Cuba has announced a change in their migration policy; citizens will no longer need to obtain exit permits to travel abroad. The only requirements for travel will be a passport and a visa of the destination country.

In the past, Cubans had to ask permission from the government in order to leave the country. Authorities have also extended the time Cubans can stay abroad to 24 months.

“Those exceeding this term must obtain a record of extension granted by a Cuban consulate in the destination country,” the resolution states.

Leaders, university professionals, doctors and high performance athletes that are vital to Cuba’s development will still need to get travel authorised by their superiors. This part of the preexisting law will stay in effect to prevent what Raúl Castro’s government called the “brain drain.”

According to the Cuban government, Cuba must “defend themselves” against this phenomenon by limiting migration.

“The persistence of policies favoring the brain drain are aimed to shed human resources necessary for economic, social and scientific development. Cuba is obligated to maintain measures to fight this front,” stated an editorial official for local newspaper Granma.

The newspaper said that Cuba seeks to “facilitate travel abroad by citizens with private affairs.”

The law will take affect on 14th January 2013.

Women expats and helpers who live in Buenos Aires have voluntarily given their time to put together ‘Hola, Buenos Aires!’ e-book for those wishing to relocate to Argentina’s capital city. The ladies are from all over the world and, after experiencing the city first-hand, decided to take an old, spiral-bound city guide that they had found in the University Women’s Club of Buenos Aires, update it and turn it into a modern manual for managing the metropolis.

The first edition of the book was published in 1989 with six or seven contributing women. It was then updated, with the last print edition publishing in 2003. The new e-book is a result of the efforts of 23 contributing ladies, including some who no longer live in Buenos Aires, but helped out with editing and proof-reading.

All proceeds from the US$14.99 cover price of the e-book will go to the Association of Sponsors of Rural Students and Schools (APAER), an Argentine NGO that promotes education in disadvantaged rural schools.

The book covers topics ranging from food, traffic, the ‘how-to’ of everyday life (like paying bills, when stores are open), to coping with culture-shock. The Argentina Independent had the chance to sit down with one of the project’s leaders, Michal Leon, who has been living in BA since October 2009. She is an entrepreneur as well as wife of the South African ambassador to Argentina. Although their time in Buenos Aires was up at the end of September, Michal felt it would be helpful to update the book for those choosing to move to Buenos Aires, helping them to have an easy and accessible guide to help them in the integration process. In a way, the digital version of ‘Hola, Buenos Aires!’ is her legacy in Buenos Aires.

“When you move to a country with someone from that culture, the shock is much softer, but for those who do not have that, this book will help them,” Michal explained.

When it comes to the basics, the book also helps out on letting sojourners know things to expect that you are not expecting, like food. The simpler things, like peanut butter, tomato juice, tomato and bean sauce, just do not exist. Hot sauce is also hard to come by, although some foreigners have taken on the challenge themselves.

There is a section on where to find a screwdriver or how to get your laundry done if you do not have a washing machine, as well as sections that have information for those who are bringing pets, or even legal matters that expand beyond the embassy. There is a chapter for those who are choosing to leave Argentina and how to prepare for that, too.

“The book is meant to prepare people who choose to live in Argentina for a month up to forever,” Michal added.

The book was released online on Monday and costs US$14.99. All proceeds go to APAER. To download the book, visit: www.uwcba.com.ar.

Being travel savvy in Buenos Aires doesn’t just mean knowing your Guía T inside-out or know the best way to hail a cab in the rain — the cream of the crop know how to get to and from Ezeiza Airport without breaking a sweat.

When the city airport closed a couple of months ago for work on the runway, thousands more travellers were heading out to Ezeiza on a daily basis, with many of them left with little choice to forking out a whopping $130 or higher for a taxi. But whilst there is no public shuttle service, there are alternatives to taking a cab, as Rosalind Walters discovers.

1. HI Travel Shuttle Service

HI Travel provides a service to and from the Ezeiza Airport five times daily. The shuttle service costs US$11 and can take you from Ezeiza to one of the many drop-off points throughout Buenos Aires.

