Starting out right

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Buenos Aires, if you didn't know, is quite large. So it seems smart that our professor decided to bring us on a tour of the city today. We obviously need to at least have a semblance of where we are in the city, given that very few of us have data, we're not all living near each other, and not every part of the city is safe. Most are fine, if you use common sense. But as with any city, not all.

The tour took us around a few different neighborhoods to give us an idea of what each was like and to cover a bit of the history. We started by driving through the "Times Square" of Buenos Aires (around the obelisk in the center of the Avenida 9 de Julio - the widest avenue in the world. I'm not sure if I agree with that statement, but, to be fair, you could probably put a soccer field lengthwise across it). From there we headed to the Plaza de Mayo, in front of the Casa Rosada - the Pink House, which is the Argentine White House. Across from the Casa Rosada is the Cathedral where Pope Francis was the Archbishop, so we checked that out too.

We also visited La Boca, one of the less safe areas. As they said, it's fine until about 4 in the afternoon, but never go alone and don't go there at night unless you know what you're doing. On the flip side, it's a very cute and quaint area, with a very unique feel and lots of murals. It's also where one of the local soccer teams plays. We went from there to the old port, which used to be a very unpleasant area, commonly used as a dumping ground, but has been rescued and is now one of the most expensive places in BA.

Lastly, we went to the cemetery in Recoleta, near where I'm staying. This is a veritable labyrinth, with every crypt showing different designs and the layout impossible to discern. Perhaps the most important family buried there is the Duarte family, a name many people do not recognize. However, María Eva Duarte, upon marrying and living out her life, became better known as Evita, a name many know, and about whom I'm sure I will end up dedicating a post.

After the tour, we got lunch (empanadas. Again. No shame; they're delicious), and headed to the local park, where a craft fair takes place every weekend (for those of you familiar with it, it's like the non-food part of SoWa). We went shopping, hung out in the relatively warm sun - for winter, I'll take high 50s - and then to a local cafe. We didn't really get home until about 8, whereupon I got to meet my host mom's grandson, enjoy a dinner of polenta, and, after a couple long days, get a solid sleep.

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