I am having debilitating Spring time allergies today, so I can't make it tonight.

I got mine a few months ago, all I needed was passport, spare photo, and plane tickets showing me entering and leaving. Oh and $70AU.

ben and i going tonight.

I think 4-5 of us newly arrived people will show.

Interesting, things could have changed. Then again, like the whole thing about needing a visa to go there in the first place, it could be different for each country. If so, I´m sure it would be directly related to what your country makes Brazilian citizens do to enter. After all, that is pretty much why Americans need a visa to go there in the first place. Also, where did you get yours? Australia I assume?

brazil is equally unkind to australians and americans.

So I haven't browsed this whole thread bc it's gonna be a while before I can go but hopefully someone can quickly some up the answers for some of these questions I have.

1. Is it easy to stay as a U.S. citizen in BsAs indefinitely and what is the common method?

2. Is it easy to set up and buy basic living requirements in BsAs (apartment + furniture, internet, etc..)?

3. How dead is BsAs in January? I'm planning on coming to Brazil during new years and I have heard that BsAs is dead but I would really like to go at least for a few days as long as I can get some feeling of what it is like year round.

4. Is it easy to bring a small dog into BsAs?

You didn't miss anything too special imo. I had asked for my steak rare and it came out medium-well. Other people were dissatisfied with their food as well, but I don't think it was horrible or anything.

Apparently ordering steak rare or medium rare and having it come out well-done is a common problem here, but it was something that I had yet to experience.

Yes. I think their are 3 options. You can leave the country every 3 months by travelling to Uruguay (or w/e you want obviously-- but Uruguay is the easiest) There is a boat that goes there. Or you can pay 300 pesos to get a 3 month extension, but then after that you have to leave (and come back)

I think you can also just stay and live here illegally, and then when you leave you just have to pay a 300 pesos fee and I don't think that this in anyway effects your re-entry status either.

Pretty much all the places that you would be renting are going to come furnished. I doubt that there are very many non-furnished apartments that a foreigner could rent. And they almost all seem to come with internet and if they don't then you could have the owner get it set up for you.

I can't answer your other two questions. I'm pretty sure for pets, that they need to have a certificate from a vet thats dated at least one month prior to your departure, but thats all I know. This city doesn't need any more dogs though.

Sometimes, I wonder if people read this thread like at all before asking questions.

Chairman Wood & Arturius,

As far as I know, Brazil requires the same things from citizens of other countries as those countries require of Brazilians. In the case of the USA, we are huge dicks to anyone not from a Western country that Brazil requiring all that crap is just reciprocating what we do to them. I think Australia isn't quite as ridiculous and that is why you had an easier time as an Aussie.

I don't think we are huge dicks to people from non-Western countries. We make them pay a visa fee (regardless of whether they receive the visa or not) and ask for a lot of background info to make sure they have enough money and enough of a reason to come back to their home country. Would I want to go through that process, hell no, but due to the US's immigration reality, it is an unfortunate necessity.

The thing to note is that the 100-200US charged for the visa does not come close to covering the cost of the process. There is a staff of foreign service workers who are stationed here for this sole purpose. And furthermore, the US derives an almost negligible percent of it's GDP from international tourism, unlike Brasil or Chile or whatever other country that also charges reciprocity fees.

Sure, these fees seem 'Just and Fair', but what it really comes down to is the government screwing over their own tourism industry and future tourism development for a quick buck.

I second every word of imakefrush's post.

I got annoyed with Brazilians telling me that they "have" to charge us this fee in revenge. I understand why they are annoyed, but the fee (and the accompanying rhetoric) is just asinine nationalism.

Please let me know at next weeks dinner who I owe money to for beer pong. Memory gets fuzzy around the second victory.

was on such tilt after losing so much so bet big...
shipped a 10k peso beer pong bet last night. dunno if i should post that here in bbv. props to matt for being a clutch partner

looks like i might have to start coming out to dinners again...

lol thanks dave but I think we all know it was your buddy who you owe the big props to, haha

Extremely common problem, so for those coming here for the first time this year:

Look your waiter in the eye and say: 'vuelta y vuelta' and do a flipping motion with your hands when you do it. Even when you say 'bien jugosa' your steak will often come back medium.

Do you guys agree that the steaks in Buenos Aires are better than the steaks in the USA? If you do agree is it

1) Its the cows (different geography and different feed)
2) Its the seasoning (I am pretty sure they season more down there, not sure if its salt and pepper or other stuff)
3) combination

If you don't agree that the steaks in Buenos Aires are better than the USA, what do you think is better about the USA steaks??

