A basic phone will only be ~40 USD. If your phone has a removable SIM card and operates on a GSM network it will probably work. I know most of the Samsung models work down here. You could just bring your phone, pop in an Argentine SIM card and if it doesn't work just buy a phone. SIM cards are a few dollars and credit can easily be added by cards available at kiosks.

You need a phone that supports tri/quad band. Then any phone should work, w a local sim card

I don't even know what tri/quad band means. $40 isn't too bad. I'll just stick with that plan. And this way I'll have a phone that can plug into the outlet. =p

Dinner tomorrow at Goske, PM me if you're in.

BTW, is there a consensus on the best place for sushi in BA?

What time is dinner? 9?

I ate at a place called Yuki last week that was quite good. Reservations are required.

i don't get sushi outside of Osaka.

Yeah, dinner's at 9.

Seconding the poster above., I highly recommend and approve of Yuki. I think the difference between Yuki and the rest of the sushi places, Osaka included, here is just huge. It is more traditional and there isn't all the rolls field with cream cheese type crap that you get at a lot of places. It also has a big variety of fish so you don't get all salmon. You can actually get Red Tuna instead of canned tuna fish! (I don't know who the hell it ever occurred to put tuna fish on a roll and try to sell it. I also don't know who the hell ever buys it either)

Chairman Wood, you may have convinced me.

For those reading the thread who don't live here, you should read the above post before you go get sushi here because that is how it normally is.

sushi snobs are the worst people.... its called soy sauce people

Colin, did you eat much sushi here?

Haven't been through this thread but hope to at some point. My roomate in NYC's family works for the State Department (Dad is an Economist) and they are always posted at embassies. They are literally heading to BsA's in about a week to start his next post and we are hoping to get down their either in the Fall or next Summer. BsA's sounds so awesome and it will be great getting to stay at an embassy with driver, etc.

we're in for dinner tonight, 9pm@goske (me y mi amigo). see ya guys there.

none, to be honest. im a sushi fan but with inexpensive yet good steak it was hard to pass that up every night

Hi guys. I'll be in Buenos Aires on the 7th (going with Soah) and I wanted to introduce myself here. We'll be living in Palermo right across from the Parque de las Heras. A few questions...

Was wondering if anyone has had any experiences receiving counterfeit pesos?

Any runners? Is B.A. a very runnable city? I imagine I could do laps around the park or find a treadmill but that isn't too enjoyable.

2p2ers with access to a table tennis table?

Looking forward to meeting some of you.

I've received a fake 100 a few times from ATM machines. Some cab drivers will try to give you fake change on occasion if they think you've been drinking or haven't been around long. With smaller bills you can usually tell if the paper texture isn't normal (too thick/or rough on the surface). The 100s have a silver strip that goes all the way through when you hold it up to the light. It's always fun calling someone out when you know they're blatantly trying to scam you.

Just try to have exact change for cabs rather than offering up a 50 or 100 and asking for change as you hand them the bill. Kiosks and cab drivers will occasionally pretend to check if they have change as they swap the 100 with a fake and hand it back to you. It can be a bit of a headache to break 100s (which is what most ATMs dispense) because Argentines hate giving away their precious cambio. Fortunately 100s are usually accepted in grocery stores, bars and restaurants.

prolly stupid question, but is everthing is paid in pesos or do you pay with USD sometimes ? when ? How do you get USD cheaply if you are a euro ?

Everything is in pesos. I've never used US dollars here or seen or heard of anyone else doing that.

You can pay in dollars in many places actually. Jumbo supermarket for one, but you get your change back in pesos.

Also many stores will give you 4:1 if you pay cash dollars, actual rate is closer to 3.8.

ALWAYS check your change, especially from taxi drivers.

My site has a full article on the subject:

http://LandingpadBA.com/ba-basics-counterfeit-money/

What Zara said was spot on about the bills. The single most important thing for not getting scammed by cab drivers is to NEVER take a cab that is parked. If a cab is waiting outside of a club or bar your chances of getting ripped off, whether it be a bogus meter, driven a long route or counterfeit bills, increase by 1000% at least. Just walk down the street and find a cab that is driving and has no premeditated intentions and you will be good 95% of the time.

For running, you are lucky bc you live near Libertador Ave and the many parks that line it. My problem with running near any busy street is the exhaust put out by all the buses. But Libertador has a lot of parks where you can get away from the traffic. My personal favorite is Plaza Holanda.

And for table tennis, in Palermo, on Thames, somewhere between Guemes and Guatemala, there should be (its been a couple years since i've been there) a pool hall that has ping pong tables. If you're still there come early Sept I'll grind the hell out of some table tennis with you.

That article is actually what prompted me to post about it. I spent a decent amount of time there reading through your site-- good stuff and nice work.

Its on!

I'm looking for a decent swimming pool in Palermo, a friend of mine likes to go swimming for an hour or so most days.

As in a gym? The only place I know of is the American Sport Gym which I believe is on Charcas not to far from the corner with Laprida. If not Charcas, it is Guemes.


Now google tells me it is 2935 Charcas.

http://www.americansport.com.ar/sucu...o%20norte.html

lol so true.
Mainly its because you can only pay the buses with coins and there arent enough : p