Lost in the Andes

Well last months blog got more emails in response(most of them negative) from my readers than any other blog to date.  So at the risk of ticking you off I think the story of our odessy in Argentina has to include the economy as this is a large part of what makes Argentina attractive and affordable.

After I wrote last month that the DOW had fallen back to its 2 year ago level it went into a free fall as many expected.  The other shoe has dropped, so to speak, on the US economy and thus on the rest of the world.  Although a year ago we had some anticipation of where the US economy was headed, we knew nothing of where Argentina’s econmy was headed.  My fears for the Argentina economy have been realized in the month since I wrote in Sept. “the economy has been expanding at an unsustainable rate”.  The Merval Buenos Aires stock index(Argentina DOW equivalent) has dropped 50% since I wrote those words; more than 25% this week when the government announced the nationalization of the pension plan.  This move has put a fear into the market and I am calling this the first shoe in Argentina.  The second shoe will follow.

This month has been very busy for us as we shift gears for two reasons.  Number one; because of the economy we have leased a home two years here instead of purchacing anything as we had planned.  We will keep looking but will not pull the trigger until that feeling in my gut gets better.  Number two reason we are scrambling is that Kristi’s mother has moved in with us.  This event changed our cute little casita nestled in an idyllic garden from the perfect little love nest to a busy nursing home complete with caregivers and loud TV.  I had retreated to the tiny maids quarters in the rear of the house 8’ by 11’ including bath but all of us were having problems with our sanity.

Our new place is in the archetextural style I call “the Miami villa drug lord look” complete with sniper tower and high fences.  Mama has Direct TV with English channels.  I have a large yard  to putter around in and Kristi has a second floor.  (Mama’s walker doesn’t do stairs.)

So for now I’m perched in my tower, with my scope trained on the economy.  When the time comes to shoot hopefully I’ll be ready but in the mean time we are still having a blast South of the Equator..