Tag Archives: buenos aires

Visits to Santiago and Valparaiso

The program officially ended June 24 but due to the fact that I studied at a local university, Torcuato di Tella, my stay got extended until July 1. Exams at the university, where I took two classes, weren’t very difficult and honestly di Tella is one of the most organized universities in Argentina. I highly recommend attending that university although it is 45 minutes away from the program headquarters.

Since I booked my departure back home two weeks earlier I decided to visit Chile specifically Santiago and Valparaiso. Santiago, the capital, is vastly different from Buenos Aires with more modern architecture and of course a free-trade economy. Santiago’s nightlife is a bit lacking though, my guide said that was due to the many years of dictatorship in which people were afraid to live freely.

Palacio La Moneda

On my second day there I took a ‘Find Waldo’ tours for tips tour. We meet at the Museo de Bellas Artes, which by the way is absolutely gorgeous and free. Our tour guide was a young 20 year old woman who was very helpful and showed us some of the most iconic places in the city. We visited the Moneda, the presidential palace and learned about the history of the dictatorship, a subject I thoroughly studied at di Tella. We also visited the Plaza de Armas, the central square in Santiago, and a couple of neighborhoods.

View from Cerro Santa Lucia

View from Cerro Santa Lucia

I spent three days in Valparaiso, a port city protected by the UNESCO and I honestly liked it better than Santiago probably due to the fact that its closer to water. It is a very picturesque and calm city somewhere you can probably retire to. I also to a ‘Find Waldo’ Tour and it was also very informative.

Valparaiso

Valparaiso

 

Valparaiso

Valparaiso

The food especially seafood, something not very good in Argentina is fantastic. While I stayed in Chile I tried to eat as much seafood as possible including ceviche, a seafood dish cooked in lime juice. I also tried chorillana, a typical hangover plate with french fries, caramelized onions, and meat (sausage,beef, and sometimes chicken). The cazuela de vacuna (a soup with meat, potatoes, corn, and pumpkin) is also very delicious, I had it on my last day. It is especially good with the fierce cold weather in Santiago.


Location: Santiago, Chile

First Impressions

After a very long flight, I finally arrived to Buenos Aires. Orientation week was hectic but it felt like a long vacation before the start of classes at IES (the exchange program ) this week. In a week our group of about 56 students toured Buenos Aires city and its outskirts.

On our first day we visited Puerto Madero, a relatively new neighborhood that hosts many businesses and youth. Soon after we visited La Boca, quite the opposite of Puerto Madero, an old neighborhood that hosted many European immigrants during the 1900s. The most striking feature of La Boca, is Caminito, a vibrant street filled with colorful houses and street art.

Walking through Caminito.

Walking through Caminito.

The exchange program IES offers courses at partner universities or local universities like Universidad Catolica de Argentina, Universidad Torcuato di Tella, and Universidad de Buenos Aires. The first two universities are private and are modeled after American universities, many middle and upper class students attend these universities. Public university in Argentina is free therefore anybody can attend including foreigners from neighboring countries.

View from IES Center. Carlos Pellegrini.

View from IES Center. Carlos Pellegrini.

Additionally we visited Recoleta, a wealthy neighborhood in Buenos Aires which also houses Recoleta cemetery. The cemetery is unlike any cemetery I have ever seen, it encases a couple hundred mausoleums from some of the wealthiest families in Argentina. Not all who rest in Recoleta were wealthy though, one of the cemetery keepers who began working there since its inception worked all his life to buy a plot. He bought a space and then promptly committed suicide.

The Congreso Nacional or National Congress was also in our tour of Buenos Aires. The congress is open to the public and may be given a guided tour. The structure of the constitution and congress is modeled after the United States. With two senators per province (not state), and the number representatives represented by the population of each province. The architecture of the building has Italian influence, a notable aspect of Argentinas culture and history.

Congreso Nacional. Much of the room is illuminated by stained glass.

