A Gringo in Buenos Aires » Hacking Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires: How Not to Get Robbed (Part Two)

Tim Gringo in BA — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:00:33 +0000

(In Part Two of this guide, we look at ‘the squirt’ and at muggings and shakedowns. Enjoy!)

The squirt

The squirt is really just pick pocketing with a specific misdirection technique, but it’s become so common that we will give it a section all of its own.

The squirt usually works like this: a perp comes up to the victim and spills or squirts something onto their clothes, often onto their back where they won’t notice it right away. If the perp is being observed, they’ll make it look like an accident. The substance is usually food: mustard; chocolate milk, tomato sauce or something similar. This is the first step.

Next either the same perp or their accomplice approaches the victim, if necessary points out the stain, and offers to help clean it off, maybe in a nearby bathroom. The victim is highly distracted by the unexpected mess on their clothes, and by the process of trying to get cleaned up, making it very easy for the perp to pick pocket the victim while they’re doing so.

How not to fall victim to the squirt:

If you’re out in public at a tourist spot and you suddenly find that something has been spilled on you, remember that it probably wasn’t an accident. Forget about trying to get it cleaned up right away. Keep your hand on your wallet, get out of the area fast, and definitely don’t accept help from any strangers. Also, be wary of anyone doing a bad impersonation of a tourist, as often the perp in this type of scam will pretend to be one in order to deflect suspicion.

Muggings and shakedowns

It would be good (or at least better) if the only robberies in Buenos Aires were of the pick pocketing / bag snatching type, but unfortunately muggings and shakedowns – where violence or the threat of violence is used – do occur. Usually they happen at night and in quiet areas so that the victim won’t be able to get help, but daytime muggings in busy areas can and do occur.

How not to get mugged:

Make yourself a smaller target. Muggers pick victims who look rich, so don’t wear clothes that mark you out as foreign and/or a tourist. That means no cargo pants, no flip-flops or sandals, no expensive hiking clothes, no trendy daypacks, no sunglasses and none of those dorky short-sleeved shirts.

Never stop to talk to strangers in the street, as a lot of muggings start this way. Forget about being polite – muggers will use your instinct to be polite against you. If someone starts talking to you (even if it’s only to ask the time) just smile, shake your head and keep walking.

Replace your Rolex with a cheap Casio, your Blackberry with a budget Nokia, your Fendi handbag with a replica, your iPod with a generic MP3 player, and your Apple MacBook Pro with an Asus netbook. You can never totally remove your risk of getting mugged, but you can make sure that you won’t lose anything of significant value if you do.

The above advice works well for most people. But what do you do if you’re a keen photographer with expensive DLSR gear? Camera gear is a prime target for thieves, but you can’t leave your camera at home (that would sort of defeat the purpose), you can’t conceal it if you want to use it, and when you’re looking through the viewfinder you’re distracted from what’s going on around you.

So – here’s how not to get mugged if you’re a photographer:

-Consider swapping your DSLR for an old second-hand film camera that isn’t worth stealing. Getting film directly processed to digital files is relatively inexpensive in Buenos Aires, and you might discover (or rediscover) a love of film.
-Find a friend to shoot with. Muggers prefer lone victims, and while one of you is shooting, the other can keep an eye out for shady characters.
-If you can’t find a friend to shoot with and you can’t bear not to use your regular gear, do this:
Comprehensively insure your camera gear against theft and accidental breakage;
-Transfer your images from your memory cards to your laptop and/or storage device at the end of each and every day so that if you get robbed you lose only a day’s worth of images; and
When you’re shooting in public places, loosen your camera strap enough so that you can wear it across your body and still get the viewfinder up to your eye. This won’t help if you get mugged, but it will prevent someone from snatching your camera and running (or riding) away.

Finally

Don’t let this guide scare you. Although robberies do occur, Buenos Aires is a relatively safe city but it is always good to be prepared. Like in all big cities, keep your head up, be aware of your surroundings, walk with confidence and you will be fine!

