IFSA Butler planned two days for sightseeing in the city before
we leave for Mendoza so we can relax and get to know the culture and history of
this beautiful city. Naturally I took my camera everywhere and was quiet the
gringo tourist, but I’m so glad I did! The city is beautiful and I was happy I
got to capture some of its famous attractions for myself.
For example, we saw the inside of the Catedral Metropolitana
de Buenos Aires, which just about took my breath away. The mausoleum of San
Martín (Argentina’s national hero) is here and of course I had to take a
picture with one of the guards of his army (a more ceremonial army than active)
which as you can see in the picture at right, he thoroughly enjoyed. Below are
a few of my other favorite pictures from the church. The left is one of the
many chapels. This one was called the Capilla de San Luis Gonzaga. The middle
picture is from the mausoleum of San Martín. And the last photo is the main
alter of the church, which was so beautiful, but very hard to photograph.
We also went to La Boca, a neighborhood near the mouth of
the River Plate (boca is Spanish for mouth). The immigrants that lived there
built their homes from the dock after it closed. They couldn’t
afford bricks so they bought the paint that others discarded for cheap. Hence you get
yellow, green, blue, and many other colors on the metal buildings. Some people
still live in the apartments, but it’s mostly a tourist attraction now with
shops, restaurants, and many locals dancing the tango for donations.
After lunch and all this touring, a group of my new friends
and I went to a cute little wine bar in a different part of the city. Yes, I
drank a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, which was very difficult to order not because
of my aversion to alcohol so much as my inability to use anything but a Spanish
accent when I’m speaking and thinking in Spanish. Luckily the waiter forgave
me. :)
That night after orientation, we had dinner on our own, so I
went with another group for pizza at a restaurant close by. Afterwards, we
determined that we only had one night left in Buenos Aires, so better make the
most of it! Argentine time is very different than the United States when “going
out” for the night, as in clubs don’t open till 2:00am. Like total champs
though, we went to a bar at about midnight where we met some nice local
Argentine men (who my more advanced Spanish-speaking friends totally chatted
up). They eventually used their connections to get us into Club Kiko with VIP
access and no cover charge. We danced until after 3am when I finally went back
to the hotel. We had a 7:30 wake-up call the next morning, but it was
incredible!
The next morning was more sightseeing with a slightly less
active crowd than the club the night before at the Recoleta Cemetery and Nuestro
Senorá del Pilar Church. The church is the oldest in Buenos Aires, founded in
1732 and was so beautiful. The cemetery was incredible also. I hadn’t ever seen
anything like it! We saw the mausoleums of multiple Argentine presidents and
other famous Argentines. One very creepy story was that of one girl who was
buried in a coma. She suffocated of course, and when they reburied her they put
a statue of a girl in nightgown trying to open a door with no handle (see below)
Worst nightmare anyone? I tried to be artistic with my pictures in the cemetery,
because it was so beautiful and ornate. Definitely an incredible place!
After lunch, our time in Buenos Aires was over and we headed
to the airport for Mendoza. I’ll never forget this city and all its sights and
history. Now it’s on to the real challenge, Spanish 24/7 and living with a new
family for five months. It still hasn’t hit me that this isn’t a vacation, it’s
a new life in a different country. I’ll let you know when that moment does
occur, but for now, I’ll leave you with just a few more shots of the beautiful capital
of Argentina!
-Lisa en Argentina
No comments:
Post a Comment