Today was our first day in Argentina, and we quickly began to get accustomed to our new surroundings. Although we had had a very long flight, it was easy to get through customs, collect our luggage, and be on our way to the city. It was cool to see the transition from the more rural parts of Argentina near the airport with fields and cows into the city of Buenos Aires filled with apartments, office buildings, and restaurants. The architecture was beautiful and interesting to see, with older stone buildings being right next to tall glass ones. There were also many billboards displaying the Argentina national football team and their win in the South American Championship.  We then stopped by the hotel to put down our luggage and headed to the IES building, where we went up to the top floor and ate lunch on an outdoor terrace with a full view of the city. The weather was beautiful with the sun shining and a slight breeze blowing. The lunch included sweet potatoes, eggplant, and a variety of meats such as a chorizo sandwich, chicken, and steak. The food was delicious, and although I was quickly becoming full, I tried everything. I especially enjoyed the steak.  We then went in for a safety presentation and learned about some of the customs of the people here, and we were on our way!

We had the rest of the day to ourselves and took the time to exchange currency,  purchase some needed items, and explore the city. We passed and made note of many restaurants to try later in the week and discovered two places that included my name, Lucia, in their names, such as a hotel named Casa Lucia and a jewelry store called Lucia Fuegas, which had many beautiful rings, necklaces, and bracelets. We stopped inside and looked around for a while, but I intend to return! We finished the day with a group dinner at a nearby restaurant and walked around the city. Overall, it was a strong start for the trip, and I can’t wait to see what the upcoming days hold!