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Thanks so much for the advert on here about Ryan. He cut and coloured my own and my partner's hair on Saturday afternoon, and we finally felt like someone was listening to what we wanted. We went to another recommended hair dresser on here last month and were very unimpressed. If anyone wants to contact Ryan, he said it was ok to give his e mail: From: Laura Zurro, September 01, 2006 Karen Buck from the group had recommended me to Javier Luna in Palermo. I tried him out back in July and was extremely happy. I came from Miami had a great trendy hairdresser of five years and was afraid of changing. Javier was fabulous. His English is not strong but if you take some photos and also his receptionist speaks some English. He works on a lot of models, fashion shows, etc and keeps very current. Website is http://javierluna.com.ar/ and the telephone numbers are on the site.
(click here to return to topic heading) I wonder if anyone can tell me if there's ANY observance of All Saints/All Soul's Day in BsAs (10/31-11/2)? I saw an Argentine film that drew upon the common belief that one can contact/communicate with or bring back the dead on 10/31-11/1. (It's very poetic and called "Ronda Nocturna" by Edgardo Cozarinsky) The protaganist narrowly escapes vehicular manslaughter (a common BsAs trope) and encounters lost friends that are revealed to be dead. It is in a way a tribute to the beauty of BsAs. Anyway, the only hint of ritual is a group of older women on the morning of 11/1 who are bringing flowers to Chacarita. Is there no observance of this holiday? I guess Mexico and the USA haven't exported the rituals? I did a small essay on Dia de los Muertos when I first studied Web design: (click here to return to topic heading) My boyfriend. I finally talked him into quitting his job as a remisero because of the killer hours. He has already done a few jobs from friends, both Argentine and American. He is a licensed gasista, also electrician and plumber and made his living for many years doing that kind of work. He built his own house in Spegazzini. He is reliable, honest and good at what he does. He has been doing work in my house for me, and even if I werent in love with him, I would keep him around. From: Laura & Jim Asiano, July 24, 2006 Have you ever had something fixed in your house or apartment and less than 24 hours later, you are stuck with the same problem? Let me introduce Claudio Sampietro hailing from Orange County who is here in Bs As to provide US-Style Customer Service. If that is something you miss, he is your man. Feel free to contact him at 15.6504.2529 or 4794-1453 Other members of this board can also vouch for his pride of workmanship (like the infamous Jesse Hahn.) (click here to return to topic heading) We have been very happy with Hospital Aleman (the German Hospital), also considered one of the best private carriers. They are on Pueyrredon near Santa Fe. Ron is 67 and pays 404 pesos a month, I am 42 and pay 248. This is the "full service" plan which covers everything from teeth fillings to heart replacements with no deductible. If you need to see a doctor you just walk in and usually see one within an hour, of course they also have an emergency room. They have a dietician that Ron went to for free and lost 16 kilos safely and sanely over the course of 6 months. We needed various tests for our residency and they never charged us for the tests. Ron had surgery there and there was no deductible, all the rooms are private, he only paid 6 pesos for the 3 day stay for the bottled water he drank. You get 50% off prescriptions at participating pharmacies. I think the health care is better then what we have in the USA because they treat the problem and give you what you need instead of trying to give you pills and make you go away, just my personal opinion. Ron had a sinus problem was resistant to drugs so they gave him an MRI (no cost to us) to figure out what was wrong. Of course there are lots of companies with cheaper plans or deductibles, I have an Argentine friend who pays 150 pesos a month and he thinks it's fantastic coverage. There are many private companies like Medicus, OSDE, Hospital Italiano, Hospital Britanica, Swiss Medical, etc. that I’m sure offer competitive plans. From: acouretot, May 1, 2007 Hi Folks, I am the Swiss Medical Advisor you were talking about. My name is Aurora Couretot, I represent Swiss Medical, the leading health insurance provider in Argentina with options for worldwide coverage. I am also a portena and a former medical doctor who "knows the ropes" of Argentina 's health care system. I send you a brief note about Swiss Medical Health Coverage. Feel free to ask me any question you may have. Swiss Medical Health Coverage All Swiss Medical Plans provide full Emergency and hospitalization coverage. Several major Clinics and Hospitals are associated with Swiss Medical . All Swiss Medical Plans include the following benefits: - Free consultation at doctor's office - Free medical tests - 40% discount for medications - Free hospitalization for surgical