Settling in South America can be daunting if you can't figure out where to start. From shipping some essential stuff you might need to finding a local market and grocery shop, here are tips from Jerry Nelson, an American expat who lives in Buenos Aires.
Even when moving to a region known for wine, sunshine, skiing, mountain climbing and tango, picking up and putting your stuff in boxes is never easy. An adjustment period is always right around the corner, and there is no valid reason to make it harder than it needs to be.
Here are my tips to make your life in South America as easy as it can be.
Make heavy use of delivery
Okay. This works mainly in big cities, but not only in the big cities. Even small shops in Argentina's sparsely populated province of La Pampa are discovering this. Depending on where you're from in the states, being told about home delivery might seem silly. But in many South American cities you can get not just groceries, but household and pet supplies, delivered right to your door. Often delivery is free or at least included in the price, but even if you toss in a few pesos as a tip, it's still better than standing in long lines at the ‘mercado'.
Find a fruit and veggie vendor, a baker and butcher
Ask around. Your neighbours already know the best shops in the barrio. Keep an open eye during your afternoon walks and look for places that are constantly busy. Once you get to know the popular vendors, they often will help you learn your way around by advising you on what's in season, how to cook it and many places will even help you by cleaning and cutting!
If you're out looking for fresh fruit and vegetables, remember Argentina's climate is similar to the mid-south in the US. Buenos Aires is the same latitude as about Charleston, South Carolina. Most of the rainfall in Argentina comes from systems that move from south to north. Keep in mind that in the Southern Hemisphere, spin is opposite to the Northern Hemisphere — low-pressure systems spin clockwise and high-pressure systems spin counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
Want something from home?
Bring it with you, or buy it online. Most bigger cities have import stores and some shops even specialize in catering to the needs and wants of expats. But be ready for sticker shock. It's not uncommon for someone in customs to demand a little extra payola to grease the wheels and allow in that “just-gotta-have” jar of peanut butter.
If you must have it, bring it back from home or buy online.
Smart investments
Shopping cart
Ideal for those times when you really want to shop around the barrio, you'll need one. Sure, they look silly, but people, of all ages use them. When entering a store, be ready to show the clerk the bag is empty. South Americans live in a culture of corruption — and don't trust anyone.
Power strips
Try to find enough places to plug everything in. I'll wait. Failing to have enough places to plug in is common in South America. Power strips are a lifesaver, and stores often have ones with a timer if you want things to be off at certain times of the day.
Water filter
In larger cities, the water usually is safe to drink. In smaller cities, town and villages, however, it's not advised, so buy a “filtro de agua”. Better yet, buy several, and you can skip buying bottle after bottle of water. For sensitive skin or hair trouble when shampooing, add a small water softener to the shower.
Getting around
Find good shoes
Either buy them or bring them with you. Living in South America means walking — a lot. Wear comfortable shoes as supportive footwear is a good idea, but in South America, sneakers are still mainly for the gym and not on the street — unless you're like five or under.
Public transportation
Hop a bus. Catch the train. Take the subway. It doesn't matter. Transportation in, and between, South American cities, is reliable and cheap, so you don't have to worry about parking or aggressive drivers.
An overnight — 12-hour — trip, by bus, for Ale and I from Buenos Aires to Cordoba, included breakfast, lunch and dinner and was superb. When it came time to sleep, our seats easily converted to lay-flat twin beds, and we arrived fresh and ready to go. Cost? Less than 200ARS — about 2.40USD — each.
The takeaway
Anyone handed the chance to move abroad as an expat should take the opportunity and have the adventure of a lifetime.
