We fly into Buenos Aires for the fourth time over the murky Rio de la Plata estuary, like a large bowl of milk chocolate or the Argentinians' beloved dulce de leche, the last of 6 internal flights, always waved through security with bottles of water, overweight cases and extra hand luggage without a word, it seems generally accepted here that rules are only there to be broken. Our guided tour takes around the usual tourist sights, colourful but tawdry, run down ...

Reluctantly we leave our country retreat. As it is early autumn we have been the only guests and had the place to ourselves, waited on hand and foot although it was a struggle to do justice to a large breakfast and two large three course meals a day with afternoon tea and cake thrown in for good measure. We are slowly recovering but are left with a wheezy cough. At the airport pharmacy we are able to buy a prescription-only Ventolin inhaler for US$5 without a pre...