What a long flight that was! After about 10 hours of flying, we arrived in Buenos Aires today. I was excited to get to use some of my Spanish at the airport and customs went very smoothly. After collecting our bags, the group took a bus to our beautiful hotel called Park Royal where my roommate and I were excited to start setting up for the next two weeks. We were kindly welcomed by the IES staff and received a very generous lunch with a rooftop view of the city. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining and we all enjoyed salad, roasted veggies, and various grilled meats that were so delicious after a long night of travel. I enjoyed getting to talk to the Plus3 group over dinner and begin brainstorming some of the restaurants we wanted to try in the area.
After lunch, we gathered for a health and safety meeting that helped us understand the different customs and practices Argentina has compared to the US. I will definitely put this presentation into practice as we continue with the next two weeks and need to safely order taxis, meet new people, and embrace the culture within Buenos Aires. When the meeting concluded most of us went to go exchange US dollars for Argentinian pesos at a place across from our hotel. This was something I had never done before and am happy now to know how this process works for future exchanges and foreign travel.
From our adventures today, my first impressions of Argentina were very positive and I look forward to exploring more of its culture. At night, our group walked around the streets near our hotel and got to see the amazing architecture of many of the buildings as well as find some local restaurants and cafes we want to try later on the trip. From what we saw on our walk and heard today in the IES meeting, I can already begin to grasp what life is like in Buenos Aires. The connectivity and slower paced lifestyle makes it a very welcoming city. I also enjoyed how walkable it was during the daytime. Though I am still getting used to the change in currency, I feel a little more confident after purchasing some water jugs and other necessities for the week at local shops. In all, it was a great first day and I am so excited to see what the rest of the week will bring.
High and Low of the Day: Today’s highlight definitely had to be the amazing dinner on the rooftop. Talking around a table and eating amazing food with a great view gave us a glimpse of the good things yet to come. The downside of the long flight, however, was that most of us were very exhausted; I will be getting great sleep tonight and back with more exciting things to share tomorrow!
