Llamame!

Today my "How to Move to Argentina" research has been dedicated to getting a cell phone. Because of strict import/export laws, most gadgets are hard to find and extremely overpriced there. Month to month or year long wireless service contracts are only available for those whose permanent residence is and has been the city they're applying in. This makes obtaining and using a cell phone pretty tricky for an expat!
Luckily, there are many brave souls who have forged this path before me, whose patience and blogging are proving a tremendous help!

Option 1:
Wait til I get there. Buy a cheap, voice/text-only phone with an Argentina ready SIM card in it. Buy prepaid minutes as needed.
Pros:
Though the prepaid minutes can be a bit pricey, the companies offer deals every week that double or triple your credits for the same price. So, cost effective.
Also, the end of internet phone addiction!
Cons:
This leaves me without a cell phone from the day before I leave the States until the day I get to BA and can work it out.
It also leaves me without GPS, which even for a walker, can be nerve wracking in a new place!

Option 2:
Buy a used, older model, unlocked iPhone here in the States. Buy an Argentina ready microSIM card when I get there. Buy prepaid minutes and data as needed.
Pros:
I get to continue the internet phone lifestyle I've come to enjoy/rely on. This includes the ever helpful GPS, social networking on a whim, and constant email access.
Cons:
I still won't have cell phone access until I get to BsAs and can get to the wireless store.
Obtaining the proper SIM card for each iPhone model and successfully connecting to a network has proven shoddy at times for some people.

The first option seems like the easier of the two; the second more familiar.




A simpler time, Palacio Barolo, Aug 2011

Email, Facebook, and Skype (on my laptop) will probably end up being my primary sources of communication for work, social affairs, and for keeping in touch with home. However, I will have to have a contact number for jobs, emergencies, etc. and to get in touch with Sandro when we are apart. I'll update once I've made the decision and my contact options are in place!