Shuttles leaving Ezeiza to Buenos Aires begin at 8am and the last one leaves for the city at 6.30pm, whereas shuttles from Buenos Aires to Ezeiza depart starting at 7am with the last shuttle of the day leaving for the airport at 5pm. Their pick-up/drop-off points can be found at the HI affiliated hostels and a clearly marked area at the Ezeiza airport. Arrival and departure times vary on traffic, though most trips will take between 1h15 and 1h30 travel time.

Guests and those looking to reserve a shuttle space are at the liberty to book online, over the phone, through email, or at one of the many hostels with which they work between two hours to 48 hours in advance. Booking can also be made directly at their office on Florida 835.

For the full list of shuttle times, hostel lists and how to book your shuttle pick-up, visit www.hostelshuttle.com.ar

2. Silver Star Car

Not a fan of crowded public transportation or stumbling through Spanish with bus terminals or taxi drivers? Private car company, Silver Star Car, is a more personal alternative to airport transportation. Founded in 2009 by husband and wife couple, Fred Badagnani and Karina Zurita, this personal car service is not only provided in English and recommended by Lonely Planet, but also gives your arrival or departure into Buenos Aires a celebrity feel.

Being a private service, Silver Star Car can have arrangements or bookings made on their website or by phone as to the time, date and location of your pick-up and drop off. You can ride in style to the airport for US$92 and picked up from Ezeiza for US$132. Their prices for pickups, drop offs, tours and more include parking and tolls.

The luxury service has three cars insured and certified for your airport arrival, the Citroen C6 Sedan, a Lincoln Town Car and a Citroen C4. Their website provides photos, details, testimonials and prices to the service of their Silver Star Cars.

If you ever decide to make that grand entrance or exit from Buenos Aires, Silver Star Car sets apart from the average public bus, van or taxi.

For more information regarding their other tour services, cars and standard prices, visit www.silverstarcar.com. All prices are correct as of December 2010.

3. Mini Bus S.R.I.

The Mini Bus S.R.I service provides a small shuttle serving 4-19 passengers depending on the vehicle and operates right outside of Paseo Colón Avenue in Monserrat. For $21 you can travel with Mini Bus to Ezeiza.

Shuttles run between Buenos Aires and Ezeiza Monday to Friday beginning at 8.30am until 6.30pm, every 15 minutes. Packages of prepaid tickets can be purchased at a discount, depending on the number of tickets purchased, however there is no need to make a reservation for a standard ticket – all you have to do is show up to the pick-up point and pay the chauffer with cash.

The Mini Bus picks up passengers heading to the airport at Av. Paseo Colón and Av. Belgrano. The website also offers assistance and information in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

Monday-Friday, for package prices, postal and other information check out www.minibusezeiza.com.ar. Prices increase with luggage.

4. Number 8 Bus

Public transport afficionados – and those with more time than money – will be happy to know that there is a public bus that heads to the airport.

For only $2 (with a SUBE, $4 without) you can have a frills-free ride to the airport on the most basic and unexpected forms of public transportation. While all of the #8’s have airport written on the top, if you are headed to the airport, make sure that it’s written on the bottom half of the sign as well.

The route and stops of the bus heading to and from the Ezeiza International Airport to Hospital Argerich is more fine-tuned in the Guía T, the guidebook to Buenos Aires public transportation. Sure places to catch the #8 are as it travels up Av. Independencia, Perú and Av. Belgrano before hitting Av. De Mayo and Av. Rivadavia and on to the highway.

However, as true with all public buses in Argentina, the sooner you catch it, the easier it is to find a seat and relax, and be sure to give yourself a good couple of hours to get there.

For those who are not familiar with the Guía T guidebook to public transportation, Como Viajo is a good place to find your way around Buenos Aires from the comfort of your chair. For more information in the #8 bus, make sure to check www.comoviajo.com

5. Manuel Tienda León

Manuel Tienda León prides themselves in the security of their ride to and from Ezeiza airport to their station, Terminal Madero. With a bus running at least every hour, coming and going from the airport has never been so easy.

