Where Alison and Patty stayed in South America in 2002
ARGENTINA
Gran Hotel Hispano ****
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Most beautiful hotel we stayed in. Great prices for what you get. Cheaper than some hostels for two people. Great location on Avenida de Mayo. Next to Cafe Tortoni. Small showers, but hot! Hairdryers and tv in rooms. Friendly staff.
Address: Avenida de Mayo 861
http://www.hhispano.com.ar/Overview.html
Lime House Hostel
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
Address : Lima 11 (corner of Lima and Rivadavia Streets)
This place was chill and quite cool. These guys organized outings to see soccer matches and brought us to a happening dance club.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g312741-d531424-Reviews-Limehouse_Hostel-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html
Backpacker’s Hostel **** (for fun factor)
SALTA, Argentina – highly recommended by Rom. No airconditioning, and Salta gets hot. Dormitories are a bit small for the number of people they cram in. Have the cheapest tours in town and the staff is helpful. Offer a good 4 peso breakfast, and breakfast items a-la-carte. Bar. Patio and lots of lounge space. good kitchen facilities. Lots of showers. I prefered one that was not in my dorm room — explore! 3 pesos to wash clothes, 2 to dry, on premises. Internet available, but you can pay less in town. MAKE RESERVATIONS IN ADVANCE. You may want to book tours in Salta in advance as well if you are short on time, as tours fill quickly and you may have to wait a few days for the next one. The hostel also arranges outings to restaurants and discos in town. Provides sheets and towels.
http://www.backpackerssalta.com
Hostel Savigliano
MENDOZA, Argentina – Ridiculously close to the bus terminal. Walk under the street and turn left and you are practically there. Nice kitchen. Dorms, doubles, shared or private bath. Good location. Internet not cheapest in town, but available in hostel. Breakfast included, though the promised coffee never materialized. Sheets=yes. Towels=no.
http://www.savigliano.com.ar
Torre Al Sur
USHUAIA, Argentina – Nice, clean hostel. Tiny kitchen, hard to share with people that live there, but guests get their own fridge and food storage. Great views of the city and mountains. Walls do not go up to ceiling, so you must be quiet at night. Staff will help you get to the national park and arrange other trips for you. Drinkable tap water.
http://www.hostels.org.ar/cgi-bin/detalle.cgi?ciudad=Ushuaia&hotel=Torre%20al%20Sur
Busses were a mixed bag, but I wrote down that the Andesmar bus between Puerto Madryn and Comodoro Rividavia was good, and the best bus of the trip was the Via Bariloche bus between Bs.As. and Bariloche. Always get the coche cama (and not semi-cama) when you can.
Calafate Hostel
EL CALAFATE, Argentina
I remember shared bathrooms, bunkbeds, and a silly French boy sleeping out on the balcony in his sleeping bag. Nice common area. Will arrange trips for you.
http://www.calafatehostels.com/
BOLIVIA
Apart Hotel Concordia
COCHABAMBA, Bolivia – Ancieto Arce 690, esquina Juan de la Cruz Torrez – 4532990 ph. – 4221518 fax – 100 bolivianos with private bath, TV, towels, soap, toilet paper, great beds, access to hotel pool and simple breakfast included. Restaurant serves yummy food and was full on Sunday at lunch. BRIGHT rooms with high ceilings. We had a balcony. Not in the center of town, but close enough to walk. 5-10 minute walk to Jesus. Kept CLEAN.
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El Solario Alojamiento
LA PAZ, Bolivia – ph 2367963, Murillo 776, a few steps from the corner of Santa Cruz and Murillo Streets – SHEETS= Yes, TOWELS = No, TOILET PAPER= no BEDSIDE LAMP= NO, Hot showers, clean rooms, acceptable beds, fast internet access with good computers and headsets, laundry service, kitchen and refridgerator access, can buy drinks on premises, the tour agency downstairs is good — costs are low and they use reputable tour companies. Luggage storage, good location.
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Hotel Happy Days
LA PAZ, Bolivia – Overpriced, hard to control showers, will have to wake up sleeping staff to get out of building to catch plane
Hostal Charcas
SUCRE, Bolivia – Calle Ravelo # 62, Phone: (591)(64) 23972, 65 bolivianos for a double with shared bath. Room no. 9 downstairs was unbearably noisy, the room smelled, and the beds were terrible. Room 26, where we changed to, was quite nice with a HOT shower available. Excellent location directly across from mercado central. Decent breakfast, but you should try the vegetarian place up the street. It is excellent. (NOT El Germen, the other one.)
