Today was a jam packed day! We started with an 11 PM flight, where I got to sit next to someone who lives in Argentina. It was interesting to talk with him a little about Argentina culture before attempting to sleep on the 10 hour flight. The flight was overall smooth-however I did not get as much rest as I would have liked. This was my first time flying internationally. It was interesting to see how the flight catered to multiple cultures/languages by announcing in both English and Spanish. We landed at about 9:45 am (Argentina time). The nice adjustment about this flight was that the time difference was only an hour later than Eastern Time.
We then got to drop off our luggage at the hotel, and went to IES for a welcome meal-which was delicious. The IES office had a beautiful view of Buenos Aires off their balcony.
We then went back to the hotel to get settled in. After this, Jaya and I went for a walk, where we saw a huge statue commemorating Argentina’s independence, and went to a cafe. At the cafe I had an espresso con leche. We met a local couple who gave us recommendations for some restaurants which I definitely want to try later in the week. After this, we met up with the rest of the group and did some more walking/ exploring of Buenos Aires. I loved the architecture, and noticed that the city was overall kept pretty clean. There were also so many dogs- most of which were not on a leash.
We stopped at a restaurant for some empanadas-it was my first time trying them. I had a pollo and carne one. I tried my best to order in Spanish-which was a common challenge I faced all throughout today. All the Argentinians I talked to today were very accommodating and encouraged my very poor Spanish. This was similar to mannerisms I would find in the US. To end the night, we went to a small bakery and I tried a Tres Leches desert. Overall I had a very exciting day and am looking forward to the rest of the trip! Also happy mother’s day to my mom- I miss you!
