Why I Moved to Doug's Gulch in Argentina
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 2:20PM [Editor's Note: The following is from Gary Kinghorn who is one of the first to have built a home and live in Doug's Gulch in Cafayate, Argentina. Below he gives us his experience in living there and the reasons why he made the move.]
Its Christmas week in Cafayate, Argentina where we are spending the holidays this year before heading to vacation on the beaches in Uruguay, and then back up to the US for New Year’s. The first day of summer has arrived, and the town square is decorated with what passes for Christmas trees in Argentina. My family and I have been here for two months in our newly completed home and it has been a fabulous and rewarding adventure. The best part for us has been how great the people are here, the locals and the ex-pats that are getting out of the US. I’ve been getting emails from folks around the US that have been reading my articles on TDV and mostly they are frustrated that they are the only ones who “get it”, and their friends think they are crazy for buying gold, or looking outside the USA, or whatever reasonably proactive steps they are taking. Definitely not so here, where almost everyone is like-minded (i.e., libertarian-anarcho-freedom-loving misfits), and motivated to make a better future here in Argentina.
Why did we decide to come here? After years of trying to educate friends and family of the coming financial collapse, and engaging in whatever political activism I could, including being a very early and vocal supporter of Ron Paul, any rational person would realize that the time to stay and fight has long since past. I’ve even changed my opinion that the problem is primarily the egregious political class we have elected (President and Congress), but that the fundamental problem is the tens of millions of Americans (and most westerners for that matter) that don’t have any idea what’s going on and continue to participate in their own self-destruction. For the US, Bush and Obama aren’t so much the problem as the 50-60+ million people who got them elected. I admire the convictions of the minority that want/need to stay and fight for “their” country, but when I see no future for my children, and I’m primarily concerned for their safety, it’s time to go.
In considering almost the entire world to pursue independence, safety and opportunity, one can quickly rule out Europe, which is breaking up faster than the US, Asia (too difficult to assimilate), and Africa (nowhere is safe). We quickly gravitated towards the cone of South America (Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay). There are other interesting opportunities in Latin America for second citizenship (the Dominican Republic, for example), economic opportunities, and tropical climates, but most of Latin America is still under the thumb of the American military complex, and I’m more convinced that the Southern Hemisphere will be safer from the coming collapse and geopolitical fallout.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY
Chile, Argentina and Uruguay each have their merits and challenges, and I wouldn’t disparage anyone for considering any one of them. However, by far the most important thing to consider no matter where you go is that you have a community that you are a part of. When the going gets tough, and IT WILL, a warm and inviting foreign populace is not going to cut it. You need a COMMUNITY of trusted, deeply committed, like-minded folks that really love each other and are committed to each other’s safety.
While I originally had my eyes set on Uruguay (and still have invested in property there), I eventually visited Casey’s Gulch here in the wine country of Argentina, and couldn’t believe what I saw and how interesting and supportive all the other people associated with the project were. There are hundreds of ex-pats settling in this remote region of the Calchaqui Valley, the vast majority from the US and Canada. One of the founders of the community was the governor of this Salta province, so we have some political clout, too. But also the influence of Doug Casey, a legendary investment advisor, financial writer, and author of the best-selling book “The International Man” back in the 70’s.
Everyone here knows the geopolitical turmoil that we are facing, and are reasonably like-minded in how to approach these challenges. Most of us are loosely libertarian, but all are independent, freedom-oriented, hard-working and self-sufficient (to a point). This place was largely selected because it has an ample underground water supply and is a prolific agricultural region and we are securing our own food supply. This is also a prolific wine growing region, and we have hundreds of acres of some of the top wine grapes in Argentina in production. We also have the best golf course in South America, one of the nicest polo fields, and are building what will easily be the best health club between here and Buenos Aires, with tennis courts, pools, lakes and gyms.
It’s definitely reminiscent of “Galt’s Gulch”, modeled on Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged utopia for the productive class escaping the destructive political class and the decaying society they wrought. But not everyone here has even heard of Ayn Rand. What convinced me this was the safest place to raise my children over the next decade was the people that were here and that have plans to come here. Not exactly the ex-pat pensioners you find in a lot of places, but young people with families, young couples just starting out, people that want to build this community into something great. There’s a vibrancy here you don’t get anywhere else in Latin America. Our neighbors are from California, Vancouver, Seattle, North Carolina, Calgary, Colorado, Germany, etc.