Congreso Nacional. Much of the room is illuminated by stained glass.

On the Saturday before the start of classes we went to an Estancia in Lujan called Rodizio. An modern estancia mostly resembles a ranch but with more land dedicated for leisure activities like swimming, playing soccer, riding bikes, or just sunbathing.

Estancia Rodizio in Lujan.

Estancia Rodizio in Lujan.

Basilica Our Lady of Lujan.

Basilica Our Lady of Lujan.


Location: Carlos Pellegrini

A cosmopolitan city

Recoleta

This is the barrio that I live in, and it is perfect for me! It is super close to the IES center. It is filled with quiet, shady streets, French architecture, and is the “old money” neighborhood of Buenos Aires.  I especially love the tea house that is a block away from where I live!

My friends and I at Bonjour Paris

My friends and I at Bonjour Paris

The perfect pair

The perfect pair

They have great tea in adorable little tea pots and deliciously warm scones. I go there a lot to do homework, read, knit, or just people watch. People often meet each other here after work. Old women bring their dogs to sit with them and their friends and chat.

When I am not at  the tea house, my favorite ice cream spot is also in Recoleta a few blocks from my house. It´s called Fragola and has tons of amazing flavors. I have made it mission to try all of the flavors before I leave Argentina. I haven’t completed the mission entirely but have come quite close. I love the Maracuyá (passion fruit) and Roger flavors. The Roger flavor really confused me at first because  I had no idea what Roger could possibly be in Spanish. But it is actually flavored after the candy Ferrero Rocher, which I love and so I also loved the Roger (in Spanish sounds like Rocher) ice cream. I love getting ice cream and crossing the street to sit in the shady park when it is unbearably humid and hot. In the park, I can sit and enjoy my ice cream while families play with their babies and other young people sit around and drink mate. On the same block of the ice cream store is my favorite empanada place, Maestros. This is a great place to grab a cheap meal: three empanadas of mozzerella, tomato, and basil for 50 pesos, or about 5 dollars. On the weekends, there is also a great fair on Plaza Francia. They sell a lot of leather goods, mates, incense, and jewelry. I have bought a lot of souvenirs and gifts for my friends there.

Plaza Francia

Plaza Francia

Overall, Recoleta is filled with small cafes and boutiques that make it very charming to stroll around and enjoy the day.

Palermo

The most charming part about Palermo, a neighborhood to the west of Recoleta, is that there are so many colorful murals and colorful cafes that line its cobbled streets.

Mural in Palermo

Mural in Palermo

This barrio is very different from Recoleta. It has a huge expat community and sometimes restaurants or cafes will have their entire menu posted in English or have numerous references to American culture.

Exhibit A: Kramer in Buenos Aires

Many expatriates establish their own restaurants that offer food that is difficult to find in Buenos Aires. For example, I love going to a this one restaurant with my friends that offers Sunday American brunch. I normally don´t go for breakfast burritos in the US, but when I go I want something obnoxiously American for breakfast. So I ordered their breakfast burrito, and it is amazing! Another fun place on the weekend is LattenTe, a coffee shop. On Sunday´s an expat from New York sells his homemade bagels. His company´s name is Sheikob´s Bagels; sheikob is how Argentines would pronounce his name, Jacob. He was a lifesaver because I absolutely love bagels and they are not to be found in Buenos Aires, unless you count bread in the shape of a bagel.

So in Palermo, it is definitely more common to hear English and feel more at home.

Belgrano

Belgrano is farther away from where I live, so I haven’t been there too many times. But I went there once on a field trip with IES to a Buddhist temple there. We got a tour of the temple and learned how to meditate and greet the Buddha. Another time, I also visited Barrio chino, their Chinatown, which is also in Belgrano. It was fun to walk through the pagoda gate into the barrio. My friend and I happily enjoyed a yummy, spicy meal in a Chinese restaurant. Spice is sometimes hard to find in Buenos Aires: they don’t even offer black pepper on the table in restaurants. So, it was great fun to spend a day in Barrio Chino.

