First 24hrs in Buenos Aires

When I arrived in Buenos Aires after the 17 hour or so flight, I was exhausted.  I couldn't wait to take a shower and see my friend Daniel Baylis whom I was joining there.  Dan is travelling the world, 12 months, 12 countries (of course he has his own blog - www.danielbaylis.ca, check it out).  I'm so happy to join him on month 4 of his journey.  After so much research into getting an apartment it all fell thru just before leaving.  So as a last minute arrangement, I booked a room at Clan House B & B in Montserrat neighbourhood.  The guide book said it rocked and on the website it looked nice and clean.  After getting scammed by the taxi driver (he was really good) and paying over 150 pesos too much for the ride, I arrived.  

I walked into the B & B, up the stairs in this old school place.  Right away I was disappointed, it smelled weird, 2 guys were hanging out and the receptionist said 'Don't worry we will take care of you' with a weird grin.  Ok.... thanks.  He brought me up another 2 flights of stairs to a 'penthouse' room that ended up being not en-suite and not a single occupancy as booked on the website. The room had two twin beds and a bunk bed.  I took a much needed shower which collected a pool of water, yuck.  I laid out some clothes, got dressed and ready hoping Dan would arrive soon.  I inspected the bed for bed bugs, one of my worst fears. The sheets felt kind of greasy, it was weird.  I got really tired all the sudden and decided to lay down.  

The famous 9 de Julio street - the largest in the world

Almost one hour later, it is 6pm and Dan is still not there and we had planned.  I went back down to reception, 'Is my friend here yet?', 'Not yet' says the hippy receptionist.  He sends me to Bolivar Street to find a locutorio, like a phone booth center, to call Dan's cell.  None found, it was Sunday and dead on the street.  After walking around aimlessly for 30 minutes, I went back to the B & B.  I decide to check my e-mail. Ohh, right, Dan sent an e-mail saying he would only be around at 9pm.  That sucks, damn, should have checked e-mail first.  So I wander around, hungry but not really.  I stubble upon Avenido de Mayo and find a place that is open. I have trouble with the menu, so many options and my Spanish is not that great.  I settle for a jamon y queso (ham and cheese) sandwich and a Quilmes stout.  'Es negro senora', the waiter says surprised.  'Si, esta buen, como Guiness, si'.  I am not a lager kind of gal. The sandwich comes, it's huge, loose my appetite after eating half.  

Get back to the B & B, Dan is there !  So happy.  We go back out and have a fabulous gelato and catch up.  We go back to the B & B and realize there is a booming dance club across the street.  We do more chatting then to bed.  I was so exhausted, I take a sleeping pill, put in the ear plugs and try to fall asleep.  

Yummy gelato

I feel dirty though in the sheets, something feels uncomfortable about them so I'm half asleep.  I wake up because Dan has turned on the light.  He has bite marks on his arm.  OMG.  We look on the mattress, there's a bug, I squish it and blood comes out, OMG.  Bed bugs.  Dan has a horrified face.  'We can't sleep here'.  I look at my mattress, I have two under my pillow and one huge one in my pillow. OMG.  Dan goes downstairs to see if we can change rooms.  Meanwhile, all the sudden my stomach feels quizzy, I go to the toilet, ahhh no... diarrhea.  Perfect.  Dan comes back up with new sheets. No other rooms.  'We are going to leave?' I say.  'Do you want to stay here?' Dan says the voice of reason.  I let him take control, I am incapable of making decisions this evening. He calls another hostel he stayed at, they are full but recommend another. 

Picture from the Clan House B & B website - looks good right?

So, after a 17 hour flight, a sleeping pill taken, half asleep, diarrhea, we take our stuff and leave the hostel.  We are walking the streets of Montserrat-San Telmo at 1:30 a.m.  We start laughing because what else are you going to do.  After 5 years as a social worker and the multiple times I have been in apartments with bed bugs or have had clients in my office with bed bugs, I have never had a problem and here we are...  

We get to Olivietti hostel.  The receptionist, Jose, gives us a key.  We go up, room is dirty. OMG.  Go back down.  What about the one next door? OMG dirty too.  Okay, well there is one upstairs but its twice as much.  Fine.  We go upstairs, the key doesn't work. OMG.  The receptionist decided to go back down and see if there is another hostel.  Sitting in the stairs we are feeling completely exhausted and discouraged.  I suggest to Dan that we just get clean sheets, make the bed ourselves and crash.  The receptionist agrees.  We make the bed, Jose comes back feeling like he's had a long night too.  'Ohh, I forgot the key' he says.  Feeling like nothing is going right, I sarcastically said 'of course you did' (this became Dan's favourite line for the whole trip).  Finally, we are in our windowless, dirty room and sharing a twin bed exhausted.

The dirty room

Next morning, we go to America del Sur hostel, it's newer and cleaner.  We go up to the room, it's dirty. OMG.  'No' reception says, 'it will be cleaned, just drop off your stuff'.  Ok. We head out for the day in Recoleta.  We come back and happy to have a clean room.  We inspect, everything looks good and bed bug free.  


30 minutes later... what.... no electricity.  Go to reception, they come up, it's fixed.  10 minutes later.... no electricity.  Go back down, they come up, it's fixed.  5 minutes later... same thing, same thing, same thing.  Okay says the peppy receptionist, we should get you to change rooms. OMG... so get things together, off to another room.  Inspection, everything is clean, looks good and bed bug free.  Finally we have a room for 2 nights.  

4 rooms + 3 hostels + bed bugs = 1st 24 hours in Buenos Aires !

Chantal + Daniel = Chaniel