330 DAYS OF SUNSHINE
At about 6000 feet up in the Andes Mountains, the air here is clean and fresh unlike anything I have experienced since I was a kid going to Lake Tahoe. There’s 330 days of sunshine each year, and the local town of Cafayate has everything you need on a daily basis from groceries, to restaurants and hardware stores. When you are here you realize again what fresh food really is, and all the toxins we are subject to in the food, air and water in the US. After her first bite of locally made ice cream here, my daughter exclaimed, “Wow, we don’t have ice cream like this in the US”.
“La Estancia”, as the place is known, is not heaven, but for us, at this time, it’s the closest place we can imagine. But more importantly, we are building something that we want for ourselves, and we are doing it as a community. Already the frustrations I had with the economic situation in the US, the growing threats of war in Iran, and the troubling news about Fukushima radiation are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Argentina has its challenges for sure, and this particular community may not be for everybody, but I haven’t felt as optimistic about my family’s future for a long time since we arrived here and this place became a reality for us.
We are somewhat dreading having to go back to the US for a few months, but we look forward to spending the vast majority of time here starting later next year. I have a hunch 2012 might be a good year for anyone to execute on plans to get out of the US.
Here are some photos we have taken:
It’s almost the first day of summer but fresh snow has fallen on the nearby local peaks in Cafayate with clear, warm days in the valley below.
The sunsets on the hills and the unlimited visibility are amazing here. The new health club is ready to open up across the lake on the left with pools, gyms, tennis courts, croquet and more.
The wildlife is also amazing, from the wonderful array of birds, to frogs, foxes, owls, and insects of every shape and size.
The golf clubhouse is the gathering place for souvenirs, a good meal, and interesting conversation.
Gary KinghornBio: Gary Kinghorn is currently a senior marketing manager at Cisco in Silicon Valley, and is a part time ex-pat in Argentina at Doug Casey's "Galt's Gulch" in Cafayate. He is a long-time student of the Austrian School of Economics and previously worked as a financial advisor at Citigroup/Smith Barney. He continues to follow and offer advice on the economy, geopolitical landscape and asset protection strategies.
Many dollar vigilantes have and are moving down to Doug's Gultch in Argentina. We'll be there again this coming March for the grape harvesting celebration as will many of our correspondents such as Gary Kinghorn and Pete Kofod. If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on that event or get more info on Doug's Gultch, enter your email and/or phone number here: http://dollarvigilante.com/galtsgulch
Reader Comments (9)
I'm definitively considering the expat route but how do most people pay for their property purchases. Is a mortgage even an option?
If not, 250K in cash is not easy to come by for most people...
@Jeff Berwick If I was interested in one of your AcaCondos in Acapulco, would a mortgage be an option in Mexico?
AcaCondos: We can only get a mortgage on a property over $100k (through Doug at mortgagesinmexico.com). So, only the double-size suites or the penthouses we have would qualify. The studios wouldn't because they cost less than $75k.
(I wasn't here then, born in UK.) But I would be interested to know what you think will happen here, noone here would have a clue, and I don't have a lot of time to pack up and move to Argentina. But if that's the best chance my kids have I will have to try?
I still have The International Man and Strategic Investing dated and signed by Doug as well as a photograph of us together.
I would like to take issue with comments posted on this website that Africa is such a dangerous place. I make no claims but the truth is that Africa like any other nation has "places not to go" but I have worked and travelled southern Africa all my life and it poses less danger than many other places on earth.
For investors its the last frontier to be exploited. Many opportunities will be missed by the misleading information in the media about Africa, One day the ":African Lion" will roar, like the" Eastern Tigers" have.
Yes, there are limitations and problems and you must know your way around but the huge opportunities of an awakening giant are too good to be missed. If I could afford it I too would live in Cafayate but I would invest in AFRICA selectively.
Remember these words five years hence!
I wish you all the very best and remind you that it must be a privilege to live at Cafayate. I wish that I was able to travel to visit in this magnificent location.
Regards
Alec Neave.