Most expats who live in Argentina are on tourist visas, which are only valid for 90 days.  The tourist visa may be renewed at Migraciones for an additional 90 days, after which time you must leave the country.  This has lead many to do the “expat shuffle” – taking the morning Buquebus ferry ride to Colonia, Uruguay and returning to Buenos Aires that evening. This technically fulfills the requirement of leaving the country and gets you another  90 day visa stamp. This practice has been “tolerated” by Argentine immigration, even though several people reported being questioned about the number of tourist stamps in their passport. Once again, one never knows when they might change their policies and disallow this.

Other expats simply overstay their tourist visa and pay the relatively small AR $300 penalty when leaving the country. There have never been any problems with doing this and re-entering the country at a later point. I personally know several people who were here for many years on an expired tourist visa.

For those who are looking to be here on a more permanent basis and would like to have a long-term legal visa and DNI (the Argentine equivalent of a social security and national ID card), there are few options: marry an Argentine, have a baby here, or get a visa.  Unfortunately, the visa options are limited – you cannot simply get one because you “want to live in Argentina.” The main types of visas are student visas, work visas, rentista visas, and investment visas. (Other types also exist, but these are the most common. Consult an Argentina immigration attorney for other options.)

Student visas only apply to students, work visas require your company to provide one for you, and investment visas require a minimum investment of AR $1,500,000 plus approval of the Argentine Ministerio de Industria for your project. That pretty much left the rentista visa as one of the few viable alternatives and now it has become more limited.  The new requirement to prove and bring AR $8000 per month in passive income into the country will leave many people scrambling for alternatives as it applies to both new and renewal visa applications. (Rentista visas are granted for 1 year at a time and must be renewed for 3 years before one can apply for permanent residency.)

So, does this affect you?  Let us know in the comments.

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With today’s announcement, they have reduced the per-minute rate from U$S 0.17 to U$S 0.06 for calls to Argentine cell phones. (They have also reduced the rate for mobile calls to Colombia, Peru, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.)   This now means that calls to Argentine mobile phones from my Vonage line are significantly cheaper than calling with my local Movistar pre-paid cell phone. And yes, that is a bit crazy.

What makes this especially attractive is that you can now call forward your US Vonage number to your Argentine cell phone and receive calls from the States when you are not at home for only $0.06 per minute. This is great for people who conduct business with the States and need to be available when they are out.

Vonage also offers a mobile app for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry that could prove to be the cheapest way to make calls while overseas. For $24.99/month you get unlimited calling plus the new low rates. Skype currently charges $0.021/minute for landlines and $0.204/minute for mobile phones.

Way to go Vonage! It’s always nice to see prices actually decrease every once in awhile.

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This time around, I checked out three different gyms in my area. Two of them, Megatlon and Sport Club, are chains that have numerous locations throughout the city. The third, Balance Health Club, only has one location.

Once again, Megatlon Belgrano was by far the nicest, most expensive and pretentious of the three. I still think a lot of people just go there to be seen.  They have the most, newest and highest quality machines and equipment.  They were also the busiest of the gyms I looked at.

Their month-to-month price is a shocking AR $370, which compares to many NYC health clubs.  Prices get a bit cheaper if you sign up for their 6 month package at AR $1830 or their 12 month package at AR $2640.  Personal training sessions are around AR $50 per hour.  If you join Megatlon, you’re also able to use all their other locations provided that are at the same or lower level than the one you joined.  They currently have four levels of clubs: VIP, VIP Plus, Platino and Platino Plus.

The 6 month membership cost at Megatlon represents a 28% increase over their 2008 prices, however the original price I found was for Megatlon Alto Palermo, a Platino Plus club, while the Belgrano club is only a Platino level.  I’m sure that the Alto Palermo price has increased even more.

Sport Club Cabildo was also nice with a wide-range of equipment and classes. Like Megatlon, if you join one location, you can also use their other locations at the same or lower level than yours.  Their month-to-month price in cash is AR $350, however if you choose the auto-debit plan on your credit card, the price goes down to only AR $175 per month. You must complete 8 months at this price though or you’ll be charged an additional month if you cancel.  They do not offer personal trainers, but have gym trainers who can put together a routine for you.

