We landed in Buenos Aires around 9am this morning after a ten hour flight from Atlanta. After going through customs and picking up our luggage, we made our way to a van to transport us to our hotel. As we drove through Buenos Aires, I noticed many aspects of this city that surprised me and were different from my original expectations.
One difference in Buenos Aires as opposed to Pittsburgh was the driving situation. As we drove, I saw most cars never used their turn signals when switching lanes. I was not expecting this because I always thought every driver should use their turn signal. The highways also had several lanes, whereas my hometown only has two lanes on highways. As we drove, there were many grassy fields outside of the highways with horses and cows grazing. This surprised me a lot because I’ve never seen it before.
Unsurprisingly, the highways were very busy. Buenos Aires is a huge city, so I was expecting to experience traffic while driving. Vehicles weaved between lanes without warning. Pittsburgh traffic is nothing compared to Buenos Aires! There were also different cars here than in the United States. I noticed many vans and taxis driving along with us, but this didn’t surprise me too much because Buenos Aires is a popular tourist destination.
As I prepared for my trip to Argentina, I expected the weather to be very warm and sunny. Although it’s only the first day, the weather has been great. It’s sunny and around 65 degrees Fahrenheit- the perfect temperature to me! I was also expecting the food to be great. Today we had a barbecue welcome luncheon with the travel agency working with our group. We ate chorizo and carne sliders with a variety of toppings offered. The food was absolutely amazing, and I understand why people rave about the meat in Argentina!
Throughout the next two weeks, I’m excited to try new restaurants and visit local parks and shops in Buenos Aires. I look forward to visiting local steakhouses and pizza shops with my new friends I’ve made through this experience. Santa Fe Avenue, which is the street we’re staying on, is home to many small and popular shops. I’m excited to check them out and get some souvenirs! There are several parks to visit in Buenos Aires, so I’m looking forward to taking advantage of this nice weather by spending time at the parks. The site visits excite me as well. Having the opportunity to visit two universities in Buenos Aires and many healthcare institutions is a great learning experience. I can’t wait to see what these next two weeks have in store!
View from our rooftop lunch this afternoon