Recommended Hostel: Ostinatto in San Telmo

I can’t exactly give a whole-hearted recommendation for this cool modern hostel in the San Telmo barrio in Buenos Aires. Because I haven’t slept there or even seen any of the rooms. But after spending a few hours partying on their open-air terrace, meeting one of the owners whose birthday we were celebrating, and talking to a couple of my backpacking buddies who are staying there, I can assure you, you won’t be disappointed.

The hostel is six floors of modern, airy single, double and dorm rooms, very reasonably-priced. The top floor has a penthouse of sorts, with a kitchen a half-floor down, equipped with its own grill for an Argentinian-style all-beef asado, or BBQ.

Both Art Factory, where I’m staying still, and Garden House, also owned by the same folks that run Art Factory, are nearby. Everyone seems to know each other, and although I’m sure there’s competition, there appears to plenty of backpackers and budget travelers to go around. Plentiful wine and beer also helps. At least it did when I was there : Two Art Factory owners attended the party.

That tells you a lot about Buenos Aires right there.

Fancy Flash web site here. Lonely Planet review here.

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Language lessons

Although I had four years of Spanish in high school — and was considered by my teacher the finest student he’d ever had — that was a long time ago. I’ve forgotten a lot. My little brass-plated medal doesn’t mean that much so many years later.

Still, I have had no trouble ordering basic food in restaurants and understanding how much I’m being charged in shops. (The tendency for some porteños to drop the final “s” on some words has thrown me a few times, however; not to mention the regional preference for pronouncing the doublel l as “zh” instead of “yh.”)

It’s a basic terror of travel: Not understanding or not being able to make oneself understood. Given my own peculiar strain of social avoidance anxiety, I suffer from that terror, probably, more than most. But, I think I turned a corner today, and the brief Spanish lesson that Art Factory provided yesterday increased my confidence. I understood about 80% of what the instructor spoke.

So when I went to buy replacement shoelaces for my big black boots (There were several knots in the left boot’s, attempting to keep the laces together or one more day) I spoke entirely in Spanish, except for not knowing how to say “holes.”

“Quisieras comprar los cardones,” I said confidently.

“Que color?” he asked.

“Negro, por favor.”

Then I added, “Doce, uh,” then lifted up one foot and pointed to my big black boots to show him how many holes, what length I wanted.

The genial older man behind the shoe counter, which was tucked in the back of a typical kiosco in San Telmo and not visible from the street, smiled and gave me what I wanted. Probably amused as much at my attempt at commercial Spanish as at anything else.

Nevertheless, I felt good about it, and then went to a supermercado to buy my first sack of groceries to cook my first meal in the hostel.

Argentines make it much easier to speak Spanish than Czechs ever made to speak Czech. They’re pleased. In general, Czech were contemptuous, as they are about so many things regarding foreigners.

I’ve been saying it to myself a lot lately, but I felt it again as I sat in the sun on the terrace outside my dorm room, drank a beer and slurped up fettucine and salsa:

I think I could really live here.

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Tags: language, Spanish, orientation, shopping, personal stories

Hostel Review: Palermo House, Palermo Viejo, Buenos Aires, AR

I think I was spoiled a bit by Art Factory. Me and Palermo House just never hit it off. Come to think of it, I didn’t hit it off with anyone at PH as I had at AF, which has quite a bit to do, I’m sure, with the average age of the folks staying there. 21, maybe, if that?

There are two main reasons why you might want to stay at Palermo House. One is that it’s cheap and two is that it’s in Palermo, a wonderful, somewhat upscale neighborhood stuffed full of restaurants, bars and clubs. (Busy, bustling Plaza Serrano is two blocks away but you gotta eat at almost-next door Gardelito. All of the staff did, for good reason. Besides being inexpensive and giving a big bang for your buck, they also deliver.)

While not what I would consider a party hostel, PH’s upstairs common room was often full, and could get kinda loud; which is great, if that’s what you’re looking for. I wasn’t really. Except when the cute travelling muscians played: With the rain pattering on the steel roof, I was charmed by the rough, but sweet harmonizing. Still, the big, wonderful lounge area is lit during the day by a whole wall of glass doors and you can relax outside on the small terrace just off to the side.

And that’s most of the good things I can say about Palermo House.

PROS

• Cheap for the neighborhood: From $11 USD for a bed in a 6-person dorm.
• Big and kinda funky common area and terrace. Beer for sale!
• Smoking allowed in the common area (That’s a plus for me; may not be for you. I got some grumpy American on my ass more than once.)
• Big, well-stocked kitchen with three, large restaurant-size refrigerators.
• Plenty of lockers and storage in the dorm rooms.