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San Telmo

This is an older neighborhood of Buenos Aires and is where the biggest artesanal fair in the city is held on Sunday´s. I love taking the colectivo (the bus) to the Plaza de Mayo and wandering down Avenida Defensa through the fair. Similar things to the Plaza Francia fair are sold here, but there are tons of tourists and stands; you could waste all day browsing through the stalls. One of my favorite restaurants is also in this neighborhood: La panadería de Pablo. The food is great and there´s a great outdoor terrace with heaters for when it is a little chilly. The restaurant also plays great music and the menu has soup, which is not commonly offered at restaurants in Buenos Aires.

Puerto Madero

This is the newest neighborhood of Buenos Aires: about a decade ago the government invested in the abandoned port area to renovate it. It is now so beautiful and is actually where my local university is located. So sometimes after class, I walk along the water and enjoy the nice breeze that comes in off the port. There are a lot of touristy restaurants and you can even go in a gondola to float along the river for a bit. This area is the most expensive to live in, and there are a lot of executive offices for large companies like Google in the skyscrapers in this neighborhood. The best part about this neighborhood is that there is an ecological reserve to the East where you can get some fresh air and get away from the noise of the city.

 

Only a part of the whole

All of these neighborhoods have a unique feel and a unique group of people that live there. However, whether you’re looking for a tea house, a cafe with great espresso, a buddhist temple, or a burger joint, you can find it in this cosmopolitan city. But no matter what neighborhood you visit in Buenos Aires, you are always greeted by a cafe on the corner, two bookstores on every block, and a restaurant that offers a fresh milanesa and empanadas.


Location: Carlos Pelligrini 1069 Buenos Aires, Argentina

So, are you fluent yet?

An Interminable Progress

One of my pet peeves is when I talk to my friends at home and they ask me, “So are you fluent yet?” Considering I came to Argentina to improve my Spanish and practice it living day to day in a foreign country, this is a valid question. After being here for about two months, my Spanish vocabulary and my ability to speak has improved immensely. However, it is very hard to   say yes, I am fluent in a second language. I am still learning constantly, so I would say that I am certainly proficient in Spanish. But saying I am fluent makes me feel that I am done learning Spanish, that I am satisfied with my ability to communicate in a second language. I always try to improve my accent, but I am resigned that this is very hard to do. Even people whose first language is not English who have lived in the US for decades often still have accents. Even with this being said, I do not think I will ever be satisfied with my fluency in Spanish. Even in English, I love reading and learning new words to enrich my vocabulary. Of course, I would say I am fluent in English. But the never ending process of learning a second language – learning new vocabulary, learning the context of when words and expressions are used- makes it harder for me to say yes, I am fluent in Spanish.

I need something that glues things together a.k.a glue

For example, the other day I needed glue or tape to finish a poster project about fracking in Argentina for my Spanish class. As I was walking to the store to buy glue, I realized I couldn’t remember the word for glue in Spanish. This presented a problem because in the school supplies stores here, the worker asks what you need and they get it for you. I couldn’t just look around for glue and pay without speaking. However, I remembered the verb to glue. So I asked the worker in the store for something that I could use to glue paper to a poster. She understood and asked if I wanted liquid form or the stick. Of course, this was not the most concise way for me to buy glue, but I got what I needed and finished my project. But now, I now the word for glue and won’t forget it anytime soon. This kind of learning is a daily occurrence.

Living in a foreign country that speaks your second language is the most incredible learning experience. All of my courses here are in Spanish. Whether I’m in my Argentine poetry class or my Patagonia anthropology class, I’m constantly learning new words. When I take the bus through the city, advertisements and store signs flash by me, teaching me new words and expressions. When summer was ending here, every store had signs of “rebajas, rebajas!”, “sale, sale!”. I learn new social and political terms when I pass by signs campaigning for candidates. In the Plaza de Mayo, there are always political demonstrations or political graffiti and posters across from the Casa Rosada, the equivalent of the White House.

