BUENOS AIRES’ BARRIER-FREE BARGAINS

BUENOS AIRES’ BARRIER-FREE BARGAINS

By Steve Wright

You want European charm.

You want a perfectly-located hotel with wheelchair-accessible digs, a pair of roomy elevators and an airy restaurant that has plenty of space to maneuver through.

You seek a thriving city with sidewalk cafes, plazas, diverse neighborhoods, round the clock pedestrian-oriented activity and barrier-free access to plenty of shopping and attractions.

You can’t afford Europe’s rising Euro that trims your dollar by a third. But what if you could get that barrier-free modern hotel in the center of the action for 10 nights and pay less than $600?

What if you could linger over a lavish brunch at a famous café for $12? And wouldn’t it be divine to commit dietary sin with a belly-busting artisanal pizza with all the toppings and a big cola – all for about 11 smackers?

You can do all of this and more in Buenos Aires. Argentina was one of the wealthiest nations in the world in the 20th century and much of its grand, French-influenced architecture was built in that era.

Sadly, the beginning of the 21st century dealt a crushing blow to the economy. Things have stabilized a bit, but the U.S. dollar still commands a whopping three pesos to one dollar exchange rate.

If you pass by the endless third rate leather shops aimed at tourists and hold out for a cheap cab ride to Villa Crespo, the merchants there will sell you some of the world’s finest crafted leather – at an exchange rate of nearly 3.4 pesos to the dollar if you pay cash.

Virtually every hotel, shop and restaurant has someone with basic English skills, but it’s a lot more fun to learn some Spanish – just don’t call it that. In Argentina the speak Castellano.

In espanol, pollo (chicken) is “POY-yo,” but on the streets of Buenos Aires, it’s “POY-joe.” The famous avenue named for the fifth month of the year is Avenida de Mayo (MAH-joe, not MY-yo.

For the next 11 days, we will take you on a tour through Buenos Aires.

TOMORROW: Micro Centro