red-eye to Santiago

[Admin]

Geologists must come in their pants when they see the formations around there.

Spectacular

[President Bush]

Had wondered if it might not have been a good idea to have spent a month in the red rock canyon country of southeast Utah right before coming down here, that we would be disappointed with the backcountry here in comparison. Hah!

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[President Bush]

back again...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vivxyXQmDGQ

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[President Bush]

Customs guy at DFW was friendly, quick, and efficient with the face-scanning technology, didn´t even glance at our passports, knew how long we had been gone, asked if we had been homesick.

That was an easy answer: ¨no¨.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technolo ... cognition/

[grayman]

All good things come to an end.

[President Bush]

All good things come to an end.

Long as our health holds out we plan on bucking that trend. Iḿ 67, FL is 63, now is the time.

Three more gem and mineral shows remain on our schedule this year. We will be in cashing out mode, have a couple other buyers who seem willing to swoop in to pick up whatś left if the price is right. And it will be.

Already have made South America plans for next year starting in mid May. But zero plans to come back after just two plus months.

Sorry that weren´t more pics, grayman, we didn´t move around all that much, just checked out a few areas.

Argentina is such a bargain now, hope it lasts. I highly recommend. There are two USD to Argentine peso exchange rates there, though it seems more like three:

1. The official government rate (just checked, about 265 ARS to USD).

2. The Blue Dollar rate... new beautiful blue US $100 bills were fetching 485 ARS to USD just over a week ago, last time I bought pesos. Argentina is somehow undergoing yet another economic crisis, basically a supply/demand scenario (with a shortage of US dollars) drives the Blue Dollar rate. If you go to Argentina bring new US $100s.

3. Exchange rates you´ll get on US (and probably European) credit card charges fall in between the two rates. Had two different car rental contracts using a credit card, first was just under 400 exchange rate, second was about 425. Thatś the peso devaluing. Used an ATM once or twice, lousy exchange rate.

Argentina doesn´t seem to have any large bills in circulation, 1000 peso notes, just over 2 USD, is about it.

We didn´t venture too far south, winter and all. Though transited through Buenos Aires flying back over to Santiago. Chilly there but air clear as a bell.

[Admin]

Argentina is somehow undergoing yet another economic crisis

I haven't taken time to figure out why, but I presume it's either of both complete incompetence or corruption behind their constant economic disaster. It's been going on since at least the '70s, which makes no sense, because of their wealth in minerals and natural resources.

[President Bush]

All good things come to an end.

Long as our health holds out we plan on bucking that trend. Iḿ 67, FL is 63, now is the time.

Three more gem and mineral shows remain on our schedule this year. We will be in cashing out mode, have a couple other buyers who seem willing to swoop in to pick up whatś left if the price is right. And it will be.

Already have made South America plans for next year starting in mid May. But zero plans to come back after just two plus months.

Sorry that weren´t more pics, grayman, we didn´t move around all that much, just checked out a few areas.

Argentina is such a bargain now, hope it lasts. I highly recommend. There are two USD to Argentine peso exchange rates there, though it seems more like three:

1. The official government rate (just checked, about 265 ARS to USD).

2. The Blue Dollar rate... new beautiful blue US $100 bills were fetching 485 ARS to USD just over a week ago, last time I bought pesos. Argentina is somehow undergoing yet another economic crisis, basically a supply/demand scenario (with a shortage of US dollars) drives the Blue Dollar rate. If you go to Argentina bring new US $100s.

3. Exchange rates you´ll get on US (and probably European) credit card charges fall in between the two rates. Had two different car rental contracts using a credit card, first was just under 400 exchange rate, second was about 425. Thatś the peso devaluing. Used an ATM once or twice, lousy exchange rate.

Argentina doesn´t seem to have any large bills in circulation, 1000 peso notes, just over 2 USD, is about it.

We didn´t venture too far south, winter and all. Though transited through Buenos Aires flying back over to Santiago. Chilly there but air clear as a bell.

First round of the Argentine presidential election coming up and it´s getting complicated...

https://www.dw.com/en/argentina-preside ... a-67072362

About double the number of Argentine pesos to USD at the Blue Dollar rate then there were in July when FL and I left.

[President Bush]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... rontrunner

[Admin]

Such a stupid country. They have enormous wealth and terrible poverty. Ruled by a succession of insane cunts and a currency used best as toilet paper.

I blame the Nazis.