As a consolation you may spend your vacations in Argentina. Lakes, mountains, ski, whales show, jungle, beaches, green fields and all the art and culture, for 1/4 of the U.S. prices. After having sustained a "1 to 1" ratio between the US dollar and the PESO for ten years, a historic devaluation brought the peso to 0.33 of a dollar in 2002. (And prices were already lower than U.S.)

Excelent dinner for 5.00, good hotel for 20.00, leather jacket for 90.00, fine shoes for 40.00, a luthier-made guitar for 600.00, a complete super fine saddle for 500.00. And if you prefer to stay longer, a good 2-room apartment for 130.00/month. Ah, and a ticket for the Colón Opera House to see me (in the choir) for 10.00.

Tourists are frantically buying everything buyable and eating everything edible (and drinking everything that comes in bottles). Europeans even take FRESH MEAT with them (will it pass through their customs?)

Un abrazo
Andrés (in Buenos Aires)