Conventillo de Lujo

Posted on December 31, 2011 by OuOu

Conventillo de Lujo (http://www.conventillodelujo.com) is not located in the city center. That’s what I like about it. I don’t like touristy places.

You can read all about this guest house from their website. Here are my pictures and some reviews.

Exterior:

Tango couple at the entrance

Past the reception, you’ll see a common area and kitchen. Dance studio is next to the common area.

The kitchen is well-lit. How?

… because it has glass ceiling!

A better picture:

Conventillo de Lujo glass ceiling

Photo credit: http://conventillodelujo.com/photogallery.htm

Tree in courtyard

You can tell this kitchen used to be an open-air courtyard because there’s a tree growing in here.

Pactising tango at the studio (next to the courtyard)

Door to 4th floor terrace.

Gateway to my room on the 4th floor (there’s a lift in the building). Amy painted the walls. She said the walls were not flat, instead of making them perfect, why not just paint them in beautiful colors? I couldn’t agree more.

Open the terrace door, you’ll see this:

I’ve requested for a quiet room, away from all the noise. So, Amy put me in the only room on the terrace. Perfect!

See the fuchsia door at the end? That’s my room.

All rooms were named after tango dances. My room is “Milonguita”.

It’s a very basic room.

I love the wood floor and the beams in the ceiling. It has a cottage feel, so cozy. 🙂

A desk, fridge, microwave on one side; tv and closet are across from the bed.

Private bathroom is a luxury in guest houses. You’ll know once you start booking for a month of hostel accommodations.

Two cute parrots outside my window. Awwww… so cute. Yes, they are fake, but they are forever loyal and won’t fly away.

View from the terrace.

Stairs to solarium.

Wouldn’t it be nice to read a book while soaking up the sun here? 🙂

Terrace view from solarium. Many bbq parties have been held here.

And this is where I have my morning tea.

I love vintage furniture. This chair is made from the seat of an old tractor. Designed by Amy.

Amy turned her family’s old Singer sewing machines into tables.

I wanted to ring in the New Year in style. So, initially I’ve booked a room at Mansion Dandi Royal, a more posh hotel that’s dedicated to tango fanatics. Then, I thought that didn’t feel right. I really just want to have a cozy place. Conventillo de Lujo might be too quiet for a lot of people, but it’s perfect for me. I’m so glad I canceled reservation at Mansion Dandi Royal. 🙂 Always follow your heart.

Litter and Trash Pick Up

Posted on December 31, 2011 by OuOu

Three trash pick-ups a day and there is still litter on the streets. Amy expressed her sadness towards irresponsible street littering in Buenos Aires. She is very proud of her country, but not proud of Argentines’ littering habit.

Buenos Aires Trash Pick Up

Well, no fine for littering? Three time clean-ups per day? Meaning if I throw a piece of paper on the street, and it would “miraculously” disappear after a few hours? I might just start throwing garbage on the roads too.

She also feels upset about ugly wall drawings everywhere.

🙁

First Purchase of Argentine Wine

Posted on December 31, 2011 by OuOu

On my way back to the hostel, I stopped by a supermarket.

I always like to check out grocery prices at local supermarkets and watch what people buy. Freaky, I know.

I checked out the wine section and glanced through the wine labels. Most wines were local wines from Mendoza (top producer of wine in Argentina).

Did you know that Argentina is one of the largest wine exporters in the world?

I asked a sales associate for wine recommendation.

He pointed at Saint Felicien and told me that’s his favorite.

Saint Felicien Wine

That’s probably one of the most expensive bottles on the shelf. So, I told him I was looking for a less expensive option.

(74 pesos = approx. $17. It wasn’t expensive. But because of comparison to other wines on the shelf, somehow I felt it was expensive. Can someone explain this bizarre mentality?)

Choosing wine

This sales associate spoke perfect English and he was from Portugal. He chose a bottle of Trapiche for me.

