I contribute reviews to www.tripadvisor.ca because I regularly consult this site for traveller impressions of hostels, hotels, and B&Bs around the world. You can get a good sense of a place from the reviews, once you discard the reviews that are overly excited or downright cranky.  On this page I’ll post the reviews I write for Tripadvisor, and the odd additional review for locations that aren’t listed on the website. Enjoy!

Don’s Tripadvisor profile: http://www.tripadvisor.ca/members/Don_G_Wright

Sleepless in Mexico City – Hostel Mundo Joven Catedral

Mundo Joven Catedral is excellently located just behind the massive Catedral Metropolitana, and thus only a city block from the Zocalo, Templo Mayor, the National Palace and more. This may also be the hostel’s prime drawback, because it is the noisiest hostel I have ever stayed in. Not only for the noise from the street (traffic, music, car alarms, and street construction right out front until midnight), but also for the noise within the hostel. The inner courtyard funnels every sound from reception and the lobby restaurant up through all floors of the hostel, bouncing off ancient stone steps and walls along the way. My partner and I were in the private suite on the 5^th floor, a pleasant enough though cramped room; the big attraction was our own piece of the patio with a great view of the historic district. Unfortunately, the rest of the patio area served as the dining area for the all-hours communal kitchen, and as a late-night gathering place for other guests. Some nights the noisy drinking parties continued just outside our room as late at 3:30 am. Not such a private suite after all.

Cold and damp in Antigua – homestay experience

We thought spending a week with a family in Antigua while taking Spanish lessons would be a smart start to our year of travel in Latin America. The classes went well, but our homestay was not much more than very basic room and board – and our room was like a jail cell – about 8 by 8 feet, cold, damp, dimly lit with no window, and a narrow steel door. The family was friendly and helpful if asked, but didn’t seem to understand the difference between operating a rooming house and hosting homestay students A fellow student moved out part way through the week. We decided to stay but to spend as little time in the room as possible. We have the rest of the year to sleep better!

Comfortable room, water challenges – Paco Real Hotel, San Marcos de Laguna

Paco Real is a grouping of chalets in the centre of the tourist area of little San Marcos de Laguna on Lake Atitlan. We stayed in one of the larger rooms with a private bathroom. The room was spacious and bright during the day, a bit dimly lit at night and the bathroom space was rather awkward. The grounds are well kept and the on-site restaurant offers a good range of menu selections including wood-oven pizzas. Owner Paul is very hands on and helpful, although when he was out of town for two days and the water to our building stopped, no one on-site could address the problem so we had to use the shared shower and bathroom in the next building. Water pressure is a general problem, and WiFi, available only in the restaurant area, was unavailable on our last day and the morning we left. The tourist area is all footpaths, so no street traffic. By the way, visitors should know the beaches all around Lake Atitlan were submerged or washed away during extremely heavy rainy seasons two years in a row. The lake has no drainage, so it just fills up. We expected to find at least a small beach at San Marcos – the town map still shows the location — but it is under water, along with many buildings, patios, and docks all around the lake. There are plenty of good reasons to visit the lake and the dusty little towns along the shores, but being able to relax on a beach is no longer one of them.

Fabulous view of the valley — Casa Dona Elena, Copan Ruinas

My partner and I spent three nights at this mother and son operated bed and breakfast, several blocks uphill from the centre of the little town of Copan Ruinas. We’d been on the road for three weeks, survivors of several average or below-average hostels and B&Bs, so it was a treat to find this gem waiting for us. Our room overlooked the Copan Valley and we soon discovered it was just a 20-minute walk to the famous Mayan ruins in one direction, and about a 30-minute walk in the other direction to the Macaw Mountain Bird Park. Ask for the large room on the second floor of the main building, most of the rooms are at ground level; it may be a bit more but well worth it. Nery is very hands-on and helpful as the manager, and his mother Elena prepares a wonderful breakfast on demand for all guests every morning. The bed was comfortable, the shower water ran hot, the fan cooled the room at night – everything we could ask for – except the dozens of village dogs that sleep in the sun all day and run around barking and howling all night!