For $70 Manuel will take you to the airport in their air-conditioned buses with a secure luggage area and large reclining seats for the ride in. All pick-ups and drop-offs to and from Ezeiza are stationed at the Terminal Madero at Av. Madero and San Martín. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time as well as at their counter at the Ezeiza terminal, online and the Terminal Madero station.

Prices vary depending on the type of vehicle you choose from Manuel, whether it is the bus or the Remis, four-seater vehicle. Still, this very straightforward method of airport transit is staple for both Argentines and travelers alike.

Prices, locations and hours of transit are available at Manuel Tienda León’s website www.tiendaleon.com.ar

When we hear the term “conscious-travel,” we think of globe-trotting trends to take care of the environment, or expeditions that invite the visitor to help repair the damage caused to our natural world every day. Rarely do we consider a kind of travel which asks us to remember how to connect.

In Argentina, any travel agency can sort you out with an unforgettable trip to see icebergs, waterfalls, vineyards or multi-coloured canyons. For a little over a year, the dedicated team of two at Tierra Natural Viajes has been developing a different kind of tourist experience under the banner of conscious travel; a stimulating alternative to the standard idea of tourism, encouraging travellers to fall entirely in tune with all that they encounter.

Formulating a stronger connection with the self is an important strand behind agency founders Julieta Salvi and Rossana Pua’s concept of conscious-travel. With a real zest for what they do, they explain that, “travel is an experience which allows us to stop trying to be the person we believe we should be and allows us to become the person we really are.”

With this premise in mind they develop programmes that nurture a heightened sense of contemplation. Every travel experience emphasises the importance of healthy eating and a number of their excursions place the practice of yoga and meditation at the centre of the visit.

By way of example, in October 2012, Tierra Natural Viajes is offering a four-day travel experience to a Buddha retreat, located in the Traslasierra region of Córdoba province.
In this trip, visitors can practice yoga, meditation and walk in the Condorito National Park Canyons. Daily activities are scheduled in the organic vegetable garden and both accommodation and meals – natural, homemade and organic – are included in the price.

All the programmes offered by Julieta and Rossana promote a cognizant care of the environment. They openly focus on the social integration of the traveller within native communities, such as those connected to the Caburé-i jungle retreat in Misiones, and deliberately ensure that local economies are developed and supported by the tourism they generate.

Even though the idea of conscious-travel at Tierra Natural Viajes encompasses more than the standard notion of caring for the environment, ‘grass roots’ eco-tourism remains an important focus for Julieta and Rossana.

Their excursions regularly introduce interested travellers to the immediate environmental concerns plaguing a number of areas in Argentina. This is the goal of one of their most popular one-day travel experiences, an environment-conscious horse-back ride through the Nature Reserve in Pilar.

The day begins at 8.30am at Retiro Train Station, where a 90-minute train journey carries the small, intimate group to Villa Rosa in Pilar, some 60km northwest of Buenos Aires. At Villa Rosa, the group enjoys a two-hour horse-back ride in the capable hands of the local gauchos, including a quick mid-morning pit-stop for mates and home-baked, organic cake, before arriving at the reserve.

Even though it will only be turning nine this year, the reserve has already suffered considerable environmental abuse. Two problems in particular are proving difficult to overcome. The first relates to the tonnes of waste from the surrounding factories in Pilar which is continually dumped into the Luján River. The second is the result of an infestation of the foreign tree species, known as Black Acacia, which is preventing other native species in the reserve from growing.
The good news is that municipal financial support is now in place and helps fund the efforts of the new, four-strong team of park rangers who are responsible for the care and redevelopment of the region.

However, whilst the municipality may be providing wages for the park rangers, it does not provide funding for the on-site grounds that enable them to work effectively, nor does it directly sponsor the environmental repair projects. All of the work going on at the reserve to revive the ecology and educate the local community is funded by The Natural Heritage Association (La Asociación Patrimonio Natural) and individual donations.