He even modeled for me. I didn’t ask him. Really!

Wine model

Trapiche

Ah! $31.45 pesos (USD7.3), that’s more like it. Either the wine was cheap or I was being cheap. 😛

This is the winner!

P/s: I shared the wine with Amy later that night, and she loved it. We even paired it with today’s lunch! See! Don’t let the price fool you! I’m in Argentina; one of the largest wine exporters of the world. 🙂

Nails. Oh, nails.

Posted on December 31, 2011 by OuOu

My last manicure was four months ago. My nails and fingers were pretty banged up from house renovation, packing and moving. So, I thought my fingers (and toes) deserve some tender loving care.

Amy was so sweet to walk me to a nail salon nearby.

On the way, she told me about the history of the neighborhood and pointed out the places that she likes to buy her groceries. Homemade marmalade by nuns from a local church, croissants from a french bakery, empanadas (pie) from a local eatery, etc.

5 minutes later, we reached Anush salon. It’s a very basic salon. I think only locals would come here. I’m not picky and don’t usually judge a book from its cover.

Amy: “Do you know your way home?”

Me:”Yes, just go straight from here for a few blocks.”

Amy (gasps):”No, you have to turn left at the next block. And you are taking my cellphone with you next time you go out.”

How sweet!

I really don’t have poor sense of direction. I should blame it on Amy’s interesting stories during the walk.

I looked around the salon, most customers were getting their hair straightened. There was this chemical that they used in the hair that made my eyes watery.

While waiting, a lady must thought I was a local (how?) and asked me, “Ora?”

Me: “Huh?”

Anonymous Lady: “Ora? Ora?”

I must had a “I’m lost or I’m not a clock” kind of facial expression that she turned to a different person and asked the same question.

Ora means time in Spanish. 🙂

Anyway, even though I don’t understand Spanish, I enjoyed watching the locals interact with each other. They laughed a lot and hugged a lot. 🙂

Personally I didn’t think it was professional for my nail technician to leave a customer (me) and went to hug a friend who had brought her a cake, but I just smiled.

She later joked with me and pulled out a lime green nail polish and pointed at my toes. 🙂 Funny girl.

Tata! All done. I chose red for a touch of passion.

Anush Salon is a pretty basic salon, but I was happy with my nails.

Cost of manicure and pedicure: 80 pesos

Amy Saved The Day

Posted on December 31, 2011 by OuOu

She went to the kitchen and made me some banana orange drink. 🙂

Amy making banana orange milk shake

Banana, oranges, ice & milk

Ohhh…. So refreshing, like a walk in the spring shower. 🙂

Then, she asked me if I was hungry and I told her I wouldn’t mind having a little snack (actually I was quite hungry after a long flight).

She get busy in the kitchen and started frying some chicken and pork fillets. I started to worry and thought, “Is that going to cost me a bomb?” Friends had reminded me over and over before the trip to be “street-smart”. God knows I am a dumbo in everything.

Me: “Amy, is this included in the rent?”

Amy: “Yes, dear. This is all for you.”

It’s a B&B guest house. But Amy’s service has gone far beyond a B&B.

Hungry traveler must eat

Amy suggested pouring apple cider vinegar over the meat. She said that’s the Argentinean way. Sure. I am always up for trying new foods. The combination tasted great!

Pouring apple cider vinegar over the meat. Chicken fillet: parsley, garlic, egg.

Emanuel from Venezuela suggested eating ham with sweet croissant. Sure, why not? If you never try, you’ll never know.

Ham & croissant. Anyone?

Oooh-la-la. :rtdance3:

Patagonia berry tea

Happy day. :rtlove:

~ OuOuBorneo ~

Explore. Experience. Evolve.

Category Archives: Travel

Conventillo de Lujo

Litter and Trash Pick Up

First Purchase of Argentine Wine

Nails. Oh, nails.

Amy Saved The Day