A gift from the local British community to the city the Torre de los Ingleses (English Clock Tower) or Torre Monumental is a clock tower located in Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Over the course of more than 100 years, England invested billions of dollars in Argentina. Today, Buenos Aires is a shadow of its glorious past.

For over 100 years, Britain was the largest foreign investor in Argentina. Relics of this large influence include the British style train system, including Retiro Station.

Argentina is like an old girlfriend who kicked you to the curb after you showered her with a fortune in diamonds, furs and expensive clothing over the course of many years. It isn’t enough that she was the one that ended the affair but that she also kept everything you gave her.

During the reign of Queen Victoria, Argentina was an integral part of the United Kingdom’s informal empire and became a privileged benefactor of massive British investment.

Entrepreneurs and business-owners from the United Kingdom flocked to Argentina in droves and developed large-scale farming throughout the fertile Pampas, set up banking institutions to facilitate extensive infrastructure and building projects, and organized massive import and export of valuable goods and services.

Roads were laid. Cities were electrified. Hospitals were built. Fortunes were made. At one point in the 19th century, as much as 10% of the United Kingdom’s foreign investment was in Argentina.

England recognized the importance of a firm and friendly, yet distant, presence in South America. Portugal had a strong foothold in Brazil, and Spain was represented throughout most of the remainder of South America.

The Buenos Aires Subway first opened in 1913 shows clear signs of the British involvement in its construction.

From a nearly blank canvas, cities were laid out with broad boulevards and lined with stately trees. Wide sidewalks were set back from the street, designed to showcase successive decades of the very best and grandest architectural styles from opulent Beaux Arts to sensuous Art Nouveau.

The love affair was destined to last forever, but Argentina had other plans.

The End of The Affair

Just before Britain was drawn into World War II, nearly 40% of the investment in Argentina was British. Perhaps England was a bit preoccupied with the steady bombing of London and the threat presented by Adolf Hitler to see what was happening in Argentina.

Much of the attraction that propelled President Juan Peron into public favor and office was his opposition of foreign domination of industry. No one thought to question that the industry wouldn’t have been there in the first place without foreign investment.

But by the time the war had ended, Peron had simply changed the names of many of the buildings and streets throughout the country to erase any vestiges of British presence. Thousands of miles of railroads became the property of the government, and many British-owned businesses were handed over to Argentines, many of whom were personal friends and family of the President.

It was as if Argentina had simply changed the locks.

Argentina Today

Argentina does not appear to be overly concerned with the preservation and restoration of its past, as much as it is with the assimilation of the past with the present and future. Today, slick office towers and ultra-luxury, high-rise condominiums are interspersed between elegant mansions and office buildings built during the golden age of Buenos Aires. Elegant parks and flower gardens are scattered throughout this city where an active café society remains.

Portenos, as residents of Buenos Aires are known, are generally a heady and attractive mix of Spanish and Italian heritage. They are shamelessly proud and obsessed with youth and beauty, though the mullet hairstyle still appears to be fashionable in some circles.
For years Buenos Aires has bristled at being described as “The Paris of South America.” In some ways Buenos Aires appears as familiar as Paris, but with the bravado of New York and the far niente attitude of Rome. Yes, Buenos Aires appears a bit run down and tattered in places, just as did Paris in years past. Still, the old girlfriend looks pretty good for her age, though her fur coat is looking a bit worn and tattered around the edges and some of the jewelry she has had to pawn to pay for her vices.

And like any spurned suitor, England insists on retaining at least one souvenir of their relationship: the much-contested Falkland Islands, known as Las Islas Malvinas and claimed by Argentina to this day.

About Brian Berenty:

Brian Berenty grew up in Southern California and majored in Arts and Humanities. His career path has included working as a Financial Consultant for one of the world´s largest investment banks in San Diego, Boston and London. He has owned a restaurant in San Diego, managed a massage clinic in Houston and opened a day spa on the island of Ambergris Caye in Belize.

He has returned to his passion for writing, show casing his broad experiences. He has traveled to more than 34 countries throughout Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia and has been on safari in Africa. Constantly challenged by new and exciting opportunities, he is additionally certified in the United Kingdom as a Holistic Massage Therapist and studied in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he became certified as a Practitioner of Thai Massage.

