Money

No hay monedas! You see this sign everywhere you go, it means that the shop doesn't have any small change. The government can't afford to produce more and thus buying anything can prove problematical. You have to hoarde your change to use on the bus. You are frequently offered sweets as change - "no hay monedas quieres comer algo?" - bizarre.

Then there's the other extreme, no shop fancies changing a 100 peso note. The concept of a "till float" has only seemed to reach the big supermarkets. This forces you to keep a constant check on what change you have, many a morning i've had to go and buy something random from the supermarket to get change. Mind you it's quite amusing buying a bottle of wine at 8am - you get some very odd looks.

So basically they can't give small change and can't change a large note - no wonder the economy is buggered. It does, however, match the attitude of the shop owners who clearly aren't that interested in selling anything anyway, not unless you've got the exact money and preferably in small coins in which case they'll thank you profusely - not for the sale but for the change. Mental.