CONS

• To be brutally honest, not particularly clean.
• Crappy Internet connections, buggy, crashy computers and totally unreliable wifi
• No soap or towels in the toilets. Ever.
• Things kept breaking. I got stuck for five minutes in the foyer between the two downstairs doors because the buzzer no longer worked. The upstairs toilets would not flush for two days. Nasty.
• Indifferent staff, except for the perky, friendly and completely cute and charming girl from the U.K. The other girl working there had a tiny attitude problem. But a great singing voice!
• Punishing beds, so I never really got a restful night’s sleep.

Not surprisingly, I’m back at Art Factory and using the very reliable and usually fast Internet. The rain’s falling on the skylight and the receptionists are dancing to Michael Jackson. I’m drinking free coffee provided by the somewhat curmudgeonly but endearing maid. I feel a lot better here.

Palermo House
Thames 1754 – Palermo Viejo – Buenos Aires
Tel.: (54 11) 4832 1815 / (54 11 )4833-0625
email: info@palermohouse.com.ar

Tip: Free pizza in Palermo Soho

On Thursday nights, or jueves, Post Street Bar, on Thames Street in Palermo, offers free individual cheese pizzas. With purchase of at least a liter of cerveza in a cold, frosty pitcher. Extra toppings cost just 2 pesos.

It’s a great little place whose walls are covered in graffiti and ribald stencils, many of which would make great tats. There’s also a t-shirt shop on the back terrace. Alterna-types abound, and the blues plays on the speakers. To feel almost like a Chicago dive, all it would need is a jukebox.

YouTube video here.

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Tip: Watch your step

Buenos Aires is unfortunately famous for its dog crap. It’s everywhere, even in nice neighborhoods like Palermo.

So keep your head down and your eyes peeled else you pick up some unwanted souvenirs from the local hounds.

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Tip: Save all your centavos for the next bus ride

If you spend any time at all in Buenos Aires, you’ll want to use the extensive bus system. It only takes coins and the driver has no change.

A typical bus ride will cost between .8 and 1 peso. A chart will be posted on the window just to the right of the machine where you buy your ticket. You won’t have to say anything to the driver unless you’re going a long way. Not likely.

Drop the coins into the receptacle on the top right of the clicking, clucking machine. Once you reach the ticket price, the machine will stop clicking and clucking and issue a little paper strip with your fare printed on it. It’s basically just a receipt since I have yet to see any officials checking tickets.

Hoard those coins. You’ll need them.

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Highly Recommended Hostel: Art Factory in San Telmo, Buenos Aires

[Note: I stayed here two weeks during the very beginning of the tourist season. The feel, and of course, the noise, might be quite different in the height of summer.]

Situated in the quaint and antiquey San Telmo barrio in Buenos Aires, Art Factory Hostel also happens to be one of the best I’ve ever stayed in anywhere in the world; but maybe I feel that way because AFH seems to appeal to an older crowd. Older meaning post-college. In fact, I would guess that’s the reason why the young people I saw never stuck around for very long. With no bar, and no beer for sale, and no smoking in the common area, it’s really, really not a party hostel, at least when I was there.

What it is, is a good opportunity to meet experienced, more or less mature travelers from all over who want to hang out and get to know you a little bit. That’s exactly what happened with me. I ended up staying longer than I would have because of that fact, and had some fun, and some interesting, adult conversations to boot.

The staff are more professional, friendly and helpful than in most hostels. They’re knowledgeable and organize at least one outing into BA for those interested. I also found them to be incredibly accommodating. The three guys in our 6-person dorm were enjoying each others’ company so much that we requested the hostel block anyone else from coming in. (It also had to do with the fact that there were no lockers or storage in the dorm rooms.) The lovely lady who manages the place agreed, as long as we were willing to pay for the extra week up front. Very cool and very unexpected customer service.

The main attraction for me, however, was the hostel itself. Situated in a huge mansion, with art on the walls, claw-footed bathtubs, deep, rambling corridors, and old mosaic tiled floors it was easy to imagine that I was in a bohemian boarding house from the turn of the century. Adding to that ambience was having the dorm rooms on the roof, overlooking the street and surveying the cityscape. There’s even a little bungalow/private room on the roof. Cozy!

PROS:

• Excellent ambiance.
• Reasonable rates, from $9 USD for dorm rooms.
• Good, strong coffee for free all day long.
• Free breakfast.
• Free Internet and wireless network
• Excellent, friendly staff.
• Great beds.
• Plenty of toilets and showers.
• More private rooms and doubles than most hostels.
• Clean and tidy.
• 10% discount on rooms offered after a one-week stay. Ask the staff.

CONS:

• No lockers or personal storage for those staying in dorm rooms. (This might change soon.)
• Common area needs tables and chairs for eating.
• Upstairs toilets are very cramped except for dwarfs.
• A bit far from the party spots in town.
• Small kitchen (but with a big restaurant-quality gas stove.)

Art Factory Hostel, 545 Piedras, San Telmo, Buenos Aires

telephone: (54-11) 4343-1463

e-mail: info at artfactoryba.com.ar