We appreciated the work being done here — Macaw Mountain Bird Park

A fellow traveller mentioned they were walking over to Macaw Mountain, so a short time later we decided to try the walk oursleves, and are very glad we did. The park is nestled between two hills, with a creek running through the centre. The walkway takes visitors to a number of large screen enclosures where a variety of tropical birds are recuperating from injuries, including stress, and a breeding program is underway to re-introduce Scarlet Macaws into the Copan Valley (decimated through loss of habitat and hunting). The enclosures and trees are well labelled, There is a open air restaurant with seating on the bridge over the creek, and a interactive area with many tropical birds that visitors can get very close to (and a shout out to Carlos for showing us how to handle these birds). Admission is $10 or 190 Ls.

Attentive owners and staff — Mariposa Lodge, Roatan, Honduras

Owners Sue and Mike are very hands-on, helpful, and well-organized running this modest collection of rooms and apartments just a few minutes from the restaurants and bars along the waterfront at West End on Roatan. Our first night was in one of the air-conditioned rooms, but the next morning when an apartment became available we moved over and are glad we did. The apartments have screened windows which allow fresh air in and are equipped with quiet ceiling fans to help circulation. They are much more spacious and have a more complete kitchen which makes a big difference for longer stays. Fresh drinking water is supplied. As the description notes, there is no cable or satellite television, but a free DVD library that lets you catch up on Hollywood movies after a day in the sun. The rooms and grounds are clean and well-kept, and lodge employees are friendly and attentive. A great space for solo travellers, couples, and small families. The nearby beach at Half Moon Bay is very family-friendly –and we didn’t have any problems with sand fleas here or at the West Bay beach.

Los Mapachines del Terraza Hotel – Managua

This three-room architect-designed and family-operated bed and breakfast is a charming oasis in an otherwise dull and dirty city. The owners pay great attention to detail, from the very tasteful décor to the fresh water, clean towels, sumptuous breakfast, and generous help with transportation and other arrangements. The common area is bright and inviting, and the small pool at the back is perfect for cooling down on a hot day. We had only booked two nights, heeding guidebook warnings that there was not much for tourists to see and do in Managua – but we would have been happy to stay longer just to enjoy this wonderful space, leaving only for dinner at La Curva just down the street.

Pleasant hotel in a dull city — Hotel Kekoldi de Granada

This small hotel is conveniently located about three blocks from the center of town, so it is within walking distance of the limited attractions Granada has to offer. Granada is promoted as the oldest city in the Americas — but it was repeatedly burnt to the ground by pirates, lastly by American William Walker in 1856, so there is not much to see from the early days. The hotel, however, is quite pleasant and although the rooms are small and basic, there is plenty of open-air common space with tables, chairs, and hammocks that helped us feel much less cramped for space. It also meant we had more contact with other guests for sharing travel tips and highlights. Each room features a large tiled artwork; the series is based on local Indigenous stories (it would have been interesting to have access to a guide to the stories and artworks). We were in a room near the back, and could not access WiFi from our room, but the signal was strong in the common areas closer to the front of the hotel. Staff were always attentive and helpful, and the complimentary breakfast consisted of a fruit bowl, and self-serve toast, cereal, gallo pinto (rice and beans), juice, tea and coffee. Guests could also order eggs made a number of ways for under 30 limperas (about $1.50).

O’Sheas Irish Pub — the servers here try harder

There is a 3-block section of restaurants in Granada obviously geared to serving tourists, so it is surprising that so many servers along this stretch have no patience or interest in working with turistas trying to communicate in a mix of English and Spanish. Not so O’Sheas — the servers were patient and helpful, and made sure they got the order right, unlike every other neighbouring restaurant we tried where servers would either look at us blankly or bring us the wrong food or drink. The food was also better at O’Sheas, so it earns this recommendation!

