Customs hassles after an estancia stay?
 

If any of you are US citizens or permanent residents and have stayed on an estancia in Argentina, Uruguay, etc., did you have any kind of hassle on return? I recall the one of the US customs questions is about farm stays. I'd love to spend a couple of days on an estancia but wouldn't love to spend a couple of days or more in quarantine upon my return.

Any experience?

Thanks

PS I posted this question on the US Customs and Immigration website but a message said it would take up to twelve weeks for a response!

Well, right after I posted this, I checked my E-mails and there was a response from the Customs. It says I should answer the customs form questions truthfully (which I intended to do anyway) and that the border officer might ask me to clean my shoes.

So if that's all there is to it, I'll make a reservation over the weekend!

It appears that at least some part of the US government is more efficient than I gave them credit for!

Amazing!

We did tromp through some cow pastures in Uruguay and I just lied :(, but I had thrown away those shoes before getting on the plane home :)

It's wholly a matter of taste, but consider: http://tinyurl.com/jgmonya

It may or may not be the kind of place you are looking for, but the reviews are quite positive.

Have a great time in my country.

Thanks AV. I'll check it out, as I'm looking for something fairly near BA. My plan right now is to go there either right off the plane or after my stay in BA, then fly to Iguazu. Those--and somewhere in BA for my last nite--will be the only reservations I make. I may extend my time on the return to BA but always like to have something locked up at the end of the trip.

Muchas gracias

Oh, avrooster, just when I thought i had finalized my itinerary! This looks wonderful.

Didn't realise it was an issue in the USA. I had my boots VERY carefully inspected when entering New Zealand when I answered the questions truthfully (my wife also got a written warning for importing a tiny pot of honey!)

Couldn't agree more MyBaggage. I have just added Avrooster's suggestion to my list for consideration. All I need is a few riding lessons!

Ana Peña, who runs Los Dos Hermanos, can arrange to have you picked up at or delivered to any of our airports. What I mean is that you can go to her place directly upon arrival to BA, without going into town. Or viceversa.

I trust it is quite clear that you will NOT find any dancing "gauchos" or that kind of thing at this estancia.

Have a great time in my country.

>>I trust it is quite clear that you will NOT find any dancing "gauchos" or that kind of thing at this estancia.<<

avrooster, please elaborate on our comment above. I'll be on a cruise ship which calls on Buenos Aires for 2 days in December. One of the ship's excursion is a 7-hour "Gaucho Fiesta" which I'll paste the description below. I was going to choose a city tour of BA instead, because of the potential hassle coming back to USA after visiting a farm. But your link of the "Estancia Los Dos Hermanos" looks lovely. However I have no idea which estancia we'll be visiting, and if it will be as lovely. Please comment if this is a worthwhile outing over a city tour of BA? (Assume I have time to do a city tour of BA on my own the next day.)

Gaucho Fiesta
Begin with a scenic drive into the famous Pampas of Argentina, home of the Gauchos. Upon arrival at the Estancia, you will be welcomed with typical empanadas. Stroll around on the farm, take a horse or carriage ride, or watch the Gauchos preparing your barbecue, called asado al asador. At noon, sit down together and feast on a meal of the Gauchos. After lunch, the Gauchos will play traditional music and show how they dance in the Pampa. To conclude the day, the Gauchos will mount up and begin their display of horsemanship. Their skills seem almost unbelievable, but these men do almost literally live in the saddle.

Reading54:

I stressed above that this is a matter of taste.

It is quite likely that this is the estancia outing you are being offered by the ship: http://tinyurl.com/hdl4mu8 and it may or may not be the kind of thing you want.

What is certain is that these two places are as different as they can possibly be, even though they are both called "estancias" and actually are not that far from each other. The reviews should give you an idea of what to expect from each.

About tours of BA, this is a popular free tour: http://tinyurl.com/zrjemrk

Of course, I guess they can arrange for a private tour, if you wish.

About the shoes, I'd clean them thoroughly and not tell anyone you have been to an "estancia", but that's just me.

Have a great time in my town.

Thanks a lot, avrooster.

I have several friends that actually own estancias that are regular travellers to the US and Europe. If they had ever had any problems I would ave known. I would think those questionnaires are fairly standard in many countries, including Uruguay and Argentina. Uruguay is very strict about what they allow you to bring into the country and will scan your bags upon arrival. Have had butter and French cheeses confiscated. I also remember some rug for disinfecting shoes at some point but it was a few years ago.

Thanks AV--After much looking at and pricing overnite stays at various estancias, I decided to stay at a small B&B in San Antonio de Areco for two nites. I'll probably rent a car at EZE and drive there, so I'd have a car to drive to the estancia for a day or at least part of a day.

AV, I hear what you're saying about not telling people I've been on an estancia, but don't want to mess with US customs. I will clean my boots thoroughly when I arrive back at EZE. If they want me to clean them again at the ATL, then I'll do it.

Great! I assume you know cars with automatic gears are rather expensive to rent here (if available) and that Argentine drivers are mostly lunatics.

Have a great time in my country.

My car is a standard so I prefer that--get them all the time in Europe.

I've driven in Napoli, Miami and Atlanta and drivers can't be any worse (can they?), and at least Argentines drive on the right side of the road. I'll follow the "Napoli rule": don't ever look in the rear view mirror.

If I manage alright between EZE and San Antonio Areco, I may try one for a longer stretch around Salta.

Thanks.

About your: "at least Argentines drive on the right side of the road"

Yes, but don't count on it. LOL!!!!!

Have a great time driving yourself around my country.

PS: I look in the rear view mirror ALL the time, but I guess it's just a nasty habit.

One should not be concerned about hassle going thru Ag inspection when entering the US. It's nothing more than stepping into a wet sponge to put antiseptic on your shoes.

Used to be that we would look to see if the Ag lines were shorter than regular customs and go thru them as it was much faster. Just be sure either to wear the same shoes as you wore on the farm or tell them the ones you are wearing are such. The hassle comes when they ask you to dig through luggage to pull out the right shoes. Be prepared.

Thanks NoFly. I'll keep that in mind. I'd probably wear the same thing anyway--boots because wearing my boots makes my luggage marginally lighter.