Balance Health Club was pretty basic compared to the other two but did offer a good range of classes.  Their price was AR $100/month if you only wanted to use the machines and AR $140/month for both the machines and classes.

These second-tier clubs often have less and older equipment as well as fewer classes, but usually meet ones basic needs.  Since they did not have any membership commitment, I decided to join for a month and see whether it worked for me. Although I will say, walking into Megatlon definitely makes you want to be there…

Some things to note about all the clubs:

• They will all charge you a one-time fee for your membership card.  This price was AR $30 at each place.
• You will need a medical exam shortly after joining.  You can get this from your own doctor or use one of the gym’s doctors who schedule an exam for around AR $40.
• None of the gyms are open on Sundays. A strange phenomenon compared to the US, but perfectly normal here.

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Yep, as of last week, I am officially no longer a resident of Palermo Soho (also known as “The Bubble” for its large concentration of expats). I am now a resident of the lovely neighborhood of Belgrano. And, as you can see from the map of Buenos Aires to the right, while it wasn’t a huge geographical move, it was a big one in terms of neighborhood differences.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Palermo Soho.  It’s a great neighborhood to be in when you first get to Buenos Aires. It offers a ton of things to do – restaurants, bars, clubs, shops and services.  And, if your Spanish is a bit weak, you can pretty easily get by with English.

However, those things come at a price.  Palermo Soho tends to be one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city.  By making the move to Belgrano, we were able to get an amazing apartment at a price that we never could have gotten in Palermo Soho, plus it is considerably larger and higher (see the photo) than most Palermo Soho options.

The area of Belgrano that I’m in is filled with high-rise apartment buildings in what tends to be an upper middle-class family neighborhood. The main avenue of Cabildo is a few blocks away and features tons of shopping as well as the “D” subway line which makes it easy to get around. I’m also close to Buenos Aires’ Barrio Chino (“Chinatown”) which is an added perk for both speciality grocery shopping and restaurants.

So, in my short time in Belgrano, what are some of the differences I’ve noticed? Well…

• I now have four ATMs within a 2 block radius. I was so used to walking numerous blocks in Palermo to an ATM, and then having to walk a few blocks more when that one was out of order or simply out of cash.
• Unfortunately, there is not a Romario Pizza that delivers here. There is a new Almacen de Pizzas which is fair, but not as good as Romario. I’ll have to continue to explore my options. Palermo Soho definitely has a higher density of restaurants.
• You do not hear English as much here.  When you walk down the street in Palermo Soho and you’ll hear as much English as you do Spanish. That is not the case in Belgrano.
• I miss knowing my way around.  After a year and a half in Palermo Soho, I pretty much knew all the streets and where everything I needed was.  I’m still pretty confused with the layout here, but I’m sure that will come with time.
• I have yet to hear drunk people screaming on the streets at 6am as they leave the bars and clubs.  This was a pretty common occurrence in Palermo Soho, but I think Belgrano is missing out on this.

So, those are my first impressions. I’m sure I’ll be posting more as I find my way around and get to know my new barrio.

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Groupon

Groupon is one of the hottest new startups in recent years and offers specials and discounts based on a certain number of people collectively buying the “deal of the day.”

Here’s how it works: each day Groupon offers one special local promotion. If a certain number of people sign up for the offer, then everyone gets the deal. If the minimum number of people is not met, no one gets the deal that day. Groupon makes money by getting a percentage from the retailers. The retailers make out because it brings business and not everyone will redeem the offer they purchased.

