La Plata

So after my post yesterday, we were exhausted from traveling (etc) and didn't feel like going out again, so we went down to the hotel restaurant for dinner. But 6 pm here is not dinnertime, and they were only serving cafe style things. We got coffee and sat talking for a long time, which was really nice, but finally decided we would need to go out to find real food. Got a recommendation from the concierge for a close restaurant, and left. It was still closed! Dinner in Argentina STARTS at 9 pm. So we kept walking, aiming for a restaurant we had seen earlier that was "American," thinking maybe it would be open earlier. That one wasn't open at all, but across the street we found one called Frawen's, and went there. 

We stated by ordering wine, Jeannie white, me red, and going mainly by price (about $5 each), we ordered what looked to be "half" pours. They turned out to be half BOTTLES! Wine here is that cheap: starting $10 a bottle in a restaurant. They don't even serve it by the glass. For dinner, I had salmon/ricotta-filled ravioli, and Jeannie had seafood pasta ... doesn't get much better than that. And we ordered dessert ... and it all came to under $40 (US) even after the tip. Or so I thought. I noticed then that our wine wasn't included on the bill, so I told the waiter with my credit card already out, and at the same time he told me that they don't take cards, and took the bill back to add the wine. Ironically, I had enough pesos in cash for the first bill. Not the second. I was short by 15 pesos, which is less than $4. But I had to leave Jeannie there and go to an ATM nearby (had a little trouble communicating asking the waiter where one was for some reason), to get more. Oh well, still a good end to a good but exhausting day. 

Slept like rocks straight through til morning. Getting up was still hard though because we're 4 hours ahead of AZ here, and because after a long journey without much sleep even 9 hours isn't quite enough. But we went down to the hotel's breakfast, which was mostly dessert-like pastries and tea, and then at 10 met my long-lost friend Diego at the lobby. 13 years ago, he came to CT with his school choir and did a home-stay with my family. I haven't seen him since, and only got back in touch with him this past year when he randomly found my mom's email address. And it was through him that I found the connection to develop this connection in the first place! He took us to a cafe next to a park, and we had coffee together and talked for an hour and a half. Hopefully he'll make it back to the US soon. 

Back at the hotel, we got ready and then walked the forty minutes or so to the Home school where I'm working on this program with Andrea. We sat down and had our official meeting about the details of the program, and it couldn't have been better, or gone any more smoothly. We're both on the same page and all our questions are answered, and I'm very optimistic that this project will work out! We then went and visited the hostel that the school has partnered with, which was actually very nice and accommodating and friendly, and despite my doubts I think would be a good recommendation for future travelers. Andrea also showed us a cultural center where we could use larger rooms for events if we need to, and then we had lunch at a cafe connected to the center ... the same one we'd been at that morning! We went through a different entrance and it took a few moments for us to recognize it. We went back to Home so I could take pictures of the classrooms, where there were classes of little kids about to start, and then we left. On the way back, we stopped for ice cream, half guessing at what flavors to get, and stopped at a stationary store where Jeannie bought a small canvas for painting, and then back to the hotel for a short siesta (before a late dinner!). 

Our dinner was actually at the same restaurant we went to last night, Frawen's, but a different one, three blocks away. The "Bigger" one. Tonight we dined with Andrea and three of her school's teachers, which was really nice. All of them speak English very well (they do teach it afterall), and were lovely hosts. And then back here to the hotel for a quick blog entry and to bed. Tomorrow morning we check out here and take a taxi up to Buenos Aires to explore another whole new city! 

Arrival in Argentina

Flying through Dallas, Jeannie and I arrived in Buenos Aires this morning, four timezones ahead of Arizona. One of the smoothest long flights I've been on, which is good to know since I was a little concerned about flying a US airline (AA) abroad. I was actually able to sleep for about half the flight, which was a real blessing. Our luggage was literally right in front of us when we got to the baggage claim (another blessing based on our past issues!), and then we went out to the car service station, where there was a reservation waiting for us. 

Ezeiza airport is north of Buenos Aires city, and it's just over an hour's drive south to La Plata, where the car took us directly to the Home school I'm here to visit. We passed Queens/Bronx style apartment buildings, some sheetmetal slums, and then undeveloped coastal plains (with JUST a view of the sea) before reaching La Plata. This city was planed out entirely before being built in the late 1800s, so it's gridded with planned plazas and all the streets are numbered, making it very easy to get around without getting fully lost or really needing a map. The crazy part is the drivers! They don't stop for pedestrians, and often there aren't lights, stopsigns, or crosswalks, so crossing streets requires your full attention! But most of the streets are one-way, which helps. 

After a quick tour of the Home school, which we'll work with more tomorrow, its director, Andrea, took us on a driving tour of La Plata, pointing out "the forest" and zoo, the linden tree-lined streets (the city of lindens), a cathedral that was only just finished about ten years ago, the universities, etc. We then checked into our hotel, which is nice and looks like it will be quite comfortable (though anything with a bed would look that way right now!). We went to lunch with Andrea, then back to our hotel. To keep ourselves awake, we went for a nice long walk up to the main plaza where the cathedral is, which we went into, and then walked a different route back. Now it's just about dinner time, and we'll see how much longer we can stay awake past then! More tomorrow!