Tierra Natural Viajes works to educate visitors about these challenges. All those who take part in the horse-back ride to Pilar are given a thorough and in-depth tour of the badly affected areas on the reserve and then invited to take direct action by planting young, native trees under the guidance of the park rangers.

The support that Tierra Natural Viajes provides goes beyond that of its eco-conscious travel day. Both Julieta and Rossana are deeply involved with the reserve’s redevelopment and are able to help anyone interested in volunteering intensively on the project at any time.

This kind of additional effort is what makes Tierra Natural Viajes stand out as a truly authentic travel agency concerned about the environment. In another popular tour – a one-day bike ride to the Sabe La Tierra Market in San Fernando, in the north of Buenos Aires – the emphasis is not just on cycling, an environmentally-friendly means of transport, but the special recycled bicycles that Tierra Natural Viajes offers to those who don’t have their own wheels.

Julieta and Rossana have personally recycled each and every bicycle available for use on the tour, constructing them using discarded materials that have been salvaged from a number of neighbourhoods across Buenos Aires. Each bicycle has its very own story to share and listening to the owners recount these stories is a truly magical travel experience in itself.

Tierra Natural Viajes concentrates on nurturing a synergy of experiences. If you do decide to journey across Argentina with Julieta and Rossana, be prepared to fall in love with what you encounter and don’t be surprised if you still find yourself planting trees on the Nature Reserve in Pilar many years from now.

We are calling for entries for our new photography competition, with the winner’s image appearing in our first print edition, due out in June. Sponsored by Patagonia Outdoor Clothing, we are asking contestants to send us their best shot of Patagonia by 20th May.

Beatrice Murch, The Indy’s head of photography, will then select the ten best images and the final judgement will go over to you, our readers, to vote via facebook during a two-week period.

The ten finalists will be invited to join our professional team of photographers in showing their photos at our next gallery night, due to take place in San Telmo mid-June.

Photographs may be taken on any type of camera but must have been taken in Argentine or Chilean Patagonia.

The prize, courtesy of Patagonia Outdoor Clothing, is a ‘Micro D’ lightweight, warm and fast-drying fleece, that works as either insulation or an outer layer – perfect for the cold months ahead! And, as an extra bonus, it is also environmentally friendly – made from 85% recycled fleece – Patagonia recycle used soda bottles, unusable second-hand quality fabrics and worn out garments into polyester fibres to produce many of their clothes.

Only one entry may be submitted per person and it must be accompanied by your full name and one line caption, giving background on the image – where and when it was taken, and what is being captured.

To enter, please email your photograph to [email protected] by 20th May.

Size your image to a maximum of 1024 pixels on the longest side before sending. The winner must be able to provide a high-resolution (300 dpi) version of the image for publication in print by 10th June.

For Peace of Mind:

The image entered and all rights to it must be your own. In submitting your photograph, you agree to The Argentina Independent’s non-exclusive use of your image on our website, newsletter and associated printed press.

You maintain full copyright to your photograph and, where used by The Argentina Independent, the photograph will be credited to you as the photographer, with a link to your online portfolio where applicable.

Stepping off a busy Monserrat street into an elegant lobby, gliding across clean marble floor, past men in suits and manicured ladies sipping champagne, you feel a million miles away from the gritty La Boca neighbourhood. But, this is the new Boca Juniors Hotel: a US$25 million, five-star hotel, which opened last week and claims to be the first football-themed hotel in the whole world.

The 7-floor, 85-room hotel is based on Boca Juniors Football Club, evident in the ever-present blue and yellow team colours, which run throughout the hotel, from the pillows to the swimming pool tiles. It’s not the most flattering colour lay out in my view, but if you’re a Boca fan, it gives you the chance to bask in your team’s colours everywhere.

Fans can also enjoy the Boca ‘bubbles’ – semi circular tubes displaying Boca paraphernalia – found in the main hallways on each floor, while each bedroom TV has a Boca channel, telling you everything you could ever want to know about the club.

