Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Vanlife

Back in Argentina for Three Weeks

After a three-month “summer break” in Massachusetts and Belgium, Mark and I looked forward to returning to our RV life in South America, which promised new adventures and horizons. But first, we had a few hurdles to overcome.

For the first time since finishing our sailing episode in Tahiti in 2015, we decided to check a bag (we usually only fly with three or four carry-on/personal items). We needed to bring back spare parts and gear to fix our camper and truck, plus a few liquid novelties like maple syrup and dog shampoo. It had taken multiple attempts to fill this bag and not exceed 50 pounds. It was tricky, as we also didn’t want things to shift in this enormous duffel. Padding added weight. I even tried to put all our “to check” luggage into our carry-on roller, super tight, too tight, with a ripped zipper as a result.

In the end, I succeeded with the duffel bag. Since we had plenty to carry with us on the plane, I stuffed our rain jackets inside it as well. The scale at the airport showed 52 pounds. Ouch. But the lady was super friendly and impressed relieved that we only had one checked bag, so she let the overweight go. Thanks!

Then, we flew from Boston, MA, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, via Miami. We arrived early and hadn’t slept for 24 hours. The day had only just started and it was September 21st, the arrival of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

We dealt with immigration (long lines), nervously waited for our one bag to arrive as one of the last pieces on the belt (that’s why we hate checking bags), swung by the friendly guy at agriculture for Maya’s paperwork, and sent all our luggage through X-ray machines at customs. And all that time, Maya couldn’t relieve herself, which stressed us out.

Our sets of metal brake pads raised questions. We managed to talk ourselves out of the legal fact that no traveler is allowed to import car parts. Not even when your Ford F350 doesn’t exist in Argentina and neither do the parts!

The exchange rate from dollars to pesos was horrible at the airport, so we passed on that, planning to pay our storage fee in USD. Finding an Uber that accepted dogs proved to be difficult as well. We lined up three taxi drivers, only to have the last man not cancel after we sent a private message about our well-behaved Maya. He took a few wrong turns and forgot to switch the meter off when he delivered us, but we made it to our home on wheels by 10am!

Reunited with Thirsty Bella on Julian’s property

Julian’s property had been perfect and affordable to store Thirsty Bella, but we knew from dropping our camper off and needing to prep it to be left unattended that this is NOT a usable campground, without running water to fill our tank or hot water in the shower block and with barking dogs and their poop everywhere. The mosquitoes were less of a problem, but now the toilet bowl had a gaping hole in it; flushing it flooded the bathroom floor and not in a pretty way. Don’t ask me how I know…

Anyway, after our set-up was rudimentary ready, we needed to leave ASAP. Plus, we had no food or drinks at all, after emptying the cupboards and fridge before we left. The first task at hand was start the truck. With a totally drained battery, this took a while, with the help of Julian’s trickle charger. Next step: reinstate our Starlink satellite internet account, which we had paused for three months, saving $210. Mark relocated our sign-up address from Peru to Argentina to avoid issues in the future.

Around noon, we generously rewarded Julian and his wife, Sofia, for their hospitality and help, before hugging them goodbye and maneuvering our camper under low-hanging electrical cables (which needed lifting with a stick) and through the narrow gate.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

We stopped by a small tienda in a city with tight streets (Mark wasn’t thrilled about this unexpected “big rig” driving test on day one) to stock up on some staples and made our way to Zapparancho, the campground ran by the well-known Zapp family, who traveled around the world in an old, classic car for over twenty years. Our trio had stayed here in the past, so we knew Herman offered the right facilities to get ready for the road.

We immediately filled up with drinking water, discovered an issue with the water heater – after three plumbing attempts, this got fixed – and realized our bathroom tap, which acts as a sink faucet as well as a showerhead, was leaking profusely and needed to be replaced. Darn. How can things break while they’re not being used?

Luckily, our American motorcycle friends, Brandon and Katherine, were returning to Buenos Aires in a week as well. They happily received the package and brought the small part to our next meeting point, about ten days later.

Zapparancho is a popular and buzzing place, where travelers meet and share meals. Yet, the price added up each day, standing water attracted mosquitoes, and the nights were noisy. We wanted to keep focusing on the jobs at hand and looked forward to getting on the road again.