Hotel Los Boyeros – Liberia, Costa Rica

The best thing about this hotel is that it is right across the street from the gas station where you get dropped off when you bus across the border from Nicaragua. No need to deal with vulture cabs – you just cross the street. The hotel itself has everything you could hope for – large rooms with a deck, pool, restaurant, and helpful staff. We did experience the usual tropical issues with insects, and unfortunately the sheets were ill-fitting. Conveniently there is a supermarket across the street on one side, and an ATM across the street the other way. The hotel is set up for conventions, so not budget accommodation ($70 for a double), but after a day on a crowded bus, and an hour-and-a-half of lining up in the sun on both sides of the border, it’s a welcome sight.

Playa Tamarindo — Don’t want to leave the beach

We’ve been here ten days with just a couple of days remaining and we’re really wishing we could stay longer. This has got to be our favourite beach yet — wide sandy beach with lots of room for everyone. We’ve been tanning, jumping waves, and boogie boarding — it is also a place where many people are learning how to surf. Along the beach there are several restaurant/bars (our favourite: Le Beach Club) to chill after a day in the sun and surf — all with happy hours. Only complaint is when the wind picks up from the north (east?) it blows the sand everywhere, sometimes so hard it stings — so back into the water!

Soles y Margaritas – Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica

We spent two weeks in one of two upstairs apartments equipped with a queen bed, ensuite bathroom, and kitchen with refrigerator and propane stove. There is a fabulous panoramic view of the ocean from the deck, and a wide variety of tropical birds fly by or rest in the nearby trees. Owner Kurt warned us to shake out towels and clothes as small scorpions find their way in, and sure enough, one morning we did find one underfoot. The rooms are basic but Kurt responds well with anything you need by way of kitchen utensils, fresh towels, or advice on local events or attractions. There is also a delightful small swimming pool on the grounds – a welcome feature on a hot day! Soles y Margaritas’ only drawback is that the shortcut from town to the hotel is up a steep dirt path (flashlight essential after dark) – although by the end of our stay we were climbing it without needing to catch our breath. There is a road but it winds around the hill and would be a much longer walk; of course taxis are plentiful as an alternative.

Cabinas El Pueblo – Santa Elena (Monteverde), Costa Rica

We were in a room with double bed and ensuite on the main floor – it also had a bunk bed so it would have been suitable for a family of four (although a small space overall; so youngsters, not teenagers!). A delicious breakfast was offered in the kitchen downstairs every morning: a fruit plate and the choice of one of two changing options every morning. The whole place was kept very clean and tidy, and the staff is very friendly and helpful and can arrange day trips or shuttles as needed. The Cabinas are located down a short path just off the main road, so traffic noise is not a problem except for the odd loud motorcycle. The shared deck overlooks a small creek that runs by the Cabinas, and the trees, which hide the backs of other buildings attract lots of small local birds to get your birdwatching started. All in all, a very pleasant and affordable place to stay while visiting the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and other area attractions.

Jardin de Mariposas, Monteverde, Costa Rica

We don’t usually give much thought to butterflies, but we were quite impressed with the Butterfly Garden — and one of the most affordable attractions in the area too. The guides are knowledgeable volunteers, and it was fun to walk through the four enclosures, each representing a different bio-region in Costa Rica and the butterflies you would find there. I’ve read some complaints about the small number of species on exhibit, but for people new to the butterfly world, the number was just right. If you’re staying in Santa Elena, it’s actually worth the effort to walk the 2 kms — on the last stretch of dirt road to Butterfly Gardens we spotted monkeys, white-nosed coatls, and many birds. Plus, there are other attractions in the area worth checking out.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, Costa Rica

This cloud forest is a spectacular non-commercial reserve with numerous trails of varying difficulty, panoramic viewpoints, and huge trees that are fascinating eco-systems all on their own. We walked/hiked the trails that essentially follow the perimeter and treat visitors to numerous viewpoints, a walk along the ridge of the continental divide, and to a modest waterfall. That took about 3 hours, and after a break for tea at the visitor centre, we walked a second set of trails to and from the 100m suspension bridge that stretches across a ravine and over the tops of the trees, about 45 minutes return. We encountered several groups of birders, and although we could hear many difference bird calls, they were hard to spot in the dense forest. However, we did get to see a male Resplendent Quetzal deep in the forest when a group of birders invited us to look through their tripod-mounted binoculars, and later a female Resplendent Quetzal landed in a tree near the park entrance, just as several groups of birders were about to leave, so imagine the excitement!