Down in the bar, five parallel screens show the infamous Boca fans filling up the Estadio Alberto J. Armando (or ‘La Bombonera’), insanely cheering their team on, jumping as one quite unsettlingly like an organ, then clearing out again – matchday at the Boca club all speeded up. This scene is played over an over again while the clients of the five-star, US$155-$600 a night hotel sip their cosmopolitans: it makes you wonder how many of the fans on the screen could stay at this hotel.

Aside from that… it’s just a normal top range hotel. It’s accessible and smart; you don’t have to be a Boca fan to enjoy it. There’s nothing particularly spectacular about the hotel either, aside from the truly beautiful architecture, which is worth a visit alone.

Designed by award-winning Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, whose previous projects include the MALBA museum, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, and Wenzhou Grand Theatre in China, Hotel Boca carries his very distinctive style. Contrasting futuristic curves and straight, clean parallel lines, it wouldn’t look out of place in Dubai, and standing out amongst the Microcentro skyline, it clearly aims to make a statement.

Inside, the bar is small and well stocked. If you sit in the corner, you can look up through the glass ceiling at all the healthy people in the gym and smugly carry on sipping your drink. If relaxing is more your thing, just beyond the gym is an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam-room, and spa.

The rooms are minimalist chic, with white and beige muted furniture and décor – as a football hotel, it’s not really what’s expected. Notable extras are the Nespresso coffee maker, tea menu, and a DVD menu (for when you get bored of the reading facts on the Boca channel).

The hotel rooms on the higher floors are really worth the extra lift ride, however, as the glass windows reaching floor to ceiling gives a pretty good view over the city. I lie, the view is absolutely amazing. This is one of the real perks of the hotel, where the central position means, day or night, the cityscape is there for your own personal pleasure. This view can enjoyed lying on your bed, sitting in the comfy sofa seats, and even in the bath.

Overall, it’s a really nice, fancy hotel, and it’s possible to get a room without an extortionate price tag – although I would say it’s probably more higher-end four star than a full five star lodging. Being a football hotel, it could have been a hell of a lot tackier, though the football players painted in full Grecian god-like glory on the each bedroom door is a bit much for me. But then again, for others, calling home to boast that you’re “in the Diego Maradona suite” might be the highlight of staying.

Antarctica is the only uninhabited continent left on the planet. It’s also the coldest, windiest, driest, highest, and understandably, the most remote.

Yet every year at the height of the southern hemisphere summer, thousands visit this frozen land on cruise ships, expedition boats and ice breakers. They navigate through fleets of sculpted icebergs, visit giant penguin colonies, and learn about the awesome power and beauty of unchecked nature. None return the same.

In this week’s Indy Eye we bring you photos from two people, Marc Rogers and Chanda Keefe, who have recently made the life-changing trip to the end of the Earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In your average travel bookshop, the Buenos Aires shelf will be sagging under the weight of a thousand and one guides to the city. When the pressure of choosing is too much, you grab the most colourful one, probably with a picture of a sleazy tango duo wearing an offensive amount of hair gel, probably costing about 15 pounds, and you probably spend about ten minutes flicking through it on the plane before leaving it accidentally on your seat. Nothing says obnoxious tourist quite like a binocular-carrying, flip flop-donning type navigating the metro in a brash English voice with an iPhone akimbo, and there are obvious disadvantages to loitering on a street corner brandishing your apple. But though you may look like a numpty, it seems apple apps are the way forward.

Or so thinks Shafik Meghji of ‘Buenos Aires *Essential* Guide’: “I think this is definitely where the Market is going,” he says. Having penned many a Rough Guide, (Bolivia, India, Chile, Nepal, Egypt to name but a few…) the seasoned travel writer adds that the advantage of electronic apps, as opposed to weighty paperbacks, is that “they are so much more current and up to date”.