Buenos Aires: How Not to Get Robbed (Part One)

Tim Gringo in BA — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Buenos Aires is, unfortunately, a pretty easy city to get robbed in. Shock! I know. It’s quite a revelation. The number of expat or tourist forum and blog posts dedicated to the topic is pretty staggering; you’d think that every single foreigner who ever set foot in Buenos Aires had been robbed at least once.

That’s undoubtedly not the case, but still there’s no denying that the thieves in Buenos Aires are both plentiful and good at their jobs. In 2006, then-First Daughter Barbara Bush was robbed while eating at a restaurant in San Telmo (her purse and cell phone were stolen) despite being surrounded by a detail of Secret Service agents. You just have to respect those kinds of skills!

Anyway, in this article we’ll take a look at the five most common ways for people to get robbed in Buenos Aires, and for each give you a plan so that it won’t happen to you (or so that your losses will be minimal if it does.

Pick pocketry

For as long as people have had pockets there have been pickpockets. Picking pockets is popular because it’s non-violent, doesn’t create a scene, and usually there’s plenty of time for the perpetrator to get away if they don’t pull it off.

Like magic, pick pocketing often relies on misdirection. In other words, you don’t notice that a hand is going into your pocket and your wallet is coming out because your attention is on something else.

Pickpockets, particularly less skilled ones, often operate in crowded areas such as markets and on trains and buses. In a crowded environment you won’t think it’s weird if someone jostles you – which is a misdirection technique (you don’t feel the hand in your pocket because you’re focusing on the fact that someone is trying to push past you).

Pickpockets often carry a jacket or a newspaper with then so that they can cover one arm and hide what they’re doing from other people.

Note that while it’s called pick pocketing, often the target is your handbag or the front pocket of your backpack.

Here’s how not to get pick pocketed:

-In places like markets, on trains and buses, at subte stations, and any other commercial area where there’s a crowd, be on your guard. Whenever you’re in a crowd, keep one hand on your wallet/money and the other covering the zipper of your bag. If you wear a backpack or messenger bag, bring it around to the front of your body when you’re on the bus or subte.
-Don’t carry your wallet in the back pocket of pants or jeans unless they close with a button AND you’re in the habit of doing that button up (it’s easy to forget). It’s much better to use the front pockets of pants or jeans, inner pockets of jackets, and the breast pockets on shirts. Whenever you put your wallet or cash into a pocket, think about how hard or easy it would be for someone to pick pocket you, and move it if necessary.
-For maximum security, get a wallet with a chain that attaches to a belt loop. Or, carry a dummy wallet with fake/cancelled credit cards and a minimal amount of cash in an obvious pocket, and stash your real cards and money in a more secure pocket.

The ride-by

The ride-by is a hugely popular way to rob people in Buenos Aires. It works like this: the victim is walking along on a reasonably quiet sidewalk. They’re either talking on their cell phone or swinging a handbag. Suddenly the perp rides up from behind on a bicycle or moto, snatches the goodies, and rides off. He has transport, so there’s no way the victim will catch the perp even if they react fast enough.

The thieves who use motos are known locally as ‘motochorros’ and bicycles ‘bici-chorros.’ Note that if a moto is used the ride-by is often a two-man job: one to steer and one to grab the stuff.

Here’s how you beat the ride-by:

-When walking and carrying a handbag, wear it across your body so that it’s impossible to wrench off your arm.
-Walk nearer to the building than the road-side of the sidewalk, and keep handbags and phones on the building side of your body.
-If you insist on using a cell phone that you can’t afford to lose, never take it out of your pocket in public; use a cheap hands-free kit (not a Bluetooth headset) instead.

The café snatch

The café snatch is simplicity itself: the victim is sitting down at a café (or a bar or restaurant), perhaps at an outdoor table, and the perp grabs the victim’s handbag, backpack or laptop and runs off. By the time the victim gets up and starts to give chase, the perp is long gone.

One reason that the café snatch works is that the perp has plenty of time to plan what they’re going to do from a discreet distance, and the other reason is that the victim is sitting down and distracted (eating, drinking, talking to a friend, surfing the internet, people-watching etc.).