Brian has been married to his soul-mate since 1983 and is the very proud father of an awesome daughter and an amazing grandson. Presently resident in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his wife, daughter and grandson, Brian´s focus is on exploring the vibrant and fascinating city of Buenos Aires, as well as the country of Argentina and travel throughout South America. This is his third international relocation (to this date his mother continues to write his address and phone number in her address book in pencil) and offers tremendous insight on practical information of why, where and how to relocate internationally.

Read more of Brian Berenty’s writings about Buenos Aires.

The screech of taxis sliding to a stop after jamming on their brakes, and then followed sweetly thereafter by the ever so pleasant piercing sound of them laying on the horn…wait three seconds and repeat, and there you have an average soundbite from a typical evening in downtown Buenos Aires. For those of us who are used to a little more peace and quiet (people like me from the a suburb in the Midwest) the noise level in the city here can sometimes seem unbelievable.

Perhaps that is the reason why the results of a new study that place Buenos Aires as the loudest city in South America, are not all that surprising to many locals. The recent study, which echos the findings of a previous World Health Organization study, places the city in the top spot for South America, but it also ranks BA fourth in the world, behind New York, Tokyo and Nagasaki.

Even though the local government has tried to enact laws aimed at curtailing the noise level, the situation does not seem to be getting any better states the reports.

Problems that contribute to the high noise level in the city include a highly urbanized city, with many cars and buses. Because of the growth of the city, there is extensive building, and road construction taking place at all times. Additionally, the general design of the city includes many long straight blocks with many high rise apartments, which tend to amplify the sound and carry it farther than normal.

The World Health Organization suggests that healthy noise levels should not surpass 55 decibels during the day and 45 at night, but measurements taken in Buenos Aires regularly hit 70 or even 80 decibels.

A recommendation for those looking to avoid the nuisance while staying in the city, is the try to get an apartment that is located in the middle of the building, or at least not facing a major street.

For further Information see article here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12087598

CORDOBA, Argentina – Jorge Videla, former military dictator of Argentina, was found guilty on Wednesday on charges of committing crimes against humanity during Argentina’s infamous “Dirty War” against left-wing dissidents. The former army general along with a military junta, came to power in a military coup which lasted form 1976-1983.

The former dictator who personally ruled between 1976 and 1981, had acknowledged his actions but denied they were human rights violations, to the very end insisting that he was being persecuted as a “political prisoner”.

Videla, 85 was sentenced to life in prison for the torture and murder of 31 prisoners, most of whom who were “shot while trying to escape” in the months after his military coup. The charges against him included the abduction, torture and murder of 40 people, including a German student, Rolf Stawowiok, whose disappearance in 1978 prompted Berlin to ask for Videla’s extradition.

This conviction was the second in 25 years. In 1985 he had previously been tried and sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned five years later by then Argentine president Carlos Menem along with other military officials convicted of crimes committed during the “Dirty War”. However new calls for justice for the members of the military regime that caused the “disappearance” of between 13,000 people (according to a government count) to 30,000 (Human rights group estimate); led to a 2007 verdict finding Videla’s pardon unconstitutional, setting the scene for the new trial. Most of these “disappeared” are believed to have been tortured and later killed.

The court room was packed with relatives of the victims who were holding up grainy black-and-white pictures of the victims and shouting “murderers” at the defendants. Most of the two-dozen former military and police officials who were tried with Videla also received life sentences, including, General Luciano Menendez, 83, for human rights crimes carried out when he headed an army corp responsible for 11 provinces.

Even when faced with the cruelty and depravity of their crimes, the two men still refused to acknowledge the horror that they inflicted on the country. Videla and Menendez accepted responsibility for the suppression of leftists, but in an attempt to justify their actions asserted that their actions were necessary to prevent what they considered would have been a greater tragedy — the transformation of Argentina from a conservative Christian society to a Marxist state.

Menendez told the court that it is historically revisionist to present armed leftist groups as passive victims with no responsibility for criminal acts. The Montoneros and the People’s Revolutionary Army were already committing violent acts before the coup, he reminded the judges.

“They were combatants who took on certain risks,” Menendez said. “It’s not a crime against humanity to fight an armed combatant.”

Videla while assuming responsibility for the actions of his subordinates, also continued to defend his actions “I assume full responsibility…. My subordinates were only following orders,” he said. I claim the honor of victory and I regret the consequences,” Videla said, emphasizing he saw Argentina’s dirty war in the 1970s as a fight against “subversives.” He even went so far as to complained that the very “terrorists” he fought against, now run the country.

