After a couple of days fixing the bike in Buenos Aries Ive headed on North.
And I liked BA... In fact it was the nicest Argentinian city Ive been to with lots of fine old buildings and wide tree lined streets and lots of friendly people.
... But thats a bit quick, so here are some of my impressions of the place:
The city's name by the way does not actually mean "good air" (which in actual fact it has very little of... Every truck and bus, and half the cars belching out clouds of black diesel smoke from the terrible (read absent!) maintenance. The word "arie" in Spanish does mean "air", but when used in plural form it more often means wind... The city was named after the "fair winds" that brought the sailing ships here to trade from Europe... So now you know :)
Other thoughts about BA and Argentina in general:
Well, I didnt do much in the city but I did do a bit of a quick driving tour through the place and I did walk around quite a bit in the suburb where I was staying. And I have to say that its the nicest city in Argentina that I have so far visited (although thats not actually as much praise as it sounds!). Ive seen a few cities here including Ushuaia, Commodoro Rivadavia, Mendoza, Cordoba, Rosario, and now BA. And of course, Ive seen more than a few townships along the way between these cities.
Its clear that Argentina (as well as Chile) has a significantly longer history of "economic development" than most other countries in South America.
Both Argentina and Chile would like to consider themselves as part of the "developed" world rather than the "developing" world... And in many ways its true, and the people have more sophisticated sensibilities in a lot of ways (more "style" and less "fashion" so to speak).
But...
... (and this wont please the Argentines!)
Unfortunately, it seems to me that this "developedness" is generally more in the peoples minds than in their actual lives!
... And what do I mean by that?
Well, in my travels here Id have to say that I have seen very little of that "finesse" that I so value. On the whole, Id have to say that my experiences have led me strongly toward the designation of "developing" rather than "developed"... And in fact that they have more or less stopped developing all together, and that it happened quite a few years ago!
Examples of what I mean are captured by the "cleanliness and quality of workmanship" that I see.
Cleanliness...
Every town or city I have been to is a very dirty place!
It seems that Argentine civil Engineering policy is to not bother paving the minor streets. And it seems that this policy is in effect regardless of how big the city is or how far into the urban area you go. And it means that traffic from the minor streets brings mud and dirt onto all the paved streets... Big deal you say (you may even say its better for the natural environment that way) But I can tell you in no uncertain terms that it makes for an extremely dirty, dusty, and uncomfortable world. Its not too bad if you are safe in your air filtered/conditioned car, but if you are a pedestrian or motorbike rider then you are constantly covered in mud and dust and struggling for air... Its ABSOLUTELY AWFUL !
I can forgive small cities like Ushuaia and Punta Arenas way down in Patagonia, but my worst experience was in Mendoza in the middle of the country, and Cordoba (the countries "second" city) was pretty bad too. I have to admit that the centre of BA was not too bad but it is a massive city and has been densely populated for centuries, so pretty much all of the inner streets are paved.
OK, so thats just dust and dirt.
But, the same sort of effect is pervasive with litter!...
It seems that those "oh so sophisticated" Argentines think it is appropriate to just drop their litter where ever they are... I see it all the time from car windows and pedestrians in the street... In fact, the saddest part of it all is that at some point in the past they either were not like this, or they were trying to change it, because in all the cities and many of the towns there are public bins... LOTS of them, especially in city centres... And Ive checked in quite a few of them and they are mostly empty! (except for food items)... The people just cant be bothered using them!
... And thats not a very sophisticated population as far as Im concerned!
Now, on the bright side, I acknowledge that they dont seem to have the same attitude toward food waste or sewerage, or things that would rot.. No, that sort of stuff is more restricted to the less developed countries... Thank heavens... But again, on the down sid, they let their dogs poop anywhere and the pavements of city streets are real mine-fields (In BA this is a huge problem)
So, they may dress quite nicely, and they may eat well and in fine restaurants, but they are "slobs" when it comes to their public places... A crying shame!
And the quality of work...
Well, there are plenty of examples of "old world" architecture in the country, and particularly in BA... There are many many old buildings in a good state of repair and with wonderful facades (and presumably interiors)... But, there are few examples of more modern buildings with the same sensibilities. There are of course some, but it seems to me that the more prevalent form of modern building is the "slap it together to minimal functional standard and then splatter a layer of paint over it (and its nearby surroundings)" method is in vogue... and has been for quite a few years.
In the places I have stayed this building quality is VERY apparent in bathroom/toilet facilities, and I can tell you for sure its NOT up to "developed world" standards!
And mechanical issues...
Well, as an example, I have a motorbike acquaintance currently down in Patagonia whose motor decided to "die" on him, and it did it in a very self destructive way that required a good mechanic to fix...
So, my friend organised all that and in fact has been constantly pushing toward getting the bike fixed for the last SEVEN WEEKS or more! Ill leave out the gory details but chief among the issues are dishonesty, work ethic, and incompetence of the assorted people involved in getting the job done! Its not just a "single incident" It seems that these "behaviours" are pervasive in the community, to the point where trying a different shop to get it done does not work. And whileI do believe that not everyone is like this, and that it is possible to find proficient people here, I think it is sadly the exception rather than the "norm". In fact, in all my interactions with people Id have to say that the only competent technical workers (of any sort) that I have come across, work at such a slow pace as to be barely better than the incompetent ones!
Thats quite a list of negativity from me and Im sorry to say it but thats been my experience...
In other places Ive been travelling through like Columbia you feel the "vibrancy", and the forward momentum of the country is strong, In Panama it feels older but still progressing... In CostaRica its very tourist oriented and commercial, but its pushing forward in the direction of its peoples choice (not always the way I would go!). And though I havent been to Brazil yet, I can feel the hedonism and youth of the culture from just over the boarder here at Iguazu falls.
But here in Argentina, its as if the whole country "gave up trying" a couple of decades ago and that the "cultural impetus" has dissolved and the whole country is slowly coasting to a stop amid the quiet reminders of its former glory!
Twenty years ago when I first visited Argentina I was too inexperienced to notice such things, and in fact I dont think it was as true then. But it seems that those intervening twenty years have not brought Argentina forward... It feels the same to me.
Note here that what I define as "progress" is not at all limited to technology and business and capitalism etc... But it is measured by effort and that ever important "finesse" being applied to some aspect of the national "life"as I put it... hopefully you understand what I mean.
I dont know why it is so in Argentina?...
No doubt it is somewhat derived from the national experiences of the terrible military dictatorship in the seventies, and the Falklands/Malvinas war with Great Britain of the eighties and then the national financial collapse of the nineties followed by the recent worldwide financial issues... Thats decades of national difficulties.!.. It just seems to me like they just dont care any more...
But, the good news is that, its not pervasive in absolutely all fronts...
I would also have to honestly say that in all my travels through twelve countries with quite a variety of cultures and histories, that the people of Argentina are without doubt the friendliest and most outgoing of the lot!
The Chileans are friendly too but they are quieter and mind their own business more (perhaps a result of the colder climate there?). And there are different "flavours" of friendly for each country Ive visited too.
But, here in Argentina, they are always asking me where Im from and where Im going, and how is my day...In the street, at the hotels and gas stations; everywhere. They dont want anything from me. They are not trying to sell anything... They are just interested and friendly.
... And when I tell them that my journey is long and that I have no money and its all "on credit" these days... Well, that makes them all smile hugely and remark something like "Ahhh, Argentina is the right place for living like this".
So, it may not be so sophisticated and it may be a bit untidy, and it may take a while to get things done... But it sure is friendly while you wait :)))
