Day 1 in Buenos Aires

To commence our journey to South America, members of WYSO bussed down to O’Hare International Airport; however, we did not fly internationally quite yet, and waited 7 hours in New York’s JFK airport until we put our passports to use. During the layover, we played cards and met some unfamiliar musicians of WYSO. Some napped.

The 11-hour plane ride, due to strong opposing winds, extended to almost 12. As I let out an internal groan, I turned on the movie “Divergent” and hoped toddlers and babies would keep silent for the duration of the overnight flight.

On our first day in Buenos Aires, our tour groups trudged through the cold city after cleaning up from the long flight where some of us stayed stationary for more than 10 hours. With my calves sore and my feet as swollen as pomegranates, the short tour and the colder winter climate around the city exhausted me. Thankfully, we returned to the luxurious Hotel Presidente in a timely manner, where my group members and I, despite our physical fatigue, ran up the 12 flights of stairs to our rooms.

Each step pained our thighs and we ended up hyperventilating on our beds with severe lung pain, but waiting for a 6-person-maximum elevator with a group as large as ours would have hurt my mental state more than climbing up the stairs.

Through the city tour, I discovered the need to watch one’s step. Many cracked tiles and concrete obstructed my path and I tripped more than 4 times outside, as well as on the step to the bathroom door in our hotel rooms. Unkempt roads led us from Hotel Presidente to dinner at Restaurante 1234 to the beautiful and intricate Teatro Colon, where we watched an interesting ballet rehearsal. In the preview, dancers illustrated a true story of a sculptor and his feelings towards his art.

Antonia & Mae Leigh

To conclude the long first day, we blogged. Here it is. ¡Disfruta!

~Antonia Rohlfing and Mae Leigh Patchin