The sun was bright, but the wind was strong as we prepped our camper, went grocery shopping, did laundry, and organized everything the way it was.

We postponed the “big engine project” until later in the week. For that, we moved closer to the building. It blocked the wind, so no dirt would enter the engine compartment and work would be easier.

Which work? Mark needed to replace the 16 sparkplugs and 8 ignition coils on the engine block, all in one go. I was his assistant and mental support person, as always. It didn’t take long before I heard him curse. One of the sparkplugs was stuck. It didn’t want to unscrew. As he predicted, this turned into a massive ordeal! When he finally got it loose, the threads were damaged, meaning the receiving end on the engine block was compromised as well and the new sparkplug couldn’t go in.

I will make a long story short. We finished replacing the other 15 sparkplugs and all the ignition coils without issues and then focused on the damaged sparkplug, which had been inserted incorrectly by the factory. Our car only has 60,000 miles on the odometer and this was the first time the sparkplugs were touched by a person. Yes, this miss-threaded part was Ford’s fault; a rare mistake.

Yet, here we were. In Argentina. Without the right equipment, confidence, or knowledge for an issue of this magnitude. And far away from a good mechanic in the capital. One piece of metal accidentally entering the motor block during any maneuver and our engine would be damaged and possibly needing replacement! Mark fabricated a rethreading/chasing tool out of an old sparkplug to “clean” the threads but, ultimately, we didn’t trust ourselves to do the job.

So, we researched and enabled the best mechanic we could find in Buenos Aires, convinced him to drive out an hour and half each way to help us, and hired him to do the work. His initial quote was $300-$400. But… the first time he and a helper arrived, they were baffled by the tricky nature of this job and preferred to return the next morning, Saturday, with proper tools.

That morning became evening, but they eventually showed up at dusk with modified tools and an endoscopic camera and – after a couple of hours – they cautiously and professionally fixed the issue, inserted the new sparkplug, and listened to the engine purr nicely. The final price for the job was $600, which hurt, but was better than the feared-for, worst-case scenario! And, we could get back to our travels the following day.

Luckily, we were not in a hurry as early spring is still too soon to head south to Patagonia and Ushuaia. We had a month of “lingering around” planned, to wait for better weather. We left the capital area and headed north in Argentina. Our initial camping spot didn’t work out due to it being a Sunday, which means packed parking lots and parks. So, we ended up at a truck stop in Zarate. Nothing too glorious for our first night back on the road!

Our next destination was Gualeguachú, which takes a while to pronounce. We found a grassy spot along the river to park up for a few days, work, and explore town. We braved one super-hot and humid day on which we couldn’t do much.

We also needed a blood test and paperwork for Maya to enter Uruguay. On our walk to the vet, she got attacked again by a loose, owned dog. Not a stray. Stray dogs behave friendly or shy; not protective.

We urgently had to come up with a rough, northern route. Initially, we wanted to make a loop through Southern Brazil, along the coast of Uruguay, and back into Argentina. After deliberation, and chats with my virtual travel friend and blog follower Gilda (who is from Southern Brazil), we changed plans and decided to skip that part of her country. This would save us a chunk of time and gas money.

It was in Gualeguachú that Brandon and Katherine joined us for a night with their motorcycles and tent. They brought their Argentinian friend, Federico, which produced deeper insights into the country and culture for us. We shared a nice dinner in Bella and enjoyed a fun evening and restful night.

The following day, after Mark and I ran more errands, our little group met up again, further north, at Punta Viracho. Federico had moved on towards Paraguay.

Passing through a herd of capybara on our way to the campground

Brandon and Katherine love hot springs and they’d discovered that staying at a campground in that area was affordable and included unlimited entrance into hot pools and a waterpark within walking distance. We took their invitation and camped close together for a few more nights. We could see Uruguay on the other side of the massive reservoir that is Salto Grande.

Our first highlight – and surprise – was the herd of capybaras that lives on this peninsula. It was amazing to just watch and photograph the adults and babies.

Here is a video from when they walked by.

And, who knew they like to swim?

We enjoyed quality time and homecooked meals with our friends and managed to soak and play in the hot pools several times as well. Since it was weekend, however, the pools got crowded.

And, I really have to stop doing crazy things at my age. This was the fastest slide I’d ever been on!!

