A to G
ABORTION
Argentina is a Catholic country and thus abortion is illegal except in the following circumstances:
1. If the mother’s life is in danger
2. To preserve the physical health of the mother
3. If the pregnancy is as a result of rape, with significant restrictions (rape is considered a reason for allowing an abortion, but only if the mother is retarded, or mentally ill.)
ACCOUNTANTS
There are hundreds of Accountants (contador) in San Rafael. Word of mouth is the best way to find one. As yet I have only found one who speaks excellent English based at Surcred Insurance in Tomas Godoy Cruz.
ARCHITECTS
There are countless architects in San Rafael. As well as providing plans for your house they will also take you through the legal processes of building.
I have not yet found any who speak English, but Johnny Hill, of C and C Builders is South African and his wife is an Architect. She does not speak English but he does. They are located next door to Bonafides on Oascogua Street.
AFIP
This is the equivalent of a social security number and you can apply for one if you want to purchase property here. Once you have your number you will be asked to provide it when you make major purchases like cars.
ART
Is not a really big thing in San Rafael. There is one art gallery Casa Burgos, which has small private exhibitions of paintings and photographs, and musical evenings usually on a Saturday. Casa Burgos is located at 580 Chile.
Alternatively independent businesses like Algodon Golf/Wine Club will occasionally have a exhibition of a local artist’s work, and there is a small gallery up at Valle Grande, over the bridge at the top of the gorge.
Shops: there are a couple of small but quite well equipped art materials shops - see Botica de Arte, 341 Cnl Ricardo Day.
If you need a bigger selection of paints, paper and pencils etc. you may have to go to Mendoza or even Buenos Aires.
Art Classes: with a difference. Here’s a novel idea – why not learn to paint and draw at the same time as experiencing living in a lovely old finca. Kate Kirby is an artist, originally from Scotland, living in San Rafael with her Argentinian husband. She has teamed up with Vicky Stuart, another Scot, and graduate of the “Edinburgh Art School” to provide ‘art holidays’. Live in Vicky’s old family home and have expert tuition at the same time.
Vicky and her husband Mike are central to the expat community here…..friendly and completely hospitable you cannot be in San Rafael long before being gathered up by them. They are happy to share their home and their social circle. They live in a big old house, set in an English country garden (created by Vicky’s 93 year old father who still looks after them) just 8 km outside of the town centre.
Check the website for details, but the daily rate covers the cost of airport/bus terminal pickup and drop off, accommodation and all meals including local wines. Tuition takes place at the Stuart residence or in and around San Rafael. Tution is in English and/or Spanish. Excursions further afield can be arranged. www.kate-kirby.com
AIR TRAVEL
Air travel in Argentina is a nightmare. The national carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas went backrupt and has recently been taken over by the government. Presently, you cannot fly anywhere within Argentina without the plane routing first through the Federal Capital Buenos Aires. So, even though San Rafael has a small airport, if you wanted to fly down to Bariloche for example, you would have to go via BA. Flying is not reliable. The flight is quite liable to be cancelled, sometimes literally an hour before it is due to depart with no reason given. LAN/Argentina, (part of the the Chilean carrier, LAN/Chile), has just started operating on some domestic routes. Astral Airlines, is the charter section of Aerolineas. Aerolineas’ international service is not good….pricewise they are around the same price as British Airways..for example on the routes back to the UK, but the service is poor.
ASADO
In the 18th Century, leather was a more prized commodity than meat in Argentina and became the major trading item between the old world and the colonies. Thus, once the catle had been slaughtered for their skins, the rest was discarded to be purloined by the gauchos. The meat was quickly cooked on an open fire before it went bad and today this means of cooking meat - asado - has become a national dish. Most Sundays families and friends get together for an asado (what we would call a BBQ). If you have Argentinian guests let them cook the meat as they are experts!
ATM MACHINES
All the major banks have 24 hour cash machines. These are usually located in a secure lobby requiring you to swipe your card to gain access. The ATMs in San Rafael are all right in the centre of the town, at the vicinity of the cross roads of San Martin/ Libertador and Ypolito Yrigoyen (affectionately known as 00).
The ATMs take all credit/debit cards, but if you are a foreigner, you are likely to pay higher withdrawal fees and you may have the amount you are able to withdraw, restricted. This is controlled by the Latin American link/cirrus set up, and is apparently to help to combat money laundering and increase your safety. However, you may find that you can extract the restricted amount several times in one day..or even by leaving your card in the machine and withdrawing the same amount several times. Of course each separate transaction attracts a fee…
As of the time of writing the withdrawal amount has increased from 300 pesos per withdrawal to a maximum of 900 pesos per withdrawal. All machines have an option to have the instructions in English.