Spotting the gap in the Market, he and fellow travel writer Sioned Jones put their knowledge of the city to task, coming up with an interactive, electronic alternative for visiting tourists. Having lived in the city themselves rather than passing through on a whistle-stop tour like most guide book authors, they combine a local expertise with a foreigner’s perspective and eagerness to explore. As a result, Shafik explains, the Buenos Aires *Essential* Guide “covers both the classic BA attractions with off-the-beaten-track entries that a tourist would struggle to find without us”.

Indeed, the listings range from tourist to local and anywhere in between, divided into 14 headings; Accommodation, Attractions, Bars and Nightlife, Cafés and Restaurants, Escaping the City, Getting Around, Getting started, Hidden Gems, Museums and Galleries, Neighbourhoods, Not to Miss, Shopping, Spa & Fitness, and Tours & Travel info.

Far simpler to navigate than any other app I’ve come across, the bare necessities that would require an arduous phonecall, especially for those non-spanish speakers, are laid out before you. The Restaurant section for example gives you the cost of an average main, contact details, as well as a series of photos so you can avoid the misery of splashing out on a slap up meal only to find you’re dining next to the motorway.

The Accomodation section is particularly comprehensive, with pricing for the cheapest double, reviews of the restaurant, alongside photos and an interactive Map. This latter feature really sets the app apart from others. No matter where you are, it will find you, and tell you how to get to any of the listed attractions by bus, car, foot or subway, and how long it will take, saving you hours of aimless wandering.

It tells you too, how much you should expect to spend on a taxi from A to B: Porteño taxistas are renowned for their ability to find the long and winding road that will leave you paying double, so this way you can avoid being scammed.

Where most guidebooks and apps give you an exhaustive selection of thing to do within the city, few cross the frontier into the province. This is a shame, as the countryside has a lot to offer, and a trip away is a welcome break from the chaos. The ‘Escape the City’ guide puts you in direct contact with reliable, affordable estancias, as well as telling you exactly how to get there.

Admittedly, the app has a little way to go- the listings are not as exhaustive as they could be- but I couldn’t recommend it more to tourists heading to Buenos Aires for the first time. All the vital information you need is condensed- good tour guides, meeting points, what to do in an emergency. It will allow you to plan your holiday in matter of twenty minutes- all for just £1.99.

Shafik and Sioned’s Ideal Day Out:

“For Sioned and I, a perfect day in Buenos Aires would start off with breakfast or brunch at Malvon, a fantastic bakery-restaurant near our home in Villa Crespo. We´d then head into the centre and take a public bus from Congreso into La Boca – the route takes you through the “real la Boca” and past places of historic importance like Parque Lezama, giving you an insight into Buenos Aires´ heritage. After a beer or cortado at Fundacion PROA´s rooftop cafe, we´d then head to somewhere like MALBA or Centro Cultural Recoleta to check out the latest exhibition or a performance – we saw the excellent Fuerza Bruta at the CCR late last year. In the evening we´d head for a cocktail mixed by Argentina´s best barman at Home, and then to a Puerta Cerrada like Cocina Sunae or La Cocina Discreta, before finishing up in a late night Milonga at somewhere like La Catedral.”

It’s Friday again!

Although for many of you it’s probably already Monday, or Wednesday, or whatever, since I’m sure with the Copa America tournament kicking-off this afternoon you couldn’t care less about this column. That’s OK though, I’m not offended. The fact that you’re all bitching about how “cold” it is at night, and how the weather directly hinders your pathetic little drunken crusades around town every evening actually makes me feel better. So there, we’re even.

Anyway, this is what you losers needed to know last Friday, but didn’t bother checking out because you were following a ball like a tribe of zombie lemmings.

And to those who really are visiting today, thank you for appreciating my efforts, one day I’ll pay back.

• After creating unparalleled levels of anticipation that made it seem as if the lines between politics and entertainment had been blurred forever, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner finally announced on live television who her running mate would be. Imagine everyone’s surprise when her choice turned out to be none other than… Sorry, we’ll talk about this later, there’s something more important to discuss: River Plate.

