Check Out Argentina's German Themed Town of Villa General Belgrano

So I know I said I wouldn't be traveling for a while, but life is unpredictable... and so am I. So a few days ago, a good friend of mine invited me to go to Villa General Belgrano, a heavily themed German town two hours away on bus from Cordoba Capital, where I live. I'm told that the reason for the German influence is due to a heavy concentration of immigrants that sought refuge in Argentina after the Nazi regime crumbled in 1945.

The scenery heading towards this small mountain village of 6,260 inhabitants was amazing.

We got to the bus terminal in Villa General Belgrano at around 12:30 and we were starving. So after getting a map at the tourist center, we started heading into town.

It wasn't long before we started noticing the German style architecture  of some of  the buildings, as well as the German flags displayed in front of businesses.

The street signs were carved out of wood and honestly, it was easy to forget that we were still in Argentina, until we saw that the words on the signs were in Castilian.

We kept looking at the menus in every restaurant we saw as we explored this beautiful village. Most restaurants had the same items on their menu like a variety of German sausages, as well as sauerkraut, black beer, and items that were more atypical for Argentina like pizza, empanadas, and milanesa (breaded steak). On average the price range of the meals were between 130 and 170 Argentine pesos ($8.05 and $11 USD).

Of course, there wasn't a single gift shop that was devoid of beer mugs made of wood, metal, plastic, ceramic, or glass and they all had a German Crest on them, usually the familiar symbol of an eagle. 

 

Old Munich... I swear that the old gentleman was in the wrong place at the wrong time when I took this photo, but it wasn't intentional.

After window shopping through the various shops and exploring the village, my friend reminded me that it was two in the afternoon and that the restaurants would likely close by 3 p.m. for the siesta. So we wound up choosing Tante Leny and ordered the special along with an appetizer and of course, black beer. 

Now I'll admit, I'm not a big drinker. I'm not even a light drinker. If I drink any type of alcoholic beverage more than three times a month, it's too much. So I really didn't know the difference between conventional beer and black beer. But after tasting it, I realized that black beer is a lot smoother and I enjoyed it.

The special was this huge sausage along with a smaller sausage on the side, and mash potatoes, but unlike any I'd ever tasted before. It was actually pretty good, but I don't know if they mixed it with sauerkraut or something else, and I actually got a bit buzzed from the beer so I forgot to ask. The whole lunch cost about 400 Argentine pesos ($25.86 USD) and that included the drinks.

Afterwards we headed for the Torre Mirador, or the Watchtower. It cost 20 Argentine pesos ($1.29) per person in order to climb 94 steps up a narrow, winding stairwell to the very top.

I'm not sure if it's the fact that I'm only a few months away from turning 40 or what, but I was pretty winded by the time we were all the way up. Fortunately, my 20-year-old friend was too, so I didn't feel that bad about my lack of stamina.

When we got there we accidentally interrupted a couple that was looking for some alone time, if you know what I mean. 

So after they left, I took some photos from the Watchtower, but as impressive as the view was, we ended up seeing a lot more rooftops than anything. So after five minutes, we headed back down the dizzying stairs.

You can tell that Oktoberfest must be awesome here. Aside from celebrating big during the "Fiesta Nacional de las Cerveza" (The National Beer Festival), they also party during the "Fiesta del Chocolate Alpino" (The Chocolate Alpines Festival) too.

After we caught our breath from climbing up and down the steps of the Watchtower, we headed for Castillo Romano, which is this amazing museum with remnants of the past.

The outside looked a bit like a village from olden times full of farming equipment and carriages to tend to the garden around the castle. 

The inside had an impressive collection of artifacts, some of which dated as far back as the 1890s. 

The tour guide claimed that men were afraid of this one because it reminded them of their mother-in-law.

There were three marionettes too, but that giant puppet was by far the creepiest, and it moved too, but with the help of the museum's tour guide, who turned a lever that gave it life.

We also got to see a variety of old telephones, video cameras, and audio instruments from the 20s all the way up to the 80s, and in the process, we learned about their history as well. It turns out that the predecessors to our modern day MP3 players were invented in Germany (again, according to the museum's tour guide. I don't know if this is true or not. Please don't kill me).

There was also a wall full of weapons ranging from swords to firearms and they were pretty old too judging from their appearance.

You could also find toys and books that were practically antiques.

The tour guide told us that this wasn't used for cooking. It was used to wash men and women's undergarments in boiling water during a time where diseases ran rampant in Germany.

The cost to enjoy this little trip to the past was $70 Argentine pesos ($4.53 USD) per person and it was worth every penny.

Well now that looks interesting ;-)

After leaving the museum, we walked around the village for a bit before heading back to the bus terminal. There were certainly other things we could have possibly seen and done, especially if you love nature, but admittedly, seeing a bunch of trees and standing in front of a waterfall really isn't my thing, and it wasn't my friend's either. So, since we were satisfied with our trip, we said goodbye to Villa General Belgrano and headed home.

Now one thing I'd like to point out is that in comparison to Cordoba Capital, Villa General Belgrano had a heavier police presence, which I actually prefer because it deters crime. The village was also very focused on recycling. There were receptacles practically everywhere for regular trash and recyclables. 

The only downer would be that it became a ghost town after 3 p.m. and there were no McDonald's or Burger King around. So would I come back for a visit? Absolutely! Would I live here? Probably not. 