Here are some of the recent offers they have had for Buenos Aires since launching on June 24, 2010:

• Pay $50 and get $100 of food at Kansas restaurant
• Get a massage for two at Experiencia Nirvana for $100, a 50% discount
• Two golf classes at the  Costanera Golf Driving Range for $1
• Pay $50 and get $100 of food at Donde restaurant on Gorritti

It’s a strong business model that has seen them generate significant revenue as well as venture capital in the US.  The interesting thing for the Buenos Aires site will be the reluctance of many Argentines to shop with credit cards online.  There is a very low percentage of e-commerce transactions across Argentina,with people preferring to pay in cash or at RapiPago.  Still, if the offers are compelling enough, they may be able to entice people to buy online.

Sign up for their daily email and take advantage of some of these discounts now. I’m looking forward to seeing what else they will have.

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Now, when I say pleasure, I’m obviously being a bit sarcastic. I’ve driven extensively in NYC, so that helped to prepare me for Buenos Aires. Helped, I said, not fully prepared me.  I know how to weave in and out of traffic, but in Buenos Aires, the transit laws are quite a bit looser than even New York.  Here’s some of my observations from a few weeks on the roads here:

“Lanes are just suggestions.”
Like most places, Buenos Aires usually has lanes painted on the road. I say usually, because after some recent repaving on the highway near the local airport, it took a few weeks to actually paint the lanes back in. That made freeway driving a lot of fun in that area.  And, there are many places around the city where the lines have completely faded away and never been repainted.

However, unlike most places, those lanes tend to be taken as “suggestions” as to where to drive rather than actual fact. People weave in and out like I’ve never seen before. I’ve seen many places where there were three lanes painted on the road, yet there’s six cars across. When pulling up to a red light, people will try and squeeze their car in wherever there is space in order to be first when the light turns green.

“The horn is your friend.”
I’ve never been a serious horn user, even in NYC, but here using the horn is a daily event. Plain and simple – a lot of people drive like crap.  There is usually someone coming into my lane on a daily basis. They stop unexpectedly. They go slow unexpectedly. The horn just reminds them that there is actually another driver on the road.

“Never follow a taxi in the right lane. (or at all if possible)”
I should have known this from NYC, but it seems to be even worse here for some reason. Taxis in the right lane are generally looking for fares to pick up. They stop suddenly, accelerate suddenly, and pay no attention to anyone around them.  You’ll get really frustrated following them.

“At intersections with no lights or stop signs, the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way (usually).”
Like many other things, I’ve found that the rules of driving here tend to have a lot of exceptions. This is another one.  Most smaller intersections here, do not have lights or stop signs.  So, when you have two cars approaching from opposite directions, the general rule is that the car to the right has the right-of-way.  However, I’ve found that what is actually the case is that whatever way traffic is flowing has the right of way, and the other person has to wait for their chance to dart across.  This has been one of the most interesting experiences of driving here because it is so unlike anything back in the States. You quickly realize that if the other person has a nicer car, they are more hesitant to make the first move, so you also have an opening.

“Stop signs are really yield signs.”
Stop signs do actually exist here, but they seem to mean “yield” rather than “stop.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone come to a full stop.

“Red lights usually mean stop.”
At busy intersections, people obey the traffic signals. At less busy intersections, this is not so much the case. It is even less true if you are on a motorcycle.  Late at night, people tend to run red lights even more. I was told that this is a security precaution as people do not want to be held-up while stopped alone at a dark intersection.

“Lights turn yellow before turning green, giving drivers a chance to start going early.”
In addition to lights turning yellow before they turn from green to red, in Buenos Aires, lights also turn yellow before they go from red to green. This serves to let everyone know that a green light is coming and gives them a chance to really start accelerating before the light actually turns green.

“Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way.”
I’ve probably mentioned this before from the point of view of being a pedestrian, but as a driver, I’ve found that people are often confused when you wave them to go ahead, even when they do have the right-of-way. They’re so used to almost being run down when crossing the street that they’re very cautious and skeptical. So, now I’ve come to assume that I have the right-of-way as a driver, I won’t run anyone down, but I’m not stopping if there is space either.

“Gas is not cheap.”
While some things in Buenos Aires are still relatively inexpensive (though inflation is rising rapidly), gasoline is not one of them. Filling the tank of a Toyota Corolla costs about $180 pesos (US $46). Recent prices at the Shell station here were from $3.779 per liter (US $3.655 per gallon) for regular to $4.469 per liter (US $4.323 per gallon) for premium. I’ve come to dread having to refill the tank.

