Today, we had a pretty late start to the day, so I started my morning off by sleeping in! (which was a first for this action-packed trip) After I finally work up, we managed to find a bagel place around two blocks from the hotel, so I used that as my fuel for the day that was forthcoming. (bagel review was a solid 7/10, it was too soft in my opinion)
To start, we boarded a bus to the Museo de los Imigrantes! Unfortunately, the mosquito issues seemed to follow us outside the museum, so the group quickly ran inside to escape their wrath. As you an see by the name, it was a museum focused on the immigration pattern and process that it took for people to come to Argentina. The building that the museum was in was actually a hotel for men, women, and children, where they could stay for the duration of their immigration process. The building was designed in the same was a hospital was, utilizing tiling for easy cleaning, and windows for natural light and the rid the air of potential smells, as 250 people would sleep in one room. Something interesting that I learned was only the poorer travelers were considered immigrants, while middle and upper class were considered tourists. The idea was that the wealthier people would be able to support themselves free from government assistance, and would be able to return to their homeland whenever they feel ready. The poorer immigrants would need to be protected by the government, and provided with assistance, hence why they would stay in this ‘hotel’, to make sure they are prepped for when they officially become citizens. There was a room that featured artifacts of the many people who came through the hotel, specifically from the Middle East, which was very cool to see! In comparison to the US, I think that Argentina definitely provides more resources and grants a much easier process than home. I think it honestly is a little brutal that potential Americans must wait at least 14 years to be given protection by the government, as it puts them in so much potential danger.
Afterwards, we traveled to another museum, Museo de Ethnigrafico. I think at this point in the day, the exhaustion was hitting me, so I did not enjoy this one very much. The concept of it was cool however, as it featured ancient artifacts from all over the world, including an empty sarcophagus from Egypt, and a Buddhist shrine from Japan! My favorite part was honestly the llamas that we go to sit on while exploring the upstairs area, as they were the most comfortable things I have ever sat on. (in the moment) The comfort did not last however, as we were forced to walk home, as our bus got stuck in traffic, and we needed to rush home for the final event of the day!
Our final event was an alumni dinner, where we met with 2 very powerful alumni from Pitt, who live here in Argentina. The food was italian, so naturally I loved it, however I never got an opportunity to talk to any of the alumni. It was cool to learn that one owns a billion dollar company, and it making a difference in the medical field though! It was kind of bittersweet that this was our last scheduled day here, but I cannot wait for our last two days!