Hostal Colonial Del Lago
COPACABANA, Bolivia – Av. 6 de Agosto, esqina Av 16 de Julio, Telef 08622270, titicacabolivia@yahoo.com.ar — Excellent beds with duvets, pillows a bit overstuffed. SHEETS=yes, TOWELS= no, TOILET PAPER=yes, bedside lampswitch=yes, HOT WATER=yes nice views of lake, quiet, breakfast included for 60 Bolivianos with private bath. Terraces with excellent views. Desk, closet, soap, trash emptied every day, nightstand – sandwiches sucked at restaurant
http://www.titicacaboliva.com/family
Hostal MarÃa Victoria ****
POTOSÃ, Bolivia – Calle Chusquisaca # 148 – Phone: (591)(62) 22132 – Great beds, skylight, towels included, nice decor, excellent location and QUIET rooms — 65 bolivianos double with bath — try to get one of the two in the tower, they are great. HOT water. Eat breakfast in the nice courtyard (not included) Can arrange tours through hotel.
Valle Hermoso
TUPIZA, Bolivia – Uncomfortable beds. (had to drag out the sleeping mats) SHEETS=YES, TOWELS=NO Showers hot. Breakfast extra, but good and convenient. Can easily arrange tours from here BUT . . . Horses not crazy? LIES. Don{t say you are too experienced, as you will get the skittish horses on the tour. Also, I would not recommend seeing San Vicente or taking the jeep tour to the Salar. Freddy, the owner, pockets 70% of the money. The tour guides (ours weren´t very talkative) got a measly $30 AND due to Freddy´s negligence, we had to argue over whether or not we had already paid the park entrance fee. (We had) ASK FOR AN ITEMIZED RECEIPT if you go on the jeep tour to avoid trouble. I would recommend leaving from Uyuni instead, however.
http://www.bolivia.freehosting.net/
Pampas and Jungle Tour – Rurrenebaque, Bolivia:
Fluvial Tours
Good location in the pampas and jungle. Good food. Rustic accommodations. Dorm-style screened-in rooms and outhouses. Mosquito nets on beds. Bugs everywhere.
f l u v i a l t o u r s @ h o t m a i l . c o m
www.megalink.com/rurrenabaque
Dino Truck Tour- Sucre, Boliva
The best part of this was that we got the same tour guide we had for the convent – Daniel. Wish I knew his last name to refer you to him.
k s c h u e t t @ m a r a . s c r . e n t e l n e t . b o
www.abbeypath.com
BRAZIL
Hostel Harmonia ****
RIO DE JANIERO – Cheap beer and other beverages available in fridge at cost. Internet available. Close to beach. In nice neighborhood in Ipanema. 24 hour security guard. Great friendly staff. Possibly the best place we´ve stayed. BOOK AHEAD! Beds are hard, we used our sleeping pads. Ask about sheets, can´t remember getting them.
http://www.hostelharmonia.com/
PERU
Colonial House Inn ****
AREQUIPA, Peru – Puente Grau 114 – (054) 223533 – Great rooms, great beds, Towels=yes, Toilet paper=2 rolls!!, Showers hard to control, Sheets=yes, Quiet, excellent location, some of the best breakfasts we had on the trip – continental breakfast free with South American Explorers membership, friendly helpful staff, rooms cleaned everyday, TWO bedside lamps — one for each of the main beds, nice rooftop terrace, TV lounge area with magazines
Estrella del Sur
NASCA, Peru – Callao 568, ph (034) 52216 – Double 20-25 soles with bath – hot shower – Towels=yes, Toilet Paper=yes, Sheets=yes — breakfast and rooms are nothing special. The beds aren´t so comfy. Noisy dicoteque outside all night long, can hear all noise in corridors. Good location, helpful staff. Can arrange tours and trips.
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Casa de Arena Lodge
HUACACHINA, Peru (close to Ica)
OK beds, one sheet and blanket, smelly pillows, great atmosphere, off/on Internet, own water supply that will not go out if the electricity does. Sandboarding, pool with bar with good fresh smoothies. Good food on premises. Dunebuggy tours. Rooms with private baths. Shared kitchen. You come here to do nothing but relax.