Thanks guys. I enjoy a good filet mignon/ribeye and want to know other people's thoughts on Argentinian vs USA steaks. I've probably had 300+ filets/ribeyes/new york steaks in fine USA restaurants. Versus only around 5 Argentinian steaks. However, at this time I am leaning towards Argentinian steaks being juicier and tastier than American steaks. I could easily be wrong though because of not enought experience with the Argentinian beef.

any 2p2ers get together for a rec soccer/football game here?

Just arrived here.. Will be at dinner next tuesday. Kinda going to check out teh city a bit first cuz i'll feel ******ed not finding the location when meeting somewhere for a drink or so.. Staying close to av pueyrredón between Palermo - Recoleta so that ain't too bad. Seems like a good 'central' area to life.

Thanks to the guy who posted the link to the follow map. Has been a great help already.. I'll repost here for the new guys who didn't see the link in the other older topic

http://www.mapabsas.com/

I'll chime in as I consider my self a connoisseur. First, American beef has a much higher ceiling as Argentina doesn't really have a 'super high end' market. The finest American Wagyu beef is considered by many to best it's Japanese counterpart. Argentina doesn't have a 'Prime' and 'Select' grading scale, so I guess you are going by the parrilla's (steakhouse) reputation more than anything.

Now if you want to talk value, Argentina absolutely crushes anywhere else in the world. Non premium cuts (meaning everything but filet mignon, ribeye and NY strip) are literally subsidized by the government, as apparently it is every Argentine's inalienable right to eat beef. I might be a bit off, but the best possible quality whole filet you can by at the store is around 30 pesos a kilo. So $3.60 US a pound. And this is really good stuff we're talking about.

So lets compare a $40US NY Strip and a $50AR ($13US) NY strip you would find at relatively similar steakhouses in the 2 countries. I find the US strip to be well marbleized with and very juicy. The US version will invariably be better cooked. While I find both to be very juicy, the ARG strip is usually leaner. So while, the US strip has a very fatty taste and has an almost unconscious quality, the ARG strip has more of a beefy taste. In this comparative price range, I don't know which one I would prefer, it's a little apples and oranges.

ARG stakes are prepared with only coarse salt. When they are cooked "a la lena" (cooked over hardwood) they are sometimes basted with chimichurri (garlic, peppers, spices, oil).

I am interested to hear what other people think.

hope you like it :d as I said before, any questions on argentinian stuff, just ask here or pm.
i know its too soon for you but it might help others and maybe you in the future.

http://www2.comoviajo.com/website3/monitor/inicio.aspx

Agree with that. The steak isn't necessarily better here, but waaay cheaper. And more common. It's basically you can get a $50 steak for $15 here. They also use every part of the cow here, so you can get different cuts that aren't too normal in the US.

Honestly, I think it's much better in the US, but the 6 months prior to living here, I was living in Vegas and getting $100+ steaks at the nicest restaurants every week in a quest to find the greatest steak, so I might not be a fair judge.

Hey,
Kinda a long shot here, but I figured this is the place for that kind of thing...

Anyone in BA interested in buying a car? I have a 1996 Toyota 4Runner that I drove down from the US that I no longer desperately need. It has a US title and a tourist permit in my name and in hand. It's super tough, reliable, and decked out for South American adventures. Tools, accessories, spares, and some gear will be included. Top notch camping equipment may be available for purchase as well (only with the car). If you want to check out South America, this is the way to do it, I assure you. Brand new tires, 3k U$D worth of work at the BA toyota dealership less than 3k miles ago, its been my car for 6 years. Total maintenance before US departure.

I'll be in BA tomorrow, heading there from Las Lenas (weeeeee!). My current plan is to go park it in Uruguay where the tourist permits last for a year, and probably return for next ski season or maybe another LAPT event. If you're interested, you're gonna have to jump on it before I get on a ferry (circa Tuesday). Online poker money accepted, references available and required. Paperwork may be tricky or easy depending on the route we take...buyer responsible for all legalities, I'll be willing to sign whatever car related document.

Saludos

On the steak question, as someone who isn't as ridiculously successful, I'd say the steak here is far better than the US. It's the quality of the meat itself, not the cooking. I can go to the store and buy 2 12-14 oz steaks for $4 US and each is at least the equivalent of something I'd get at the Outback or similar steakhouse in the US. As the others said, if you're used to really high-end stuff, like $100+, then the quality here is probably lower, but for your everyday meals and mid-end restuarants I'll take it here over the US every time. It's like a steak heaven for me; I'm eating 2 steaks a day on average. Hope that helps you out.

Right, the finest steaks in the USA are going to be better than the finest steaks in Argentina, but it is closer than some of you think. If you want to compare high-end steak houses in the USA you have to use one in Argentina too. And they definitely exist.

Also Argie Wagyu is really damn good and like $40 for a NY Strip vs $120 in the USA.

If we compare average steak, Argentina crushes.