Discover Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Record Rainfall and Flooding

DaVe — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:59:26 +0000

While the east coast of the United States is having record snowfall, Buenos Aires has broken the record for February rainfall and come close to an all-time monthly record. All this rainfall has brought some horrible flooding in the capital as well with many homes and shops flooding.

The video below shows a great shot of a train passing through a flooded intersection during last week’s flooding:

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Luggage Storage in Buenos Aires

DaVe — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:05:05 +0000

Here is a new service that is sorely needed in Buenos Aires – economic luggage storage.

Catty Shack Buenos Aires is now offering a place to store your luggage in Buenos Aires. From their web site:

Catty Shack Buenos Aires began as an idea for a luggage storage service in November of 2009. It’s conception was inspired after a friend traveling through Central and South America shared her constant struggle to find a safe and affordable home for her belongings. We had similar inconveniences in our travels, but it took her expressing the same problem to help us understand the real need for baggage storage in Argentina.

We offer flexible and economic baggage storage, short or long-term for travelers or anyone in need of storage space. In Buenos Aires, luggage storage was previously limited to major airports and transportation hubs that charge obscene rates. For travelers on a budget, Catty Shack offers a great alternative. Our prices are determined based on length of stay and the amount of baggage or suitcases stored.

Their prices seem quite reasonable with 1 bag costing USD $10/week or $35/month, 2-3 bags for $15/week or $45/month and 4-5 bags for $20/week or $55/month.

Check out their web site or give them a call at 011.54.15.3599.9304.

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Argentina Entrance Fee To Go Into Effect

DaVe — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:27:43 +0000

In October 2008, we reported that Argentina was planning to charge a reciprocal fee to tourists entering from countries that charge its citizens a visa or entrance fee. Well, that plan was put on indefinite hold — until now that is.

According to the Argentina Immigration web site, the new fees are imminent. The following file was posted there today:

The new fees seem to apply only to Americans (US $131), Canadians (US $70), and Australians (US $100). For Canadians, the fee is listed as a single entry, which would imply that Americans and Australians get multiple entries.

Of course, in true Argentine style, details are still sparse at this time. When the new fee goes into effect has not yet been specified. Also, if multiple entries are permitted, how long those entries are good for has not yet been specified either. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more. (UPDATE below.)

The original Argentine immigration article (english) on the reciprocal fee was published February 1, 2009, and mentioned that that the fee will only be charged at the Ezeiza airport, so that should mean that those ferry trips many expats make to Colonia will not cost more. We especially love how they specifically call it the “eye for an eye” fee rate and express their wishes that Argentina will be added to the list of countries that are granted a visa waiver from the US.

So, does this change your travel plans?

UPDATE: The US Embassy just published an advisory noting this new fee goes into effect December 20, 2009 and once paid is valid for 10 years:

Airport Entry Fee
December 11, 2009

This warden message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens that on December 20, 2009, the Government of Argentina will begin charging American Citizens visiting Argentina for business or tourism an entry fee of $131 U.S. dollars. The fee will be collected only at Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport. Once paid, the fee permits multiple entries into Argentina for ten years in accordance with United States visa reciprocity. Americans may pay in dollars, by credit card, or with travelers checks.

U.S. citizens may also call the Office of Overseas Citizens Services in the U.S. for the latest travel information. The Office of Overseas Citizens Services can be reached from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time, M-F, at 1-888-407-4747, or if calling from outside the U.S., at (202)-501-4444. For any emergencies involving American citizens, please contact the American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit of the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section, located at 4300 Avenida Colombia, 1425 Buenos Aires;
telephone+54-11-5777-4354; after hours emergency telephone +54-11-5777-4873; ACS unit fax +54-11-5777-4293; e-mail BuenosAires-ACS@state.gov; web page http://argentina.usembassy.gov.

Americans living or traveling in Argentina are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Argentina. Americans without internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

This email is UNCLASSIFIED.

Thankfully this update was unclassified and we could all get the news.

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Buenos Aires Contacts: Matias Vertone, Personal Trainer

DaVe — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:34:15 +0000

In the third post of our “Buenos Aires Contacts,” I wanted to highlight my personal trainer, Matias Vertone.