“Emergency vehicles leave their lights flashing, but you only have to move when the siren is also on.”
When I had the first ambulance behind me with its lights on, I looked around frantically trying to get out of the way. Laura asked me what I was doing, and then told me that they often leave their lights on, and that it only really mattered when the siren was also on. Good thing to know.

“My U.S. GPS works great.”
I should say that after a $99 upgrade to add the Argentine and Uruguayan maps, my TomTom GPS is working fine. I’ve noticed that the map is not as updated as the US version and it sometimes lists streets as open that have been closed or tells you to make a turn where turning is not possible. Still, it has been a life-saver and makes getting around the city a lot easier.

“You can’t make left turns across double yellow lines.”
This is one that took me a bit by surprise. In the States, I’m used to being able to make a left turn as long as there is not a sign saying no left turn. In Buenos Aires, you can only make left turns when you have an arrow or sign allowing it. Also, you’re not “technically” allowed to pull out of a parking lot and cross the double yellow line to go in the opposite direction.

“About 10% of the cars here have Apple stickers or red streamers on them.”
I was really amazed to see the number of cars that have the Apple logo stuck on the back of them. Yes, this is the sticker that Apple includes in the box with all their products. It seems to be a status symbol here – potentially because the cost of Apple products are double what they are in the States.

A lot of cars also have a red tape streamer off their bumpers.  I can only assume this is to catch the attention of the person behind them to make sure they are not rear-ended.

“Every time you drive downtown, you’ll hit two things: traffic and protests.”
Driving downtown during the weekdays inevitably means two things – traffic and protests.  Like any major city, Buenos Aires has some major traffic problems. Add to that the fact that porteños seem to love to protest and you have major gridlock. A favorite tactic of the protestors is to block lanes of traffic to make their point.  The police will never disperse them either. They simply wait for them to leave on their own. I cannot remember any day when we drove downtown and did not see a protest march at some point.

So, that pretty much sums up my first few weeks of driving in Buenos Aires. It’s nice to know that there are always more new things to experience here…

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Now, if you know anything about Argentines, they are not early risers. You will see more people on the streets at 4am on a Sunday morning than at 10am.  However, soccer matches are a completely different story.  This may be the earliest the entire country has ever been up.

So, how do Argentines watch the match when they’re supposed to be at work?  Well, many companies have put in TVs to allow employees to catch the games. With this in mind, plan on an earlier than usual rush hour tomorrow in Buenos Aires as everyone rushes to be at their desk before 8:30am. Or, maybe everyone will just call in sick…

To get you in the spirit, here’s another World Cup inspired video. This one is from Voxpop, an Argentine acapella group. They recorded this acapella tribute to the Argentine football team, and to two of the FIFA World Cup songs: Un’ Estate Italiana from Italy 1990 and Wavin’ Flag from South Africa 2010.

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First, let me give you some background… Pre-paid (“prepago”) cell phone service is pretty much the only option for foreigners in Argentina. To get a regular monthly mobile plan, one needs to have a DNI and residency which most expats do not.  I have been told that the residency also needs to be permanent and not temporary, which further complicates things.

The problem with pre-paid service is that it is relatively expensive. With Movistar pre-paid, calls to Movistar numbers are $0,99 (US $0.25) per minute, calls to non-Movistar numbers are $1,98 (US $0.51) per minute and SMS messages are $0,43 (US $0.11) each. These charges add up quickly, but luckily there are some options to help you save some money.

The best option for saving some money are the weekly promotions from Movistar. These promotions are sent via text message to your cell phone and usually offer to double (and sometimes triple) any credit that you add to your phone that day only. While I initially thought these promotional texts were annoying (mostly because they are in Spanish and I could not understand them), I now add credit every time they come.  When there is a triple credit day, I always add the maximum credit that is allowed because the promotion is so good.

