Post 4: Guesthouse in La Paz

10/26/08 We stayed in this guesthouse in La Paz.


This is the bedroom upstairs looking to the deck outside. The next photo is through the bedroom floor to downstairs. Yep, industrial grate flooring...



Our big adventure came the second day here when we went driving during the day. We ended coming home in the dark. Dirt streets, no streetlights or street signs. Somehow we navigated our way back. We were really uncertain we'd find it. whew.

Post 3: Cordoba to La Paz

10/25/08 Over a mountain range to a tiny town called La Paz. Beautiful scenery.

Post 2: Buenos Aires tour...

We hired a car and driver for a 3 hour tour of the city. It was a fun way to see the different neighborhoods (barrios) and we got lots of good tips on how to be savvy tourists, like the way to tell a radio taxi (good) from a private taxi (possibly bad). So you know, the radio taxis have two signs on the side of the car instead of one.



Buses don't run on time. Sidewalks seem to be maintained only by the owners of the property on the sidewalk...The city has LOTS of monuments and parks. All streets are shaded by trees.











Most people go out in the evening and walk around, eat, talk to neighbors. Very relaxed but they don't start till about 9pm. Between 1-6pm the streets are deserted. Siesta. Although as a commenter pointed out, siesta is mostly practiced outside of BsAs.


San Telmo is another barrio close to the old port. It was a neighborhood of dock workers but the port moved to accommodate bigger ships as the years past. Since paint was expensive the workers asked for the ship paint leftovers and painted their houses really uniquely. ; ) They also expanded the homes by using corrugated sheet metal. San Telmo has now become a quirky trendy neighborhood...

Post 1: Argentina...

But first, Miami...we landed to a locked down airport. An abandoned car in the passenger pick up area. The hotel driver had waited in the traffic jam outside the airport but went back to the hotel. Without us. When we called he wanted us to take a taxi...2-1/2 hours later we made it to our hotel. Don't think we'll go back to Miami...

We made it to BsAs. Whew. We are sitting in a bar in Palermo Viejo district at the moment. BsAs is a wonderful city--a cross between Manhattan & Paris, circa 1940. Slightly run down, but a great cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Here are our pics so far.

B&B in the Palermo barrio, Buenos Aires: DomusBA.com. Great place. The owner, a linguistics professor at the university, lives in the back part of the house.

Built in the 1911, it was gutted and remodeled. Most homes like this were either derelict or gutted and remodeled on the inside.

The neighborhood is very bohemian. Rich and poor are all mixed in. Lots of small old grocery shops, no fast food. Long distance telephone and computer/internet available at the neighborhood 'locutorio' for roughly 1 peso per 1/2 hour (about $0.30 US). Good system except that they allow smoking. Cough choke. Although surprisingly most public places don't allow indoor smoking (incl restaurants) which was great.

Our door to the patio...




...in our room stairs to loft with tourist in foreground...


...loft space...




...front doorknob and keys...

these types of keys are used everywhere in Argentina.