Pictures Time!

Because I didn't get to post as many pictures as I thought I would during my trip, I take the time to upload a couple of them from the last days of my adventure. Stay tuned. This blog is not dead.

Malecon, Havana, Cuba

Calle San Miguel, Havana, Cuba

Iguazu Falls, Puerto de Iguazu, Argentina

La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina

La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Pesos Controversy

Even if you're back, you stored you backpack away, you pretend everything is ok, being back brings its share of problems. Some of them are really obvious.

The  "principal" problem until now is to change my cuban convertible pesos (CUC) and my argentinian pesos.

In fact, it seems like it's an impossible mission. I went to the only official currency exchange center in town. I was told that nobody would buy that money back because they are not supposed to leave the country where they were emitted. I was told they MUST buy them back at the airport of their respective countries.

About the cuban pesos, I was told that Canadians usually leave for Cuba and exchange their money at the airport when they get there. They do the same before they come back.

In my case, I tried right after I payed my exit tax of 25 CUC. In spite of the illuminated sign that gives the exchange rate for around ten currencies, the canadian dollar being one of them, they told me it was impossible to buy my CUC back.

I'm sorry. What? After having crossed the border, they said.

Same thing after crossing the border. The currency desk, which has no use from what I understood, refuses to exchange my money. What's the use of an exchange desk if they refuse to change the money?

Maybe I should have tried to get american dollars. But with the number of flights going to Toronto, it's inexplicable that they don't have canadian dollars.

Anyway, I advise you to get rid of your CUC as fast as possible before you leave Cuba. I, for one, an trying to sell them to people who intend to fly to Castro's country.

About the argentinian pesos, I found myself with too many of those after a guided tour I signed for was canceled. They gave me my money back a few hours before I left the country. So I couldn't spend it all. And I didn't think of changing them at the airport.

Again, when I got to Cuba, they refused to take my argentinian pesos. The same when I got to Toronto.

Again, I'm trying to sell those to some people who are planning on leaving for Argentina... Traveling friends are my only hope to get some of my  money back.

Services

To conclude, in the "problems" category, I realized that getting the phone, cell phone, cable, internet services back is not that easy. Even more after six months. Not only did I phone to remind everybody that they promised me I could get all the services back without having anything to do (had to call up to five times in a precise case), but I needed to fight to get a discount for the service I didn't get.

For example, I spent 52 minutes on the phone before they transfered me to the satisfaction department, before they finally agreed on giving me some money back.

After a long trip, if you haven't canceled all your services, plan on losing a lot of time on the phone while they tell you that your phone call is "important for them".

Setting things straight

Okay! We'll set things straight. Because some problems happen everywhere in the world and they seem too complicated to be fixed. I decided to say "It's enough!"

It's enough closing the information desks on Sundays. It's nice to have a day to rest, but travelers don't disappear on Sunday. For an unknown reason, it's always on that day we have questions. Must be possible to find someone somewhere who is willing to work on Sunday.

It's enough asking if I have change. If I give you a note of 100 pesos, it is because the ATM gave me notes of 100 pesos and I need to break them. You have a business. YOU should have some change. And yes, you insult me if I give you a note of 10 pesos and you still ask if I have smaller notes.

In the same matter of business, why, oh why are the coins so rare in Argentina? Everybody is searching for them to pay for the bus. But apparently, nobody has coins. Must be some coins somewhere. Instead of giving you some, the taxi drivers will ask you to give them enough money so they can give you change in notes. We must be direct and say no. That way, they need to give coins.

It seems it is too complicated to pay with notes in the buses... or to make more coins.

Okay, and after a few minutes, you can stop laughing at my accent while I'm trying to speak your language. Try to recognize I'm making an effort. I'll be happy to laugh with you, but I don't always have some time to lose.

18 hours on the bus

Like most tourists visiting Argentina while running out of time, I had no choice but to take the bus between Puerto de Iguazu and Buenos Aires, a beautiful adventure of 18 hours.

To find the appropriate bus, I used the website www.plataforma10.net. I was suprised to learn there is  a bus every 15 minutes to Buenos Aires.

The only problem I saw was I needed to leave from the argentinian side, while I was staying on the Brazilian side. That meant I had to leave my hostel at least two hours ahead of time to cross the border without problems.











I chose the company Crucero del Norte, which offered reclinable seats to sleep, with movies and food too.

I admit I was a little scared to spend 18 hours on a bus. But considering the comfort of the seats and the time of departure, it wasn't that bad.

We were served an aperitif and candies to wait for the dinner. After, they showed a really bad comedy in spanish and american movies with spanish subtitles.

Of course, the sleep helped pass the time. But one needs to have warm clothes. Because the air con is really cold.

The next day, we got a breakfast and another american movie dubbed in spanish.

Astonishing fact, even if the road was all in Argentina, we stopped often for security controls for which military men got on board to check the bags and look at the passengers.

For one of those controls, I played stupide like a guy who doesn't understand spanish. Everybody had to stand up and open their bags.

In the end, I arrived in Retiro Station, in Buenos Aires, where I needed to be creative to find my way to my hostel. The directions I got were telling me to take the metro. But guess what... the metro was on strike. Still have to understand that in spanish. Fortunately, I could catch a cab with a honest driver who dropped me at my hostel. Because in Buenos Aires, one must be careful about the taxi drivers.