BANKS
Banco Nacional de Argentina Credit-Coop Santander Regional Banco de Cuyo Standard Bank
As a foreigner, to open a bank account technically you should have your temporary or residents' permit, but I do know people who have opened accounts without.
Any money that is paid into an Argentinian bank from an overshore source, will have a tax of up to 30% levied. This is returnable within one year (apparently!).
As well as providing all usual banking services, all utilities bills, or any bills regarding loans, can be paid over the counter during banking hours which are :
Summer: 0700-1230 Winter: 0830-1300
These can vary from bank to bank. The banks are usually very busy first thing in the morning.
BEAUTY
Beauty products and treatments are a lot cheaper than they are in the UK. There are a few treatment salons in town. Try the Urban gym in San Lorenzo Street for a good massage.
If you want a good facial or a massage, look no further than Michelle. Michelle is English, married to an Argentinian and her studio is in Las Virgenes, which is just off the airport road. She gives the best facial going….nearly two hours of pampering for a mere 40 pesos (price at time of writing). Michelle speaks Spanish and English.
BICYCLES
There are thousands of bicycles in San Rafael. It is the preferred form of transport. It is not unusual to see two, three or even four to a bike. If you are going to use a bicycle you need to have your passport or ID number engraved on the bicycle somewhere as bike theft is common and thepolice make regular spot checks.
BOOKS
You cannot buy English language books in San Rafael, and I have not found any in Mendoza City either. Most expats rely on each other and there is a vibrant swapping system. Do not arrive back in San Rafael after a trip home, without a stack of new books than can be passed around!
Amazon does not deliver to Argentina; I am told so many books went missing in the post that Amazon decided it was too costly. I have found a site in the States that will deliver anywhere in the world. See www.betterworldbooks.com. They will deliver anywhere in the world for $3.97 and are excellent. It takes about three weeks for a book to get to San Rafael from time of placing the order and all my books have arrived safely.
BODEGA
The bodega is the winery, where the juice is fermented, blended, stored and bottled. It is a name also with with Greek ancestry, via a Latin and Spanish route:-from apotheke…a storehouse used for laying away wine, which became ‘boutique’ a store for selling wine, and thus ‘bodega’.
There are over 1800 wine producting bodegas in the Mendoza District.
BUSES
When I first came to Argentina and was told it was easier to travel from BA to San Rafael by bus I was horrified! I had visions of dilapidated old ‘chicken buses’. This could not be further from the truth. The bus system in Argentina is in fact one of the most efficient and prolific anywhere in the world. There are well over a hundred bus companies operating coaches throughout the length and breadth of Argentina.
So far, Andesmar is my preferred bus operator. Andesmar operates buses all over Argentina and are incredibly efficient. Every evening there are two buses travelling from BA to San Rafael and vice versa. The times do vary seasonally, but at time of writing, one leaves the main bus station in Retiro, in Buenos Aires at 1945. There is another pick up from a hotel down town, but this location also varies and it is probably safer to pick up the bus from the main terminal. This bus has cama and semi-cama class. Downstairs are nine semi-cama seats...they are wide and have plenty of leg room. The seat backs recline about 50 deg. Upstairs the seats are not so wide and do not recline so far back, but you still get more leg room that you get on British Airways economy class planes!
The first class bus leaves at 2015. All the seats are wide, the foot rests can be lifted so that your legs are horizontal, and when you are ready, the seat backs recline to a flat bed. Pillows, blankets and little bags to put your shoes in, are provided. This bus is now 100% First class. The toilet is downstairs opposite the door to the bus. Buses from the San Rafael bus terminal leave at 1845 (cama/semi-cama)1915 (1st class) respectively. The journey is 13 hours. The buses always leave spot on time and are rarely late. It is always worth checking the times though. In the summer months the clocks change. The bus stops once….at General Alvear, which is an hour and a half out of San Rafael. It is possible to pick up the bus on route, but this needs to be arranged at time of booking.