The next way to save some money is to know about the “crédito de regalo” (gift credit) that Movistar gives you for adding certain amounts.  These gift credits currently are $15 if you charge $30, $20 if you charge $40, $25 if you charge $50 and $50 if you charge $100 or more. Also, if you charge $30 or more, you get a 50% discount off the price of calling other Movistar numbers, bringing it to $0,50 (US $0.13) per minute.

Another way to save money is to look at the services you use and to pre-buy packages for those services.  To do this, you send a text message to a particular number.  The current packages are:

• Send “SMS” to 2345 to receive 1000 text messages to use over 1 day – $7
• Send “Minutos” to 2345 to receive 60 minutes of calling to other Movistar numbers for 1 day – $7
• Send “Free” to 2345 to place calls for free to one other Movistar number to use over 5 days – $10
  (you must register the number after you buy this by sending a text to 5000 with “ALTA ##########” where the #’s are the number you want to call)
• Send “Fijos” to 6789 to receive 60 minutes of calling to “land line” phones in the same long distance code as your mobile to use over 7 days – $9
• Send “MMS” to 2345 to receive 20 MMS messages to use over 7 days – $9
• Send “LDI” to 6789 to receive 10 minutes of international calling plus 10 international texts (Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru only) to use over 3 days – $9
• Send “Datos” to 2345 to receive 1 GB of data to use over 2 days – $9

You can buy as many packages as you want and use them in combination. You can also buy the same package and they will extend automatically.  You can get more information on these packages by going to the Movistar web site, selecting Individuos -> Planes -> Movistar Prepago -> Paquetes Movistar.

Hopefully these tips help you save some money.  Let me know if you have any other tips or tricks.

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There certainly have been a lot of ups and downs leading up to this year’s World Cup for Argentina. Maradona was chosen to coach the Argentine squad despite having no coaching experience and the team almost missed the World Cup for the first time since 1970. Since recovering, Maradona’s been fined and banned for a TV tirade, run over the foot of a reporter, had surgery after being bitten by his own dog, demanded new luxury toilets be installed in his South African suite, been accused of financing violent Argentine soccer hooligans trips to South Africa and promised threatened to run naked through the streets of Buenos Aires should Argentina win the World Cup. You just can’t make this stuff up.

There’s almost as much hype and drama surrounding Lionel Messi, FIFA’s top player and Argentina’s best hope for a World Cup title. His World Cup qualifying performance was less than spectacular and he received a lot of criticism.  Full blown media coverage resulted when he scraped his knee in practice. No one knows if the Argentine style of play will allow him to be the standout player that he is for Barcelona. (Argentina is not a favorite to win the World Cup and Messi names London, Spain and Brazil as the teams to beat plus talks about his close relationship with Maradona in a recent CNN interview.)

None of this is damping Argentine spirits though. After a 5-0 thrashing of the Canadian team in an exhibition match on May 24 at a sold-out River Plate stadium, the Argentine team looks strong. And, the Argentine team doctor, Dr. Donato Vallani, has just given the go ahead for players to have sex during the World Cup. ”The players can have sex with their wives and girlfriends during the World Cup,” he said on Radio Del Plata. “Players are not Martians.” ”But,” he added, “it should not be at 2 a.m. with champagne and Havana cigars.”

If you want to get a true sense of the Argentine spirit regarding football, check out this commercial from TyC Sports, a local sports channel. In my opinion, it captures the essence of the Argentines.

The first Argentina World Cup match is June 12 versus Nigeria. You can enjoy all the games with the BA Pub Crawl World Cup Kickoff Party on June 10 too.

Want to read more about Maradona? Check out these great articles:
- Love and Loathing in Buenos Aires: My Life Chasing Diego Maradona [The Independent]
- The Resurrection of Diego Maradona [FT.com]
- Maradona is in charge at World Cup and Argentines brace themselves for shocks [Canadian Press]

And, if you’re looking for the World Cup schedule, check out the cool poster below by designer David Watson from Trebleseven to raise money for Soccer Aid, an English charity that raises money for UNICEF.

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