Echo2002 Daily Diary

"North," The Grocery Store
Buying groceries at "North" was a pleasant experience: fresh produce is abundant, the aisles are immaculate and good Argentinian wine costs only US$3! While these prices may seem exceptional to us in the United States, they are not necessarily cheap for Argentinians, whose currency plummeted in value earlier this year. The "price of eggs" in Argentina and Paraguay is a major concern and a big question that needs attention in this region.

"Cambios"
Unable to make purchases of fine jewelry or handcrafted leather, our team sought shelter from the rain inside an ice cream parlor. So how do we buy the ice cream, when the clerk only accepts pesos? "Talk to that guy," he says, pointing at a tall gentleman right outside the shop. "He changes money." So we signal to him to come over and he tells us his exchange rate is 3.6 pesos to US$1. That's quite a difference from the banks' 5 pesos to US$1 rate; still, we decide to exchange US$5. The gentleman says he needs to go get change just as a policeman walks by. We don't see him for a while.

Next door is a travel agency, having just closed a few minutes earlier for the siesta. While we wait for our "independently employed" currency exchanger to return, a travel agency employee discreetly whispers that we should go back next door to the ice cream parlor and ask for Luis, who turns out to be another independently employed currency exchanger. After Luis concludes his business with the first customer, we approach him and he informs us of his $3.55 pesos to US$1 rate. "The bank offers 3.60 pesos. Not a very big difference," he claims. So we change US$5 and buy ice cream for three people for just under US$2. What a great reward!

Another ECHO group member meets up with us as we are enjoying our ice cream and shares that she found a Chinese medicine shop where she purchased some herbs using US dollars. She told us the shop owner calculated the exchange at 6 pesos to US$1. So what was the official exchange rate? To us, it was whatever supply was available to meet our immediate demand.

Prescription Drugs: Affordable, and Without a Rx
Yohandre's trek through South America to purchase Clonazepam, an epileptic seizure control medication available in the US and in Paraguay by prescription only, finally pays off. In Posadas, he enters a pharmacy, takes a number and waits his turn to ask if he can purchase the medication to send to his cousin in Cuba. He expected to hear something similar to what the Paraguayan pharmacist told him days before - that a prescription was necessary. To his surprise, the pharmacist went to the back and brought back the medication. No problem. He was able to purchase 130 tablets for about 70 pesos. He purchased another 42 pesos worth at another pharmacy around the corner. Despite difficulties with healthcare in Argentina, the nationalized system (PAMI) may indeed account for greater accessibility and affordability of medications. What a bargain!

A rainy day in Posadas, Argentina.	Don't Cry for Me… All aboard for Posadas, Argentina … a city directly across the Paraná River from Encarnación in southern Paraguay. Posadas is both provincial capital and main commercial center of Misiones Province. The province is the country's major producer of yerba mate, a staple herbal drink all across the region. Like its Paraguayan counterpart Encarnación, Posadas lost portions of its land to strategic flooding as a result of the development of the Entidad Binacional Yacyretá, a multinational hydroelectric project (see yesterday's diary entry).
Today is a rainy day in this marshy area, with an expected high of 18 degrees celsius. Join us for the 10-minute ride across the border … but wait! … and wait some more at the border crossings. We spend about 30 minutes on the Paraguayan side, where our group is cleared by seven authorities (immigration status, motor vehicle safety, health status, etc.). Driving across the modern Beato Roques Gonzalez International Bridge linking both cities, we glimpse the skyline of Posadas (approximately 250,000 inhabitants) and get excited, but we spend the next hour on the bus waiting for entry clearance from Argentine immigration and customs officials.	Argentinian border checkpoint.
Argentinian handcrafted leatherwork for display and sale on Friendship Day.	Once we arrive, it's time to go shopping! The exchange rate (about 5 pesos to US$1) and the wide variety of stores make this activity desirable. And what luck - we're here on the national "Friendship Day," which one shop owner told us was meant to encourage - you guessed it - shopping! So off to shop we go, except we can't find any banks in this town that change money on Saturdays or that do not close at noon for the daily siesta. Given the current economic crisis, many small shop owners refused to accept credit cards for purchases and were reluctant to accept Paraguayan Guaranies. One shop owner commented on feeling embarrassed as she had no idea about the going exchange rate for her neighbor country's currency. But the US dollar is always on demand, so those of us that brought a stash of greenbacks had few problems.

Sample of regional deserts at the Brazilian-style buffett.
"Special on Carrots, 55 cents per kilo" or 11 cents US.	ECHO team members taking an opportunity to stock up on water and other supplies.
"North," The Grocery Store Buying groceries at "North" was a pleasant experience: fresh produce is abundant, the aisles are immaculate and good Argentinian wine costs only US$3! While these prices may seem exceptional to us in the United States, they are not necessarily cheap for Argentinians, whose currency plummeted in value earlier this year. The "price of eggs" in Argentina and Paraguay is a major concern and a big question that needs attention in this region. "Cambios" Unable to make purchases of fine jewelry or handcrafted leather, our team sought shelter from the rain inside an ice cream parlor. So how do we buy the ice cream, when the clerk only accepts pesos? "Talk to that guy," he says, pointing at a tall gentleman right outside the shop. "He changes money." So we signal to him to come over and he tells us his exchange rate is 3.6 pesos to US$1. That's quite a difference from the banks' 5 pesos to US$1 rate; still, we decide to exchange US$5. The gentleman says he needs to go get change just as a policeman walks by. We don't see him for a while. Next door is a travel agency, having just closed a few minutes earlier for the siesta. While we wait for our "independently employed" currency exchanger to return, a travel agency employee discreetly whispers that we should go back next door to the ice cream parlor and ask for Luis, who turns out to be another independently employed currency exchanger. After Luis concludes his business with the first customer, we approach him and he informs us of his $3.55 pesos to US$1 rate. "The bank offers 3.60 pesos. Not a very big difference," he claims. So we change US$5 and buy ice cream for three people for just under US$2. What a great reward! Another ECHO group member meets up with us as we are enjoying our ice cream and shares that she found a Chinese medicine shop where she purchased some herbs using US dollars. She told us the shop owner calculated the exchange at 6 pesos to US$1. So what was the official exchange rate? To us, it was whatever supply was available to meet our immediate demand. Prescription Drugs: Affordable, and Without a Rx Yohandre's trek through South America to purchase Clonazepam, an epileptic seizure control medication available in the US and in Paraguay by prescription only, finally pays off. In Posadas, he enters a pharmacy, takes a number and waits his turn to ask if he can purchase the medication to send to his cousin in Cuba. He expected to hear something similar to what the Paraguayan pharmacist told him days before - that a prescription was necessary. To his surprise, the pharmacist went to the back and brought back the medication. No problem. He was able to purchase 130 tablets for about 70 pesos. He purchased another 42 pesos worth at another pharmacy around the corner. Despite difficulties with healthcare in Argentina, the nationalized system (PAMI) may indeed account for greater accessibility and affordability of medications. What a bargain!