We began our vacation in Buenos Aires , a city of around 13 million people that stretches for miles and miles along the coast. As big as it is, it never feels overwhelming since it's broken up into around forty different neighborhoods, each with its own unique character. It would be impossible to visit all of them on a trip this short, so we stayed within a few miles of the center of the city. At first, we thought it was one of the messiest places we've ever seen. The streets were littered with torn up papers and you would occasionally find yourself in the midst of a paper storm. EVERYTHING was fluttering down--legal documents, scrap pare, brochures, catalogs--seriously, anything you could tear up and throw out a window was coming down. In a country with a history of political unrest and public protests, we figured this was simply a protest of sorts. Fortunately, it was simply a time-honored tradition to celebrate the end of the year. Offices purged their scrap paper and threw it out the windows in celebration of the end of the year. We should think about this one, since it would be an easy way to clean off my desk. Sure enough, as we began to look around a little closer, we found teams of street cleaners ready and waiting to remove the debris as soon as it hit the ground.

My first choice for my 40^th birthday trip was South Africa , but the flight there is even longer AND it's not cheap. We had been told that with the devaluation of Argentinean currency a few years ago, that the dollar was strong and that there were bargains to be had throughout the country and that definitely played a role in making the decision to come here.  Boy, were we surprised at how strong it was. At a three to one exchange rate, there were definitely some deals, but mostly in locally produced leather items and in food and wine. You can?t come here expecting to buy an iPod for 65% off. However you can have a great bottle of wine with every meal for $5-10, which we did. Come to think of it, I don?t think we had a single meal where we didn?t order at least one bottle of wine (which made afternoon siestas a daily requirement). Meals were the same, with a three-course meal at the top restaurants running around $15-20 (which just goes to show you what a great deal OUR Monday Night Three-Course Meals are) and lunches would only set you back around $7-10 for multiple courses.

The best deal, by far, was on leather goods. Argentina produces some of the finest grass-fed beef in the world (more on that in a minute) and with it comes a lot of leather. Unlike our country, which seems to ship most of the leather away to other countries, Argentina produces all kinds of items from its leather. You name it and you can find it made from leather AND it's very inexpensive ... seriously ...EVERYTHING! I swear I saw a leather ashtray. So anyway, I'll admit, I'm a shoe guy. I love shoes as much as most women you'll meet, so this place was awesome. Within two days of landing in BA, I purchased six pairs of shoes! Everything from loafers to dress shoes and everything in between. The only this that isn't cheap here is athletic shoes. They are all made in China and command just as much as they do in the States, which sucks since I purposely left my running shoes at home with the intention of buying some while I was here. My new pair of Nikes set me back over a hundred bucks. My new black dress shoes, on the other hand, from one of the swankiest shoe stores I've ever been allowed in set me back eighty. Basically, if something cost $300 in pesos, it would probably cost $300 in the States. However, with the great exchange rate, they only cost a hundred bucks. So, if you ever want to justify a trip that will basically pay for itself, don't buy any shoes for a couple of years, then treat yourself to a trip to Argentina . Same with leather jackets and clothing made in Argentina . I bought a very expensive suit that would have probably cost over a grand in the States for around $300. (Yes, you read that correctly) I bought a suit. I figure that now that I'm forty, I should own one. First time for everything, eh?However, like I said, if it was made somewhere else, it will cost the same as if you bought it back home. Hugo Boss suits, made in Italy , cost WAY more and showed no better craftsmanship than the one I got at a fraction of the price.

After five or six days of exploring BA, we headed off to Mendoza , near the Andes mountains. Mendoza is a beautiful city full of tree-lined streets and public parks located in the middle of Argentinean wine country. So, I guess its no surprise we visited some wineries while there, eh? Well, we figured that if you're going to visit some wineries, the trip should include the best, so we headed to Bodegas Salentein (www.bodegasalentein.com), which is located high up in the mountains and is considered to be the Opus One of Argentina. Yowsah, is this place frickin' beautiful! A temple of wine, if you will. So anyway, through some incredible contacts, we got to taste their wines with the winemaker, Laureano. I've tasted some of their wines before, but we got to taste a lot that I've never even heard of, including a new blend called Essentia, which is made from two-thirds Malbec and one third Merlot, and is KICK-ASS killer juice! I can?t wait for it to get labeled and shipped out. As soon as it does, I'll let you know. In the meantime, we'll be doing a couple of wines from this place when I get back, cuz they rock.

Back to the beef for a minute and then I'll let you go, for now. Argentina is well-known for their beef. With thousands and thousands of miles of grasslands, the cattle here enjoy a hardy diet of fresh grass and no need for growth hormones or other things we like to use with our beef. So, I assumed it would be the best frickin? cow I?ve ever put in my mouth. Know what? It wasn't. Don?t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the beef. It's flavorful, well-marbled stuff, BUT they don't age it as long as we do, so it lacks the depth of flavor we are accustomed to. AND, THEY CAN'T COOK IT TO SAVE THEIR LIVES! We ate it everywhere and they could not cook it to rare or medium-rare if their lives depended on it. NOWHERE. EVEN THE FOUR SEASONS, which boasted one of the best restaurants in Buenos Aires couldn't do it. They also don't season it! ANYWHERE!! I simply don?t get it. Some food requires no seasoning and little preparation--a lobster, for example. Drop it in boiling water for eight minutes per pound and enjoy. But a steak requires seasoning and an ability to know when it is done to the diner's satisfaction--two concepts the restaurants we went to simply could not grasp. What a let-down.

To get over this, I?m going to go buy another pair of shoes.