or clinical purposes - No time limits in Intensive Care Unit - Dental coverage - Psychiatric and Psychological assistance at doctor's office. - Psychiatric emergencies with 30 days hospitalization for acute cases. - International Medical Insurance for medical and dental emergencies plus legal assistance when traveling to any country in the world We have several plans that I can present to you in order to select the one which is suitable to you. We can arrange a private meeting at my office : Larrea 934 2nd floor A, Barrio Norte. Tel: 4963 8833 . cel: 156180 1556 Or I can visit you at your place. Best regards, Aurora Couretot Official Representative Swiss Medical From: Ian Spink, December 21, 2007 Re: I am looking for recommendations for a good, private, efficient clinic in BA. I am fed up with the German Hospital with its never-ending queues and excessive bureaucracy. These guys aren't cheap but they could be everything you are looking for... http://www.bluecare.com.ar tel 4822 7244 I have received help from both Marisa and Leonardo - they come to your home if you prefer and offer a 24hr service. They'll be with you within one hour of calling and speak fluent English - whilst my Spanish is good I found there's a whole area of medically related vocab that I simply do not have!! From: Frances, December 21, 2007 I go to Sanatorio Otamendi & Miroli on Azcuenaga 870. My doctor does sobreturnos, days you can come in and wait for a spot. Sometimes if you arrive early, you can avoid a long wait. I started of at the Aleman too, but their attitude was cold & equipment was pretty archaic. From: Laura Zurro, June 14, 2006 There are a variety of insurances here, Medicus, OSDE, Swiss Medical, private hospitals etc. We've all had different experiences and like or plans more for one reason or another. I'll give you my perspective on Medicus from my personal situtation. From: gustavo lozano, June 14, 2006 ocal health insurance can be obtained at a reasonable price. The price will depend on your age and of course the particular kind of plan you want (unlike un the US most plans will cover dental care), but calculate from 120 $ (40 US$) per mont/per person upwards. From: BANewComers, Geo July 12, 2005 You will only need a passport # to sign up for health Ins.. They only briefly looked at a photo-copy of my passport when signing me up! From: Veronica Salvetti April 14, 2006 The plans you are talking about are private hospitals, such as Hospital Aleman, Hospital Frances, etc. They basically work the same way a medical insurance does. I suggest you compare prices, becasue sometimes it about the same money and at a private insurance company you have those hospitals listed and lots more, means that you have more professionals and also medical service all over the country. Both of them offer dental plans at a minimum extra cost. As for pre existing conditions, they will evaluate it before admission, in some cases they will still cover it, and in others they will cover everything except for that. Anyway, private and public places are subjet to a PMO - Mandatory Medical Coverage - that includes different things such as transplants, aids, and many other conditions. Public hospitals must cover everything including preexisting conditions not listed on the PMO and are free, not fancy and kinda burocratic. From: Ellen, April 17, 2006 I recently was told at the Swiss Medical offices on Arenales that SW doesn't cover services at Hospital Aleman. They used to, it's a recent change. OSDE does include Hospital Aleman. I'm very happy with SW. From: Daniela Melton April 15, 2006 Swiss Medical has differently priced plans and also offers a travel option. From: Shula Hamilton April 15, 2006 swiss medical is very expensive. Try OSDE.And if you are under 60 CEMIC. From: Sean April 15, 2006 Swiss Medical is cheaper than OSDE. OSDE is cream of the crop. Swiss Medical is the same but slightly cheaper, right? I have also had consistent feedback that if you primarily live in BA and don’t plan on moving around the country of Argentina too much, that these excellent private hospital plans are far better in cost compared to these natuional plans like OSDE and Swiss, especially if you don’t mind going to the same hospital/clinic every time. In my case,…with wife, 2 kids, travel a lot, even travel with the family, we feel more comfortable with OSDE where it is accepeted just about eveyrwhere in Argentina, for sure at all the best places. If we happen to be in San Luis and something happens, we know we can pop in the “best” medical facility in the city and have it covered. It’s been on my list for months to switch to Swiss Medical for the slighly lower cost. From: Peter Winterble April 15, 2006 I have found Hospital Italiano to be quite good, and at age 63 and in normal/good health, I pay US$ 71 a month for the best program they offer... From: Veronica Salvetti April 15, 2006 One thing to know, Swiss Medical has beautiful facilities, but the owners of that company are the same ones that used to own Sanatorio Guemes a few years ago, they opened their new company Swiss Medical after