The poster hung in the Plaza de Mayo says Truth...? Memory...? Justice...? Inclusion...?: Lies from those governing! We want to believe in their commitment to memory, justice, and truth.

The poster hung in the Plaza de Mayo says Truth…? Memory…? Justice…? Inclusion…?: Lies from those governing!
We want to believe in their commitment to memory, justice, and truth.

Sail or candle?

Although I read La Canción de la Pirata (The Song of the Pirate) in my Spanish literature class, I have never had a sailing unit in any Spanish class at Penn State. When I first told my host family I was going sailing, I remembered the word for sail, but my host family didn’t understand me at first. I second-guessed my memory of the word for sail because it also means candle. But after going sailing, I have a concrete experience of sailing, had conversations with our Spanish speaking captain, and learned lots of new words related to sailing and the river: words like sailing, stern, and words for different types of sailboats.

Sailing with my friends on the Río de la Plata

Sailing with my friends on the Río de la Plata

Oh, I can read a menu in Spanish… I think

We also had alfajores on our sailing trip. Alfajores are two cookies that have dulce de leche in between them, and the whole thing is dipped in chocolate. A lot of Argentine dishes, like in any language, have their own specific name. So, it has surprised me how difficult reading menus or reading labels in the market has been. For example, lomo is a word I commonly see on signs near large cuts of meat at delis. I am normally a vegetarian at home, so not knowing what type of meat my sandwich has freaks me out. I think, “Oh, is lomo rabbit? Deer? What could this possibly be?” Turns out lomo is just a cut of meat. Argentines are very serious about meat, so normally signs and menus always include the cut of meat, no matter whether it is a to-go sandwich shop or a nice French restaurant. I also saw a quiche that was labelled “puerro” in the market. This also freaked me out because puerro sounds very similar to perro, meaning dog. However, I found out puerro means leek, so I didn’t need to worry that the market offered dog quiche.

My favorite bakery: In the name of dessert!

My favorite bakery: In the name of dessert!

An alfajor

An alfajor

I have even learned a lot of words for vegetables, fruits and herbs here: eggplant, basil, arugula, parsley, grapefruit. When I go to my favorite bakery, En el Nombre de Postre, I learn new words for spices like cinnamon or the phrase for whole-grain bread.

Another language challenge is the ice cream parlor. You would think this would be simple, but if a foreigner came to an ice cream store in the US, there are plenty of names that don’t really describe what the ice cream actually is. For example, what the hell does moose tracks actually mean? There are many ice creams like this in Spanish too. I have been intrigued by one flavor named Roger. Sometimes I feel silly asking what an ice cream is like, so I remind myself that there are a lot of nonsensical names for ice creams in English too. I ask my friend who owns the store what the mysterious Roger ice cream is like, and he says that it is like the candy Ferrero-Rocher. So I tried it, and it was amazing!

So, all in all, I work on my Spanish constantly outside of the classroom. A lot of it depends on my own effort to learn. I can either point and gawk, or I can exercise my ability to ask Argentines what something means or get my point across without knowing the exact word that I want to use. So sometimes, it seems so much easier to point instead of say, “what is this like?”, “what is this made out of?”. So even though sometimes I feel like a complete idiot asking silly questions, I am an idiot that is learning new things every single day in the city, unlike any experience in a contained classroom at Penn State.


Location: Paraná 1205 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Get ready, get set, go!

State College has not prepared me for Buenos Aires.

In that small college town, trust is ubiquitous. No one checks your ticket to get into the movies. I leave my backpack and my computer on the tables of the dining halls or in a coffee shop downtown without a problem. I never keep my backpack in the front of me in case of pick pocketers. So of course, I have a lot of adjusting to do in a big city like Buenos Aires.