Once under way, the host on board will greet you and offer any help required with your seat, plus instructions for using the on board toilet (politely put, liquids only!!). If you feel sociable enough you can join in a game of bingo…first prize being a bottle of fine wine. This is followed by a hot meal…for all classes. Wine, coffee and cold drinks are served. Coffee and water are available through out the trip..although I have asked for coffee several times and been told coffee is only served with breakfast. There is a movie to watch, if you wish; otherwise you can just lie back and go to sleep. The trip is extremely smooth and I usually wake up ten hours later at my destination. Breakfast is also served although to be honest I would suggest you arm yourself with a couple of medialunas (croissants) or something similar as breakfast is mainly sweet biscuits. The buses travel at a maximum of 90km/hour. There are two drivers for the whole trip and it truly is painless.
One possible shortfall for foreigners is that thusfar I have not come across any onboard staff who speak any English, although the drivers and the hosts are very helpful. There is an Andesmar video played at the start of the journey, which describes all the facilities on board. This also has English subtitles. The films played are usually fairly up to date….they are either dubbed into Spanish, or if you are lucky, there will be Spanish subtitles, and the soundtrack will be in English.
Andesmar has routes all over Argentina and you can book and pay for tickets online. Mendoza to Buenos Aires and back is served even more regularly and all the seats offered are First Class. If you are travelling between BAires and San Rafael, you need to book early for the first class seats as they go very quickly. You can book 30 days in advance only. At the time of writing, a First Class seat from San Rafael to BA (and vv) is 250 pesos one way. Cama class is 210 pesos, semi-cama is 180 pesos. Andesmar is the only company that offers 1st flatbedflatseats.
Local buses: run from the central bus station in San Rafael to all the outlying towns. Buttini and Iselin are the main providers. Bus timetables do change when the schools are on holiday, as the buses are geared to school times during the term. Buses are generally on time and very cheap.
BUILDERS
There are lots of builders/building firms in san Rafael but pretty much every ex pat you meet will have a horror story to tell. Word of mouth is the best way to find a good builder, and if you are having building work done, make sure you have a contract and that you are in situ to oversee the work yourself.
CAFES with WiFi
In the centre of town:
Bonafides: Av San Martin/Cnl Manuel de Olascoaga Opens 0700 all day. You can buy ground coffee here too...
Ninos: opposite Bonafides. Opens 0700 all day till very late at night serving coffee, snacks and alcohol. WI FI available. Snr Cafe: San Martin.Open 0700 all day till ealry hours serving coffee, snacks and alcohol and live music at the weekends. La Delicia: corner of Hyrigoyen and Saavedra. Serves ice creams, coffee, snacks. Opens 0700 till late. Kids play area outside and very busy in the afternoons and early evening when the kids finish school. WI FI available. Cheap and cheerful atmosphere, but very quiet in the mornings and they are happy for you to sit quietly on your computer without bothering you. A Deu: Hyrigoyen, one block from La Delicia. WI FI available. Not open very early. Ramos Generales: Av San Martin opposite the old railway station. Not open very early but late into the evening. Attractive setting and surroundings.WI FI available. La Plaza: Ricardo Day street alongside San Martin Plaza. WI FI available. Serves icecreams. La Oficina: one block from main Supervea supermarket on Yrigoyen. WI FI available.
CARS
For some reason that no one has yet been able to explain, second hand cars are very expensive here. Probably four times as much as you would expect to pay in the UK or the US.
I would not recommend buying second hand; cars are generally not serviced regularly, only when broken, and mechanics will fix them the cheapest way possible ie mending old parts rather than buying new. If you buy second hand you will not get any sort of service record and a car will be sold with countless things wrong with it; that is quite usual!!
Also, check the documents very carefully - there have been countless stories of people buying second hand cars and then finding they are actually stolen, and they get impounded!
I would recommend buying new, as the price is not a whole lot more than a decent second hand car.
The main dealers in San Rafael are Chevrolet, Fiat and Peugeot. Ford cars are popular, but there is no official Ford dealer in San Rafael; the nearest is Mendoza, where there are two: Goldtsein in town and Meschini, which is located in Godoy Cruz in the suburbs of Mendoza. If you buy a Ford any warranty work or proper servicing needs to be done in Mendoza.
Alternatively, as a tourist, you can buy a car abroad and ship it into the country without problems. You are not allowed to sell it in Argentina and you have to leave the country with the vehicle every 8 months.
Insurance Insurance rules have recently changed. he person driving any vehicle must be insured irrespective of who owns the vehicle.
Mapre and La Caja are the two biggest car insurers. Mapre does have an English speaking broker, and they also do house insurance.