being involved in a big scandal due to recyling of disposable hospital material... make your own conclusions. OSDE, Medicus, Omint, Hospital Aleman, Hospital italiano and others are all good, I would stay away from Swiss Medical, my 2 cents From: Laura Zurro April 15, 2006 we took medicus for myself and my husband with maternity benefits as well. for the two of us, no prepay, no deductible, coverage here and internatinally we are paying around 513 pesos or so. Our last payment came around 163.00 U.S. From: Deby Novitz, April 15, 2006 Swiss Medical was not started by the people who owned Santiorio Guemes. They BOUGHT Sanotorio Guemes just as they bought Docthos and also Blue Cross in Uruguay. They are expanding by buying companies that are poorly run and ready to go under. Swiss Medical and OSDE are equal. OSDE is about 15% more than Swiss Medical. OSDE has only a book of doctors and hospitals whereas Swiss Medical offers both the use of its facilities as an HMO or the private doctors and facilities in the book. With both plans you have access to the facilities at the Hospital Italiano or Aleman as well as other hospitals and Sanitorios. What I have noticed recently is that a friend of mine who has OSDE does not have access to services that are covered under my Swiss Medical Plan. His plan costs more than mine does. When I looked at all the plans the big difference between Swiss Medical and OSDE vs the other plans is that both Swiss Medical and OSDE offer many many more options in terms of care providers. The difference in money is really not that much. In dollars you are looking at maybe $10 - $15 a month more. Swiss Medical offers excellent dental coverage which the lesser price plans do not. When I chose my plan (I have Swiss Medical) I spoke to lots of doctors about the two plans. (Swiss Medical and OSDE) They said that they favor both plans because A)They get paid promptly B)There is almost no denial of service for a patient. They pay for everything they say is covered in the plans with no gray areas. I have talked to people with the lesser priced plans and while it does not happen often, several said that upon occassion there plans would not pay for services that they needed. While many doctors subscribe to more than one plan there are many more doctors to choose from in the 2 better plans. When speaking to lots of doctor friends they told me to consider this, in the event something happened to me where my care was critical, it would be to my advantage to have a plan like Swiss Medical or OSDE where I would have better access to the best patient care. If you come to this country with a pre-existing condition, the lesser price plans can either refuse to treat you or make you wait. With Swiss Medical I had no problem with this. In the event something icky happens to me, I did not want to limit myself to a small number of doctors. The way I look at it, in the US I was paying $300 a month for a lousy Blue Cross policy that covered almost nothing until I paid thousands of dollars. I am blown away by the quality of the medical care I have received at Swiss Medical not only at their facilities, but at the private doctors I use..none I might add who accept anything other than Swiss Medical or OSDE. I pay $90 a month and that includes international coverage. I like the idea when I have something minor like a cold I can just pop into the facility at Puerreydon and Santa Fe and within 15 minutes see a doctor. You cannot do this with OSDE. One more thing, Swiss Medical is the only health insurance company that is ISO 9001 certified. If you know anything about ISO standards, that should tell you something. This is an international certification given only to companies that acheive a standard of excellence for reliability and quality. The procedures to qualify for ISO 9000 certification is a nightmare. I am amazed an Argentine company could actually do it! I think both OSDE and Swiss Medical are excellent. I think there are some lesser priced plans that are very good as well. I just figured for the small difference in dollars a year, I would prefer to have the best. (click here to return to topic heading) Re: M. Sullaway, Just watched Michael Moore's movie Sicko - about health care (or lack thereof) in the United States. What is the situation in Argentina for an expatriate living or visiting there? Is there private health insurance, or is it universal coverage? Any info appreciated. From: Holly / unaportena, July 2, 2007 It depends on the hospital you go to. I had great care at one public hospital the wait was only 45 minutes, 3 doctors attended to me, XRays done in 10 minutes, blood work finished in 45 minutes, and non exsistant care at another. Another time, although I had travel insurance the owner of the guest house called the public doctor who came to the house free of charge. The medical clinic I go to if you do not have insurance is only 18 pesos a visit, this includes the specialists. Although the facilities themselves seem quite dodgy, the system in my experience has been very good. From: jasonphos, July 2, 2007 There is public "universal" coverage, but it isn't very good. The doctors are pretty good, but the facilities are all WAY underfunded. Another plus - You get more face time with the doctor than the States. Private Health Insurance is pretty good. You could argue that in some ways, it is better than the U.S.; it includes physicians who come to your house at little to no charge, more face time with physicians, and, in my own experience, shorter wait times. Plus, the cost is far lower than the U.S. OSDE and Swiss Medical and Medicus are the best. I have OSDE for me and my family, for the past year, and we've been happy with everything except the dentists. We need to look for a better one, out on the West side of Greater B.A... (click here to return to topic heading) Citizens -- especially persons at higher risk for flu complications -- are encouraged to consult the Department of State information on H1N1 Flu at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_4493.html , the United States Centers for Disease Control website at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ or the World Health Organization website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html for information on how to avoid contracting the virus and how to treat it if infected. More information on H1N1 flu in Argentina may be obtained from the Argentine Ministry of Health website at http://www.msal.gov.ar/htm/site/default.asp . (click here to return to topic heading) Re: Can anyone recommend me a place to buy accessories that is innexpensive or that has a good selection? Ginger You can try Avenida Alberdi in Flores, Alberdi avenue 5 blocks west from San Pedrito in Flores. I found good prices a wide range of bathroom pieces of furniture Barugel Azulay in Barracas was VERY EXPENSIVE. Alberdi has a big choice (click here to return to topic heading) Been waiting 5 years for this: Ahh…http://www.twitpic.com/yzxi3
the high point in our 3 day Andes horse...Day 3 ...this morning at 10:30am - just priceless.. Actually in this case, since some of us in that group picture live here in Mendoza, we sourced everything, spent time doing recon, custom designed the trip through a non traditional route, and set it all up. This was a 3 day trip, starting from Valle de Sol, with the first night in cabins near Jerome’s microbrewery http://www.cervezajerome.com tucked away in the Andes in a little community near El Salto at 2000 meters. The Jerome’s staff made an asado dinner for us and we depleted some of their great beer stockJ Plus they made eggs for us the following morning, and packed our lunch for the next leg of horseback.
2nd night was in this place http://wwww.twitpic.com/x1kou
Mountain refuge at 3000 meters / 9800 feet along the slopes of which can be found at : http://www.refugiomausy.com.ar/
This was in Vallecitos at 3000 meters. They also fed us dinner (milenesa), breakfast, and packed our lunch for the 3rd day. We decided on a 3 day version at lower altitudes (we reached 3600 meters day 3) because we had several “rookies” (including me) and 5 kids in our group, including our 12 year old boy. But each and everyone one of us was a trooper and excelled, to the surprise of the guides, who I later found out were preparing for the worst because of rookie/kid factor. We spent an average of about 4 to 6 hours a day on horseback with a lunch break each day near a random stream with trees. We also had our overnight bags and other stuff delivered to us via car each night so we didn’t have to worry about a pack horse. Needless to say, I think that 3 days was enough for all of us, on this run, and we had a great time. 2 well-known local companies that specialize in coordinating multi-day horseback trips and supplying it to you as a package, are: http://www.cordondelplata.com
http://www.trekking-travel.com.ar
Then there is the legendary (imo) horseback trip from Manzano Historico in Uco Valley ..to the border of Chile, the same route that San Martin and his troops came back after liberating Chile. Both of the above companies include this in their itins also. I would like to do this route next year. Fun stuff, and the best times to do this are in the summer, because yeah it will get cold up there the higher ya go. (click here to return to topic heading) Two Hostels Sharon Hillman recommends: and From BANewComers: Richard August 15, 2005 I'll jump right in here without hesitation to recommend Giramondo Hostel, owned by a client of mine named Pablo. Another first time BA visitor, Debra Fuccio, had a great experience there. http://www.hostelgiramondo.com.ar/ Tell them their computer tech sent you, that way I'll get a 'free' drink the next time I'm there fixing the machines used for their guest's highspeed Internet service... hahaha (click here to return to topic heading) Retired Social Worker available for Housesitting in Town or Country.....registered with International House siting Service for your security but there are no charges for owners, Feel free to call Eric on 4832 2676 or 1565850563 (click here to return to topic heading)
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