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I penned this article back in December 2015 when Macri came to power and really, apart from a few numbers, nothing much has changed.
Funny....I've recently been thinking about how different Chivilcoy is from my first visit 20 odd years ago. The % of old cars on the roads has dropped considerably and lots more young uns are driving cars nowadays. The number of gym/fitness clubs has risen tenfold, craft beer pubs fivefold and health food shops selling strange things noone wants has risen immeasurably.
The biggest change however are the number of new buildings that have appeared over the years especially on the outskirts of the town.
Still no well known fast food establishments or a decent sized supermarket with car park though. 
UK Man , every time we’re away and return to Argentina, we are astounded at the kinds of differences you describe, starting with the new construction and new restaurants everywhere. It all seems to reflect a dynamic economy, rather than the situation we know the country is in.
Since 2005, this current time period (covid through now) is the only interval we’ve been away from BsAs more than 9 months at a time. So we are prepared for much change when we arrive.
Splinter , I remember that very observant DCT article from 2015. Thanks for the chance to re-read, Gringo Boy! What I’d completely forgotten was Cristina’s outrageous exit line about leaving the Argentine people a “normal country.”
UK Man , every time we’re away and return to Argentina, we are astounded at the kinds of differences you describe, starting with the new construction and new restaurants everywhere. It all seems to reflect a dynamic economy, rather than the situation we know the country is in.
Indeed. Makes you wonder.
I read a quote a while ago, possibly on this forum that was along the lines of...
"Leave Argentina and return 20 days later and everything has changed. Leave Argentina and return 20 years later and nothing has changed."
There’s a lot to that. By the time we arrive next month, 3.5 years of Covid and Post-Covid* will have gone by. I expect we’ll be somewhat disconcerted by things and places that seemed as ancient, solid, and unchanging as the Grand Canyon or Vatican City, that have been replaced as though they were never there.
*And are we actually post-covid? There has been a July spike in covid cases in the US, and we have been advised to wear the dreaded masks in the airports and on the long flight. Ugh.
What about in Buenos Aires?
Rice , there doesn't seem to be any new cases I hear of down here. Some friends in Florida and in London have been infected this month.
We were in the bakers yesterday and the lady serving us was wearing a mask. When I mentioned it to the missus after we came out she hadn't even noticed. You still see the odd person in the street with a mask on but there's no rules any more about having to wear one even inside clinics, doctor surgeries etc.
If you're fully vaccinated and normally healthy I don't think you've anything to worry about.
It’s odd - I do dread the claustrophobic idea of wearing a mask for 20+ hrs of flying, but I’m not actually worried about getting covid. We’ve continued to get the recommended boosters every 6 months as new variants have become dominant, and we’re due for another in a few weeks. So we’ve done the long-term preventive job. But the immediate job of masking against potentially infectious coughs and squeezes isn’t one I look forward to.
It’s odd - I do dread the claustrophobic idea of wearing a mask for 20+ hrs of flying, but I’m not actually worried about getting covid. We’ve continued to get the recommended boosters every 6 months as new variants have become dominant, and we’re due for another in a few weeks. So we’ve done the long-term preventive job. But the immediate job of masking against potentially infectious coughs and squeezes isn’t one I look forward to.
If I was forced to wear a mask on a long haul flight I wouldn't fly....especially in economy class.
It’s odd - I do dread the claustrophobic idea of wearing a mask for 20+ hrs of flying, but I’m not actually worried about getting covid. We’ve continued to get the recommended boosters every 6 months as new variants have become dominant, and we’re due for another in a few weeks. So we’ve done the long-term preventive job. But the immediate job of masking against potentially infectious coughs and squeezes isn’t one I look forward to.
It's not mandatory though is it?
Not mandatory at all. Just strongly recommended by epidemiologists. That’s enough for us, as we actually believe in scientific research!
Flying American Airlines, UK Man -
Not mandatory at all. Just strongly recommended by epidemiologists. That’s enough for us, as we actually believe in scientific research!
Flying American Airlines, UK Man -
As you'll have to take it off anyway to eat and drink I don't see the point to be honest. Especially if you're fully vaccinated.
So, I joined this site numerous weeks ago as Argentina is a place under consideration for me to move to from the U.S., permanently. I do appreciate the feedback I have received from members. After visiting several forums on this site, it makes me wonder what is the draw to Argentina? I see posts regarding high inflation, grocery stores are not very good, can't trust banks, rampant crime, corrupt/inept government officials, etc. So why do so many of you keep returning to Argentina? I see the aforementioned negatives in the U.S, right now and wondering if a move to Argentina is going to place me in the same environment. Hoping to hear that things are better in Argentina than the U.S. Thanks!