Hugging our dear friends goodbye was more emotional than usually, as we won’t see them again on this continent. We had the fortune of meeting up in five South American countries – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina – in the last year and a half, but now they’re hopping over to Africa to continue their world travels.

The three of us only hopped to the next peninsula (Soler) along the reservoir for a couple more days of rest, wind, and rain – and stress for Maya, thanks to twigs and leaves falling onto the roof of the camper – in Argentina.

On a walk with our dog, we heard these weird noises…

Unfortunately, because of our location by a turnaround point at the end of the road, it proved much busier and louder than expected. So, on October 9th, after filling our gas tank and pantry, we left Argentina and entered a new-to-us country: Uruguay.

Next up: Our monthly expense report for October 2024

Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:

Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

Available on Amazon and elsewhere

eBook: US$ 5.99

Paperback: US$ 13.99

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – June 2024 (Argentina & USA)

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

Mark, Maya, and I spent the first eleven days of June with our truck camper Thirsty Bella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. On that last evening, Julian, the owner of our storage spot, brought us to Ezeiza International Airport and we flew – via JFK – to Boston, Massachusetts, for the rest of the month and into July.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

For once, the car category wasn’t the highest one. Maya received that honor. Before leaving Argentina, we needed a health certificate and export paperwork for her (about $40 in total). On our first day in the US, we had an appointment with a vet to administer another rabies shot (the three-year version as that would make things easier for returns to the US) for $45. In South America, we paid between $4 and $7 for this!

We also obtained an international health certificate for Belgium that day, which cost $220 and was valid for one month. This document had to be endorsed and validated by the USDA within 10 days of our departure date and a hard copy with seals had to be mailed back to us (overnight) for another $80 (July expense). We picked it up before leaving the country and made another appointment for September to repeat this process for Argentina. In addition, we bought a bag of salmon-based dog food. I mentioned that Maya would be pricy this summer!

Mark ordered a spare propane regulator for the camper, as well as an improved DC-DC battery charger. The regulator will save us in South America (where it is not available) if the old one dies. Without this, we can’t use our propane tank. The new charger will allow us to put a higher amount of power into our Lithium battery when we run the car, which helps on weeks of little or weak sunshine.

We needed improvements on the computer front as well and ordered two external keyboards and a bigger hard drive for our Surface laptops, a new tablet for the car (which we use for navigation and music), and a router for our home base in Massachusetts.

Testing the new tablet for our truck in Argentina

Our grocery bill was higher than it should have been, based on us finishing all the food in Bella’s fridge and cabinets and Mark’s mom sponsoring most of our shopping trips to Market Basket. We contributed to a family party and bought some goodies once in the US.

Family party – We provided the cheese and salami platter as an appetizer.

Gifts are usually in order whenever we return to our home countries. This time, I bought a few presents for my niece and nephew in Belgium (still to be delivered) and a wooden sign for a friend, we celebrated that friend’s birthday, and we treated one of Mark’s nieces and her husband to a delayed wedding dinner at a Thai restaurant.

Those friends splurged us on a weekend visit, that same niece organized a family party for us, and one of Mark’s nephews took Mark and me out to dinner.

The car category consisted of fuel purchases in Argentina (we left Thirsty with a full tank so condensation – and therefore water – can’t build up) and Massachusetts, where we were fortunate to have the use of my mother-in-law’s car. Parking had to be paid at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires. We reimbursed Julian for the tolls to the airport.

We used the car from Mark’s mom to get around Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Our annual Chase credit card fee was due ($95), we spent around $50 on alcohol (beer and rum) during our stay and visits in the US, and we managed to order two dinners in Buenos Aires for $35 in total: a pizza and sushi. Both were delivered to our doorstep in one of Palermo’s parks, where we slept.

An Uber brought us and our Dutch friends to San Telmo in Argentina’s capital one day and another one brought us back. We paid Julian the equivalent of $20 for bringing us to the airport, half an hour away.

Moving on to Health & Fitness. I inquired at two hair dressers in Palermo, BA, how much it would cost to get a haircut, since I was convinced it would be cheaper than in our western countries and I wanted to start the summer with a short hairdo. Mission accomplished for $11. The other $13 went to electric toothbrush heads on Amazon.

Our $9 laundry expense was manageable in June and I visited La Recoleta cemetery for another $7, while Mark and Maya waited outside. It was pricey, but I don’t want to miss out on too many things anymore while on this South American journey. The Museum of Fine Art was free.