The court and the people of Argentina, were not swayed by their words. The sentencing judge, Maria Elba Martinez, described him as “a manifestation of state terrorism.” Prominent activist Raul Alfonsin said Videla “represents the most absolute evil. It was Videla, who “ordered them to torture, who ordered them to rape, who ordered them to kill or who tolerated them doing all of these aberrant things.”

Videla came to power at the head of the military junta after masterminding a 1976 coup that toppled the government of Isabel Peron. During the so called “Dirty War” tens of thousands of left-wing dissidents and others who spoke out against the atrocities of the brutal regime “disappeared”. These people were subjected to some of the most inhuman acts ever perpetrated by a government in recent history. Many were taken to clandestine centers and tortured with methods including electric shock, and rape, and then often were killed, including by throwing them from aircraft in night flights over the sea. Many also had their children stolen and given to military families…leading to an entire generation of “stolen” children that are just now beginning to uncover the truth.

Argentina’s military government fell in 1983, a year after Videla’s successor, Leopoldo Galtieri, waged an unsuccessful war against Britain for the Falkland Islands.

Buenos Aires is the birthplace of Tango. And it has been said that Tango is the soul of the city, the blues is to Chicago, and Jazz to New Orleans. But here the connection between the music, and the very substance of the city runs deeper than I believe any other place on Earth. Only here do you find pictures of long dead Tango singers still plastered on alley walls. Only here do you see Teeshirts, keychains, and every sort of touristic good, covered in a line from a 90 year old song – “Mi Buenos Aires Querido”

It only fitting then, that as part of my life here, that I should try my hand at Tango. And given that my friend Max was here, and I wanted to do something a little out of the normal drudgery of daily life, we decided that this would be a good time to return to a cherished little stop that all holds a fond place in our collective memory; La Catedral.

This is not my first visit to this lovely hole in the wall. Way back when our dearly departed friend James (Departed from BA, not from the world of the living…) was the master of all things late night in BsAs, he had taken us to this hidden sanctuary after the meeting one night. James if nothing else, had a one of a kind ability, a gift rather, to talk with the locals, and learn from them about where to find the best hole in the wall bars, the little nooks that held the best restaurants in town. The knowledge of this site’s existence, I believe to be among the finest of his many his finest acquisitions.

This was just such a place, that would require you to defeat that classic Catch-22 to find it; you will only find it if you already have been there, and you will never be there if you cant find it…Located on an obscure street in the middle of the city, away from the hustle and bustle of down town, and far from the glitz and glamor of Palermo Hollywood/SoHo, this is not where you would expect to find such a gem as this. When you walk up to the door, all you are greeted with is a normal inconspicuous looking door, and then upon entry, you are similarly unsurprised when you see a simple folding table with a equally inconspicuous looking man sitting there. You give him the 20 Pesos for the lesson ($5 US), you then receive a ticket and off you go…to a yet again simple staircase that leads up to the unknown. After passing through what seems like a labyrinth of hallways filled with unassuming discarded pieces of everyday existence…you finally enter through a door to find yourself underneath what at first appears to be a enclosure…only after you walk around it do you realize that it is a enormous stage, nearly 50 feet by 20 feet.

Then raising your eye upwards, you begin examine your new surroundings and you start piecing things together. You ave found yourself in what appears to be an abandoned warehouse/factory, that has been converted into a dance hall(if you thought this, you would be correct). With a large bar at one end, a large dance floor area in the center, that is flanked on all sides by random couches, tables, chairs, and other assorted furniture sourced from what one would imagine was some kind of Argentine garage sale. The rustic, and almost down and dirty poor surface here, fits perfectly with the roots of Tango, which emerged from the slums, and working classes in late 19th century BA…When you are in La Catedral you almost get the feeling what it must have been like for these poor beaten, battered and bruised souls, who only found refuge in dance.

Our Experience

Me and Max arrived early (very Taboo in Argentina…oh well) and took in the scenery while we waited for the girls. Like any forward thinking, intellectual guy, I made sure we had 4 girls to me and Max…(always have more girls than guys…Duh)

After talking with the young lady who would be our instructor for the evening, we were pleasantly rewarded for our wait, when our lady friends arrived. As the class began, we were given a brief into to Tango 101 by our teacher. After explaining the origins, and the moody, “wine flavored” nature of the dance, we were giving our first, and according to our teacher, most important lesson in Tango…How to walk with style. After walking around in circles for a while, learning to drag our feet with class, and eloquence, we finally were allowed to couple up, and try the moves for ourselves.

