Learn Spanish Travel Spanish Blog

I’m at a bit of a disadvantage here, because of the low internet connection. My plan is to download pictures later (and I have some great pictures), so if you’re reading this without pictures, then check again later.  I’ll try to get to an internet cafe and download the pictures, but it may be Sunday before I can do that. 

       I’m sitting in our lovely room in our lovely….   I don’t really know what to call it.  It’s a lot like a bed and breakfast, I guess.   There are four guestrooms sharing two bathrooms (a minus, but it hasn’t been even a little bit of a problem since our hours are so different from the other couple with whom we share the bathroom).   Our host is Anna, short for Anastasia, which is from her Russian heritage (Russian and Italian).  I can’t tell you how great she’s been.  She even took us for a walk in the neighborhood and showed us where to find the laundry, the supermarket, the fresh produce market, the pharmacy,  the park, all of that.  Above and beyond.  Really super, but she doesn’t actually live in the apartment.  Maybe she does when it isn’t full, but I don’t think so.  Giorgio (the name of the place is “Giorgio’s House”) is actually the guy who owns the place and he has another one in Palermo Italy, where he lives most of the time (I think he comes to BA once a year). 

    Anyway, we wanted a regular place in a regular neighborhood, where we could get a feel for what BA was really like for regular people.  We got it.  The neighborhood is called Caballito.  Think New York neighborhoods, because this is a city of over three million people.  It’s the top floor of a 7 floor building, with an elevator that looks like it was designed and built in the 1930s.  And it probably was.  It has a maximum of 3 people, and has those accordian cage doors, one interior and one exterior, that you open and shut manually.  Really old, really cool.  Marble stairs.  Narrow marble stairs.  I hope we never have to walk up 7 flights of narrow marble stairs, but who knows…. We usually walk down them now. 

     Our bedroom has an old English feel to it, with beams in the ceiling, etc.  Two smalls desks,  a bed that doesn’t look comfortable, but is.  Brick floors.  Did I mention that it’s $29 a night.  I think I said $38 before, but that was another place we were thinking about.  $29 a night.   With a shared kitchen and living room.   Furnishings are fairly sparse, but it hasn’t been open a year yet, so I’m sure that will improve.  We have a private patio off our bedroom, about 8  x 10 for the patio is my guess. BUT NO CHAIRS.  Ha!   I’m going to suggest that.  Ya think? 

The other guests are really nice, so far.  Most of them are from Canada.  Some are staying for a few days, others a week or so, and a couple who just arrived is spending an entire four months traveling around Argentina.

    We have use of the kitchen, so we went to the market and bought food.  It’s weird. Some prices here are really cheap (our rent) and some aren’t.  Restaurants for example.  There are some cheap places, but mostly, they’re only a little bit cheaper than home.   Food, raw food, on the other hand is fairly inexpensive.  We bought a bottle of wine (Argentine Medoc), mushrooms, carrots, an onion, crackers, cereal, milk, bananas, cabbage, a red pepper, a bottle of soy sauce and a liter of water for $22. And the wine is excellent.  

     The Metro is across the street, and it’s a straight shot on “Line A” from here to the main area of town (El Centro) where our school is.  Line A is an antique.  Subway cars with wood paneling and old fashioned lights.  They seem fine.  Trains are fast and on time.  It’s about 20 minutes to school, and that includes the three block walk from the Subte (metro) to our school.  

    It’s a bit noisy here.  It’s been pretty warm (about 80 or more) and not many places seem to be air conditioned, but just the fan in our room and the cross breeze keeps it comfortable.  But I can only imagine that “summer” (January and February) can get uncomfortably hot and humid.  The streets have a lot of people on them.  Of course, some more than others.  But again, think NYC not Winston Salem.  It’s been really exciting, tiring and ….. we like it.   We’re having a great time.  Time is just whizzing by.  Next Post:   Our first day at school.

Tags:   Argentina · Buenos Aires · Giorgio's House · immersion · Learn Spanish · Spanish · Travel SpanishNo Comments