Day 4: Relaxing after kayaking

When we returned to the beach area after kayaking, we all found some chairs in either the sun or the shade. Some of us chose to work on our tans, while others hid under the shade of the trees and umbrellas to stay cool. Since we spent a lot of energy kayaking in the hot sun, we were provided with fresh fruit, desserts and cold water upon our return, so we could replenish our bodies. After eating, some of the students tried to go down to the end of the dock, and jump over into the water. However, since there were rocks scattered around, the man who was in charge of the kayaking activities said that we were not allowed to jump off. He then stated that it would be alright if we jumped off from the steps into the water. Soon a long line up the steps formed because everyone wanted to jump in and cool off. After we jumped into the water, some of us decided to stay in the water and swim, while others went back to the beach area. The group that I headed back to the beach with started to talk about how great of an experience today was. While in the middle of our discussion Srdan joined us and talked about his experiences of the Argentina Chile SIE, by telling us how the trips of previous years have been similar and different. For example, he mentioned to us that this is the first year that this SIE program will go to Uruguay. Srdan also mentioned that in previous years, the students would kayak from the city, but that changed so we can have more time to spend swimming or relaxing at the beach. The beautiful weather, mixed with the sounds of laughter and stories was a great relaxing way to end this afternoon.

students relaxing in beach area after kayaking

students coming back from kayaking, ready to relax for a few hours

Day 4: El Club Atletico River Plate

   Today on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019, we went to tour the stadium of El Club Atletico River Plate. It is located in La Boca, Argentina. El Club Atletico is “el más grande”, which translates to “the biggest”. It was made in 1801. The most famous sport in Argentina is soccer, so this stadium is primarily a soccer stadium, home to the team River Plate, though it hosts many other sports. Other sports that are practiced there are: tennis, basketball, handball, CrossFit, and more. 

     The stadium is also a school. It educates students from kindergarten to college, not to mention that education is free in Argentina. Though for college students, it focuses on majors relating to sports like coaching and sports news. It is summer time in Argentina so no school was in session but children were there for summer camp. 

     During the tour of the stadium, we were able to walk around the stands, walk around the outside of the stadium, and walk down by the actual soccer field. They even took us to the players’ locker rooms. We also learned that the stadium hosted many celebrities who performed concerts like Bon Jovi and Madonna. 

     Once we finished the tour, we were taken into a “time machine” ride which took us back in time to 1801. It led us to the rest of the museum where we walked a timeline through the development of the stadium and the team. It showcased the various awards and trophies of the team. There were also pictures and statues of famous team members. We even got to see the evalution of their logo. After the tour and museum, were were able to shop at the official River Plate store to buy things like soccer jerseys, soccer balls, and t-shirts. Wes, Tyler, Karissa and more purchased souvenirs from the store. 

Down by the soccer field at the River Plate Stadium.

Day 4: Kayaking Down the Delta Tigre

Today we had the opportunity to kayak down the Delta Tigre. Our adventure began by taking a small boat to ferry us to an island on Tigre. From there, we could choose whether we would like to take a canoe, a three person kayak, two person kayak, or a single kayak. There was also the option of riding on the motor boat if somebody did not want to steer a kayak. I opted for the double person kayak and I absolutely loved it. The beginning of the ride took some time to adjust and find our balance, but after a little while, our group had gotten into a good grove. At first, Adriana and I got separated from the group and we had to navigate ourselves back to everyone, as they had started to begin their journey down the delta Trigre! The oors seem a lot heavier than they look!! After the initial take off from the island, it was (mostly) smooth sailing. There were some waves caused by boats which made it difficult to navigate through the current. Kayaking down the river was beautiful. It was amazing to look around, feel the cool breeze brush past our face, the sun beaming on our shoulders, and the water splash up onto our legs! Around us were small cottages and outside the cottages were children who would wave and say "¡hola!" to us! We only had one kayak go overboard,(one less than our prediction!) but Phil and Matt were able to make a strong recovery from it! I really enjoyed this activity, and I think most of my classmates would say the same! It was quite the arm workout, but it was an experience that we will never forget!

View of the island getting off the boat