Now when it comes to Tango coupling, there is one thing that is quite important to remember. (I got so much flack for this statement before from my Argentine friends, I felt so vindicated when I hear our teacher say these words…) Our teacher explained to us, that this dance is all about improvisation. More than any other dance that I have learned, the Tango has a deeper connection with its accompanying music. As such, each individual Tango (Dance) must be crafted to suit the specific song that is being played at that very moment. From the abrupt twists and turns of the flowing emotion carried forth by the Banoneón, to the strikingly personal lyrics that often cut to the very soul, the dance mirrors the music in every way.

After our brief, but helpful lesson, we were more or less left to our own devices as the rest of the evening unfolded. With a growing crowd for the for the second “intermediate” lesson at 10, we decided to hang out a bit and enjoy the scenery, and each others company. One of my favorite things about this place is that you get a feeling of being free to dance, or to simply lounge with your friends on the comfy sidelines. You feel no pressure at all to have to dance, but should you choose to do so, you will not in the slightest bit feel out of place, or that all of the attention is focused on you as if you were in the spot light. (even though there is a huge spot light in the middle of the dance floor…)

So after we had a few beers, and a couple of freshly made Empanadas…we had a few more turns at the dance floor before clocking out at a “reasonable Tango Hour”.

After reviewing my previous comments, all I can say about my experience here at La Catedral, is that words do it no justice, pictures only show half truths, and my ramblings of good times gone by, will only serve to create in you a desire to visit this enchanting place yourself. But I predict that you will go there with a certain unrealistic expectation, and find not something that is lower than you had imagined, but a place so charming and so engaging, that it exceeds the highest preconceived notice you could possibly entertain.

Notes To Readers:

La Catedral is located at Sarmiento 4006

10 Pesos just to dance, 20 Pesos for lesson and dancing

Beer is cheap about 15 Pesos for a liter, and Empanadas are about 3.50 Arg each.

Classes run every night at 8PM and 10PM, but Tuesday night is the standout night.

For more pictures see my Picasa album La Catedral Buenos Aires here.

I recently found this fascinating English documentary on the subject produced by the TV network al-jazeera. It tells the story of one of the tens of thousands of victims, as he searches for the true about his detainment and subsequent torture. As part of his quest to learn the identities of his torturers, he visits a man in jail he knows to have been one of his torturers. He visits this man, one of the few convicted for the crimes committed during the “Dirty War”, in hopes that he will reveal the names of his fellow torturers. What results is an interesting exchange between two man who have now changed places, the interrogator, now becomes the interrogated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf94OjrY6Ak&feature=player_embedded

Argentina has made the front page news across the international media this month with a recently leaked secret U.S. Embassy cable sent from Buenos Aires that bluntly describes Argentina as becoming awash in drug money due to lax prosecution of organized crime. Even going so far as to accuse president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of being complicate in the laundering, saying that the president “stands to lose” by going after money launderers.

This shocking revelations have been brought into the public eye as part of the website WikiLeaks on going disclosure of scores of classified U.S. diplomatic cables. The cable dated Dec. 1, 2009 is but one of thousands that the website has currently published online.

The report which, made for banner headlines in Argentina’s opposition newspapers Thursday, has sparked a storm of controversy in Argentina, as well as the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton personally called Fernandez to apologize from Central Asia, where she was, having spent much time reassuring various leaders that America has good intentions despite the blunt language of leaked diplomatic cables that were supposed to remain classified for decades.

The president, while not directly commenting on the cables, did reaffirm the importance of the friendship Argentina has with the United States, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.

This however is not the only cable released by WikiLeaks that concerns U.S. – Argentine relations. Other leaked U.S. diplomatic cables also have shown Argentina’s leaders in an unflattering light, including one dated Dec. 31, 2009, in which the Embassy was asked to find out if President Cristina Fernandez was taking medicine to control her mental health. Another, from Sept. 10, 2009, shared unsubstantiated allegations that her Cabinet chief had ties to drug traffickers.