GNC some cars are adapted to run on gas; this is a very cheap and environmentally form of fuel. You will see many cars with yellow gas cylinders installed either inside the car or underneath. Not all garages sell GNC though, and although it is a cheap fuel, you do have to fill your car more regularly than when using petrol. Cars adapted to take gas also use petrol and you can switch between the two. The performance of the engine is slightly reduced once adapted to run on GNC. If you are filling up with GNC at a garage, you will have to vacate the vehicle and wait some distanc away, behind the designated yellow lines.
Gas cylinders have to be checked and certificated every 12 months. If the sticker on the car for the GNC is out of date the garage attendant will not fill you up.
Car Tax
Is dependent on the value and age of the car. This can be paid in 6 instalments if you do not want to pay a lump sum. Just go to the car tax office in Hyrigoyen..called DGA, and they will give you the relevant payment slips. You can pay at all banks or Pago Facil outlets. Many people leave their car tax payments unpaid, but when/if the car is sold, the tax will have to be paid at this point.
Car Hire
It is expensive here and there is still a limited mileage programme, so take care. Nowhere from San Rafael is very close so you will rack up the miles pretty quickly.
Avis is located in Domingo Bombal street.
Is expensive here and there is still a limited mileage programme, so take care. Nowhere from San Rafael is very close so you will rack up the miles pretty quickly
CUITA CUIT number is a business tax code which you will need it you are going to employ people.
CUIL
Is a personal taxcode.
DANCE SCHOOLS
There are several dance schools.
Nelson Flores is located in Independencia. He teaches jazz, hip hop, salsa, tango and his dancers are regularly seen at local shows and parties.
There is a Flamemco/Spanish dance school in Saavedra street.
Also in Entre Rios....tap, modern, jazz and ballet.
As yet I have not found any English speaking dance teachers.
DOCTORS
There are very few general practitioners in San Rafael, so you normally need to consult a specialist. If you are resident you can go to the public hospitals and most care is free, depending on your means. Otherwise you pay as you go. There are private hospitals/clinics and you can can purchase insurance plans - you can pay monthly, and the amount depends on the type of cover. Basic cover at the Polyclinica can be as low as 100 pesos per month for a family of three, but you still have to pay around 30 pesos if you want to see the doctor. Waiting time is rarely less than about 40 minutes.
Swiss Medical provide very comprehensive cover, but generally medical care in San Rafael is not expensive compared to the US or UK.
DENTISTS
Dental care in San Rafael is very good and cheap compared to the UK and the US.
The G Saluss clinic (corner of Hyrigoyen and Iselin) has two English speaking dentists, Dra Maria Elise Greco, and Dra Fernanda Blas, who is a gum specialist.
At time of writing a filling is in the region of 75 pesos depending on whether it is white or metal, a teeth clean is about 75 pesos and a deep root clean 120 pesos per session.
You need to go to the clinic to make an appointment. Like most other places the clinic is closed during siesta time, from 1300 till 1600.
DRIVING
All cars are left-hand drive and you should drive on the right side of the road. San Rafael is laid out on a grid system, which makes it easy to find your way around. All the streets, bar the main avenue and a couple of others are one way, and clearly marked. Give way to the right and road junctions. Parking is only ever allowed on the right hand side of the road, in the direction of the traffic flow.
*Always drive with your headlights on….full lights (not full beam, not side lights). This is for in town and on the open road. You will be fined by the police if you are stopped for not having your lights on. At time of writing the fine is 100 pesos.
*Seat belts are compulsory in the front of the vehicle. Many older vehicles have no seat belts in the back and so it is not law to wear them…quite often you will see a car with about 6 people squashed in the back, so just as well!
*No child under the age of 14 years should travel in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.
*All car documents including the log book, insurance and your driving licence should be with you when you are driving. If you are stopped by the police and don’t have all the documents, they are at liberty to confiscate the car while you go home and collect your documents. You will also incur a fine. If you are lucky you will just get a ticket and have to produce your documents at a later date at a special office in the centre of town.
*Road markings….take note of them. Just because everyone else passes an inordinately slow vehicle on a double yellow line, it doesn’t mean it’s ok. If you are caught overtaking on a single yellow or double yellow line, you will get a ticket and a telling off.
*There are regular road stops…some by the local police (blue uniforms), some by the national police (green uniforms). They will be evident from a line of orange cones in the middle of the road and lots of policemen standing around. If you see one up ahead, make sure your lights are on and that you are wearing your seat belt and slow right down to 20km/hour as your go through the zone.
