Day 7 was filled with lots of fun! We had a chance to have a break from the lectures and get outside and have some fun. Our day started with a trip to Luján where we visited the Basílica de Luján. A basílica is a church that has been accorded special privileges by the pope. When we arrived at the church they were starting mass and there was hundreds of people there to attend as well as look at the beautiful architecture of the building. Inside the church there is a terracotta statue of the Virgin Mary. Our professor told us that back in the 1600s the statue was made in Brazil and brought to Argentina. A man wanted to take the statue north, but the oxen that was pulling the cart with the statue would not move. When the statue was removed the oxen began to walk. So, they took that as a sign that the statue was meant to be in Argentina and they then built the Bacílica in 1887.

After seeing the church for about 30 minutes we headed over to a ranch where they had so many activities as well as cows, pigs, horses, etc. We had lunch around 1 pm and we got to try a bunch of different cool things. We tried blood sausage, pig colon, pig intestines, and a bunch of other things. They actually weren’t too bad! Then we had free time to do whatever we wanted for a few hours. We played volleyball, spike ball, went on a bike ride, and got to go around and see all the animals. It really felt good to have a day to relax and be outside in the nice weather.

Now, tomorrow is Mother’s Day and since I won’t be able to be with her this year I wanted to talk about how important she is to me. My moms name is Leslie and she is the most supportive person in my life. She pushes me to do my best and is always there for me when I need her and I am so grateful to have her in my life. If it wasn’t for her constant encouragement and support I wouldn’t be where I am today or in Argentina. Thank you mom, I love you!

See you all tomorrow!