Ask TheMetetron about living in or visiting Buenos Aires, Argentina - Page 13

TheMetetron · #**121** 02-07-2007, 08:44 PM

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What are the supermarkets like? Might be fun reading if you described a typical trip down the ailes. How about the delis? What do you like to prepare at home? And how are the prices?

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What exactly do you mean what are the supermarkets like? Pretty standard but with obviously far less crappy junk food like in the States. Try to get more specific and I'll answer better.

Delis are all over the city and generally will sell you large selection freshly sliced meat and cheese at a certain price per 100 grams. Many of them will also sell you freshly made sandwiches. You can get a nice big submarine sandwich for AR$3-4 at most delis. Smaller ones are AR$2-2.50. Most meats are somewhere around AR$2-5 per 100 grams from what I've seen depending on what it is and where you are getting it. I can't really remember about cheese, but I think it was AR$3 for 100g... I could be wrong here.

I eat out far more than one should. I don't even bother making sandwiches at home anymore. No point when I get one for a buck and not have to worry about keeping fresh veggies.

I also don't really bother cooking my own dinner since I get dinner at most parrillas around here for under $5. [censored] I'm lazy. My Spanish teacher even told me that today. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I also probably go out to eat at somewhat nice restaurants 3-4 times a week.

When I'm at home I eat fruit/veggies, sometimes cereal, yerba mate, and some other random snack things I buy at the grocery store. It's very rare I cook anymore which is something I should try to correct.

ChicagoTroy · #**122** 02-07-2007, 10:07 PM

Quilmes is good.

TM, are cars still sick expensive with the tarrifs? When I was there, I realized that a nice two-bedroom house and a VW Jetta both cost ~US$35K

gmblpdam · #**123** 02-08-2007, 10:47 AM

Is there anything that you cannot find in BsAs that was common in the States or Sweden? For example, many Americans I spoke to complained that they could not get salad dressing in Venezeula. Any imported goods that are just impossible to find?

TheMetetron · #**124** 02-08-2007, 11:15 AM

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Is there anything that you cannot find in BsAs that was common in the States or Sweden? For example, many Americans I spoke to complained that they could not get salad dressing in Venezeula. Any imported goods that are just impossible to find?

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Things that are hard/impossible to find:

Peanut butter, root beer / Dr. Pepper, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, salad dressing, maple syrup, medicine that actually works, corn tortillas, refried beans, I'm sure there are more.

You can find some of these things at Wal Mart or Jumbo though. Root beer is the one that really pisses me off. FWIW, Sweden has a lot of these problems as well... hard to find a lot of things there as well.

gmblpdam · #**125** 02-08-2007, 11:50 AM

Metetron, you mentioned earlier that you had purchased health insurance. Have you had any experience with any health care providers? Or heard anything of the quality of the local hospitals. For example, ambulance response times, adequate staff, etc.

TheMetetron · #**126** 02-08-2007, 02:18 PM

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Metetron, you mentioned earlier that you had purchased health insurance. Have you had any experience with any health care providers? Or heard anything of the quality of the local hospitals. For example, ambulance response times, adequate staff, etc.

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The doctors here are great from what I've heard. I could probably walk to the hospital quicker than an ambulance could get here, but they always seem to have adequate ambulances on hand and whenever I've seen them in action they appear efficient. I don't know anyone who has needed an ambulance so I can't say for sure.

I get my coverage through Swiss Medical who I have personally found great so far. My contact at the company speaks English and has helped me through anything I've needed so far. I am waiting for my card to come in the mail and then I'm going to see a dentist. I'll let you know how that goes.

I am also the only one I know who has medical coverage. Everyone else just pays as they need a doctor and the public health system will cover anything major. $60/mo for all-inclusive medical care with no deductible and dental seemed like a good deal to me so I went with it.

yellowdoyle · #**127** 02-08-2007, 04:07 PM

No peanut butter? And then I really doubt all natural peanut butter is available.

What horrible news!!!!!

TheMetetron · #**128** 02-08-2007, 04:25 PM

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No peanut butter? And then I really doubt all natural peanut butter is available.

What horrible news!!!!!

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You can get peanut butter, you just have to search it out.

Insp. Clue!So? · #**129** 02-08-2007, 08:48 PM

Do you think living in Uruguay would provide a similar living experience in terms of prices etc. to the one you've described in this thread?

How about Chile?

If a magic force field appeared over BA and you couldn't ever enter it, what is the one city/region of Argentina you'd choose that is most similar?

theBruiser500 · #**130** 02-08-2007, 10:20 PM

To people who live or have lived in Buenos Aires... What do you guys do down there? Do you just chill out all day and sit in cafes or did you get jobs, volunteer work? Also what are your experiences with tango dancing!? There's a very good chance I'll be going to Argentina in the relatively near future. As I told meteron in PM it is so sweet because it has more culture and stuff than other latin american places, it has tango dancing, soccer, cheap prices, people speak spanish so it's cool.