First Day

Well I made it to Buenos Aires in one piece!  The flights were great - 30 minutes early to Dulles, then a very empty plane to BA which meant that I got to sleep across three seats for much of the flight. 

Immigration was easy, unlike the US & UK they don't ask a single question about why you are in the country, etc.  I paid my $140(!) entrance fee so now I can enter the country for the next ten years.  This fee is a reciprocal one due to the fact that the US charges the same amount for an Argentine citizen to come to the states.

While waiting in line for the ATM I chatted a bit with another American girl, who is here for three months doing an internship.  For some reason I didn't think to exchange emails, which I should have done in hindsight.  I need to be better about that in the future.

The trip into the city was pretty easy and the guy from the rental agency and the owner were waiting for me when I arrived.  The owner speaks no English and I am meant to call him in two weeks to confirm my checkout - which I am already worried about of course!  I am seriously considering asking my Spanish teacher to write me a script next week.

After a few hours at the apartment I decided I had to brave the grocery store - there are two very close to my apartment and I went to one called Coto.  Prices seem to be about what we pay in the US, although there are special "goverment supported" prices for key items like vegetable oil.  Also I could buy salt, but no pepper - apparently Argentinians think that pepper is too spicy!!  I need to check out the "chinos", which are little neighborhood markets, which are meant to be cheaper than the big stores.

Tomorrow the goal is a SIM card.  In the meantime, I am going to watch some old non-dubbed American TV - a 10 year old episode of Dawson's Creek!

(If there are spelling mistakes in the above it's b/c Google can see I am in Argentina and has changed my spell check to Spanish.  Help, Eileen!!!)