Jan 04, 2009
Although Nomade wasn't that great of a place to stay, it certainly had some interesting guests. Though I'm not entirely sure how everyone knew each other, many of them seemed like they had been staying there for a while and perhaps their friendships extended beyond the hostel? I was kindly invited to dinner, cooked by one of the Brazilians - who claimed it was the first meal he had made in 10 years. Imagine a giant mashup of ground beef, egg, ham, cheese and pasta. It was pretty good on the way down, but once inside my stomach the fun stopped.
After dinner (and a game or two of pool), Kip and I headed up to the roof deck where some of the others hung out. The deck was huge, though a little sketchy (dark, and way too big for the number of people enjoying it). Kip and I sat at our own table playing cards until the German/Irish guy came over to berate us (in a semi-friendly manner).
"Why are you so boring?"
He tried to give us some advice regarding women, partying, and life. Outwardly I was amused. Inwardly I wondered...
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Antique Market in Plaza Dorrego
Jan 04, 2009
The market, which I believe runs only on Sunday and one other day, was jam packed with people and vendors. Lots of antique goodies, paintings, and photography. Really quirky stuff. Kip bought a ton of 60+ year old wallet sized photographs and postcards. For the most part, everything was pretty expensive (though take that with a grain of salt because I never buy antiques). I'm still not quite sure why. :-) This really cool band (featuring a piano and several accordions) played a few songs - one of the more unique acts I've seen!
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Florida Ave
Jan 05, 2009
Florida Ave is the commercial downtown pedestrian mall. It was worth it for the throngs of people, but it's all major retail shopping, and thus - not interesting to a guy like me. Kip did get a small daypack though.
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Botanical Gardens
Jan 05, 2009
Right next to the Palermo Viejo subway stop - these gardens are pretty nice though we didn't stay for long because it was HOT and we arrived at the hottest part of the day. I wouldn't go out of my way to see them, but if you're looking for some nature in the city, it's a decent choice.
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Jan 06, 2009
For the last two days, we had been seeing posters promoting a rally at the Obelisk, just a few blocks from our hostel. Though slightly nervous, we couldn't pass up the opportunity. The Obelisk is a mini Washington Monument looking structure in the center of a rotary along the largest thoroughfare in Buenos Aires - 8 lanes in each direction! Both of us secretly hoped for some sort of conflict for us to document (Kip's amazing photography and my stellar word-smithing), but it was not to be.
The protests were pretty tame and peaceful. The riot police didn't even show up. It wasn't particularly focused either, but rather composed of a few different groups protesting various issues (running the gamut from socialist workers to anti-semites). Better than being caught in a riot I suppose!
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If you are going to try and do couchsurfing, do not wait until the day before!
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Not great. Plaza Dorrego / Antique Market area. We only ended up here because our first choice was booked and we were tired of carrying our stuff around. Pros: awesome location, huge roof deck. Cons: not that clean, tiny cramped rooms.
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La Boca
Jan 06, 2009
Took the bus to La Boca, previously a working class slum which has been revitalized in recent years into a colorful pedestrian area with lots of small bars and music venues whose merriment spills out onto the street. To beat the heat, we went really early in the morning, though sadly there was no action in La Boca at that hour.
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Bus drivers won't make change for you, and none of the surrounding establishments will make change for you, especially at La Boca.
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In Argentina, if a salad does not list lettuce as an ingredient, then you aren't getting any!
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In Centro - much nicer. Bigger common areas. More space in the rooms. Ping pong table! Unfortunately the area isn't as quaint (it's much more "downtown"), but it's close to the subway and lots of busses.
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Here they call wheat bread "pan negro", which translates to "black bread". Something tells me that wouldn't fly in the US.
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Many have odd hours, so call ahead or make a note of it when you walk past.
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The long bus is cheap, but cabs are expensive. A shuttle bus is a good deal, but you need to reserve at least 24 hours in advance. Your hotel can help you out.
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