Travel Day from Argentina to Chile

     

Standing in line to check into our flight to Santiago, Chile

     After an unforgettable week in Argentina with a bonus day trip to Uruguay, it’s time for us to head to Chile. This day of travel is a perfect opportunity to reflect on all the amazing memories we’ve made and think about the opportunities still to come. From kayaking the Tigre river, touring one of the factories of the most popular milk brand, and roaming the city in search of landmarks for our scavenger hunt to watching a live tango show, it’s safe to say we have made the most of our time in Argentina. This week has been a week of experiences; trying cultural foods like yerbe mata and empanadas and emerging ourselves in the culture. We’ve heard from many different speakers, educating us on the average life in Argentina as well as more specific topics like the agriculture industry in the country. Before embarking on our journey, we spent numerous classes learning about the culture and ways of life, but experiencing it first hand was much more of a learning experience our classroom presentations taught us. I am excited to take these experiences home and share them with my friends and family.

     

Nina and Kierstin ready to check in at the airport

     When chatting with my peers, I asked them about their favorite parts of the trip.  Lauren said, "My favorite part of Argentina was Uruguay since we were the first group to do it and it was a really beautiful day and the tour guide was super energetic and really excited to see us."  Another, Nina, said "In Argentina I really liked the orphanage because it was a new perspective of hope for the children in unfortunate situations and I enjoyed the tango show since I am a dancer and it was cool to see a new type of dancing."  Tyler agreed with Nina, sharing that going to the orphanage was something he has never done before and it was an amazing experience".  Having the chance to reflect really helped us see what memories meant a lot to us from our trip and we will be able to share together forever.

View of the mountain ranges from our plane

     Despite our heavy hearts for leaving Argentina, there are numerous things to be excited about in Chile. Personally, I’m excited to hear from speaker Daniela Larrea who is CEO of the company Sustentabla. This organization takes plastic sea waste that affects marine life and transforms it into products like surfboards and other items associated with the sea. Sustainability is a topic I have a lot of concern about and as more and more studies come out regarding consumption of plastic and the negative impacts it has on the environment, I’m excited to hear what speaker Larrea has to say about this topic. In addition, I have many friends at home who have shared their favorite parts of their trip and I have heard the graffiti tour we take through Valparaiso is incredible so I am looking forward to that as well. While it is sad our time in Argentina has come to an end, it’s exciting to think about the adventure in Chile which is just beginning.

Mountains we passes as we drove to our hotel

   In addition to their favorite parts of Argentina, I asked some students to share what they are most looking forward to in Chile.  Esther is looking forward to more vegan options, an anticipation many of us share after finding such an amazing vegan restaurant in Argentina.  Tyler is excited to see the mountain ranges located in Chile since, "where I live in Massachusetts is mostly only little hills."  Another, Hayley, "I'm excited for the boat tour in Valparaiso.  We've gotten to know the streets in Argentina, we've tried the restaurants we wanted and the shops we wanted, and now we're excited to create a list of to-do's in Chile."  I think that is something we can all agree upon, a new country with so much to see, I cant wait to see what this week has in store for us!

Man juggling in the street outside of our hotel

Day 7: Night at Tango Porteno

After a long day of traveling from Buenos Aires to Uruguay and then back again, we arrived back to the hotel to get ready for a night of watching tango. We left the hotel at 8:00 p.m. and walked to Tango Porteno. Upon arriving at the tango theater, we were all greeted and brought to the front of the theater and placed at two long tables at the very front. At this point, we met a few of the dancers and took some photographs.

Dinner was a three course meal. Tyler said "there could not have been a better combo of bread and meat" in regards to the empanadas that he had as a starter. Following the three courses, the lights dimmed and the tango dancing began.
Everyone sat captivated and didn't want the show to end. The show was filled with romance and energy. "Surprising, entertaining, and amazing. I really did expect that and it was truly the experience of a lifetime" said Marcus. Many of us got into the story and couldn't stop watching to see what would happen next. After all of the dancers bowed, our table ended up chanting for an encore and the dancers did one final dance. While the curtains closed, we all stood to applause. It truly was a mesmerizing performance and an amazing night for all of us.

"I'm actually so sad that they are done", said Steph at the conclusion of the show. Many people were sad to leave, but it was a wonderful way to conclude our final night in Buenos Aires.