Travel Week 19
Day 127:
| Computer Charger | 1200 |
| Milanesa al caballo lunch | 365 |
| Craft Beers (Baum) | 340 |
| Total: | 1905 ARS (24.18 USD) (RMB 167.6) |
It turned out that the problem with my computer was just the charger (both parts), but when I was in Tucuman, two of the shops pulled out compatible chargers to try with my computer to no avail. But, now it miraculous works with a new charger. Having been quoted 3-5,000 pesos to fix the computer, I was a bit shocked to find that a new OEM charger cost around 2,000 pesos, though I managed to save some money by finding a shop with one off-brand charger in stock.
Day 128:
| Esperanto Hostel (2 nights) | 1000 |
| Mixed Wok set meal | 355 |
| La Birreria | 100 |
| Beers | 200 |
| Pizza | 200 |
| Total: | 1955 ARS (24.81 USD) (RMB 172) |
I wasn’t so impressed by my first hostel, so I moved a couple blocks away to another one.
Day 129:
| Beer | 100 |
| Asado (Bife de Chorizo) | 650 |
| Taxi | 100 |
| Share of Dinner | 400 |
| Total: | 1250 ARS (15.86 USD) (RMB 110) |
I went with two Europeans up the hill (Cerro de San Bernadino) to enjoy the view of the city and climbed back down to try an asado lunch. I had it in my mind to order a Parrilla (mixed grill) for 2, but I got vetoed by someone who only wanted to eat steak before a fourth person joined us and I was eatin only a half portion of meat. Ironically, in the evening, I joined a group of Argentinians to go to “Pena,” which is a musical experience of traditional folk songs performed in a restaurant. We ended up ordering two parrillas (para dos) and I really got my meat fix this day. The restaurant (La Casona) is quite far out of the center of town and despite being considered touristy, was significantly cheaper than anywhere else in the city selling “regional food.” I was also impressed how people were still queued outside at 3am.
Day 130:
| Breakfast at cafe | 130 |
| Airbnb (4 nights) | USD 51.26 |
| Popcorn | 10 |
| Ice cream | 90 |
| Museum of Natural Science | 50 |
| Fanta | 50 |
| Patagonia Cervezaria | 350 |
| Total: | 59.89 USD (RMB 415.2) |
With only four hours of sleep, I had to drag myself out of bed to do a translation job, pack up, and check out before 10am. I decided to make a go of an Airbnb (private room in a shared house) for four nights, which while more expensive than the hostels I have been booking in Salta is about the same as a dorm bed in the fancier hostels (which cost upwards of 14 USD per night).
Day 131:
| Chorizo | 230 |
| Vegetables | 80 |
| Bread | 20 |
| Beers | 170 |
| Laundry | 305 |
| Merienda — Bonny Parker | 170 |
| Baum Cervezeria | 220 |
| Total: | 1195 ARS (15.16 USD) (RMB 105.1) |
The Airbnb did not have a washing machine (at least one accessible to the guests) so I had to take my laundry to a laundromat. I bought a bunch of food at the municipal market to make a couple meals worth of choripans. Unfortunately, I discovered later that the last two avocados I have been carrying across five locations went bad, so my plans to make a guac were foiled. I’m starting to really enjoy the Desayuno/Merienda culture of cafes in Argentina with a variety of coffee + snack combos.
Day 132:
| Free Walking tour | 120 |
| “Bollos” Bread | 50 |
| Helado | 140 |
| Beer and Cheese | 240 |
| Total: | 550 ARS (6.98 USD) (RMB 48.4) |
I’m starting to learn some of the basic terminology for bread in the bakeries, such as “casero” (homemade), “campo” (rustic), etc., but I mostly pick bread based on its size and shape for the purpose. The baguette type bread didn’t work so great for the choripans, so I tried a big and round but flattish bread to make a giant sausage “hamburger”. The rest of the bread went towards a “let’s finish everything off” pizza.
Day 133:
| “Special” Breakfast | 120 |
| Empanadas and beer | 400 |
| Ice cream | 110 |
| Happy Hour beer | 220 |
| Movie popcorn | 450 |
| Total: | 1300 ARS (16.50 USD) (RMB 114.4) |
I ran out of coffee, so I got my morning fix from the ice cream/cafeteria on the corner. The breakfast was “special” because it included an orange juice on top of the coffee + 2 pastries (tortillas, in this case, which in Argentina are a layered biscuit). I tried Patio de la Empanadas for lunch, which supposedly has the best empanadas in town. Wasn’t impressed. Dinner was a lot of popcorn. As a fairly standard giveaway during happy hours, I enjoyed a basket before heading to the theater.
Running Total: 3497.78 USD (RMB 24246.6)
Daily Average: 26.30 USD (RMB 182.3)