Amazon Delivers to Argentina

For some of you, this might be old news, but it was certainly news to me. With all the restrictions that customs have imposed over the years, buying anything internationally has been difficult for a lot of expats and even locals who are desperately trying to get things that are simply unavailable in Argentina.

For some of you, your vice might be electronics, clothes, jewelry, you name it. For me, it's books. Finding books in English is like a scavenger hunt, especially in Cordoba. You wind up asking reps at "Yenny" or "Ateneo", which are two popular bookstores here similar to Borders or Barnes & Nobles back home, if they have books in English and they often respond with a bitter "No!". But sometimes there are novels in English hidden on an unlabeled shelf, often on the very bottom where no one will even notice them. The number of titles and genres are extremely limited. So a fellow expat told me that I could order through Amazon and they would deliver the items to Argentina.

I'll admit, I was skeptical at first. I've heard a lot of horror stories about people who ordered things from abroad and the product wound up getting stuck in customs in Buenos Aires or it got lost. But on February 11th, I decided to go for it and ordered myself a novel.

Amazon requested that I add a CUIL, which is similar to a social security number back in the States. The site claimed that this would help ensure that the product ordered didn't get stuck in customs. Essentially, it's the government's way of tracking how many products an individual is bringing into the country. Now to get a CUIL, you'll need to be an Argentine resident or have citizenship. Otherwise, you can use a friend's CUIL, but the name on the delivery will have to be theirs, not yours.

I used one of Amazon's "alternative buyer options", meaning that instead of buying the book at the regular price, I got it from an authorized seller at a discounted price. But what I didn't realize was that I had purchased it from a bookstore in the U.K. so with shipping, my total was about $24 USD (370 Argentine pesos), even though the book was $3.76 USD.

The only delivery option that Amazon provided for me was regular mail, which made it iffy because that would mean that there'd be no way of tracking my purchase. The estimated arrival was somewhere between mid-March and mid-April. But I didn't think it would get here at all. To my surprise, it got to Argentina two weeks later on Feb. 24th.

So if you're a bookworm like me who can't necessarily afford a trip back home to buy more books, then Amazon is the next best alternative. I already have a huge wishlist of books, and my next purchase will probably be the Doctor Who Encyclopedia.

Now if anyone has any experience ordering anything else through Amazon like body splashes or clothes and is currently living in Argentina, please share in the comment section. I'd love to know what else I can actually order that customs won't get their greedy little hands on.

Resident Evil, Budget Issues, and a New Direction

I know I'm two months late for this, but HAPPY 2017 everyone! Our mood for Christmas was a lot  like our mood during Halloween and Thanksgiving. But we tried to make the best of it despite the emotional scars left behind by our home invasion.  

So now we jump ahead to January 26th, the day Zach and I finally took a chance and left the house at the same time to go watch Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. The film premiered a few days before it was released in the U.S, and despite the fact that it seemed to contradict a lot of things from the second film, it was still pretty awesome! 

But the film franchise has a very special meaning in the history of our relationship. We saw the first film in Oviedo, FL in 2002, which was around the time we started dating. 

Resident Evil (2002)

We also saw Resident Evil Apocalypse (2004) and Resident Evil Extinction (2007) in Orlando, but the latter was bittersweet, as Zach moved to New York a few weeks later while I remained behind in Orlando. 

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

By the time the fourth film came out in 2010, we were reunited in New York and living in our shoe box apartment in the Bronx. 

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

Then in 2012, Resident Evil Retribution became the first film we saw while living abroad in Argentina.

Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

 Now, after watching the final movie in the franchise in 2017, we were reminded that our journey may not have been as perilous as the one Alice had in the films, but it's certainly been one hell of a ride! 

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)

On A Budget

Our financial situation continues to have its ups and downs, particularly with the rising costs of utilities, groceries, and electronic items, which most people would agree is insane, especially when you're living on an 8,000 pesos a month budget (517.16 USD). So aside from semi-stable freelance job, I've started taking on a couple of extra freelance odd jobs here and there to make ends meet. It's not like the offers are rolling down and crushing me, but when I do get a rare offer, I'll take it.  

My Novels

Meanwhile, I'm halfway done revising part two of my 5-part Hunter's Vendetta book series. The first book is only $9.75, and you can buy it worldwide on Amazon. But if you want a sneak peek, then read the first chapter for free here. My goal is to release Hunter's Vendetta: Shockwave by some point in March, and I might release one more sample chapter of the first novel before the release of the second book. So keep an eye out. 

The Blog's New Direction

Regarding this blog, I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what else I should write about. I've pretty much covered most of the basic topics and traveled to a couple of different provinces in Argentina. But I'm still apprehensive about leaving the house unoccupied for a long period of time. So making another trip to a brand new destination is out of the question, at least for the time being. But don't fret. I'm definitely taking my blog in a different direction. For nearly five years, I've been the only voice you've read on this blog. But I'm working on featuring a few other expats to get their insights on what life has been like for them while living in Argentina. I'm also hoping to get a couple of locals to participate as well to give us an insight on their opinions of Argentine life and how they feel about the way the economy is, and some of the struggles they've personally gone through. So check back often, or follow my blog for updates because as Angel, the vampire with a soul, once said, "Things are about to get interesting."