But the cultural change that I have the most trouble with so far is the cultural differences in transportation.

At Penn State, students, wearing headphones and looking at their phones, cross the steret without worrying about traffic. The drivers carefully stop and wait until the students cross. I always wear headphones and listen to music when I walk to class without any problems. I also ride my bicycle with headphones on during rush hour. Of course, sometimes I have to quickly stop to avoid a student, but it never is dangerous to ride by bike with headphones.

Of course, I take more care crossing the street in BA. I try to ignore a million distractions- the stores, the people, the smells, the sounds- to maintain my awareness of the traffic. I still do not know if the right of way for pedestrians exists here. Perhaps, I have only met particularly agressive drivers. For example, I have crossed the street, and the buses trying to turn onto the street I am crossing honk at me and accelerate towards me. It also seems strange to me how the lights turn from red, to yellow, to green here. There is no direct warning that the light is about to turn green in the US. When the bus drivers see this warning, they accelerate through the intersection and do not bother to wait for the light to turn green. This progression of lights makes me think of playing Mario Kart. I expect the bus drivers to get a boost for accelerating during the yellow light. Now I understand why IES prohibits any students driving or riding bikes in the street.

Even more surprising than drivers’ increased aggression is the lack of regularity and order in public transit. In State College, there is a bus stop right outside my dorm. There also is an App where I can see the location of the bus. I do not have to wait at the bus stop when it’s freezing. I can go out when I know the bus is very close. When the bus approaches the stop, I do not need to hail it down as I do in Argentina. I can also see if the bus is really far away, and if I do not want to wait, I can just walk. Of course, it’s not perfect, but yet again this experience has not prepared me for Buenos Aires.

There is also an App here, BA Como Llego (BA How I Arrive), that is a lifesaver. You only need to know your current location and your destination, and the App will tell you what line to take and the approximate duration of the trip. Key word: approximation, and do not even ask about schedules. A friend and I used the bus to travel to el Caminito, an open air museum in La Boca.

Pope Francis in El Caminito

Pope Francis in El Caminito

When we were done taking photos and walking around, we headed back to where we were dropped off by the bus. This bus stop was unmarked; we only knew it was a bus stop because a line of people were waiting.  We waited and we waited, but the bus didn’t come. I finally asked someone if our line came here, and they said no. The bus stops changed, and we had to walk a ways to find the new bus stop. Thankfully the new one was marked. After an hour, we hailed the bus down and headed home.

Although these changes can be frustrating and overwhelming at times, I must admit that somethings are universal when it comes to transportation. For one, there are always crazy taxi drivers no matter where you go. For another, there are always strange people, doing strange things, on the bus. Also in every city, people jaywalk and don’t cross at the corner. So, no matter where you go, you’ll always have a story to share about the crazy traffic.


Location: Avenida 9 de Julio y Santa Fe Buenos Aires, Argentina

¡Nos vemos!

My name is Alison Roby, and I am just starting my blog now because I leave for South America this weekend! Because the seasons are opposite in South America, I do not begin my study abroad in Buenos Aires until February 21. This extra-long winter break allows me to do some traveling before I arrive to Argentina, so I am visiting Colombia for two weeks as well! I am so excited for these experiences and cannot wait to share them with you through this blog.

At Penn State, I study biomedical engineering, but this semester I will be studying Spanish in Buenos Aires, Argentina through IES. I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish speaking country to complete my Spanish minor. I chose to go to South America because I really wanted to immerse myself in a place I may never have the opportunity to go to in the future. In Spanish classes, I love the challenge of trying to articulate my ideas in another language. I am excited, and also anxious, to have to face this challenge when trying to buy lunch, take an exam at a local university, or communicate with my host family. But through these difficulties, I hope to  improve my fluency in Spanish.