Household goods we purchased when prepping our camper to be left for multiple months were bleach to attack mold on our walls due to all the condensation and cold weather, and anti-moisture products to keep this issue at bay during our absence.

Apart from one night at Julian’s place for $7, our camping in June was free. We boondocked in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires. Once in Massachusetts, we stayed in the guest room of my mother-in-law’s condo.

Being Amazon Vine members allows us to order a selection of items for free in return for product reviews. Since we have to be in the US to partake, we took advantage of that by ordering as much as we needed this way, which saved us hundreds of dollars.

Mark paused our Starlink satellite internet connection for three months, so that’s less money spent. And, we still have a donation from long-time supporter Marian to use this summer. Speaking of summer, we sure feel like cheating by taking a plane from a chilly winter in the Southern Hemisphere to a hot and humid summer in the US! 😊

While June wasn’t a cheap month, the damage was manageable, knowing how much “stuff” we needed for our return to the camper.

On a side note, Mark and I had a little issue with some crisp US dollar bills we had hidden under the toilet, when our pee container overflew, because the sensor got stuck. The Ziploc bag that held the cash, leaked. We had to rinse each bill and hang it to dry! I guess we need a different hiding spot…

June 2024 Overview:

Dog (permits: $257; food: $57; shot: $45):

Camper (propane regulator, charger USA):

Computer hardware:

Groceries:

Gifts:

Car ( fuel: $147; parking: $11; tolls: $2):

Bank charge (annual CC fee):

Alcohol:

Dining out (take-outs in BA):

Transportation (Uber, airport ride):

Health & Fitness (haircut, toothbrushes):

Laundry:

Entertainment:

Household:

Camping:

Utilities:

 

TOTAL:

 

$359

$312

$296

$242

$187

$160

$95

$53

$35

$25

$24

$9

$8

$8

$7

$0

———

$ 1,820

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – May 2024 (Argentina)

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

In May 2024, Mark, Maya, and I (Liesbet) traveled around Central Argentina in our truck camper Thirsty Bella. Despite driving across the continent from west to east, we had a decent expense month, thanks to being careful with our budget, shopping for cheaper produce, donations we’d saved up, and emptying our cupboards and fridge.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

As often, the car cost was the highest with fuel being the ultimate winner and us ordering spare parts in the US, like new brake pads for the front and oil filters. In the middle of the country, namely in the province of La Pampa, we encountered a nice surprise: gasoline was much cheaper than elsewhere in Argentina. That, combined with a better exchange rate for the dollar, had us fill up our tank for about $2.50 a gallon! Unfortunately, that joy didn’t last long as from the moment we entered the province of Buenos Aires, prices skyrocketed again. So, we are back to $4 a gallon ($1/liter). We only paid for tolls once.

Our grocery cost for May was average. We bought some special ingredients for nice homecooked meals and appetizers with friends (like they did for us), but this was offset the last two weeks, as we started eating our stores. We want to leave as little food as possible in Bella during our impending absence.

Recently, Mark and I have been ordering clothes, dog items, and other gear on Amazon for when we visit the US. It’s like everything we own has been ripped or irrevocably damaged. I guess we are going back at the right time! For more than a few reasons…

I think these jeans are done!

We paid the usual $35 for Starlink (our business takes care of the other half) and I added $5 to my Skype account, which allows me to call my parents on their landline if WhatsApp doesn’t work (or they don’t hear the ringtone). And, we spent much more money on “propane” again, which is a story in itself. Drinking water didn’t cost us anything in May.

Because of the freezing fall weather (yes, it’s been cold and uncomfortable for weeks now) in Central Argentina, we needed to run our propane heater a lot. Usually, one 20-pound (10kg) tank lasts us three months. Not now. After a ridiculous cold spell, our gauge showed empty and we needed to make a detour to get the tank filled. Except, unbeknownst to us, the owner of the shop only had butane, so put that into our tank – and overcharged us. In tropical climates (like when we sailed), this is not an issue. In icy temperatures, however, butane is not the right choice, which we learned the hard way.

We had finally arrived in an attractive and peaceful spot by a lake. By 6am the following morning, the temperature had dropped so much that the butane – and therefore our heater – didn’t work. The only way to get the liquid gas flowing and evaporating (“boiling”) again was to pour warm water over the tank in an outdoor cabinet. Luckily, the flame of our stove was big enough to produce lukewarm fluids.