Here’s how not to be a victim of the café snatch:

-If you have a handbag with you at a café, keep it in your lap while you’re sitting down.
-If you have a bag that’s too large for your lap, or if you have to put your handbag on the ground, put your leg through a straps so that the strap it’s resting somewhere above your knee, or use the clips that some places have under the tables.
-If you want to use your laptop at a café, sit inside (never outside) and choose a quiet corner where it would be hard for someone to snatch it and run off. Or go to Starbucks instead (they have security guards).

(Guide continued in Part Two)

Photographing the Obelisk of Buenos Aires

Tim Gringo in BA — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:00:59 +0000

If you’re reading this, then chances are you have at least a passing interest in photography: very few people leave home and travel half-way around the globe without wanting to capture their new environment. After all, how will you impress the folks back home without photographs of your new and exotic surroundings?

Photographing Buenos Aires is a little bit tricky though. Sure, there’s stuff like tango, the dog walkers in Recoleta, the colorful houses of La Boca, and that most classic photo of all – you, about to eat a huge steak – but there’s no grand vista, no easy-to-capture skyline that sums the city up in one shot. The only instantly recognizable physical landmark that Buenos Aires has is the Obelisk, and that’s pretty hard to get a good shot of. Shooting it from ground level on Avenida 9 de Julio just doesn’t do it justice: you’ll have to point your camera up at it and it’ll look like it’s falling over backwards in the photos.

The far better alternative is to get a photo of the Obelisk from the top floor of the Panamericano Hotel, located just a few doors down from the Plaza de la República at Carlos Pellegrini 551. You don’t even have to be staying at the hotel! (That’s a good thing, it looks really expensive!)

For best results, aim to get to the top of the Panamericano around late afternoon so that you can catch the sunset. It’s also a great idea to take a little tripod so that you can support your camera and take a shot with a slow shutter speed without getting “camera shake” (flash ain’t going to help).

Here’s how you do it: go to the hotel and stride confidently through the large lobby to the elevators. If anyone asks you what you’re doing just say quiero ver la vista desde el piso superior (I want to see the view from the top floor). They’ll wave you on. Summon an elevator and ride it to the top floor, which is the 23rd.

On the 23rd floor of the Panamericano is a “Fitness & Mineral Spa” with a glassed-in pool. When you get to the top floor, explain to the staff at the desk immediately in front of you that you want to see the view (they speak perfect English). You’ll have to leave ID at the front desk and they’ll also let you know that you’re obligated to buy at least one drink from the juice bar next to the pool (you can get beer, but be warned that it’s the most expensive Quilmes in the city!).

The staff at the front desk will ask to see your camera. If you have a digital SLR they might comment on it, as they seem to have a policy against allowing people with ‘professional’ cameras to access the roof terrace area, but as long as you stress that you’re not a professional they’ll let you go on.

Ok! Now you can walk beside the pool to the outdoor roof terrace area and photograph the Obelisk for as long as you like! The view is absolutely spectacular – along with the Obelisk and Avenida 9 de Julio you can also see Teatro Colón, Palacio Barolo, out to the Rio de la Plata and much more. If you’re leaving Buenos Aires soon, it’s a great thing to do on your last day in the city.

(The photo that illustrates this article was taken with a Canon 40D digital SLR and a Canon 10-22mm lens at 14mm.)

Hacking Argentine Air Travel: Fly For Cheap

Tim Gringo in BA — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:13:02 +0000

Anyone living in Buenos Aires is going to want to take at least a couple of trips inside Argentina during their stay and will want them to be cheap. The two big destinations are of course Iguazú Falls in the north of the country, and Patagonia in the south – towns like El Calafate, Bariloche, Ushuaia and Puerto Madryn. These places are absolutely unmissable.

Argentina is a big country though, so how are you going to get there? Bus? That might work if you have: a) a penchant for suffering; b) a healthy supply of Valium, and c) an entire day (or more) to waste, but otherwise it’s a terrible option. Puerto Iguazú is a 17 hour journey from Buenos Aires by bus, Bariloche is 19 hours, and Ushuaia? You’ll need to block out a lazy 50 hours in your diary for that one.

