Submitted by Sara Bixler on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Argentina sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…
We have been in Argentina for 5 days now, and we have already been to so many different places around Buenos Aires! I feel like I have learned so many new things about this place in such a short time and it makes me excited to think about what is to come in the next few weeks! On January 9th, our entire group took a day trip to El Tigre and San Isidro, both important historical towns in Argentina. We took a boat through the Tigre Delta to the town of El Tigre in the morning. We had the opportunity to walk through the “Puerto de Frutos” (Port of Fruits), which was originally a major trading port for fruit and other products when the town was first established. In the afternoon, we took a bus tour through the rest of El Tigre and then made our way to San Isidro.
In San Isidro, we visited a beautiful historic house that was owned by a very influential Argentine woman named Victoria Ocampo. This part of the day caught my attention the most because I really enjoyed learning about Victoria and her contribution to Argentine culture. We learned that Victoria was an editor for a magazine called El Sur, which featured the work of many famous writers like Jorge Luis Borges. Victoria was very influential in the Latin American community during the 20th century, and she became a powerful symbol for feminism and women’s rights during her time. I thought it was really interesting to learn about a woman who made a large impact in the culture of this country! Not to mention, her house was absolutely stunning.