We had two options: top up the tank with “real” propane (since it was a holiday and the weekend, no store was open) or move to a town where above-freezing temps were predicted. That’s what we did. Of course, the weather forecast was wrong and, this time at 3am, we were out of luck and heat!

We saw our breath inside and shivered, as Mark put many clothes on, warmed up some water on a struggling flame, poured it over the gas tank, used the then properly working stove to heat up a massive pot of water, and repeated the process. Our heater worked!

When the heater stopped working again (meaning the butane had gotten too cold), he went outside to pour more warmish water over the tank. Eventually, he wrapped Maya’s dog towel around the tank, so, when wet, that kept the gas in operating condition a bit longer. It was a long night!

Trying to keep the butane gas from “freezing”!

We found a new propane filling station (triple checking it wasn’t butane) as soon as possible. They charged us for a full tank, despite it only being half empty. It didn’t matter!

Filling our tank again, this time with propane in San Antonio de Areco

The cold weather brings other issues with it, like heaps of condensation, turning into mold. We need to open hatches and drafty cabinets and wipe up water constantly, which keeps us shivering and uncomfortable. Because of our upcoming trip to Massachusetts and Belgium, out of Buenos Aires, we cannot leave the area and escape what feels like winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Other items we ordered online to bring back to the camper in September are a new keyboard and cover for Mark’s laptop, strong Velcro, water filters, and a gasket for Bella, and three types of batteries.

And now is when I want to thank our dear followers and readers who donated money towards our “enjoyment” level the past months. We’d saved some of that up and received new contributions, allowing us to go out for dinner a few times (or order take-out pizzas to make the funds last longer 😊) in May. One time, we picked up cheap, basic crusts at a restaurant and added our own toppings.

Your generosity also let us enjoy some good wines, which we bought in stores and vineyards (at an average of $3.50 a bottle), and it allowed Mark and me to savor a couple of tastings at Bodegas. To us, the wonderful yet affordable wine of Argentina is one of this country’s highlights so far!

Out of character, we did pay for camping last month. We spent a few nights ($3 x 4) at municipal campgrounds with American friends, who allowed us to plug into their rig (our system is not set up for the local 220V outlets) and – for the first time in six months – have a 100% full camper battery! For two nights and days, we did not have to struggle with our power supply and usage.

When checking options to store our camper during our absence, we stayed one night ($7) at Zaparancho near Buenos Aires. More about that in a future post.

Quick stop at Zapparancho in Villars, near Buenos Aires

Most of the nights, we camped for free; sometimes in nature and sometimes in bustling towns. Guess what’s our favorite?

I am currently buying a couple of small gifts for my niece and nephew in Belgium and, lastly, dropping off dirty clothes set us back $10. We can’t wait to do our own laundry soon! As a matter of fact, Mark and I are really looking forward to a multiple-month break from the road as this lifestyle has recently become much more challenging due to the lack of sunlight (power issues) and warmth (discomfort).

We are both pleased with May’s expenses totaling around $1,000, especially since this amount includes a bunch of gear that is waiting for us in the US.

May 2024 Overview:

Car ( fuel: $366; maint.: $45; tolls: $2):

Groceries:

Clothing (jeans L; hiking shoes M):

Utilities (Starlink internet: $35; propane: $22; Skype: $5):

Computer hardware (keyboard & cover):

Camper (Velcro, filters, gasket USA):

Dining out:

Camping:

Alcohol:

Household (batteries USA):

Gifts:

Laundry:

Drinking out:

 

TOTAL:

 

$413

$244

$102

$62

$59

$36

$25

$19

$15

$13

$12

$10

$0

———

$ 1,010

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: Atuel Canyon & San Rafael in Mendoza Province

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Mendoza Province, Argentina, Part One – Mendoza City & Surroundings

After spending two weeks in Santiago, the capital of Chile, Mark, Maya, and I headed towards Argentina again.

Since we wanted an early start for the border procedure, we slept our last night at an extremely loud and busy fuel station, still in Chile, forgetting that we could have returned to a better spot in Argentina, before crossing the actual border.