Let’s face it, you’re flying. In Argentina you have two choices for internal flights: Aerolíneas Argentinas and LanChile.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting: you probably already know that residents of Argentina flying domestically get discounted fares due to government subsidies. The differences are quite substantial, as the following breakdown of prices on LanChile flights from Buenos Aires to popular Argentine destinations in shows:

* Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, return, cheapest available fare, with taxes.

As a non-resident: US$ 355.95.

As a resident: US$ 197

Difference: $158.95

* Buenos Aires to Iguazú, return, cheapest available fare, with taxes.

As a non-resident: US$329.40.

As a resident: US$159

Difference: $170.40.

* Buenos Aires to El Calafate, return, cheapest available fare, with taxes.

As a non-resident: US$336.

As a resident: US$164.

Difference: $172.

As you can see, there’s almost a 50% difference in the prices. Not insignificant when you’re a poor, struggling expat trying to see more of this beautiful country for cheap.

However, at this point you’re probably thinking “so what? I don’t have a Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI) that proves I’m a resident, so I don’t qualify for the cheaper fares.”

…And you’re right! If you don’t have a DNI you don’t qualify for the cheaper fares. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get them. In fact, if you take the following steps, you’ll be able to fly for cheap, guaranteed:

1. Book flights through LanChile (www.lan.com), not Aerolíneas Argentinas. With Aerolíneas you have to enter your DNI number during the online booking process, so that’s no good.

2. At the opening screen at www.lan.com, select Argentina as your country of residence. If you’ve used www.lan.com before then you might not see the opening page when you browse to that address. In that case make sure that the site says “Argentina > Versión” in the top-right corner of the page. If it doesn’t, click the word “Version” and select Argentina.

3. Go through and book your tickets as normal. You’ll get the cheaper price.

4. Pack ONLY HAND LUGGAGE for your trip. This is very important and non-negotiable. Guys, you really don’t need those gigantic hiking boots. Ladies, ditch the hairdryers.

5. Two days before you’re due to fly you’ll receive an email from LanChile telling you that web check-in for the flight is now open. You want to do this, so don’t put it off! You have until 3 hours before your departure time to check-in online and print your boarding passes.

6. If you forget to check-in online, you might be able to use the check-in terminals at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery instead (pray they’re working!). As you may have guessed, the idea is to avoid the check-in desks at all costs, as that’s where they check for your DNI.

7. Go through security flashing your self-printed boarding pass, go to your departure lounge, board the plane, and voilà! You’re in the air for half the price.

8. Don’t forget to do a web check-in for your return flight as well. To be honest this isn’t as important, as at the smaller airports (such as the one at Puerto Iguazú) the check-in staff don’t seem to be all that bothered with checking for DNIs.

Does this really work? Yes! My girlfriend and I, and my girlfriend and her Mom have both tried this and it works without a hitch. After the check-in process there’s no-one else at the airport who cares what sort of fare you paid, so as long as you can avoid the check-in counters you’re golden.

Once, when we were working this out, we bought the resident tickets but then checked in at the check-in counter (we had hold luggage) and were asked for our DNIs. We did the “dumb tourist” routine (not that I think it actually mattered) and all that happened was that we were sent over to the LanChile ticket counter (immediately opposite the check-in desks) to pay the difference between the resident and non-resident fares. In other words, we ended up paying only what we would’ve had to anyway. No big deal.

For completeness, here is the text that appears on the LanChile website in regard to the resident fares:

IMPORTANT: These fares are only available to RESIDENTS of Argentina, in accordance with article four of Resolution 35/2002 by the Ministry of Production’s Secretary of Transportation. In the event that a passenger is not a resident, he or she can purchase tickets at some of our international sites. When boarding, the passenger will be asked to provide documentation confirming his or her residency. A passenger with a ticket for this class will not be boarded if he or she fails to provide said documentation.