Best of both worlds – Jungle Beach Hotel, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

We had the pleasure of staying at the Jungle Beach Hotel for five nights and we’re glad we did. Located at the edge of the jungle with a five minute walk to the beach (and the warmest water on this coast), this well-maintained hotel has spacious rooms, comfortable beds, lots of shared deck and patio space, and a modest breakfast buffet. We were in room 3, one of two rooms on the top floor of the main building – we highly recommend this level, although one does have to climb several flights of steps. Hotel staff were very friendly and helpful with directions and advice for tourists, and town is a ten-minute walk down the hill; Manuel Antonio National Park is about ten minutes beyond that. Most days, howler monkeys hung out in the trees that tower over the hotel, and on our last day a troop of squirrel monkeys moved in and scampered through the trees for several hours.

Casa Ridgway – San Jose, Costa Rica

It’s a good thing our shuttle bus driver knew where Casa Ridgway is located, because neither the address nor this hostel’s online map would have brought us to its front door. We were dismayed our reservation had been recorded incorrectly and a private room was not available for our first night, despite e-mail confirmation; fortunately a dorm room was empty and made available to us. The error was blamed on the fact much of the front desk work is done by volunteers. We stayed three nights, and over that time, despite signage that indicates the laundry is available for use for a fee, it was either being used by staff, or there was no water, or we were simply told to ask someone else – not all of the volunteers coming and going were able to answer questions or “authorize” use of the washing machine, so we ended up taking it with us to our next destination. We were also never sure who was a volunteer, staff member, or fellow traveller – name tags would be a good idea. WiFi signal only in the front entrance area. But these are minor although important observations; the morning breakfast was satisfying, we were happy with the private room we had for night two and three, and we appreciate the good work being done by the Quaker group running the hostel. There is an extensive although dated peace and justice-themed library, computers for traveller use, and the volunteers are friendly if not always completely helpful. The hostel is close to the national museum and not far from the downtown core and other museums and attractions.

Tin Jo Restaurant – San Jose, Costa Rica

We arrived in San Jose on a Sunday night hungry from a day of travel, and our hostel host recommended this restaurant as one that was close by and would be open. It was an excellent recommendation – it was indeed open and offering a tantalizing range of Asian and South East Asian dishes. It was also quite full with locals, always a good sign. We were in San Jose only three nights, but we returned to the restaurant two nights later so between us we had a chance to sample four menu items – all superb including two very different curries (and many more to choose from). The portions are filling and the staff are mostly very attentive. The prices are quite good for the quality and serving size.  Admittedly this restaurant is not for those on a shoestring budget – but when you get tired of rice and beans, this is the place to go.
http://www.tinjo.com/new/?lang=en

National Museum – San Jose, Costa Rica

Just past the ticket counter you unexpectedly enter a large mariposario – an enclosed area of the old fort that features many of Costa Rica’s “trademark” Blue Morpho butterflies flitting about. Beyond that, visitors are guided through the old barracks, latrines, corner tower (with “loopholes” designed to allow soldiers to fire with minimum exposure to return fire), and the commander’s residence. Upstairs on ground level, are several exhibition halls with permanent and temporary displays focused on natural history, pre-Colombian life in Costa Rica, contact, and more recent historical developments, including information on the five week civil war in 1948 that led to the abolishment of the army in 1949 – and the subsequent conversion of this fort into the national museum. Well worth a two-hour visit.

