Natural Wonders of Argentina

Submitted by Jessica Reedy on the 2014 winter session study abroad program in Argentina sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures…

For our second week in Argentina we took a large group excursion to El Calafate, in the Southern region known as Patagonia. To us, the cool weather was a shock compared to the high temperatures and humidity we have in the city, Buenos Aires. During this excursion, some of us went horse back riding,  biking, or just explored the nearby town, lagoon, and lake. The next day, the whole group woke up early to see Glacier Perito Moreno. It is one of the only glaciers in the world that is actually growing. Everyone was in awe of its immense size and beauty!

Perito Moreno: One of the only glaciers in the world that is still growing today.
Perito Moreno: One of the only glaciers in the world that is still growing today.

During the third week of classes, we had afternoons free to explore the city. My roommates and I ventured out of our neighborhood to visit La Boca, a bright and colorful area full of tango dancing! We also visited the zoo in Buenos Aires and were surprised to find that they had some very different animals and exhibits than we would find in the US. Our third weekend was a free weekend, so I went to the beach, Mar del Plata, while others stayed in Buenos Aires to explore or went to Mendoza. This was one of my favorite weekends because it was so full of adventure! Yet again, I was shown that even the things that we have in the U.S. are very different in other countries, the zoo and beach being most surprising!

Every day after class on our last week, everyone tried to explore the city as much as possible. I went to see El Obelisco, El Teatro Colon, El Centro Cultural de Recoleta, MALBA-Museum of Latin American Art, El Parque 3 de Febrero, and el Plaza de Mayo. It was fun to see the different architecture, artwork, and cultural and political significance of all of these well known attractions. We also made sure to eat all of the traditional Argentine foods: gelato, tamales, milanesa, empanadas and more! Our program came to a close with a weekend excursion to Puerto Iguazu, home of the beautiful Iguazu waterfalls- one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. We spent an entire day walking around the different falls of Iguazu and even got to take a boat ride under the falls-what an experience!

Upper tier view of the Iguazu falls
Upper tier view of the Iguazu falls
A bench/sculpture in the Museum of Latin American art in Buenos Aires.
A bench/sculpture in the Museum of Latin American art in Buenos Aires.
El Obelisco on the main avenue in Buenos Aires- 9 de Julio. This avenue was named after the Argentine Independence day on which they declared their Independence from Spain in 1816.
El Obelisco on the main avenue in Buenos Aires- 9 de Julio. This avenue was named after the Argentine Independence day on which they declared their Independence from Spain in 1816.

We returned to Buenos Aires to spend one last night with our host families in the city before our 3 day journey back to the States. My roommates and I had a lovely lunch with our host Mom before walking around the city and getting gelato one last time. After a 4 hour flight to Lima, Peru we were informed that we would have to spend a night in Lima before flying home to JFK. But don’t worry our airline spoiled us with meal vouchers and a night in the gorgeous Delfines hotel! After waiting in the airport for 5 hours the next day, we were finally cleared for takeoff. Upon landing at JFK, the whole airplane applauded for the safe ending to our long journey. Although I was sad to see the adventure of a lifetime end, I am happy to share the memories and pictures from the past month with all of the amazing people that I met and became so close to! Ciao Argentina, I hope to see you again soon!