What this says is all true, but “will not be boarded” really just means “will have to pay to upgrade their ticket to the non-resident rate,” so don’t think you’ll get deported or anything.

Happy flying! or… Happy flying for cheap!

How to Live in Buenos Aires on Only Five Dollars a Day

Tim Gringo in BA — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:45:57 +0000

While Buenos Aires is not as cheap for Gringos as it used to be, hacking your budget can still be achieved with relative ease. Does this mean you are going to be living like a king? No, but if you are on a tight budget and want to see how long you can push it, you can still enjoy Buenos Aires. So lets talk about how you can live in Buenos Aires on only 5 dollars per day.

First, some tidbits:

- When we say $5 dollars a day, we are not including accommodation. We are talking only about daily expenses like food, transportation and entertainment.

- At the time of this writing, $1 dollar = $3.85 Argentine Pesos. So for $5 dollars we are looking at a total of $19.27 pesos that we can spend each day, which we will round up to $20 Pesos for clarity purposes.

Food

Breakfast: If you are on a tight budget, you are going to have to make some sacrifices. For all you breakfast lovers out there, this means having a small breakfast. But hey, they don’t really eat a big breakfast in Buenos Aires anyway. We are going to have breakfast by eating 1 granola bar that costs $1.20 pesos. These can be found in any supermarket or kiosk.

Breakfast Total: $1.20 pesos

Lunch: Its time for lunch and we will be skipping the Parilla today. If we are going to spend only 5 dollars a day in Buenos Aires, lunch will be bought at one of the many kiosks scattered around the city. Our lunch today will be two Super Panchos (Footlong Hotdogs) that cost 2 pesos each. Hey, we never said this was going to be healthy, right? Make sure you ask them to put plenty of papas fritas (in this case, shoestring chips) on top of your pancho. They are free and will fill you up some more. But anyways, if two footlong hot dogs can’t fill you up, you must have a large stomach or you are fat. For a drink, you will be having tap water that you filled up in an empty bottle from you hotel, hostel or wherever you are staying. Yes, tap water is safe to drink in Buenos Aires. Water is also healthier.

Other kiosk Lunch options: A Buenos Aires Kiosk is heaven if you are looking to fill yourself up cheaply. A giant ham and cheese sandwich can be bought for only 7 pesos (1.82 dollars) as well as very cheap empanadas.

Lunch Total: $4 pesos

Dinner: For dinner, we have two options. We are either going to be eating some empanadas or a choripan (sausage on bread). Since your lunch of two super panchos might of already made you sick of processed wiener shaped meat, lets go with the empanadas. But just a FYI, a choripan is a great cheap lunch or dinner option, as you get can one for only 5 pesos (1.30 dollars) at most hole in the wall parrillas. Ok, lets get some empanadas. Depending on where you go, you can find empanadas anywhere from 1 pesos to 4 pesos each. While it is rare to find them for only 1 peso and we aren’t going to spend 4 pesos on them, let pay 2.50 pesos for them, which is an easy price to find.

Again, we can head to a kiosk to get some empanadas, as they usually have them on the cheap. But it will be worth it to head to an actual empanada place, as they will taste better and you can still find them for 2.50 pesos. For most people, depending on the size, 3 empanadas will satisfy your hunger. Again, we will be drinking water.

Dinner Total: 3 empanadas X 2.50 = $7.50 pesos

Total Daily Food total = $12.70 Pesos

Transportation

You can’t come to Buenos Aires and be so worried about your budget that you sit in your hostel all day. You have to get out and see the sights and this means you need some transportation. Buenos Aires has a great public transportation system consisting of Buses and the Subway. Each ride cost 1.20 pesos. If you are plan your city navigation smartly, you will only need to take 2 public transportation trips per day. Or if you really know what you are doing, skip it all together and uses your legs. Buenos Aires is a great walking city. Yes, you will be walking a lot, but the best way to see a city is on your own two feet. As for getting to nightlife options in the night, if you are savvy, you will be staying in a hostel/hotel in the Palermo Soho/Hollywood area, putting you in walking distance to all the nightlife you need. Hence, no taxis, buses or subways.