It is not unusual to see this sight...a horse and cart in the streets of town.
* Take care at roundabouts. In San Rafael, the traffic on the roundabout has right of way, but in other provinces, such as Buenos Aires, the opposite is true and the traffic already on the roundabout must give way to the right. Be cautious, particularly during the summer months when a lot of tourists from BA descend on San Rafael.
DRIVING LICENCES
Each of the 22 provinces in Argentina are self-gorverning and so each has a different driving licence. Most foreigners in San Rafael drive on an International or their own home licence, but technically speaking you should have a Mendoza licence if living in San Rafael.
This means relinquishing your own licence and taking a written test to obtain a local licence, as well as having a medical (which is basically a quick eye test by the resident doctor at the licence centre. Currently the new licence costs 70 pesos. When you go to apply for a licence take all your IDs with you - passport, DNI etc. Take photocopies of absolutely everything as well as several passport sized photos.
The driving licence office is in Garcia Street...one block up from Yrigoyen...the building looks a bit like a prison!
ELECTRICITY
Supplied by EDEMSA. Gas bills are every two months and can be paid either at any Pago Facil outlet, finance (Montemar) or bank, or at the main EDEMSA office in Tomas Edison Street. If you go beyond the due date for the bill (you normally have 10 days grace before being cut off) you will have to pay at the Edison Street office. You can always get a duplicate bill here too. If like me, you live out in the campo, the bill sometimes doesn’t arrive, use your previous bill to find out the due date of the next bill and goto EDEMSA for a duplicate. Not having a bill is no excuse for not paying and you will be cut off. Reconnection takes 48 hours (longer if it is at a weekend). Hours are 0800 to 1500. The best time to go to EDEMSA is after 1pm when there are no queues.
EMPLOYMENT
The employment laws are very strict in Argentina, which is why a lot of people employ their staff as 'black' workers, ie. cash in hand employees. As an employer, you have a lot of responsibilites and it is very difficult to 'unemploy' someone. There is a very vibrant cooperative to which an employee can turn if he feels he has been mistreated.
You can go to....to get details of the employment laws relating to each type of job - there is a minimum wage for each job and regulations regarding hours, holiday, sick entitlement etc.
Generally for most jobs there is a 6 day week. Siesta is very important so work hours are normally 0800-1200 and 1600-2000. This applies to winter and summer.
You are responsible for your employees one and a half hours either side of their start and finish times. If and employee were to have an accident on the way to or home from work, you as the employer, would be responsible for their medical bills etc.
'Black' workers are employed as cash workers ie. illegally. You can get insurance coverage for black workers.
'White' workers are employed legally, that is both the employer and employee pay all the relevant taxes, insurances etc. and the employee receives the legal minimum wage. This also means the employer makes pension, healthcover and insurance contribtions on behalf of the employee.
Technically is someone works for you for more than 6 hours a week, they should be employed legally.
FGH
Is the biggest and only 'one stop' Do It Yourself shopping venue, situated on the corner of Av 9th July and Sarmiento. It is also probably a little more expensive than other places, but you can at least get all plumbing, building etc. materials. They are also a building constructor. But, it is a most frustrating shop to visit. Some goods are available on racks in the centre of the main shop...you can just pick up and pay at the cash desk. This includes products...chlorine etc. for the swimming pool - but only in the summer months. In the winter ou have to ask at the desk for the same products.
Otherwise there are two service desks; each has a ticket dispenser. Take a ticket and wait for your number to be called. You will then be served. Once you have established the price you will be given another ticket to take to the cash desk, where you pay. Once you have paid and got your receipt, you then go to a desk near the entrance to collect your goods.
There is always a queue in the shop and no one speaks English.
Hours 0800-1200 and 1600-2000. Not open on Saturday afternoons.
GAS
Most people use gas for heating the house/water or for cooking. In the centre of town many houses are now on piped gas. For the rest of us gas tanks of varying sizes are the norm. TotalGaz and YPF are the main suppliers. When you have a new gas tank fitted you can either buy or lease. The first time you fill the tank it has to be filled totally. Thereafter, you can put any amount you like when you need a refill. You can either pay at the main shop/depot or pay the truck when it arrives to fill the tank. You can pay cash or credit card. When you need more gas, allow about a month before you are completely desperate. The gas man never arrives when he says he will and you will usually waste several days waiting in.