The allegations made however, go much further than that. Going so far as to suggest that there are significant amounts of corruption in the highest levels of the Argentine government. Commenting on the country’s efforts to combat money laundering, citing current and former Argentine government officials with close knowledge of the country’s law-enforcement situation, the cable describes a series of challenges, from a lack of funding for investigators, to uninformed judges, to a general absence of political willpower to make any changes in a country where much of the economy operates off the books in order to evade taxes. Its conclusion: “The near complete absence of enforcement coupled with a culture of impunity and corruption make Argentina ripe for exploitation by narcotraffickers and terrorist cells.” While these charges not directly refuted by the Argentine government, a governmental minister did state at a recent press conference that the government “has launched, with all of its weapons and along with the other countries in the region, a battle without quarter against traffickers of drugs, weapons and people.”

Taking a more personal jab at the country’s president herself, the cable further went on to state that Argentina had refused to assist the governments of Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg with their investigations of allegedly suspicious transactions by the Kirchners themselves. “Some Embassy contacts argue that the current GoA leadership, including the President, stands to lose from honest and vigorous pursuit of money laundering,” said the cable, later adding, “It is probably unrealistic to expect that the GoA (government of Argentina) will funnel resources to prosecutors or make a concerted effort to pursue money launderers. The Kirchners and their circle simply have too much to gain themselves from continued lax enforcement.”

The Embassy’s guidance to Washington: Don’t expect the Argentine government to do anything about it — least of all Fernandez and her husband, former President Nestor Kirchner, whose personal wealth soared during their years in office. Kirchner died in October. The couple had said that they made their money in real estate, and judges have declined to file charges after repeated investigations stalled in the courts.

It is important to note, that the cable several times acknowledges that many of these findings are based on “unsubstantiated press and intelligence reports” and that Embassy officials had “no information to corroborate these allegations, and we are unaware of any formal legal complaint against [certain cabinet members] on narcotrafficking charges.”

These releases have highlighted the current tense situation of politics in Argentina. Whether these allegations are true, or not, that fact remains that these issues are going to now be at the forefront of Argentina political affairs for sometime to come, and certainly, in the highly anticipated 2011 Argentine election.

This week the government released a new report on inflation in the Argentine economy. The report claims that prices have risen about 11% over last year. This claim however is being challenged from many different groups, all of them asserting that the government of Argentina is again denying, or at least belittling a serious economic problem as it has consistently in the past. Further adding to the outrage is the comments of Economy Minister Amado Boudou who said last week that inflation “is not an issue.” He further fanned the flames by stating that inflation only affects those in the middle and upper classes, and not the poor. Critics immediately pointed out that this is contrary to the most basic of economic theory. Even after a his superior Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernández, commented that Boudou’s statements were incorrect, the critics still disagree with the findings.

One economist in particular has taken issue with the governmental report…going so far as to have develop a new way of measuring inflation rates in order to contradict the government rates.

Cavallo, who has a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard and is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, has developed an ingenious way of measuring what he says is Argentina’s real inflation rate.

To estimate inflation in Argentina, Cavallo created the website Inflación Verdadera, which tracks the price of 150 products at two supermarkets in Buenos Aires.

The site which is updated daily, is based on data from the “Billion Prices Project“, run by Cavallo and MIT colleague Roberto Rigobon. By collecting prices from hundreds of online retailers on nearly 5 million different items around the world, According to the site, food and beverage prices are up about 33% from a year ago. That’s about three times the government’s official rate. Along with a basic collection of goods termed “canasta básica,” which the government uses to calculate poverty levels. This index according to the site is also up a staggering 29.5%.

Cavallo started the website while working on his Ph.D. in early 2007. He says he felt “The government started lying about statistics in early 2007. In 2007 I kept reading reports saying inflation was more than what the government said it was. So I developed this software to measure prices online. I used it for my academic project and I launched the website February or March of 2008.”

After discussing what he feels are the reasons for Argentina’s current inflation problem, (Local causes, and governmental policies) he adds: “Understanding the cause and solutions for inflation is beyond the scope of this paper, but having a credible price index is a first step in that direction.”

Given Argentine history, that makes this issue something that everyone should find interesting.

However on Monday, October 18, a group of people decided to ease the pain of those with the airport blues, by giving them a touch of heart, soul, and passion in the form of one of most beloved cultural treasures of Buenos Aires, a performance of the heart wrenching Tango Por Una Cabeza.

Random Acts of Culture is a three-year project sponsored by the Knight Arts that is planning 1000 random acts of culture: short, spontaneous bursts of classical music, theater, dance and opera.

