Money is a problem in Argentina. Credit cards, ATMs and banks are bound to use the official dollar/peso exchange rate. To get a more honest exchange, one must use the black market. Thus I entered the country with a wad of $100 bills. Every week I hauled my three kids downtown in search of the least thuggy looking loiterer yelling “cambio, cambio, cambio”. The gentleman would take us down a side street into a shady looking place of business to meet with his associates. For my efforts I received an exchange rate around 50% better than the official rate. I’d show a picture of the exchange, but I’d be writing this from a hospital had I taken one.
Despite the stress, our money trips downtown were fun. Much of it looks straight out of Europe.
Oh, and they took graffiti to whole new level…