While Matias does not speak much English, it has been a fun experience as my personal training sessions turn out to be both a workout and a Spanish lesson in one. Matias works out of the Always Gym in Palermo Soho but also trains clients at their home, gym or in the park. He is incredibly knowledgeable and will design a workout specifically tailored to your goals. Don’t let the language barrier stop you! I have a lot of friends who use him as well and love the workout he puts you through.

Matias Verone
Personal Trainer
Cel. +54 9 11 5829 9909

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Buenos Aires Contacts: Aurora Couretot, Medical Insurance

DaVe — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:22:16 +0000

In the second “Buenos Aires Contacts” post, I’d like to highlight Aurora Couretot.

Aurora is an English-speaking doctor working as an advisor at Swiss Medical since 2000. She has helped many expats get set up with medical insurance through Swiss Medical. She understands the process inside and out and can answer any questions that you may have. Not only did she set up my medical insurance, she was available to answer questions that I had about booking appointments, referrals, hospital visits, etc. Basically everything I didn’t know about the medical system here or couldn’t understand due to my initially very limited Spanish. I’d highly recommend contacting her.

Dr. Aurora Couretot
Swiss Medical
Official Representative
Tel. +54 9 11 6180 1556 (from abroad) or 15 61 80 1556 (from Buenos Aires)
acouretot@yahoo.com.ar

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Buenos Aires Tips: How To Add Credit To Your Movistar Phone

DaVe — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:11:32 +0000

After being here a year, things become a lot easier (trust me), but I remember how difficult it was to figure out how to do so many simple things when I first got here. One of those things was adding credit to my pre-paid Movistar phone. (As a foreigner, you cannot get a cell phone plan here, so you must use the “pre-pago” service.) A big problem, of course, was my lack of being able to speak or understand Spanish. So, hopefully this English guide to adding credit to your Movistar phone will help some of you out.

Let me start by saying, the easiest way for me personally to add credit has just been to charge it to my US credit card. I know that it is possible to buy Movistar credits at the kioscos and charge it that way, but I like the convenience of being able to do it from wherever I am. Hopefully we can get some people to comment on what works for them or how they do it with other mobile services.

Ok, so on to Movistar. Here’s the steps:

Dial *444 from your mobile phone. You will hear an automated voice announcing some promotions and then asking for input.
Press 2 to begin the recharge process. (Press 1 to hear your current available credit.)
Press 2 to charge to a credit card. (Press 1 to charge to a Movistar card.)
Wait a second for it to connect and you’ll the be prompted to enter your credit card number followed by the # sign. Do that.
They repeat the credit card number back to you. Press 1 if correct, 2 if incorrect.
You’re next asked for the security code (4 digit for American Express, 3 digit for Visa/MasterCard) followed by the # sign. Enter that.
They repeat the security code back to you. Press 1 if correct, 2 if incorrect.
You’re then prompted to enter the 2-digit month and the 2-digit year for the credit card expiration. (No # sign at the end this time.) Enter it.
They repeat the expiration date back to you. Press 1 if correct, 2 if incorrect.
You are now prompted to choose what you want to charge. Press 2 to specify an amount to charge your credit card.
Enter the amount to charge to your account followed by the number sign.
They now repeat the amount, the credit card and expiration date information back to you.Press 1 if correct, 2 if incorrect.
Wait a few seconds. They will confirm the charge and disconnect the call. You should get a text message stating your new balance. Please note that this new balance may not include any double-credit promotions. You may get that as an additional text.
That’s it! You did it.

Another thing to realize is that Movistar will send a number of promotions throughout the week to your mobile phone. This is usually the best time to recharge, as they often give double credit when you recharge and occasionally triple credit. After you recharge, they will send a number of texts with additional promotions too, such as free SMS for a day, free calling to another Movistar number for 7 days, etc.

So, anyone else have any tips or instructions for other carriers?

