The other day on her blog Diva pointed out that you can do a cheap tour of Buenos Aires on the #24 bus. I take that bus often and it does have a lot of highlights.

But for the adventurous among you the #39 also offers an exciting journey. Catch the 39 where it starts in Chacarita or somewhere in Palermo, perhaps around Plaza Italia before the bus makes its way down Av Santa Fe. Eventually the bus will turn down Talcahuano and head down towards the barrio of Constitución.

Now, this is where the fun begins and I recommend that you take this tour at night, preferably after 11pm. Yeah, they run fewer buses at that time and it will be crowded but if you got on in Palermo then you should have found a seat without a problem. And you’ll definitely want a window seat as you travel through Constitución.

As the bus turns from Santiago del Estero onto Pavón keep an eye out the window for the prostitutes working that corner. There are usually quite a number in that area, many of whom strike quite a pose in only their knee-length boots, panties, and bras. But look closely before disembarking to sample the merchandise, any that look too feminine are probably guys.

If you stay onboard the 39 after this point, then you will soon be treated to seeing the magnificient and (at night) illuminated Constitución station. It really does look quite nice and, actually, is a serious reason for taking the 39 in the evenings. Most passengers will depart here in order to take a train somewhere to the south. But you’ll probably want to stay on the bus for a while longer.

The 39 continues past Constitución and into the lower edge of San Telmo, turning eventually onto Av Caseros. You’ll probably want to get off at the corner of Caseros and Bolivar. It’s perfectly safe there anytime of the night. From there you can walk one block over to Defensa and then up another block to have a drink at Hipopótamo or the new Bar Británico. Or, you can follow Diva’s advice and pick up the 24 bus for the night tour in the other direction.

Yanqui Mike has a cool image celebrating Felix Día del Transporte…all sorts of things happen on the buses in Buenos Aires.

Update: I notice that Constitución station is no longer illuminated at night. Perhaps it’s a cost/energy-saving issue. Oh, well, it’s still worthwhile to take the bus by the station anyway.