Bargains in Argentina? If there are any, certainly few of those visiting these Pan-Am Games have found them yet.

Prices here in Mar del Plata are by and large on a par with Bermuda, and in Buenos Aires considerably higher.

With the Argentinian peso now pegged to the American dollar, it's not difficult to determine prices, and some, perhaps aimed at making a killing during this two week sports festival, are ridiculously high.

A taxi fare, for instance, between airports in Buenos Aires -- an approximate 15 kilometre trip which all those travelling from overseas to these Games have had to make -- has varied from a low of $40 to a high of $68. Similar trips in Mar del Plata are somewhat cheaper but still seemingly dependent on the honesty of the driver.

Restaurant prices can be reasonable, but with a good bottle of wine it's not difficult to part with a 100 peso note and forget the change.

As for telephone charges, don't even ask. To Bermuda, $6.50 for the first minute, and $6.50 more for every minute thereafter. On top of that, all journalists in the Press Centre have been required to fork out a $1,500 deposit, of which $300 is immediately deducted for administrative charges, in order just to secure use of the overseas dialling service.

Perhaps, as anywhere, the best bargains are to be had outside the tourist areas. In the town of Tandil, where Bermuda's soccer team are based, a beer can be bought for a mere peso and car parking is free, compared with the average of 15 pesos a day being charged by the bandits in the centre of Mar del Plata.

ON HIS OWN On his own Water skiier Kent Richardson won't expect, nor receive, much Bermuda support when he makes history by becoming the first Bermudian to represent the Island in that sport at a major Games.

Competition will take place on Rio Parana, a two-hour flight north of Buenos Aires and almost 1,000 kilometres from the Games headquarters in Mar del Plata.

Bermuda's chef de mission Mike Cherry conceded that neither he nor any of the other Bermuda officials would be able to travel to that venue.

Fortunately, Richardson has spent much of his time in recent months training and competing with the American water ski team.

SPANISH ONLY Spanish only Communication, whether it be by phone, fax or pure conversation, is proving to be the biggest headache for all of the English-speaking nations at these Games.

Spanish is very much the predominant language, and in the hotels, restaurants and even Games headquarters, it's expected -- understandably so -- that those visiting speak Spanish, or at least attempt the language, rather than vice versa.

All schedules, results and information are printed in Spanish, with precious few translations provided.

And those that are sometimes don't quite get the message across such as the programme description of the City Stadium which hosts the opening and closing ceremonies: "It is a scenery with a capacity for little more than 35,000 people with covered and non-covered seats and a huge place for stand-up people...'' START YOUR ENGINE Start your engine Ever wonder why South America produces so many top Grand Prix drivers? Simple. They get their practice on the open road.

Driving in Mar del Plata is little different to negotiating the circuits at Monza, Monte Carlo or Le Mans. The race is always on.

Waiting at traffic lights is much like waiting on a Grand Prix grid. He who has pole position doesn't necessarily get away first.

In fact, in Mar del Plata seemingly no-one bothers to wait for the green light; taxis have rules of their own, pedestrians are fair game, and double yellow lines are there to be crossed.

The general rule of thumb seems to be: Keep one hand on the horn, the other out of the window, and only use the brake as a last resort.