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Published: March 29th 2008
So we just arrivd not long ago and are currently residing in our hostel..Bordes Design Hostel in Palermo Soho, the artsy touristy area of Buenos Aires. Apparently there is also a Hollywood section here as well. I guess BA is inspired by other swanky areas around the world, and i´ve heard on more than one occasion that its the Paris of South America. The hostel so far loosk pretty nice, and the guy working the front desk was jpretty nice to let us chill on the couches until we venture out to return at noon for an early check in. I´m pretty braindead right now though.
So the flight was very long from NYC. 10 hours of the bumpiest flying ever...but i just closed my eyes and pretendd i was on a cruise ship, which helped. But we arrived safe and sound, and as usual in Latin America, everyone clapped as the wheels hit the runway. I use to just roll my eyes, cause its pretty cheesey, like cheering for the pilot for not crashing us into the ocean...but now, when in Rome...so i clapped with the rest of everyone. haha. So as we exited the airport, we were told by a friend not to exchange our money with the exchange people at the airport, but to wait and go to Banco Nacional outside of the airport (you get the best xchange rate), but i got totally screwed over. I took out $600 pesos..about $200 american, and it gave me $500 pesos and then a $10 bill. Not even in Argentina for a day and i get scammed, from the national bank no less. Well the bank wasn´t open, so there wasn´t much i could do about it. I doubt i´ll ever recoup that money, but i plan to at least speak with a supervisor and let them know that happened.
Well, i´m gonna head to the couch and close my eyes for a few. I think we´re just going to walk around the area of town for today and aquaint ourselves...i´m too tired to read guide books and to think about transportation )but i gues theere is a subway here, which is cool.
By the way, I have to share with everyone my sadness that yesterday marked the first day of the Canadian baby harp seal slaughter for fur. the canadian government has approved another year of 280,000 baby harp seals to be slaughtered in the name of vanity (fur coats-products). For those of you who do´t know...Harp seals have one pup a year, and about this time of year their fur coats are the softest... which is why they are initially bludgeoned with a hackapick and then usually skinned alive right in front of their mother, then only to be left to die a very painful death. I dont´ even get how anyone could bring themselves to physically do that. It is horribly sad...and words cannot describe how heavy my heart feels right now knowing this is happening despite the major activism and pleas by the people to not allow this. I hate to think of such horrible things when i´m on vacation and trying to have a good time...but if you know me well enough, you know that I can´t just put things like that in the back of my mind and pretend they aren´t happening. So writing about it, and educating others about what is happening is therapeutic for me. Anyway, if anyone is interested in learning more about what is happening and what small steps you can do to at least be a voice for them, google ¨baby harp seal slaughter¨.
On that dismal note...i´ll write again soon, and hopefully be able to download pictures (but i forgot my cord to connect the computer, damit, i always forget something!)
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MOM
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What a cool child I have
Okay - so I already sent a personal comment to my daughter, but being as I like to be the first on most occassions (when possible) and I see that no comments have been made, I get to be the first. I can't wait to start seeing some pictures of probably the three prettiest women in Argentina. What a great time you ladies are going to have - but please be safe while having fun! As most mothers say about their children - I have the most amazing, extremely intelligent and biggest hearted daugther that any mother could possible hope for. I am truly blessed and thank God every day for her. I'm sure that Sandy and Rachael's mothers' feel the same as I do as they are just as awesome. Girls have a great time...as named by my baby MOTHERSHIP :)