Be Prepared to Be Amazed by Argentina
Some have been arguing in favor of Argentina ever since the country started making its economic come back. According to the UN 2007-2008 Human Development Report, Argentina ranks 38th in economic, health and social development. (The report placed Iceland first and the U.S. in 12th place.) A baby born in Argentina today can expect to live 74.8 years. In literacy, Argentina ranks 27th; a total of 97.2% of Argentines are literate. The average Argentine spends 16.4 years in school. Only 570 out of 1000 have a cell phone, however, this was based on data from 2005 and has surely changed in the meantime. Argentina is on a roll.
The country just turned its clocks ahead an hour in order to take advantage of the daylight hours. It recently elected a woman president, Cristina Kirchner, who had previously been the country’s first lady.
What’s not to like in Argentina? U.S. foreign policy. According to a poll by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org,. Argentina leads the list of countries that distrust the U.S. and the U.S. role in world affairs. This is understandable, since Reagonomics and IMF recommendations are seen here as the causes of the economic crisis which reduced over half the population to living below the poverty level. The antagonism, however, doesn’t extend to the American people or American products. Argentinians love McDonalds’s and this is in a country famous for its beef! (The Buenos Aires restaurant La Brigada has the title of “best steak in the city.")
Speaking of Beueos Aires, the hot new neighborhood is Puerto Madero, flanked by La Plata River and a protected nature reserve. Formerly a port area of brick warehouses, it has been transformed into upscale residential apartments, restaurants, offices and lofts flanked by picturesque canals. From all over the city, Porteños, as people of B.A.call themselves, are seen here on weekends, strolling, riding bikes and congregating in the cafes here. Weekdays, it’s business people from nearby high-rise offices and at night, it’s diners at elegant restaurants and moviegoers. In case you’re thinking of visiting, there are also some five star hotels. If you’d rather sleep cheap, look into hotels and guesthouses in the Microcentro area and Plaza de Mayo. The streets of Peurto Maderno, you’ll notice, are named after women. The area is served by a tramway and a few buses, but is not connected to the city’s subway system