Expediciones Tropicales – half day Volcán Poás tour

The brochure and website show a clear day at Volcán Poás, with the promise that you too will enjoy seeing the impressive main crater and learning about the different ecosystems found in the park around the volcano.  However, after circling the city picking up other passengers for at least an hour, we slowly made our way out of the city with some interesting commentary from our guide – but as we got closer to the park we ran into rain and increasing fog. At the top, we were dropped off at the visitor centre, completely enveloped in thick fog and heavy rain, with instructions to be back at the front door in two hours. So much for our guide. We walked to the edge of the crater, but with the fog so thick, we could barely see the guide rail, and certainly not the crater. Cold and soaked, we returned to the visitor centre for some hot tea, and learned from park staff that it rains most of the time and that the crater is frequently hidden by clouds and fog. When we all got back into the bus, there was no further commentary, or acknowledgement that the visit had been much less than promised. Because we were only doing the half-day tour and others on the bus were doing the full day option, everyone had to sit waiting in the bus for our connection, and then when it arrived, we joined others in the second bus that were waiting for yet another connection – it all felt very unorganized, haphazard, and tourist unfriendly. We were finally returned to our hotel almost two hours later than promised; fortunately we did not have any afternoon commitments. Obviously the tour company cannot control the weather, but they could be more honest about what we might see and have a “plan b” if the weather prevents full enjoyment of the promised itinerary. Otherwise it is just about taking money from tourists.

La Sebastiana – Pablo Neruda’s house in Valparaiso

Whether you like Neruda’s poetry and politics or not, this writer’s retreat perched high on one of the hills overlooking Valparaiso is well worth the visit. He led a fascinating life, fully described in displays on the ground floor: variously writing, serving as a diplomat, living underground, running political campaigns, and winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. He was also a keen collector of the eclectic, and had a real sense of place – all reflected in the design and decoration of La Sebastiana. It was a real treat to wander through all five floors, and soak in the atmosphere inside and outside the house. The audio guide was fun – not just facts and figures but stories about Neruda’s life in the house. Take a bus up and walk down to the Bellavista area for more art and atmosphere.

Ascenseur Artilleria — Valparaiso, Chile

This is one of about a dozen ascensors still in operation; not the oldest, but it does offer the longest ride at 175 metres. It also offers one of the best views of city and harbour once you reach the top. Lastly, the exterior walls and roof have been painted with murals, and for only 300 pesos (less than a dollar Canadian or US) – it’s a deal that can’t be beat. The only drawback is that it breaks down from time to time – we were staying on the hill and had to walk or bus twice due to mechanical problems with the “funicular elevator”.

Cerro Concepcion — Valparaiso, Chile

Most travel materials describe this area, and nearby Cerro Allegre, as the cultural and tourism centre for Valparaiso. Indeed, the area is well worth exploring for the winding and sometimes nearly vertical roadways, murals, artisan shops, restaurants, and museums. Excellent service and food at the Garvasoni hotel restaurant. Currently (March 2012), Palacio Baburizzo is closed for renovations. Don’t stop with these two hills – be sure to also explore Cerro Carcel, Cerro Florida, and Cerro Bellavista.

Casa Museo Isla Negra

Just off season, none of the local tour companies were offering day trips from Valparaiso to Isla Negra, except one which wanted $200 US per person for a half-day excursion, not including lunch! We learned that Pullman had a daily departure at 1:30 pm and hopped on board (about $7 each) for the 90-minute ride that drops you off on the main road just up the hill from Pablo Neruda’s famous seaside house. As with his house in Valparaiso, we were struck by the design and layout of this quirky house: it is really a series of rooms facing the ocean, linked by narrow halls and archways. There is not much here about his writing or political life: the focus is clearly on his collection of collections. It seems every time he travelled, he returned with additions to his collections, and often the start of a new category of items to collect. The result, at least the way it is presented here, is that each room is like an old museum, every bit of wall and floor space covered by statues, carvings, masks, paintings, model boats and oddities of every description. The audio-guide is very helpful, it describes Neruda’s life, the room-by-room expansion of the house, and the origin and nature of many of the collections.

