Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
37
speak English. Not all medicines, however,
are a bargain in Argentina.
AUSTRAL SUN The summer sun is hot
and str ong in B uenos Air es. I t's best to
bring sunblock, though it is av ailable in
stores and pharmacies throughout the city.
There ar e no beaches within the city
proper, but many people go tanning in the
Palermo and Recoleta parks or in the Eco-
logical Preserve.
MALARIA & O THER TROPICAL AIL-
MENTS Malaria is not an issue in most
of Argentina. H owever, the humid sum-
mer months of J anuary and F ebruary
mean you will sometimes find swarms of
mosquitoes wherever you go. Bring repel-
lent to av oid bites. To get shots or advice
for v arious illnesses if y ou ar e trav eling
from Buenos Aires to the jungle for long
periods of time, contact Vacunar, a chain
of clinics specializing in v accinations and
preventing illness, with locations all o ver
Buenos Aires (www.vacunar.com.ar). Keep
in mind that many shots r equire a period
of time before they become effective. They
will also explain, country by country, what
is r equired if y ou ar e trav eling to other
parts of South America.
or hear t pr oblems, w ear a MedicAlert
identification tag ( & 888/633-4298;
www.medicalert.org), which will immedi-
ately aler t doctors to y our condition and
give them access to y our records through
MedicAlert's 24-hour hot line.
The medical facilities and personnel in
Buenos Air es and other urban ar eas in
Argentina are very professional. Argentina
has a system of socialized medicine, where
basic services are free and doctors ar e well
trained, but the facilities ar e poorly main-
tained due to lack of funding. There ar e
many private clinics in every city, and they
are inexpensive by Western standards. For
an E nglish-speaking hospital, call the
Hospital B ritánico ( & 11/4304-1081 ),
established over 150 y ears ago during the
British E mpire's hey day. I f y ou worr y
about getting sick away fr om home, y ou
may want to consider medical trav el
insurance (see the section on travel insur-
ance above). In most cases, ho wever, your
existing health plan will pr ovide all the
coverage you need, but call to make sur e.
Be sure to carry your identification card in
your wallet. You should also ask for eceipts
or notes fr om the doctors, which y
3
ou
might need for your claim.
SAFETY
Petty crime has incr eased significantly in
Buenos Aires and other cities as a result of
Argentina's economic crisis. Travelers
should be especially aler t to pickpockets
and purse snatchers on the str eets and on
buses and trains. Tourists should take care
not to be o verly conspicuous, walking in
pairs or groups when possible. Never walk
around with y our passport, as to lose it is
a major headache. In Buenos Aires, do not
take taxis off the street. You should call for
a radio-taxi instead. Take similar pr ecau-
tions when trav eling in Argentina 's other
big cities.
What to Do If You Get Sick
away from Home
Any foreign consulate can provide a list of
area doctors who speak English. If you get
sick, consider asking y our hotel concierge
to recommend a local doctor—even his or
her own. You can also tr y the emergency
room at a local hospital. M any hospitals
also hav e walk-in clinics for emergency
cases that are not life-threatening; you may
not get immediate attention, but y ou
won't pay the high price of an emergency
room visit.
If y ou suffer fr om a chr onic illness,
consult your doctor before your departure.
For such conditions as epilepsy , diabetes,
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