After living in State College, I am looking forward to living and learning in an urban environment like Buenos Aires . I can’t wait to explore the markets of San Telmo and experience the bohemian vibe of Buenos Aires.  I am also interested to learn how politics shape Argentine culture, from the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo to the developing investigation into the death of the Argentine prosecutor, Nissman. Overall, I hope studying abroad expands my understanding of Argentina, the rest of the world, and my place within it.

I will be updating this blog weekly to share my academic, cultural, and political experiences and hope you enjoy reading my blog!


Location: Churchville, PA 18966

Tango for Two!

This past week during Semana Santa I came to realize just how expensive Brazil is with a little trip down to Buenos Aires. There, where my one dollar gets me four pesos, I was in shopping heaven. It is soooo much cheaper than S�o Paulo. For example, a metro ride cost me about 1.20 pesos, which equals about 30 cents in the U.S. Here in S�o Paulo, a metro ride cost me 2.90 reais, equivalent to about US$1.90. It was a large relief of the high cost of living here in S�o Paulo.

                Unfortunately, the four other students that made up our group and I did not get to thoroughly enjoy this financial bliss for long. Even before I went to the Buenos Aires trip, my purse, which contained my credit/debit cards were robbed and I was relying on a friend for cash until my new card arrived. This happened 4 days before I left for Argentina. Once we got to Argentina, my friend was pick pocketed out of her wallet, which had her card. 3 days later, our other friend was pick pocketed out of her belongings as well. 3 girls, no cards to get cash. Needless to say we were not in a good financial state. What saved us in the end was Western Union. Our parents wired us money and by the second time we went there, the staff knew us well as the two Americans and the one French who went there almost every day.

                Apart from that problem, I had a BLAST in Buenos Aires. I loved walking through the city with its European atmosphere and large markets on the weekend such as the one in Recoleta. The nightlife was fantastic as well with the music that deviated from the usual electronic that most clubs have in S�o Paulo. It was awesome!!! One huge downside to the clubs in Buenos Aires, though, was the smoking. No law has been passed yet about smoking inside buildings I’m assuming, therefore you not only smell of sweat, but of smoke as well. I’m pretty sure I’ve never smelled that bad in my life.   

                I also had the experience of going to a tango show, complete with a lesson and dinner. The lesson was pretty weak to tell you the truth and very touristy, but the dinner and show more than made up for it. The tango show was spectacular with very talented dancers and singers giving an intimate yet powerful and entertaining show. It was definitely worth paying the 50 dollars it cost for lesson, show and dinner. The dinner was also amazing, with an appetizer, main entr�e and dessert. I highly recommend it for those who make the trip to Buenos Aires.

                Despite the fun times I had in this city, I still feel like I made the right choice studying in Brazil. I feel like the people of Brazil are nicer. Don’t get me wrong. I met some VERY nice people in Argentina, but I guess I’m more familiar with the embracing Brazilian ways. Plus, in Argentina almost everywhere I went people asked me if I was Brazilian despite speaking the language perfectly well which made me laugh. I also like how S�o Paulo is not a touristy city than Buenos Aires. Hardly any tourists go to S�o Paulo and I like it in that way. Buenos Aires is the perfect place to party, shop and live for some time, but I’m glad I chose Brazil for my study abroad experience. 

 

This first picture is of the group I traveled with to Buenos Aires. 3 of us (including me) are American. 2 are Canadian and the girl in the middle is French. Pretty cool crew.

The second picture is of the tango show we attended. It was pretty awesome. Very intimate show and our minds were blown from the talent those dancers had.

The third picture is of the Recoleta neighborhood on a Saturday when there is an artesian market. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I LOVE outdoor markets such as these. It was heaven for me.

The last picture is of Calle Florida. It’s shopping heaven basically (As you can probably notice, I have a thing for shopping).

The group in Buenos AiresTangoRecoleta

calle florida


Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Last Night in Buenos Aires

I’m in no way ready to leave Argentina.

