Posts Tagged ‘South America’

Eating Vegan in South America

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 by

Volunteer Latin America recently shared this information on eating vegan in South America.
(For more information or to view the complete post, visit their website Volunteer Latin America.)

Though the prospect of finding vegan food in South America can be daunting, the experience is definitely worth it. Make a list of all the vegan or vegetarian restaurants you found on Happy Cow, TripAdvisor, or elsewhere, and pack it in your luggage. Below you’ll find some great South American vegan restaurants to start your list. If you find yourself in an omnivore restaurant, it’s important to be careful when ordering and vegan travelers should make every effort to be prepared. Making a set of vegan translation cards is a good idea if you have a low level of Spanish and/or Portuguese, or don’t have a vegan passport. Though finding food can be a struggle outside of vegan, vegan friendly-only restaurants, it isn’t impossible.

Top Vegan Restaurants in South America:

Arte Sano (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Bio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Buenos Aires Verde (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Casa Felix (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Kensho (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Verdellama (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Verde Gourmet (Colon, Argentina)

Azahares (Mendoza, Argentina)

Entre Indyas (Salta, Argentina)

Namaste (La Paz, Bolivia)

Cada Dia (Santa Cruz, Bolivia)

Bonobo (Porto Alegre, Brazil)

Refeitorio Organico (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)

Vegan Vegan (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

El Huerto (Santiago, Chile)

Mug Cafe (Santiago, Chile)

Epif Cafe Vegetariano (Valparaiso, Chile)

Ramy (Barranquilla, Colombia)

Imaymana (Bogota, Colombia)

La Esquina Vegetariana (Bogota, Colombia)

Restaurante Manantial (Quito, Ecuador)

AlmaZen (Lima, Peru)

El Gourmet Vegetariano (Caracas, Venezuela)

Courtesy of Stephen Knight, Volunteer Latin America.

Photo by 10b travelling.

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Posted in Destinations, Food and Diet | Comments »

Volcanic Ash Cloud Continues to Imperil Travelers in South America, Australia and New Zealand

Monday, June 13th, 2011 by

Ten days of intermittent erupting by Chile’s Puyehue volcano has created an ash cloud stretching 6,000 miles through the atmosphere to Australia and New Zealand. The latest news reports carry accounts of cancelled flights throughout the southern hemisphere. On the ground, volcanic ash closed roads in southern Patagonia (Argentina).  Air traffic is reportedly often able to skirt the ash particles by flying at lower altitudes, but airports in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay halted flights today.

Photo by sacabezas.

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Posted in Destinations, Volcanoes | Comments »

Buyers Beware: Patients Can Face Sky-high Costs outside the U.S.

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 by

In sharp contrast to conventional wisdom, there are a number of places outside the U.S. where the cost of medical care can be higher than for the same care at home.  In my role as Medical Director for HTH Worldwide, I see proposed treatment plans and cost estimates that would cause patients without travel health insurance serious financial pain. For example,

  • Surgeon’s fee to remove a thyroid gland in China at $9,000.  The same procedure would cost approximately $1,000 in the U.S., with insurance discounts.
  • Laparoscopic pelvic surgery in South America in the amount of $13,000. Cost is around $7,000 in the U.S. with insurance discounts.
  • Psychotherapy in England may cost as much as $200 per hour.  The average therapist in the U.S. would be happy with half that amount.

In addition, many foreign practitioners generate supplemental income by selling prescription medications directly to patients, and think nothing of recommending more expensive alternatives over older, proven therapies.  Examples include new antibiotics and tumor necrosis factor blocker medications such as Humira and Enbrel.

Unless travelers protect themselves by purchasing travel health insurance, they will be faced with paying the quoted rate or footing the bill for evacuation to the U.S. for tens of thousands of dollars. Most major U.S. insurers provide spotty coverage for healthcare services obtained while visiting foreign lands—and sometimes none at all.  Travel health insurance provides not only coverage, but also a watchful eye to insure that patients receive only effective, evidence-based treatment.

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Posted in Comparative Health Care, Global Medicine, Health Insurance | 1 Comment »

Travel Bulletin Bolivia: Coca producers launch roadblocks

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 by

Coca producers blockaded the only highway linking La Paz with the northern Amazon region on October 12th to demand the dismissal of two ministers and changes in the country’s drug policy. At least 3,000 people are participating in the roadblock and additional blockades are reportedly widespread in Yungas region. The protest comes despite the Bolivian government’s action to repeal a new coca production law that would have cut by two-thirds the number of coca leaves that growers can sell. The head of the coca growers union said they will continue the protest despite the annulment of the law, as there are several other outstanding issues, such as the construction of a coca industrialization plant and the improvement of roads.

Copyright © 2010, Altegrity Risk International, Inc.

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CDC Updates Dengue and Polio Outbreaks

Friday, June 4th, 2010 by

Key West, FL has reported 28 cases of dengue fever since July 2009 – prior to July 2009 dengue was absent from the continental U.S. since 1945 and from Florida since 1934. Why dengue has returned to Florida is still being investigated but some contributing factors might be an increase in mosquitoes capable of delivering the disease, an increase in international travel to areas where dengue fever is more common (Key West is, after all, a Caribbean destination — see below), and the popularity of south Florida as a vacation destination.

Travelers headed to Africa, the South Pacific, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Middle East are reminded to take precautions to guard against the mosquito while traveling.  According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a high number of cases of dengue fever, are being reported from the following areas:
Africa
Cape Verde, Senegal, and the Indian Ocean islands of Mayotte and Reunion

South Pacific
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the northern parts of Queensland, Australia

Central and South America and the Caribbean
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Peru and Puerto Rico

Middle East
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

Meanwhile,the polio outbreak in Tajikistan seems to be spreading to the borders it shares with Uzbekistan.   An additional 261 cases have been reported since our post in early May.  The CDC is reminding travelers headed to these areas to talk to their doctors regarding the necessary vaccinations for children and those previously vaccinated. 

When traveling into any area affected by an outbreak, be smart, protect yourself however you can, and practice good hygiene.

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Posted in Dengue fever, Destinations, Polio, Vaccinations | Comments »