Have you visited before? It's not for everyone but unless you visit you can't learn only from reading forum posts. The best thing is to head down there for 1-3 months, rent an Air BnB and see what you think. Best wishes.
Thanks Bombonera. I fully planned on visiting for a period of time before jumping in. Joining this site was part of my research, hoping to gain insight before spending time and money with a visit. But if things are so bad there, maybe I should consider other countries on my list.
One thing here on this forum is, and I'm not speaking for anyone but only about them, is that quite a few of the active posters have a stake in the country; in other words they have Argentine partners. So there's a reason right from the off as to why many on the forum enjoy Argentina as their home.
I'm only an expat in training in Argentina, so to speak, but I've been visiting for more than half of my life so I know the place a bit.
I think the country is garnering some interest as a retirement destination recently because it's cheap. But that would be a terrible reason to head here to live, in my opinion. You've got to like the place first and foremost and get to know it and try to understand it (that's the hard part! 
). It's not always been cheap in the past and likely won't always be cheap in the future.
Best wishes.
So, I joined this site numerous weeks ago as Argentina is a place under consideration for me to move to from the U.S., permanently. I do appreciate the feedback I have received from members. After visiting several forums on this site, it makes me wonder what is the draw to Argentina? I see posts regarding high inflation, grocery stores are not very good, can't trust banks, rampant crime, corrupt/inept government officials, etc. So why do so many of you keep returning to Argentina? I see the aforementioned negatives in the U.S, right now and wondering if a move to Argentina is going to place me in the same environment. Hoping to hear that things are better in Argentina than the U.S. Thanks!
As Bombonera said, many of us live here permanently, others rent a flat for a few months to enjoy what the country has to offer and others visit when they can.
It's not all doom and gloom, far from it. In fact, we take a lot with a pinch of salt because that's the way it is.
The main benefit for foreigners coming here is that, with a good income of several thousand dollars per month, one can live very comfortably and more than likely, rise above inflation.
I would definitely recommend a visit for a few weeks to get a feel of the place.
Argentina is very unappealing on paper, but there are some aspects of it that outweigh the cons for those of us who live here. Coming from a first world country, Argentina is very well behind on most practical things. Banking and the economy are a struggle even if the dollar is high against the pesos. I was commenting with my husband today that had it been easier to bring in money here, buy a used car and sell one, we would have bought a cheap used car when we arrived just to be self-sufficient with transportation (we used to live in the Province back when we arrived). However, we were on the fence for 3 years (about whether we'd stay long term or not), bringing money here is a pain, exchanging large amount has a cost, used cars are expensive, buying privately is risky because you can't trust people, when selling you have the opposite issue (bringing the money out, and convert the pesos to USD). This is just another practical example of how stuff that on paper shouldn't impact you and your USD savings/income affect you, regardless.
It is also quite uncomfortable having to exchange money all the time, and the silliness around money exchange (cuevas are illegal / everybody uses them; they are all broke / they all have USD to go to Miami on vacation; Argentina is hungry for USD / but they only want crispy blue-stripe bills in mint conditions; they all consider themselves European / they go to Europe and identify as Argentinians; they say they are culturally European / they don't know their European home language or culture).
TRUST is a big issue here: you can't trust businesses, you can't trust the police, you can't trust the justice system, you can't trust the economy. Referral through family and friends is still the only option, unless you are open to being burnt now and then.
For me, as long as you maintain a limited engagement with Argentinian bureaucracy, it is still very enjoyable. So if you plan to retire here and travel back and forth from your home country to Argentina, you will do great. But if you want to commit to Argentina (and perhaps need to work while here), the merry-go-round can come to halt soon. You will feel its limits as soon as you need to bank here, supply products, find services for your business, interact for business reasons with the locals...
I am a freelancer and I work from home, so I am able to "shield" myself from most these annoyances, but I am constantly reminded that I would have it so much easier if I was in the US or the EU, business-wise.
However, on another account I wouldn't be able to study at a private university, eat out 5 days a week, take public transport without minding the cost of a ride, or using the car without being concerned about the gas cost. I am also very grateful to be able to use heating/air-con all year long without fearing the utility bills like I used to do in Europe.
