Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Gran Hotel Colon
That morning we woke up late, traveled across the city to the bus station and left Buenos
ing-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Aires behind. The 6hr bus ride had us arriving in Concordia (our last stop in Argentina) after dark. Sans una mapa we managed to find our way to the hotel in the central plaza. The huge, glass French doors with wrought iron decorative reinforcement creaked open as we stepped inside the barely lit foyer. A grand staircase with original runner was before us with closed doors to rooms all around. Nate found a bell and eventually a woman peered over from the 2nd balcony and down the staircase to where we stood looking straight up at her. We asked for a room and with an "un momento" she disappeared leaving us alone once more. When finally summoned, we ascended the grand staircase to the 2nd floor which appeared a tad more inviting until I looked behind me and open darkness was the only thing I saw. She escorted us down a skinny, unlit hallway to our room which was inviting enough, cheap and had a balcony overlooking the plaza below. We left for a late dinner at an empty, non-trendy, smaller restaurants we like to frequent and immediately returned to the crumbling hotel. Before retreating to our room for the night we cautiously snooped around. As I got too close to another skinny, unlit hallway I heard a noise and a dog came running out of nowhere ferociously barking right at our feet. Nate gave the mutt a kick in the face and we returned to our room without harm. We could still hear the loud barking echoing through the empty halls. Both definitely convinced we would be visited by ghosts we slept with the curtains open letting the foggy, yellow lights from the plaza flood our room with light. Surviving the night, we awoke before dawn to catch the only bus to Salto. We went downstairs disturbing the dog once more who was thankfully locked away somewhere to find a big lock and chain around the doors. Ringing and ringing the bell she finally descended to free us and we bolted, never having seen the hotel in daylight.
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