Eco Hostel La Locura del Poeta (The Poets Madness Eco Hostel)

We wanted to visit Pablo Neruda’s house at Isla Negra but because it was slightly off season we weren’t able to book a reasonably priced day trip from Valparaiso, so we looked into catching the bus and staying overnight near the museum. This hostel attracted our attention and worked well for us. It’s a 15-minute walk up from the highway and about 25-minute walk back across the highway down to the museum and ocean access. The hostel is quite basic with very limited washroom facilities and a tiny kitchen, but complimentary tea and coffee, and almost no common space indoors. Guests are required to remove footwear at the door but the floor is very cold, especially in the morning – bring thick socks or slippers! Bed was warm and comfortable. Like elsewhere in Chile, there are “stray” dogs everywhere that sleep all day and bark and howl all night – a bunch of them were roaming around outside the hostel the night we were there.

El Mirador – apartment with a great view

We had the great fortune of being able to spend an entire month in Valparaiso, so we wanted a space that was self-contained, with a view, but affordable. Because we were arriving just off-season, we were able to obtain a great monthly rate for one of four apartments at El Mirador, nicely perched atop Cerro Artilleria. There are views from both the kitchen and bedroom windows, but the best view is from the shared deck, complete with lounge chairs and morning and late afternoon sun. On a clear day you can see the entire crescent-shaped port city including the other hills, and north past Vina del Mar. The kitchen was well-equipped with fridge and two-burner hotplate, table and two chairs, and the bedroom very comfortable. The hot water shower was very dependable, and the TV had lots of channels to choose from. El Mirador is located just a block away from the route all Playa Ancha bound buses take on their way back to town, so getting to and from other hills and the business/commercial areas is easy, and cheap. We’re so glad we found El Mirador, it was a perfect home base for exploring Valparaiso and up and down the coast.

Hostel Rio Amazonas – quiet room in the heart of the city

Hostels come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with qualities that run from bug-invested dumps to establishments that are better than many hotels at twice the price. Rio Amazonas easily fits into the latter category. We were booked into a private room at the front for five nights, and it was a pleasure to return here after a day on the busy and noisy streets of Santiago. Even though it is located on a busy and noisy street itself, the front-facing rooms have been retrofitted with double-paned windows that make you forget the outside hustle and bustle. The room is comfortable, the bathroom is on the small side, and the wireless access is reliable. In the morning, the breakfast service gets your day off to a great start, and is available until a very civilized 10:30 am. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful; they made several calls for us on different matters. Lastly, Rio Amazonas is located less than two-blocks from Plaza Italia, a major bus interchange complete with a Metro station, and a 15-minute walk from the popular Bellavista neighbourhood.

Santiago — Bella Vista Sandwich Club

The Bellavista neighbourhood has no shortage of restaurants to choose from, but this new establishment is well-worth a try. The décor is very cool and contemporary and the menu inspired by both typical Chilean fare and the owner’s favourite sandwiches from the United States where he spent part of his youth (we had a quick chat with the owner before we ordered). The Chilean sandwich I ordered was the best I had during my five week stay in the country, and my partner’s Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich was just the anecdote for her after too many disappointing meals at bars and restaurants in both Valparaiso and Santiago.

Santiago — Backstage Experience Restaurant

When travelling, we often look for restaurants that are busy with locals, usually a good indication that the food and service is good. There are more than a dozen restaurants of every description at Bellavista Patio, a mall-like mix of shops catering to tourists and eating establishments serving tourists and locals alike. Backstage was one of the busiest, so we thought we would give it a try. Big mistake. The food was okay, but the server ripped us off with the drink order, bringing us a far more expensive version of pisco sours than we ordered, and when we saw the bill and pointed this out, the best he and the manager would do is offer us another round at no charge – not an acceptable solution when the overcharge came to $20 US. I advise tourists to select any restaurant in Bellavista but this one.

