By Lucila Runnacles
Have you ever thought of spending a night inside a subway car with all the comforts of a hotel or sleeping in an old bus in the middle of nature?
Someone has thought of that and created a rather unusual lodge less than an hour away from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Casa Giramundo (@casagiramundo) is a very different place where the motto is: “If you come in stressed, you will leave rested”.
During the pandemic, the Argentine Emiliano Giramundo (who prefers to use this last name) bought a subway car on the internet as scrap and realized what many people thought would be impossible.
He placed the vehicle in the middle of the forest and transformed it into lodging.
“We worked for about a year on this project with the help of my wife, brothers-in-law, and friends.”
“Everything has been reused, and some materials have been given a second life,” says Giramundo, who loves restoring and reusing objects.
The lodge is located in the municipality of Tigre (30 kilometers from Buenos Aires).
The city is very popular on weekends because it is a refuge for locals who want to relax and enjoy a quiet place in the middle of nature and next to the Luján River.
FROM THE RAILS TO THE WILDERNESS
The yellow wagon ran for 50 years through the rails of the Argentine capital carrying and bringing passengers.
This old locomotive was manufactured in Spain in 1963 and held until 2013 when it was removed from circulation.
From the outside, it remains almost the same. But when the doors open, the magic happens.
This 16-meter long and 2-meter wide wagon has room to accommodate up to four people in total comfort.
The house has everything that can be found in a hotel.
The’ rooms’ layout is open; the bed is next to the living room, and next to it is the fully equipped kitchen.
The wagon also has a bathroom, and the view from there is beautiful, surrounded by nature.
In the summer, there is air conditioning, and to warm up the winter days there is even a wood-burning fireplace.
And for those who can not stay a day without connecting to the virtual world, you can rest easy because the accommodation also has Wi-Fi.
KEEPING THE IDENTITY
Inside the wagon, the map of the Buenos Aires lines is still drawn and is part of the decoration.
The floor and the lamps on the ceiling are original. Details that transport us to another time.
Outside, besides the many trees and bushes, guests can enjoy the pool, sunbathe on the deck, have a barbecue, and swim in the river, one of the neighborhood’s biggest attractions.
Spending a night in the metro or on the bus costs US$50 per day; the minimum is two nights of lodging.
The establishment is open all year round, and each season has its charm.
ALMOST LIKE IN THE MOVIE
But the subway car is not alone. Walking around the property we also found an old American bus from 1946.
Inside, a double bed with soft lights invites you to lie down quietly and look at the stars through the glass. Any resemblance to the movie “In the Wilderness” (2007) is not a mere coincidence.
“I also bought it as scrap and turned it into lodging. The bus was manufactured after World War II.”
“At that time, there was a lot of aluminum left in the United States, so the vehicle is all made of aluminum, a super noble and high-quality material,” he explains.
The bus is perfect for two people and can accommodate up to three visitors.
One of the biggest attractions is sitting at the original steering wheel and taking pictures, so much so that the next step will be to put a box with a hippie costume for those who want to transport themselves to the 1970s.
Emiliano says that many people who stay on the “magic bus” remember the movie directed by Sean Penn and inspired by the true story of Christopher McCandless, who traveled to Alaska in the early 1990s and lived aboard an abandoned bus.
NOTHING IS LOST; EVERYTHING IS TRANSFORMED
Adapting a vehicle into accommodation was no easy task, and several details were considered.
Many plants were placed on the bus’s roof to reduce the temperature inside.
With the help of the “green roof” and a Styrofoam barrier, the sun’s rays are not so intense anymore.
The toilet and plumbing part was also challenging because making the holes and connections for the water to pass through was difficult.
Sustainability is the motto of this establishment.
The old subway benches were placed next to the dining table.
The metal bars where people held on to each other were reused to create other furniture and also gained another life outside.
One of the most special parts is the bathroom at the back, which has a glass wall.
Taking a shower and looking at this greenery guarantees peace and warmth.
FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS
After the bus and the wagon, he still wants more: his next dream is to buy an old airplane and turn it into a small hotel.
“I already have everything planned in my head. It won’t be easy, but when you do what you like, it’s impossible for things not to turn out well,” he believes.
Giramundo, who has already lived in Brazil and owned a hostel, says his place is now in Tigre.
“I used to work in downtown Buenos Aires and didn’t have much time to spend with my family.”
“Nowadays, I appreciate every minute because being lucky enough to work from home and share time with my son and wife is my most valuable thing.”
Maybe this is also what the protagonist of “In the Wilderness” looked for when he wrote:
“Happiness is only real when shared.”
HOW TO GET THERE
Casa Giramundo is in Tigre, a municipality 30 kilometers from Buenos Aires.
It is possible to arrive by train; the trip is comfortable and takes about an hour.
Then from Tigre station, you have to take an Uber or cab (about 15 minutes) to the lodging in Villa La Ñata.
With information from UOL
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