• 

  Buenos Aires, five minutes before the end of the River Plate match. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  OH MY FUCKING GOD. Last Sunday was, according to most historians around the globe, the saddest day in the history of the universe. Believe it or not, legendary football team River Plate ended up being relegated to the National B Division after 110 years of being in the A Division. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I guess for football fans it’s like going from being Brad Pitt to Sloth from The Goonies, one more piece of evidence that the end of the world is nigh.

• Of course, while the players were devastated and cried like effeminate little girls, River Plate fans were not happy about this, so their understandable, natural reaction to their team’s demotion was, of course, destroying the stadium, ransacking nearby stores, damaging private property, attacking and critically injuring policemen and make life-threatening comments to the team’s players.

• Such a terrible ordeal (for the hooligans, I mean) became, according to River Plate president Daniel Passarella “a matter of national interest,” for which he requested an audience with President Fernández de Kirchner in order to discuss the club’s next steps. I applaud this decision. I mean, finally we get to see who really wields all the power in this country. And that is, of course, the president of a football team.

• Oh, and not to rain on your parade, but relegation means of course that you’ll never again be able to witness a Superclasico . Pity.

• However, you can still enjoy some good ole’ football, since the Copa America begins tonight! I have no idea what it’s about (I believe like a football world cup but on a continental level) but people seem to consider it entertaining enough. So there, have fun.

• Football Superstar and probable deity Lionel Messi confessed to the press that when he retires from football, he would like to move to Argentina. This statement prompted many Argentines to go all “In your face, Spaniards!” Well, sorry to pop your balloon but the only reason he does it is because with the Euro being 6 to 1 here, it’s obvious he only does it in order to be six trillion times richer than all of us combined.

• Speaking of which, you know how Argentines love to hate Obama,
  

  Buenos Aires, five minutes after the end of the River Plate match. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  saying that he’s just like Bush and stuff? Well apparently it’s all forgiven when he compares himself to Messi. No hard feelings, Mr. President?

• “Oh my God, you guys! The Harlem Globetrotters are here!” That’s what I would have said if it were 1990. However, it’s not 1990 so no one cares. By the way, the Harlem Globetrotters really are here.

• The Argentine Government is once again furious at the British Government after the British Defence Minister warned that they are ready to go to war if Argentina continues busting their balls about the Malvinas/Falklands Islands. Jesus, you two. Honestly, either go to war or don’t, but get over this endless saber rattling crap because it’s gotten really boring and I’m not sure people believe any of you anymore. Idiots.

• Finally, Twitter proves that it is kind of useful! After senators in the Upper House announced this week their intentions to pass a bill aimed at creating an additional tax for digital products such as mp3 players and cell phones, Twitter users staged a large protest on the the internet that forced senators to call off the debate. Congratulations, useless teenagers! You’ve finally achieved something! Of course, the fact that a bunch of hackers attacked the Senate website and intimidated government officials, may have also been responsible for their change of heart, but I guess we’ll never know!

• Now that President Fernández de Kirchner is in full campaign mode, she has decided to finally acknowledge that insecurity is kind of a problem here. That’s why she announced the deployment of additional police officers in several “critical” areas in the south of the city, where criminal activities seem to be flourishing. Does this mean you’ll be safer? No, since Palermo, San Telmo, Recoleta and all the other “green zones” you like to go to for drinks and sex couldn’t be further from the south. So remember: don’t leave your home without your pepper spray/gun kids!

• And finally: after creating unparalleled levels of anticipation that made it seem as if the lines between politics and entertainment had been blurred forever, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner finally announced on live television who her running mate in the coming presidential elections would be. Imagine everyone’s surprise when her choice turned out to be none other than… Economy Minister Amado Boudou! (Check out this file photo of him). The repercussions of her decision are huge, and are expected to drastically alter both domestic and international political scenarios. However, I’ve run out of space since I already used most of it to talk about football. Oh, well.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Send Adrian your comments, thoughts or tips at [email protected]  or follow him on Twitter at @AdrianBono

The first week of June brought the first new transport system in one hundred years to Buenos Aires. Running from Palermo to Liniers, Metrobus began to transport its expected 100,000 daily passengers.