Santiago – Galindo Restaurant

This little corner restaurant is located just a few steps in from the traffic and congestion that characterizes the main tourist area of Bellavista, and features sidewalk seating, draft beer, and good food at reasonable prices. A great place for a late lunch or early dinner.

Hostal Victoria – Punta Arenas, Chile

Named for the first ship to circumnavigate the world (thus the nautical theme in the entrance and dining area), this cozy little hostel is located just a couple of blocks from the centre of town. We stayed in one of the upstairs rooms, with a private bathroom and small kitchenette. The bed was comfortable, the room warm, and the bathtub a welcome change from weeks of showers on the road. The host family is very friendly and helpful with tour arrangements, and provide an adequate breakfast of fresh toasted buns, cheese, juice, tea or coffee. Punta Arenas itself doesn’t have much to offer – it’s mostly a stopping point for heading further south. Tourist-oriented services are scarce, the main museum is closed for renovations, and three weeks ago the river overflowed after heavy rains and the downtown area was covered in two feet of mud that is still being cleaned up. Just the same, we were happy to return to Hostal Victoria each night.

B&B de las Artes – Ushuaia, Argentina

After four nights and five days on an excellent cruise through Patagonia South, it would be hard for a small B&B to meet the standards for comfort and services we had gotten used to. Certainly the room was comfortable enough, and it was nice having a bathtub, but the walls are paper-thin, and because we were in the room nearest the kitchen and front entrance, we could hear every time the door opened morning and night, breakfast preparations, and all conversations involving staff and other guests. For a B&B at the price we paid, the breakfasts were quite lacklustre: tea or coffee, orange drink mix, and a small basket of dry bread slices and small sticky croissants. Good location just a couple of blocks from the main streets – an easy walk to shopping and other tourist attractions.

Buenos Aires: What happened to Frida and Diego?

MALBA is a magnificent art gallery with lots of room for displaying work by Latin American artists, so it was unfortunate that the big show in place for our visit was a selection of works by US artists, gathered under the title “Bye Bye American Pie”. Not really an impressive collection at that — there are many US artists who have done more interesting or challenging work to select from. What bothered us was that promotional material and guidebook listings for the gallery all promise works by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and others — but none are currently on display.

Buenos Aires: Cementerio de la Recoleta

As you stroll up and down row upon row of concrete and glass mausoleums, you can feel the wealth and power of many of the individuals and families entombed here over the past 150 years or so. Large statues, memorial plaques, and stained glass adorn these architecturally-designed resting places for generals, presidents, and the business class. But mixed in with the extravagant and gaudy tombs are many dilapidated and vandalized tombs with broken windows and missing doors. Some have become garbage bins, and through one open door we could see bones poking through a wood crate. The grounds are well kept, but surely someone could go through the forgotten tombs and clean them up and put things back into place.

Buenos Aires: Café Tortoni – spent a relaxed hour here

I notice many TripAdvisor reviewers have complained about long line-ups and stale pastries — but the day I dropped by Cafe Tortoni, I just walked in and grabbed a table, and was served fairly quickly and efficiently. It was a relaxing hour and I was able to sit back and watch the flow of locals and tourists in and out of the cafe, soak in the faded glory, and imagine life here over the past 150 years. I’m in town for a few weeks and will return just for the fun of it.

El Zanjon de Granadas: History tour makes visit worthwhile

El Zanjon d Granadas shows what is possible with vision and the financial resources to go with it. The owners spent many years and likely many dollars to turn a dilapidated, garbage-filled shell of an old building into a vibrant cultural facility – and took great care, with the aid or archeologists, to preserve what was left of the colonial house, the foundations of two previous houses on the property, and the tunnels that once covered a creek underneath it all. Careful restoration and the exposed old bricks and beams, underground water storage cistern, and wide tunnels are impressive enough, but it was the tour guide that brought these artifacts to life and showed how the history of the house and property are intertwined with the history of Buenos Aires. We were there on a Sunday for the 30 minute tour; the Sunday market stretches for several blocks in either direction along the street out front. Go see this house!