Parked by a loud fuel station

You see, official formalities take place in one building for each country and these buildings are 16 miles (25 km) apart! When you leave Chile, you don’t have to stop at the Chilean border facilities and vice versa. So, you can drive into Argentina and camp, before checking into the country. As a matter of fact, the actual border is located in the Christ The Redeemer Tunnel, which cuts through the Andes.

The actual border between Chile and Argentina is in this tunnel

And, a provincial park that contains the tallest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemisphere, Aconcagua, is also located in Argentina before crossing the border. Confusing?

Aconcagua Provincial Park

Our “early start” actually didn’t help, because we still needed to drive an hour to the border, navigating the tight and plentiful switchbacks called Los Caracoles to reach the Los Libertadores pass.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

This area, including the border, frequently closes in the winter months due to heavy snowfall and rock slides. As the busiest and most popular commercial border crossing between Chile and Argentina, you can imagine the delays this might cause. Luckily, all was fine when we passed through in late April, but a week later, the pass closed for the first time this winter season.

On our drive, we also realized Aconcagua had to be seen and stopped at before the border formalities. I had hoped to do a hike here, but dogs weren’t allowed, you had to book ahead of time, it was freezing and super windy outside, and we had no idea how long the crossing would take. So, we briefly stopped for a free viewpoint and overlook of this majestic mountain.

Los Libertadores crossing into Argentina

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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – April 2024 (Argentina & Chile)

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

In April, Mark, Maya, and I divided our time between Argentina and Chile in our truck camper Thirsty Bella. We made some headway south, to Mendoza, and decided to hop over to Santiago de Chile for car maintenance. After two weeks in Chile, we slowly drove back to the Mendoza area in Argentina.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Our car category was huge; over $1,100 in total! A lot of that went to fuel, as always, but the biggies last month were two new tires ($326) with a $26 installation and balancing fee, a new battery for the engine ($137), and an oil change at a garage, which we did ourselves ($92). We also bought seven quarts of oil extra for our next time ($80). Mark found a spot to store those in one of our utility boxes.

We paid a total of $11 in tolls and spent some pesos on parking in Santiago when leaving the camper behind and for our rental car in Valparaiso.

Groceries were quite expensive in April as well. We joined a couple of potlucks, prepared a special dinner for seven, made daily walks to the fancy grocery store Jumbo in Santiago, and splurged on some goodies at the El Milagro vineyard early on.

We bought wine in both countries, since, you know, we are in wine heaven here. The Santiago area is well-known for the red grape, Carmenere, and Central Argentina produces fabulous Torrontes (white) and Malbec (red or tinto in Spanish) wines. Mark and I enjoy them all. We used half of a $25 “drinking out” donation for three bottles of wine at the store.

While in Chile, we decided to buy one more bag of dogfood for Maya, since that’s the place where we can find her Taste of the Wild – Pacific Stream for a “decent” price ($66 for 12kg/26lbs) and we were one bag down. Also, our remaining bags are bigger than the new one and we don’t want to leave open bags of food in the camper during our summer escapade to the US and Belgium. Maya’s new toy lasted all of ten minutes!

We didn’t go out for dinner much in April; twice, one of which was a take-out pizza in Santiago the day of our arrival ($13) and the other a lunch in Valparaiso ($12). Both times took place in Chile, which, believe it or not, is now cheaper than Argentina for most things. The devaluation of the Argentinian peso is still worsening, leading to continued price increases. We didn’t eat out here at all, last month, and cooked almost all our meals at home. The other $25 in the report was a delayed credit card charge for a dinner out in March.

Some of our followers have been generous with one $25 dining out donation (which we will use this month) and two “$25 for drinks” donations, most of which we will enjoy in May as well. For the first time ever, someone walked by our camper (in Santiago de Chile), noticed our Massachusetts license plates, checked out this blog, and treated us online to drinks, because he is also from our state! Thank you to all our supporters, followers, readers. and contributors!

As usual, $35 went to our Starlink subscription, while the other half is paid by our business. And, we topped up the propane tank for $10 in San Juan, Argentina. That usually lasts three months. We managed to fill our water tank multiple times for free in April as well.

Transportation costs consisted of splitting a rental car for the day with our friends from Meat Around The World, to explore Valparaiso (see next blog post) and the expensive fuel to get there – they paid for the tolls and we covered parking – and a useless taxi drive in Santiago. We were dropped off in the wrong place and had to walk back!

