Travel Week 22
Day 148:
| Parrillada Lunch | 600 |
| Vegetables | 100 |
| Total: | 700 ARS (9.03 USD) (RMB 63.9) |
The last day before an expected nationwide travel shut down cast a somber mood over the city, but I managed to go out for one last restaurant meal. The restaurant I wanted to go to was already shuttered, but I still was able to splurge on a barbecue set of three cuts of meat. Returning to the hostel, I was notified that I and the only other remaining guest were to be transferred to a sister hostel within the hour. In the evening, the president of Argentina makes an address and announces the entire country will be on lockdown as of midnight.
Day 149 (Q1):
| Groceries | 790 |
| Salad | 30 |
| Total: | 820 ARS (10.58 USD) (RMB 74.8) |
Though the nation is on quarantine, not much seems to have changed in the street as I make one trip out to stock up on food at the Chinese-ran supermarket, which had full shelves and zero customers. Quite the contrast to the scenes of panic in supermarkets from the morning news. There was a police checkpoint on a main road with 30+ machine gun armed officers checking drivers in both directions.
Day 150 (Q2):
| Hostel Extension (8 nights?) | 2800 |
| Empanadas | 420 |
| Total: | 3220 ARS (41.55 USD) (RMB 293.9) |
I had booked accommodation at the hostel through Sunday, at which time I planned to possibly move to an Airbnb. With the nationwide lockdown, all the Airbnb listings were removed from the website, so I missed my opportunity. Fortunately, I was able to haggle with the hostel to keep a decent price on accommodation when they asked me to pay for the rest of the month. Considering I am getting a four-bed dorm (to myself) with a private patio and bathroom, it is a really good deal. I order empanadas online through the newly downloaded PedidosYa app, which is easy enough to use though substandard.
Day 151 (Q3):
| Asado | 500 |
| Total: | 500 ARS (6.45 USD) (RMB 45.6) |
There are 10 guests in the hostel, and we pool our money to buy meat to grill up for Sunday lunch. There is wine, salad, and bread as well. I cook up a pot of ranchero beans, but no one eats them.
Day 152 (Q4):
No expenses incurred as I eat rice, beans, and some leftover meat. The hostel staff tells us we are to remain in our rooms. Apparently the other guests partied until 7am resulting in the police being called. Police do come by in the afternoon to check our documents and explain the quarantine rules to us (which are not nearly as strict as told in the morning).
Day 153 (Q5):
| Subway Avocado Salad | 300 |
| Total: | 300 ARS (3.87 USD) (RMB 27.4) |
I eat left over rice for lunch and I order a salad from Subway on PedidosYa for dinner. I tip generously. Not enough lettuce but a generous amount of mashed avocado. Even with the tip, roughly the same price it would cost in China.
Day 154 (Q6):
| Contact Solution | 506 |
| Groceries | 1252+951-420 |
| Beer | 150 |
| Total: | 2439 ARS (31.47 USD) (RMB 222.6) |
I get a chance to go outside and do some shopping (carrying a shopping list for a Spanish couple living at the hostel) because I desperately needed contact solution and coffee. I buy plenty of alcohol, but also break down and pay the hostel for an overpriced beer. The Chinese-run supermarket is closed, so I am stuck shopping at Carrefour.
This is one way to save money (17/day for the week), but I doubt I’ll ever get my daily average down to 20 bucks a day.
Running Total: 3873.97 USD (RMB 27404.1)
Daily Average: 25.16 USD (RMB 177.9)