Daily Transportation Total: $2.40 pesos

Entertainment

Tourist Attractions: In order to enjoy Buenos Aires and see its tourist attractions, you really don’t need to spend any money. Tourist attractions like the Recoleta Cemetery are free and so is walking around the street fair in San Telmo on Sundays. The best things to see in Buenos Aires are not its museums or any other thing that requires you to pay. Its the simple joy of walking around, taking in the amazing architecture and feeling the pulse of the city.

If you are on a budget, there is no need to spend 100 dollars on a Tango Show/Dinner. Head to Florida Street, La Boca or San Telmo and watch Tango for free on the street.

Daily Tourist Total: $0 Pesos

Nightlife: If you are on a 5 dollar a day budget, you have to allow yourself to have fun. This doesn’t mean you have the funds to pound 12 beers at a bar or a nightclub. But who ever said you need to get drunk to enjoy a bar or a club? Like most bars, you can enter them in Buenos Aires for free. Most clubs as well in Buenos Aires can be entered for free if you show up early enough. It might mean waiting around drinkless for people to show up, but these are some sacrifices a man on a budget must make.

Since we have only about 5 pesos left after out transportation and food expenses, it is probably going to be hard to buy an alcohol drink at a bar. This is where the fun comes in. If you are a girl, you can probably use your charm to get men to buy you drinks all night. If you are a guy, this might be a little tougher. Use this time to see the bar scene in a new way. Practice hitting on Argentine girls sober. Use the time to push yourself socially, practice your Spanish. Hey, why not even try to convince a girl you buy YOU a drink? The point is, if you approach the situation with the right mindset, you really don’t need to spend any money in a bar or a club to have a good time.

Nightlife Total: $0 pesos

Daily Entertainment Total: $0 Pesos

Miscellaneous Expenses

We have around $5 pesos left after food, transportation and entertainment expenses. These can be used for whatever purpose.

Some good options would be:

Food - Eat some extra empanadas or panchos if you are still hungry. Also in any supermarket or kiosk you can find many more cheap snack options.

Drink - If you can´t handle just drinking water, buy a coke. You could also find some a bottle of wine that costs around $5 pesos or some vodka. Since cheap wine or vodka is never really any good, to satisfy an alcohol craving, a couple beers could do the trick.

Whatever else you want!!! – Buy some stickers on the subway.

Grand Total

Food total $12.70 + transportation total $2.40 + Entertainment total $0 + Miscellaneous 4.90 =

$20 Pesos ($5.18 dollars)!!

Finalmente

So living on 5 dollars a day in Buenos Aires can be done. Lets do some very difficult grade school math and figure what that cost would be for a month and year.

$5 dollars X 30 days = $150 dollars a month

$5 dollars X 365 days = $1,835 dollars a year

Obviously there would be other random daily expensives you would have to worry about like doing laundry, a phone, internet access, haircuts, etc. But this can make you imagine the possbilities.

Would someone visiting really need to live in Buenos Aires on only 5 dollars a day? Maybe for some people yes, but the majority wouldn’t need to be that frugal. The point of this exercise is, if you really play your cards right, you can pass your time in Buenos Aires very affordability and comfortably. If you can do this in Buenos Aires on 5 dollars a day, imagine what you can do on 20 dollars a day.

The next time you find yourself telling yourself you don´t have the money to travel, try to approach it from a different angle. Travelling doesn´t have to be expensive if you don´t want it to be. In fact, minus airfare, traveling to Buenos Aires could actually SAVE you money.

Think of how much you spend everday if you live in a city like Chicago, Los Angeles or New York. Food, Rent, Phone bills, cable/internet, gas bills, electric bills, etc. If you can find a cheap round trip flight (my friend found one from San Francisco for 600 dollars), you could potentially save money by living in Buenos Aires.

Next Steps:

Buy: How To Live Anywhere: The Ultimate Guide

Read: Tim Ferris – How to Live Like a Rock Star (or Tango Star) in Buenos Aires

Read: Travel Full Time for Less Than 14,000 Dollars a Year