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Reviews at VT
Huacachina article in the LA Times that mentions the hostel
Posada Del Sol
CUSCO, Peru – telf 084 246394, Atoqsaykucki 296, San Blas — 24 soles for a double with private bath in off-season. A steal. Quiet sunlit rooms, nice beds, nice pillows, nightstand, Sheets=yes, Towels=yes, Bedside switch=no, Hot water=yes (smells a bit funny) Toilet Paper=yes Rooms cleaned every day- breakfast available – cable tv in common room – great view of city – nice neighborhood – laundry service – storage for luggage – minibar
p o s a d a d e l s o l 0 1 @ h o t m a i l . c o m
The Point Hostel
LIMA, Peru – In Miraflores – Nice and fun staff in a safe-looking neighborhood. Hot showers, good beds, sheets and blankets provided. I believe there was toilet paper in the bathrooms.
http://www.thepointhostel.com/
Inca Trail 4-day Trek – Cusco, Peru:
Andean Life
Middle of the road tour operator. I had a good time on this trek. No complaints.
http://www.andeanlife.com/
Personal Taxi Tour of area around Cusco, Peru
Ferdinand Pinares Cuadros
English and French spoken — Phone 225914, Cell 681519 (May now be retired)
$65 USD for one day tour – had a station wagon and spoke good english. We took the Inca valley tour in reverse of most tour groups to skip crowds. 2002 prices
Nasca Lines Land Tour
Orlando Flores Etchebarne, Tour Guide
550 Grau St., Nasca, Peru
o r v i f i o @ h o t m a i l . c o m
This guy gave us a pretty good land-based tour of the Nasca Lines. Just me and Patty and the guide in his taxi. Didn’t really feel I missed out on the plane tour after this. Make sure you get Orlando, not another guide t hat works for him.
Where Herb and Alison stayed in Peru in 2006
2 hours up the Amazon from Iquitos, Peru
Muyuna Jungle Lodge
Excellent guides, staff, and food. Pricier than I expected. Hotter than Rurrenebaque due to how much closer it is to the equator. Flush toilets, private showers (cold water only), comfortable beds, bedding and TP and soap provided, kerosene lanterns, private screened-in cabins. No mosquito nets on beds. Plenty of drinking water in common kitchen. Works with a nearby local community. Picked us up at the airport and arranged for us to get back.
US$90 per day per person – 2006 prices
http://www.muyuna.com/
r e s e r v a s @ m u y u n a . c o m
De Ville Inn
Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Address Jr.Chiclayo 533, Phone: +51 1 447 4325
Near the South American Explorers clubhouse. In a generally safe neighborhood. Large grocery store and ATMs nearby, as well as a craft market. Can take a taxi or bus to local sights. Mostly comfortable beds. Bedding and TP provided. Good showers with hot water. Breakfast included — juice and bread with peach jam. Internet available at a cost. Can buy water on premises. Secure entry. Quiet place with thin walls. Called a driver for us for airport transport.
Single: US$30.00
Double: US$40.00
Triple: US$50.00
Monthly:US$350
All rooms have private bathrooms, telephone, cable PETS WELCOME!!!!!
2007 Prices. Contact South American Explorers is you want to book with them via email. limaclub@samexplo.org I don’t have the hotels’s email address.
How Alison and Patty got around South America in 2002:
Rio to Iguazu — 24 hour bus
Iguazu to Buenos Aires — bus
Buenos Aires to Rio de Plata — Bus
Buenos Aires to Montevideo — Ferry to Colonia, Bus to Montevideo (side trip by bus to Punta del Este), Ferry from Montevideo to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires to Bahia Blanca — Bus
Bahia Blanca to Puerto Madryn — Bus
Puerto Madryn to Comodoro Rivadavia — Bus
Comodoro Rividavia to Rio Gallegos — Bus
Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia — plane
Ushuaia to El Calafate — plane
El Calafate to Buenos Aires — plane
Buenos Aires to Bariloche — sweet bus
Bariloche to Pucon, Chile — Bus to some city I can’t remember right across the border, where we switched to another bus to Pucon.
Pucon to Chillan — bus
Chillan to Santiago (bus with no bathroom) to Valparaiso — bus
Valparaiso to Santiago — bus
Santiago to Mendoza, Argentina — I want to say this was a colectivo and not a bus. It was smaller than normal
Mendoza to Salta – 17 hour bus ride
Salta to Tupiza, Boliva — bus that broke down — 7 hour ride
Tupiza to Uyuni — 4 day jeep tour across the salar
Uyuni to Potosi — small crowded bus
Potosi to Sucre — small crowded bus — 4 hours
Sucre to Cochabamba — bus
Cochabamba to La Paz — bus
La Paz to Rurrenebaque to La Paz — TAM military cargo plane
La Paz to Copacabana– Bus
Copacabana to Puno, Peru — Bus
Puno to Cusco — Bus
Cusco to Arequipa — Bus
Arequipa to Nasca — Bus
Nasca to Ica — Bus
Ica to Huacachina to Ica — taxi
Ica to Lima — Bus
How Herb and Alison got around
US to Peru to US — plane
Lima to Iquitos to Lima — plane