
We went out to San Telmo, a historic area of Buenos Aires, but first stopped at a craft market near our apartment at Plaza Serrano, where Amanda acquired a new scarf.
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El Zanjon is a restored building in San Telmo that was built in the 1830s, possibly atop a very early settlement. It's owned by a private company, which has funded archeological digs and restored it with a mixture of original and modern fittings.
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The tour starts in the first courtyeard, which was originally open to the sky.
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The place is very artfully lit (somewhat spoiled by camera flashes) and this hall is often used to host dinners.
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In floors scattered through the building are grilles that allow you to see through to historic points of interest below.
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This is the underground level, now used for parties.
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The original water cistern.
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The buildings in this area were built atop a stream, which was enclosed in these tunnels (originally with dirt floors). At some point they were blocked up with garbage as a new sewer system removed the need for water to flow this way.
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The garbage-filled culverts were a rich source of archaeological material, and the company eventually purchased rights from the neighbors so it could continue to excavate where the streams proceeded under the houses next door.
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One of the fancy party areas.
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