GAS...as in car fuel...see Petrol and Cars
GAUCHO
The name gaucho, history has it, is derived from the Quechua language and means, 'orphan' or 'vagabond'. Quechua is the indigenous language of the Andean region of South America and is spoken by approximately 13 million people today in Bolivia, Peru, northern Chile, southern Colombia and Argentina. It was also the official language of the Inca Empire.
The first recorded use of the term gaucho dates from around the time of Argentine independence in 1816 although gauchos, as such, were known to have wandered the countryside as early as the 1600s.
The gaucho was nomadic and did not need to reside in a formal settlement to have a code of conduct of his own. Gauchos shunned social interaction and were hardy and uncompromising, but famously kind to weary travellers, always sharing their food or what little shelter they had. If the mood took them they would work on the massive cattle estancias (estates) for a season, before moving on. Their wandering existence meant those who might have had homes, with a common law wife and even offspring, spent little time there. Sons of gauchos invariably became gauchos too. Early account of the gauchos describe them as uncouth, with plenty of time on their hands, much of which was spent drinking mate (a mildly narcotic herbal concoction drunk from a gourd), and gambling.
GOMERIA
Are places where you get car tyre(tire) punctures repaired; most will mend bicycle punctures as well. There are hundreds of them around. It costs about 5 pesos for a repair and you can wait while it is done.
Rememeber if you talk about tyres use the word neumatico not goma, which althought is translated as tyre, is used locally as a slang word for breasts!
GYMS
There are several good gyms in San Rafael. Oxygene located in Carlos W Lencinas, now with a swimming pool. costs 70 pesos a month. Not open at the weekends though! Urban Gym in San Lorenzo, and in the San Rafael Tennis Club in Sobremente, adjacent to the park.
GRINGO
The word Gringo (feminine
gringa), is a Spanish and Portuguese
word used mainly in Central and South America to describe non-Spanish speaking
foreigners. The Oxford English
dictionary describes ‘gringo’
thus: “a white, English speaking person” and has been used in the English
language since the 19th century. The American Heritage Dictionary classifies
the word as a derogatory term, but most of us English speaking ‘extranjeros’ do not take it as such and
are used to be referred to as gringos
. It would appear that the true origin of the word is unclear; there are several theories, some better documented than others. GRINGOED! This is common parlance for being 'taken for a ride'!! In San Rafael, even if you don't look foreign, the minute you open your mouth it will be obvious that you are not a local. That means most Argentinians will think you are a) rich and b) easy game. So, you will at some stage, find you have overpaid for something somewhere. The best thing to do is accept it, but then avoid the shops or services that have caught you out. Go to shops that have their prices displayed; or decide what you think in your own mind is a fair price to pay (even though it might be more than a local would pay). If you are having work done, get a written quote beforehand. Otherwise, take an Argentinian friend with you to do the talking.
*During the war between Mexico and the US (1845-1847), the American invaders were heard to be singing an old English song, brought across the Atlantic by the original settlers… “green grow the rushes – o”. Sitting up in the hills and hearing the echoing sound of the singing, the Mexican bandits only heard the word ‘gringo’.
*Another version claims that it was at the Alamo in 1936, that the term ‘gringo’ was coined. The US soldiers were dressed in green and the Mexican shout of ‘green go home’ gradually metamorphosed into ‘gringo’.
*According to history the Americans gave their various battalions colours. When the commander gave the order to advance, he shouted ‘go green’; the Mexicans supposedly mocked their enemies by shouting “green go” which once again became bastardized into ‘gringo’.
These explanations do seem logical, but put the origins of the word firmly in the 19th century. This is at odds with the fact that the word ‘gringo’ can be found in the Castilian Dictionary, published in Spain between 1786 and 1793; according to the dictionary definition, the word ‘gringo’ was used to name foreigners who had difficulty speaking the Castilian language well.
Researchers suggest that the word appeared even earlier than this. Supposedly, a Roman proverb, spread throughout Europe and later referred to by Shakespeare in his play Julius Caesar, uses the word ‘gringo’ to say something like “this is written in Greek and cannot be read” and intimates that something is not clearly understood. In modern parlance “it’s all Greek to me”, means much the same thing….something confusing. Some etymologists say that gringo is derived from the word Griego, which is Spanish for Greek, which would give rise to the use of the word as above.
Whatever the true meaning, we expats, whatever our actual nationality, are gringos here in San Rafael. But if anyone does have any other theories as to the meaning of the word, please feel free to email us and we will print your views.