De Viaje

Apologies to my readers for the long absence. I am currently touring Europe and I return to BsAs on the 14th July when hopefully normal service will be resumed.

The Albergue Transitorio

Conversations with some recent visitors to the city revealed that not everyone is aware of that very useful and seemingly essential facility, the albergue transitorio. These are hotels with rooms for rent for periods of two to three hours, or maybe more. A room will cost from about $25 to $40 pesos (US$8 - US$13) for the period and are usually very comfortable and well-equipped with large double bed, shower and toilet, and may contain television showing topical videos, mirrored walls and ceiling, jacuzzi, maybe a water-bed, and are invariably very clean. In the Barrio Norte district there seems to be an albergue transitorio every other block and there are certainly some in every district. They are listed as such in Paginas Amarillas (Yellow Pages) and there also web-sites with listings. For some years now there has been a city law that these hotels cannot refuse entry to same-sex couples.

If you should make a new friend in a bar or disco, or on the street it would be extremely foolhardy and dangerous to invite that person back to your apartment or hotel. Instead the albergue transitorio will provide the necessary privacy and comfort at relatively little cost. It is very probable that your new friend will know of one nearby.

Gays Away in Buenos Aires meeting

The meeting last night welcomed George, Larry, Frank and Greg from USA, and welcomed back Jamie from UK and Ilia from Russia. Jamie told us he hoped to re-open his Flux bar in July.
It was also reported that the popular Contramano had re-opened and, sure enough, a check today of the web site http://www.contramano.com/ shows that it is now a "pub-cafe-bar" and is open Wednesday - Saturday from midnight and Sunday from 10 p.m.
There may not be a meeting of Gays Away in July as I am off on my travels; if there is information to the contrary it will be posted on here.

Ronda Nocturna

A couple of nights ago I went to see the film Ronda Nocturna. It is an Argentine/French film about a night in the life of a Buenos Aires taxi boy (as rent boys or money boys are known here). The film is about 80 minutes long and the sparse dialogue is indistinct in parts (the distinct parts were mostly beyond my limited Spanish). However visually it is quite compelling and not just for trying to recognize the locations where the film was shot or for the "steamy" scenes. Although it is being shown here in some main cinemas elsewhere it will most probably be relegated to the arts circuit. There is a review of the film (in Spanish) at http://www.leedor.com/notas/ver_nota.php?Idnota=987 I recommend it; has anybody else seen it and got an opinion?