They took a string quartet from the Charlotte Symphony and two tango dancers to concourses D and E at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. I don’t think anyone at the Airport that day will forget what happened next…

Taking the bus in Buenos Aires for many tourists can be a daunting challenge, so below is a little guide to take away some of the confusion. There are a minefield of hidden problems and your first few journey are always very confusing, even worse at peak times. However, whether you need to get from your Spanish school in Buenos Aires to your home or if you are trying to find a bed after your night out, using the bus is an essential skill in Buenos Aires!

Your first hurdle to successfully traveling from A to B is to make sure that you have coins. This is not as easy as it sounds in a city where all the buses are busy running around the city collecting up all of the coins. It is normal to have to go to banks where you can change up to 25 pesos into the only thing that has value on the bus, coins! It is always awkward if you have to get off the bus after waving a 2 peso bill at the driver.

Essential For Getting Around By Bus

So the pricing, when you get on the bus you have to say to the driver the amount you need to pay for your journey. Officially it is: AR$1.10 for under 3km, AR$1.20 for 3-6km, AR$1.25 over 6 km and journeys out of Buenos Aires get more expensive. There is not anyone checking or measuring the distance so either ask the driver or guess how far the journey is as you get on the bus.
Waiting for the bus can be like waiting for a shooting star, you are never sure when it will arrive and when it does you might get three at one time. In reality, there is no fixed timetable for the buses, so don’t get disheartened if you have just missed a bus. There is every chance that one will be right round the corner, it really is a lottery!

Obviously, you are going to need to know what number bus you need to take to get to your destination. There is a website called www.comoviajo.com where you just enter the To addresses and it will tell you the most convenient number bus to get! If you are feeling more intelligent, then try using the paper-based Guia T, but first make sure that you read a on how to guide for using the Guia T.
It is always good to have a back up line in case the bus you are waiting for is full or very delayed. That way, you can switch to whichever arrives first. If you are alone, make sure that you wave the bus down when you are near a stop, the bus drivers get paid more for faster journeys so some of them do not like to stop for people!

Once you have your route, have waved the bus down and have paid, your next challenge is where to sit, this is where the bus politics come in. There is an unwritten hierarchy of those who can take seats first, as a young male you are right at the bottom of that list. Older ladies, pregnant women or anyone with children obviously get the seats first. It is really well enforced and ensured that the seats go to those who need them most.

So best of luck navigating the bus, a great idea to help you along the way is to Learn Spanish in Buenos Aires first so that you can ask when you are lost, but with guide hopefully you won’t need to!

If you have ever spoken in Spanish with an Argentine before, or if you read my previous article about Lunfardo (The street slang of spoken in Buenos Aires) then you already know what I am talking about. The language that is imparted to me by the Pimsleur program while being the truly standardized version that is spoken in Spain, did not adequately prepare me for the reality that Spanish like other languages is alive, and it is the procession of the hundreds of millions of people who speak it. And group of people has their own accent and variation on how they believe it should be spoken. That being said, it took me a few weeks before I was able to understand many of the very words I already knew, when they were spoken by an Argentine.

So then, what options are available for those who want to learn a little Spanish for their trip to Argentina? I recommend three different ways to do so.

1. Madrigal’s Magical Key To Spanish
This book has done more to help my Spanish than anything other than speaking with locals. This book begins its first few chapters by teaching you a few simple rules to turn hundreds of English words, into Spanish ones. This along with other easy to remember ideas, lead this book to being a must have for anyone learning Spanish.

2. Pimsleur’s Spanish Level I
Now you may ask “Didn’t he just tell us that that program did nothing for him?”. And you are right, this lesson while not the best idea in my case, did teach me a good number of things. Besides the basics of counting, saying hi, and asking for directions, it teaches you by speaking to you in Spanish, and then asking you to respond in Spanish. This gets you used to pronouncing the words, and listening, and responding in real time to actual Spanish speakers. It also has the added benefit of teaching you without having to use a text book. You simply listen to the CDs (or burn them on to your iPod like I did) and hit play. So you can do it when your cleaning your house, driving your car to work, or anything else for that matter where you can listen to your headphones. It wont get you having an in depth discussion with anyone, but you will be able to ask for directions, buy things, ask how much certain items are, etc.

If you take the time to study both of these great tools to learn Spanish before your trip to Argentina, you will be amazed at how wisely spent your time was. Even with a small knowledge of the local languor, will go a long way to making your trip more enjoyable.

For tips on the best ways to learn Spanish after you arrive in Buenos Aires, check out our article here.