Miércoles

Today we went to class in the morning and then came back for a siesta. I love that they have siestas here. From 12:30-4, almost all businesses shut down and everybody goes home to rest. I wish we had siestas in the States!
After our naps, we did our homework and then went into the city. We saw la Plaza de Independencia, la Plaza España, and la Plaza Italia. It was fun, but it was a long walk. We covered 20 blocks, which was hard in the heat. I was glad to be able to sit down and have some nice, cold water.
It was hot again- back in the 100s. I prefer this to the weather in the States, but it was pretty gross out. During lunch, we watched the news and they talked about the weather in New York. Glad I’m not dealing with those temperatures!

The picture is the view from my bus stop. It doesn’t do the mountains justice, but it’s beautiful. It’s amazing to have the Andes right there every morning while we wait for the bus. How many people get to see this every morning? Love this place!

City Tour

I had to take the bus to class today. I was all by myself because my roommate was sick and had to see a doctor here. I was nervous and I ended up missing my stop at the university because it didn’t look familiar, but the bus driver was super nice and dropped me off close to my stop.
After class we went out to lunch and then everyone came over to the neighbor’s pool. We got off at the wrong stop. It was the neighborhood next to us, so it wasn’t far, but it wasn’t fun to walk in the heat. Swimming was a nice treat.
We went on a city tour. We got to see some really cool stuff. I loved El Cerro de la Gloria, which is in the Andes. The city center is amazing and I absolutely love being here
Tomorrow we’re going to visit all 5 Plazas and then we’ll go shopping and see more of the city.

First Day of School!

Yesterday was our first day of school. Four hours in a row is pretty hard to do. It was a little hard because the videos that we watched had a narrator that spoke really fast. Today was a lot better though.
After classes, we went out to lunch and then came back and swam in the neighbor’s pool. We were in there for three hours and I got burned again. I’m hoping it turns into a tan, but right now I just look like a lobster.
School is different here, but I’m glad I get to experience it all.

Mendoza!

Early this morning we boarded a plane and flew to Mendoza. We met our host families (I absolutely love mine) and spent the day with them. We met our host mom’s parents and siblings and our host dad’s kids. We were at his parents’ house and got to swim. It was really refreshing because it’s hotter here than it was in Buenos Aires. I got a little burned, but I’m hoping that will turn into a tan. :p
Mendoza is so different from Buenos Aires. It’s not nearly as busy, but it’s still pretty. It was amazing to see the Andes as we flew in, and we can see them when we drive. It’s very peaceful here and I think that I’m going to like going to class here. The university is super close, so that’s a definite plus.
It’s been a long day, so I’m really tired. I’m glad to be here and to finally be with my host family, but tomorrow is when the real work starts. School starts for me tomorrow, which is ironic because my brothers will be off of school due to the cold. We have 4 hours of class a day plus some grammar work on the side. We were told that we have a test tomorrow to see what we know and don’t know, especially because the vocabulary is different from what we learned. I’m nervous about going to class, but it’s going to be a wonderful experience.

La Estancia

We spent most of today at a ranch. It was nice to be out in the sun and to see a different side of Argentina. We’ve been in the big city since we got here, so it was cool to see the country.
We got to go on a horse carriage ride. At lunch, they served lots of meat. Then, they had a show for us where we got to hear traditional music and see traditional dances. That was definitely my favorite part of the day. After the show, we watched the gauchos play a game where they ran through an arch on their horse. There were key rings attached to the ends of straps and they had to get the key ring things around a rod.
We won’t be doing much tonight because we leave for the airport at 5:00 tomorrow morning. Our host families will be meeting us at the airport, so I’m both nervous and excited to get to Mendoza. I’m going to miss Buenos Aires, but I’m ready for more adventures!

Tango Night

Yesterday was a free day for us. We slept in, then walked around the city again. I bought a phone using only Spanish, so I was pretty happy with myself. It was hard to understand the guy because he was mumbling and talking so quietly, but I walked out with a phone!
In the evening we went to a Tango show where one of the most famous Tango singers used to perform. We had a nice dinner and the show was fun to watch. I loved the band and the dancers were ridiculously talented. The Tango was born in Argentina and Uruguay, so I’m glad we got to experience a huge part of the culture.

El Alamo

Since all of us are legal here, I went out to a bar with three friends tonight. It was smoky but cheap and lots of fun. We chatted with the bartender and and was cool to experience another part of Argentina’s culture. The bar had three floors and was absolutely packed on the first floor, with the second floor being pretty full and the third floor being pretty tame (that’s where we hung out). It was a good time and it was nice to have some free time to walk around and explore the city on our own.

El Caminito

After the churches, we went to the poorer part of Buenos Aires. I loved this part because it’s so colorful. The people in the poor part of Buenos Aires can’t afford to buy new materials, so they use scrap metal to build their tenements. They don’t have insulation, so the summers are very hot and the winters are very cold. The shops that lined the roads were filled with souvenirs and it was fun to look at all the colors and explore a little bit. It was sad that even though it looks colorful and alive, the people are very poor. After el Caminito, we drove through the slums of Buenos Aires. It was hard to see people with almost nothing and dogs walking around without food or water.

El Papa

We got to see the church where the current Pope used to hold mass when he was the Bishop and Archbishop. It was very ornate. The tiles on the floor were hand made and everything about the church was gorgeous. They had lots of displays and all of them were beautiful.

Los Desaparecidos

After the mausoleum, we went to La Casa Rosada, or the Pink House, which is where the president works, but does not live. The plaza is home to many demonstrations. Every Thursday at 3:00, the mothers of the desaparecidos march for the children that were taken from them during the 70s. It was very sad to watch, as most of these women are now very old. The spoke and then got onto a van while others marched in the background. They had pictures of their missing children and it was heartbreaking to see them still mourning them. The women wore cloth diapers on their heads to represent the bond between mother and child.