JHU Field Hockey – Argentina Day 1 and 2
December 30, 2009
When we first arrived in Buenos Aires everybody was very tired from the flight, but excited to begin our tour of the city. We drove directly from the airport to walk around Porto Madero. The water, boats, and beautiful buildings made for many interesting sites to see, and the weather was perfect for exploring the city. We walked around the area and took pictures in front of the Casa Rosada and all around Plaza de Mayo. Not until the next day when we had our guided tour did we understand the historical and cultural significance of all of the places we were seeing, but we enjoyed taking in the sites of the prominent buildings and crowded streets. After our busy morning we headed to the hotel to check in and relax for the afternoon. Dinner the first night was quite adventurous. I was most impressed with my teammates’ eagerness to try the authentic Argentinean cuisine! The menu included all types of local cheeses and meats—including intestine! The less daring ones opted for the chicken or steak which Argentina is known for, and they were both delicious. A good time had by all, the team was ready for bed to begin another busy day of exploring Buenos Aires. In the morning our local guide brought us to some of the most famous sites of the city and shared the important history of each place we visited. We passed the steel flower monument in the park that our guide explained symbolizes the friendship among Latin American countries. We toured the old cemetery which was such an incredible site to see! The walkways were lined with the family mausoleums from the 1800s including some of the most prominent families in Buenos Aires history. We then stopped at a church in the center of the city with a beautiful handmade tile floor that took decades to construct and had beautiful paintings on the columns and walls. We learned about the history of the center square in the city with the Casa Rosada, the town hall, and the home of political demonstrations. Another unusual site we saw was actually floating papers that were being thrown from all of the windows throughout the city. Our guide explained that day was the last working day of the year, and it has been tradition to celebrate by throwing papers from the windows in the building. We finished our day with matches against a club team located on the outskirts of the city. The games were fun, but the best part was eating dinner with the players afterward. The girls were so friendly and a few of them spoke English very well and those of us who could speak Spanish had fun having conversations in Spanish, too. It was such a neat experience to play the sport we’ve all played for so many years in another country so far from home!
Blog By Andrea Vandersall
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