and outdoor
gear shops, and even one or two ice-cream parlours. ASATEJ, Argentina's
student travel agency, issues a booklet that lists partners throughout
the country. The international student card often suffices for a
discount at youth hostels in the country, though membership of the Youth
Hostelling Association may entitle you to even lower rates.
TELEPHONE JACKS Argentina uses international standard telephone
jacks (the same as those used in the USA), compatible with all standard
fax and email connections.
TIME DIFFERENCES After some confusing experiments with daylight
saving and even different time zones within the country, Argentina now
applies a standard time throughout the year, nationwide: three hours
behind GMT.
TIPPING Apart from the odd rounding up of taxi fares, for example,
tipping is not common in Argentina. Restaurant bills increasingly
include a percentage for service but any extra gratuity ( propina ) is
discretionary. That said, Porteños have always traditionally tipped when
eating or drinking out - recent austerity seems to have killed that
custom off, or at least curtailed it.
TOILETS Occasionally central city squares include public toilets
among their facilities, but otherwise public toilets or baños (men:
caballeros, hombres, varones or señores ; women: damas, mujeres or
señoras ), are very few and far between. The toilets in modern shopping
malls tend to be spick and span and are often the best place to head for.
In bars and cafés the toilets are usually of an acceptable standard and
not all establishments insist that you buy a drink, though you may be
made to feel you should (the legal position is unclear). It's worth
knowing that toilet paper (carry your own), hot water and soap ( jabón )
are often missing. In bus stations, airports and large shops there is
often an attendant who keeps the toilets clean and dispenses toilet
paper ( papel higiénico ), sometimes for a small fee, usually $0.50.
Note that, in rural areas or small towns, toilet paper must often be
left in a bin rather than flushed down the pan, to avoid blocking the
narrow pipes. |
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