Hello I am traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina to be a surrogate mom and I wanted to see -?

Question

Wanted to see if anyone knows about the saftey issue- I am thinking about taking my son who is 11 along with me- I would like to also ask I have heard that it is unsafe for Americans to travel abroad right now- Could someone please let me know the truth- Also will I need a companion that speaks spainsh- Or is Engish acceptible there? I have never traveled to South America- I have heard that it is beatiful and there is alot to do-

Input on thinks to do would be great also- I will be there for 3 weeks- all answers will be appreciated-Thanks

Answer 1

I visited Buenos Aires for the fourth time last week and safety was not a major issue. Although one has to be careful as crime is always a possibility, Buenos Aires is one of the safest cities in Latin America (which may not sound like much), but it is safer than New York, and my home city of Philadelphia. The neighborhoods that receive most of the tourism, Recoleta and Palermo, located downtown, are very safe. The unsafe areas are the poor suburbs like Caballito, which you probably will not visit anyway.

English will probably be okay for your visit, but you may encounter some difficulty. All hotels will be able to communicate with you, and you will do fine at restaurants. However, taxis may be an issue. You have to make sure that you know exactly were you are going becuase taxi drivers are negligent with English. Lots of Argentines speak English, as Argentines are used to American tourists. Personally, I have been fine (except for some complications with taxis), but I know a little bit of Spanish.

There are many places you should visit. La Casa Rosada is a really nice building, as well as the La Boca neighborhodd, which is very pintoresque. I would also recommend taking the city tour and going shopping, as Buenos Aires has many good stores. You should also go visit Tigre for a nice boat ride and the Japanese garden.

I did not note any anti-America sentiment. A recently saw a poll that after Israel, Latin America is the region that has the most favorable opinion of Americans, surpassing Europe by a large margin. Latinos will treat you well becuase they know you have money and will want to spend it on their products or give them a bigger tip.

Answer 2

BA is one of the safer big cities in the world, and it would be a great experience for an 11 year old. Anti-American feelings may be strong, but as a visitor I have never encountered them in South America, including Argentina. The people are hospitable, the food is good, and there is a great deal to see. Knowledge of a little Spanish would be useful, but English is widely understood and spoken in Argentina, it seems half of the commercial signs are in English (know it isn't true, but..)

BA itself has more than enough to keep you busy for 3 weeks, but if you want to travel outside the city go to Iguazu Falls or  Salta, each about 1 1/ hours by air, to see a little of the country beyond the big city. The Falls are truly amazing, and Salta, along with the remainder of NW Argentina, is scenic and fascinating with lots of nearby places to see. A shorter trip would be across the Rio de la Plata to Colonia and to Montevideo in Uruguay.