The service counts on an exclusive bus lane in the centre of Avenida Juan B. Justo, cutting travelling time by 40%. With only 21 stations along the 12km route, the buses are required to stop and start fewer times, which coupled with the clear run, cuts pollution. A GPS is to be installed on the buses, giving passengers precise information about arrival times.

After around eight months of preparation, causing heavy traffic and chaos on one of the busiest roads leading into the city centre, the flow of vehicles has returned to normal. Without the buses needing to cut in and out of traffic to reach bus stops, regular cars also experience a smoother ride, despite having had one of the lanes taken away.

The Metrobus costs the same as any other bus in the city and as well as accepting the usual coin or magnetic card payment, it offers the chance for passengers to buy their ticket before boarding in some stations. The service connects with lines B and D of the Subte, while also passing stations on the Sarmiento and San Martin train lines. The 166 and 34 bus routes travel the length of the Metrobus system, while the 53, 99, 109, 110 and 172 routes use it for the respective parts of their journey along Avenida Juan B. Justo.

The new service has not arrived without criticism. The city government controls the roads of Buenos Aires, while the national government controls the train, bus and Subte networks, leading to constant friction. Claudio Lozano, a Proyecto Sur congressman said that “this initiative is not part of a complete and comprehensive plan for transport, but is an isolated action”.

The transport minister, Juan Pablo Schiavi, has also criticised the Metrobus, arguing that “this sort of thing is more about marketing, with the work being completed at a determined moment, than comprehensive transport planning”. He also suggested that a tram would have been more effective, as is seen across the world.

However, Metrobus is not only an Argentine initiative. As part of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) scheme, which operates in over 150 cities worldwide, experience has shown that the system is successful. Also seen in the US, Brazil, France, South Africa, India and many other countries, the BRT has helped cut pollution, congestion and travelling time. In Canton, China, 800,000 people are transported daily by the system.

In Buenos Aires, on the other hand, demand is less, although the bus companies operating along the route have indicated a 10% increase in users, only a week after implementation. During peak hours buses have a frequency of two mintues, which increases to four minutes during the day and is between ten and fifteen minutes during the night.

The Argentina Independent tested the new service on implementation, experiencing a smooth, quick and easy journey, arriving in the advertised time of 28 minutes. While the bus lanes remained clear, the other lanes were completely full and car drivers could be seen eyeing up the tempting open space, only deterred from exploiting it by the police presence at many of the juntions along the route. Later at night, with less police presence, this infraction was more widespread despite being unnecessary.

The project cost a staggering $1bn, although 80% of this amount was spent on the repaving of the road. Stations have been built every four blocks with raised platforms, increasing accessbility to disabled, aged and pregnant passengers.

Metrobus is part of the Buenos Aires government’s ‘Sustainable Mobility Plan’, which aims to reduce travelling time, pollution and danger in the street. The plan includes extending the Subte lines, delegating bus and bike lanes, pedestrianisation and an improved traffic light system, alongside the Metrobus. Ecobuses have also been introduced on the 62 route, which the government is hoping to extend in the future.

Articulated buses have been added to the two bus routes which run the length of Avenida Juan B. Justo. These vehicles, which can hold up to 150 people, are longer and larger than standard buses. However, when the Argentina Independent tried out the Metrobus, only one articulated bus was seen in the entire journey, which is a complaint also raised by sceptical passengers.

Although the journey time has been dramatically cut, passengers can find themselves waiting at the bus stops for longer, as full buses pass by without stopping. Long queues can be seen at both starting points, filling up the buses before they have even begun their journey.

The Metrobus seems to still be finding its feet. While cutting down travelling time so dramatically in Buenos Aires is no small feat, the service operates on only one stretch of road in a city with thousands of kilometres of traffic. Incorporating it into a wider network across the city is both necessary and important, although there are few roads wide enough to cope with two central lanes being taken away. Until solutions can be found, Liniers has become an unlikely destination for people looking to explore a different part of the city without facing a long journey.