In case you hadn't heard, Nikki and I are planning to head to South america for about "a while" starting around September 2007. It should be fun. Nikki lived in Buenos Aires for 6 months during a study abroad program and I visited her so we know a little about the country.

One thing we are really dreading is the coffee. Your choices are typically just instant folgers crystals or...well that's it. The standard north american drip isn't available in most places and it's quite a sad thing for two drip fans like ourselves.

Coffee advice from Current Travelers and Expats

I was reading one of our guide books that had the quote "You know you've been in south america too long when you get a cup of instant folgers and appreciate it." That would be a sad state of affairs.

Yankqui Mike just wrote about good coffee shops in Buenos Aires and I love him for it. That will be our guide to the first few days down there and should hopefully make the transition easier.

Irony of Latin American Coffee

The irony of all this, of course, is that the US gets our coffee beans from Latin America. The beans we use at home come specifically from Peru that we get at Kaladi Coffee here in Denver. So, why is it that Peru, direct neighbor of Argentina, supplies beans to America that taste so delicious and yet Argentina mostly drinks crappy coffee.

We'll have to see if the situation has changed since 2000 when Nikki was there - we are obviously hopeful for improvements in this area.