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Speed Up Your Internet Browsing – Switch to Google DNS

DaVe — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:07:57 +0000

Yesterday, Google released yet another product that will disrupt an industry, Google Public DNS. Most people are probably not familiar with what DNS even is, so Google offers this explanation:

Most of us aren’t familiar with DNS because it’s often handled automatically by our Internet Service Provider (ISP), but it provides an essential function for the web. You could think of it as the switchboard of the Internet, converting easy-to-remember domain names – e.g., www.google.com – into the unique Internet Protocol (IP) numbers – e.g., 74.125.45.100 – that computers use to communicate with one another.

This service is usually handled by your Internet provider, but Google’s product aims to replace this with a faster and more secure version. To start using it, follow the instructions on their web page to change either your router or computer settings.

I’ve been using it for the last day and it seems to be much quicker that either my ISP or OpenDNS was. This blog post on the TechSutra site also notes that it seems to be much better for users outside of the US.

I’d definitely recommend making the switch to it today.

UPDATE: as further proof that Google is taking over the world, they released their own dictionary today.

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Send Your Holiday Cards to the States – For Free!

DaVe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:33:28 +0000

Ok, so you’re down here in Buenos Aires, enjoying the warm December weather while all your friends and family are stuck back in the northern hemisphere freezing and waiting for the holidays. Why not cheer them up and send them an old-fashioned, non-electronic holiday card? Ahh, right, all the hassles with postage and sending things from Buenos Aires…

Well, luckily, Google comes to the rescue – if you don’t mind a little Gmail branding that is. As part of a new promotion, Google will send one free holiday card via snail-mail for you. There are six different designs to choose from.

You say, “One card is not enough for all the people I know! AND, I want to personalize my card!” Well then, check out Hippopost. They allow you to turn any photo into a postcard and add a customized message to the back. They add a small advertising message and then send the card to any US or Canadian address. You can do this from your mobile phone, the web or Facebook. (Be careful choosing which drunken one to use and who you send it to.) They have a limit of sending 2 per day, so you’d better get started now.

Ok, now you have no excuse not to send snail-mail cards to everyone you know…get to it!

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Buenos Aires Contacts: Gabriel Celano, Immigration Attorney

DaVe — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:05:01 +0000

Welcome to the first in a series of posts that I’m calling “Buenos Aires Contacts.” In these posts, I am going to highlight some of the great people I’ve had the pleasure to meet and work with in Buenos Aires. These are some great contacts that expats may need at some point or another while they are in BA.

The first person I’d like to highlight is Gabriel Celano. Gabriel is an English-speaking Argentine lawyer focusing on immigration and corporate law. He has helped many expats in obtaining visas, DNIs, forming companies, etc. Gabriel has always been completely professional and very prompt with his services and replies. He came highly recommended to me and I can see why. He is able to obtain a DNI in a very short time period (30-40 days) due to his understanding of the Argentine system and its many intricacies. His rapidly growing staff is also great and incredibly professional. I’d recommend you give him a call for a free consultation on any legal needs you may have.

Héctor Gabriel Celano
Celano & Asociados – Abogados
Av. Belgrano 634, 2 “B”
C1092AAT – Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA

Web: http://www.celano.com.ar | Facebook Fan Page

Tel. +54 11 4342 9433
Fax. +54 11 4342 7163
Cel. +54 9 11 4400 9278

1521 Alton Road # 816
Miami Beach, FL 33139
USA
Tel. 1 (305) 851 3189

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Expat Tech: Foursquare Comes to Buenos Aires

DaVe — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:39:25 +0000

I guess it’s relatively fitting that my first new post to the blog in awhile covers something near and dear to my heart — technology.

Yesterday, Foursquare launched in 50 additional cities, and yes, Buenos Aires was one of them.

What is Foursquare you ask? Well, in addition to being one of the most hyped new companies of the year, they also are a location based social network that incorporates social elements. They have a free iPhone and Android app (Blackberry coming) that allows you to “check in” from places that you are at (bars, restaurants, etc). When you check in, Foursquare will tell your friends where you are and also recommend nearby places. You can leave tips on the place you’re at and also view tips from your friends. You also earn points and badges for checking in which can allow you to become the “mayor” of a place and unlock additional freebies. You can read all the details here.

Buenos Aires is still pretty sparsely populated, so download it now and give it a try. It’s pretty cool.

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