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Nature and Chocolate

The outings continue with el Zanjón de Granados restored architecture, Museo Evita and Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA). After a busy week we were rewarded with a long weekend for Carnaval. Thanks to Holy Cross we enjoyed a change of scenery in Bariloche, a beautiful town in the Patagonia region. We were responsible for packing our bags, boarding the airplane for the two hour flight, and the rest was taken care of by our sweet guide. 

On our first full day we toured Circuito Chico, including the city, forest, lake, and Andes Mountains. We took a chairlift to the top of the Cerro Campanario mountain to take in the breathtaking view. The next day we took a boat to Isla Victoria and Bosque de Arrayanes. The water was crystal clear and the seagulls hovered over the boat happily accepting crackers from anyone that offered. The cool southern air, ranging from fifty to sixty degrees, was perfectly refreshing. 

Bariloche is known for its chocolate, especially from the shops Rapanui and Mamushka, and I can attest that it is delicious. We returned to the city this morning, with chocolate for our new friends, and it feels good to be back. I have been resting, doing errands, and preparing for another academic week, this one only three days.

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The City and the Countryside

Welcome to week two! My schedule is definitely picking up and I am enjoying every moment of it. The organized excursions have begun amidst the one-hundred-degree heat wave which has led to much bonding in our small cohort. The majority of us come from the states with a few from Canada and Ireland. In addition, I have spent time with some lovely Argentine students from the local university.

First, we toured la Casa Rosada, or the Pink House, where the president works. Then we went to el Teatro Colón, one of the theaters with the best acoustics in the world. The art and architecture of these buildings is incredible, the balconies, sculptures, paintings, windows, and lights. Most recently, we spent the day in el campo or the countryside at la Estancia Don Silvano. I rode a horse for the first time, ate asado, watched dance and gaucho shows, and of course swam in the pool.

On a more regular basis, we have been attending class and doing homework in cafes and plazas. I am easing into drinking coffee which helps with the late nights and continuing to enjoy empanadas, pasta, churros, and ice cream. My host mom has introduced me to homemade milanesa and tarta. I am taking advantage of walking around the city and starting to learn my way around. So far, I love it here.
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Love at First Sight

My first five days in Argentina have flown by and I am settling in quite well. When I arrived my schedule was essentially a blank slate due to the red-eye flight and two hour time change. I quickly adapted to the five or six o’clock merienda and late nine o’clock dinner, consisting of many empanadas and alfajores. People go dancing around one in the morning until the latest six. Argentines kiss one another on the cheek in greeting and when saying goodbye and cars have the right away which makes crossing the street difficult.

I am still adjusting to the military time and metric system, primarily celsius and kilometers, and pesos. The best exchange rate at the moment is 1 US dollar to about 365 pesos. The weather has been in the high eighties to nineties. It is absolutely beautiful here, Argentina flags, palm trees, buses, pigeons, and all.

We have stumbled across some of the monumental sights, although we are trying not to get ahead of ourselves as the university organizes these trips for us throughout the first month. As far as school, we are enrolled in an intensive month-long Spanish course until the regular semester begins in March. We have been busy with orientation, meetings, and rotating two hour grammar, conversation, literature, and art and culture classes. In addition, we are learning Argentine words and with all the practice I already feel more comfortable speaking the language.