Hola! I write this blog with a much more positive attitude than I had 36 hours ago… I’ve met up with my group from SIT, and the loneliness factor has since declined exponentially! There are a total of fifteen students from universities across the United States – UNC-Chapel Hill, Stanford, Claremont-McKenna, Wofford, and several other liberal arts colleges. We have three full-time SIT staff persons, two of whom hail from Buenos Aires and the other a native Chilean. I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone, and I have a strong feeling this will be a GREAT semester!
The Interior of the Estancia
The group convened at the Buenos Aires international airport on Tuesday morning (thankfully, I made it safely and smoothly from the hostel to the aeropuerto!), and we traveled from the airport to an estancia, or ranch, in the Buenos Aires countryside. Don Manuel Estancia, where we spent last night and will stay again tonight, is beautiful! There are stables, a pool, a polo field, volleyball courts – it’s like a summer camp in Buenos Aires! Our hosts have been wonderful, welcoming us with open arms and being very patient with our limited Spanish abilities.
The grounds at our estancia
Side note: I’m really excited – I just figured out how to insert photos successfully into my blog!!! Anyhow, we leave the estancia tomorrow (Thursday) morning, and will spend Thursday night at a hotel in Buenos Aires. This was supposed to be our first taste of the city, but I guess I sort of weaseled my way into La Capital a day in advance, hence my random and I’d like to think adventurous stay at Hostel Estoril.
We move in with our homestay families Friday evening. I can’t wait to see where I’ll be living! Classes start next week. The next few days are primarily occupied with orientation activities, safety and health overviews, group bonding activities, etc. It’s very relaxing, but I’ll definitely be ready for the bright city lights by tomorrow. There’s not much going on in the countryside…
It’s beautiful here. The weather is perfect – mid-70s day and night. Jeans and t-shirt weather, although one could comfortably wear shorts. A few students in our group have been brave enough to jump in the pool here at the estancia, but those of you who know me well won’t be surprised to know that I stayed dry on the sides.
A few brave souls actually dove in... I did not take part.
We’ve been eating extremely well. We had an asado (steak meal) yesterday for lunch – different variations of meat that just kept on coming, with potatoes, salad, and fruit cocktail for dessert. Dinner consisted of delicious spinach empanadas and flan with dulce de leche (a sweet caramel-like topping that Argentines put on everything!). Breakfast is generally coffee, bread, and jam or dulce de leche. In the afternoons, we take a light merienda or cafecito that is similar to breakfast. Lunch today was, once again, multiple courses: several leafy salads, a potato salad, roasted potatoes, and a chicken dish. We had a tiramisu-type dish for dessert.
All of this having been said, it’s gorgeous out and I’ve been eating an amount that merits a nice afternoon jog around the estancia. Adios!
Posted by carpca7 
carpca7