In some respects, I’ve allowed my life to fall to pieces while studying here. My academics have gone completely down the drain. I’ve reevaluated everything that I’ve ever worked to achieve, and to top it off, those ideas I once had are not just altered but completely broken.

It’s a beautiful thing, because I’ve realized that there’s more to life, so much more than what rural Pennsylvania has to offer.

This might seem especially melodramatic, even naive. But after participating in the occupation of the university, attending student protests and living in a culture that is so distinct from the cold atmosphere of the northeast, I wonder if I’m not steadily losing some part of my humanity back at home.

Tomorrow, I fly to Per�, back to the “homeland,” to see Macchu Pichu and travel aimlessly for a few weeks.

I’ll continue blogging as often as I can until the next semester begins, probably posting an abundance of photos and reflections when I get back to the States that I just don’t have the time to record right now. I like living in the moment as much as I can, and I think ultimately that dedicating time to that should amount to better entries in the long run.

Peace.


Location: Avenida Paraguay, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Search for the Yellow Fever Vaccine

NOTE: Still catching up on entries…

At some point, I went looking for a $160 vaccine that, due to the generosity of the Argentine government, I received for FREE.

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That’s right. If you’re coming to Argentina, don’t get your yellow fever vaccine in the States. Do it here. With your passport, you don’t pay a cent.

That doesn’t mean you get off the hook easily, though.

A friend and I spent three to four hours navigating the city for the clinic. It was pretty nuts. The gov’t definitely goes out of its way to make sure as few people receive the service as possible (or at least it seems that way).

But anyway, we did find it in the end after much struggling, and it felt like an accomplishment.

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Then again, we could just be really incompetent, but we can’t be the first ones to spend so long searching for the place…


Location: Avenida Pueyrredon, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Days are Blurring

NOTE: A lot has happened. My last entry was on the 5th, but the time slips by so fast… Over the weekend, I went to Iguaz� Falls, the most mind-blowing thing I’ve ever seen. It was big water. Bigger than Niagara. It took a 17-hour bus ride to get there, to the northern part of Argentina, but before I get to that story, I’m going to cover a few important events.

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Friday, August 6 — We went to Rodizio Campo, a ranch about an hour outside of Buenos Aires, to relax, ride horses and eat good food. Remember what I said about Argentines not serving excessive amounts at restaurants? Apparently I lied. There was so much delicious food there it was incredible.

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It felt very Argentine to eat meat and drink red wine to exhaustion. The meat is everything it’s cracked up to be, too (the country is famous for the quality, taste, etc.)

Afterward, students rode horses, played volleyball, snapped photos – anything to pass the time.

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That night I went to Sugar Bar in Palermo (one of the barrios in Buenos Aires), where I met Argentines and conversed about the decadence of Argentine society. A lot of natives here say that Buenos Aires is a place where everyone tries to take advantage of other people. You find those people everywhere, though, and so far the people I’ve met in this city have been really nice. My parents said the same thing – things are different in South America, everyone is trying to exploit everyone else, etc.

Because of this, I’ve gone around having mostly short, quipped conversations with strangers that interact with me, even shopkeepers, no matter how nice they seem. I haven’t felt exploited yet – keyword: “yet” – but people are generally more guarded than they need to be, is my conclusion.

There are robbery schemes that involve supposed “helpful people,” though, and those nice people end up stealing your things. One person will spill mustard on you, for example, and while he tries to “help” clean you off, in your confusion, his partner will steal your belongings. So that’s something to watch out for.

And I keep forgetting to mention this: the danger with taxi drivers is a real one. IES warned us about unscrupulous ones, putting it in the handbook, going over it in their safety presentations, etc. They can give counterfeit cash, rape single women, rob unsuspecting foreigners with the help of friends, all kinds of horrible things.

In all, it sounds pretty dangerous. The way cities usually are.


Location: Avenida Pueyrredon, Buenos Aires, Argentina