Mark ordered household items and camper parts on Amazon in the US, to fix a few things upon our return next September and we bought a new frying pan and spray bottles in Chile. Did I mention yet that anything imported on this continent is cheaper there than in Argentina?

We also paid $12 for two baskets of dirty laundry in Uspallata, Argentina, after waiting through the weekend because the laundromat wasn’t open and hearing from our friends that this cost $2 six months ago! Not willing to spend even more, Mark and I washed a basket-size worth of linen and clothes by hand in river water.

The other categories were low. Entertainment ($7) was had on two different transportation methods in Chile, namely a cable car in Santiago and two old-style elevators (ascensores) in Valparaiso. Mark ordered an app for his tablet and I needed throat medicines after being sick for over a week. A bad bug/cough had me in its grip for two weeks. Once, we had to leave our quiet camping spot in nature to find a pharmacy in town.

The only money Mark and I spent on drinking out was $3 at a pricey café in Valparaiso, where we split a juice. We also gave a small donation to the firemen (bomberos) and had our car sprayed for $1 at an agriculture spot.

We boondocked the entire month and therefore camping was free for us in April.

Our total was high again, but most of the $1,844 went to car maintenance and fuel, which were needed and made us feel productive. Without that vehicle attention, we’d have been back at our monthly average. After reaching the high numbers in that category, we really refrained from splurges and eating out. We will see what May brings!

Our group on the last night together in Santiago: Mark, Liesbet, Richie, Abigail, Zoe, Heather, Jon, and Maya

April 2024 Overview:

Car (maint.: $655; fuel: $432; tolls: $11; parking: $8):

Groceries:

Alcohol:

Dog (food: $66; toy: $4):

Dining out:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $35; propane: $10):

Transportation (rental car: $29; taxi: $4):

Camper (tape, drain USA):

Household (blade, pan, spray bottles):

Laundry:

Entertainment (elevator, cable car):

Computer (tablet app M):

Medical (meds L):

Drinking out:

Miscellaneous:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$1,106

$384

$74

$70

$50

$45

$33

$27

$24

$12

$7

$4

$3

$3

$2

$0

———

$ 1,844

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: A colorful day trip from Santiago to Valparaiso, Chile.

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and our lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

A Surprising Side Trip to Santiago, the Capital of Chile

As overlanders, Mark and I are not city people. Being camped in nature without any human presence or noises is our happy place. Yet, the three of us spent a full two weeks in Santiago de Chile, a capital city of 7 million! This was our all-time “stationary” boondocking record after a year and a half in South America. Jardin, Colombia, is now the runner-up at nine nights. What happened?

Well, this lifestyle is full of surprises. Bad ones and good ones. It had been a while since fate smiled down upon us, but Santiago – which is expensive and not even an interesting tourist destination – ticked some of our required boxes. With ease. We were quite happy there. Read on to learn why…

Group shot in the park
(Photo courtesy of Richie Gubler)

Why back to Chile?

If you’ve been following our blog, you might have noticed that some hardships were encountered in Northern Argentina. Nothing disastrous, really, but after getting tired of similar issues in Peru and Bolivia, mostly regarding loose, aggressive dogs, dusty and dirty surroundings, and third-world living conditions, we had hoped for a reprieve of those in Argentina, especially after finding cleanliness and modernity in Northern Chile. When not finding that quite yet, we opted to return to Chile for a bit.

Another consideration was Maya’s international health certificate we obtained in Chile, the end of February. It was valid for sixty days, allowing free entries and exits for our dog between Argentina and Chile until the end of April. We figured we’d take advantage of that permit again, three weeks before it expired.

But the most important reason for our little sojourn back into Chile was truck maintenance. Imported parts are much cheaper there than in Argentina, as we realized when buying our first set of two new tires in Iquique a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, we didn’t purchase four at the time.

That being said, we chose Santiago to replace the other two tires, install a new battery, and do another oil change. Yeah, our expense report for April won’t be pretty again…

Our Providencia neighborhood in Santiago by night
(Photo courtesy of Richie Gubler)

Our fantastic camping spot

The biggest surprise that greeted us in Santiago was the place we opted to wild camp at, based on reviews in iOverlander. It was easy to see why every overlander seemed to flock here!

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

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