After a wonderful 3 1/2 weeks in Wisconsin over Christmas, Matt and I escaped the bitter cold for Buenos Aires, Argentina. We have literally gone from a low temperature of -17 degrees Fahrenheit to 100 degrees F. For the first time I understand why people think we are crazy to live through Wisconsin winters – I’ll take the heat over the cold any day.
Our time in Wisconsin was non-stop as we packed every moment with visits with friends and family. It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I had all but two of our days booked before we even got to Wisconsin! As an added bonus, the frigid temperatures allowed us to spend those two unplanned days with Shannon and Kieran whose school was closed. We spent our last weekend in the US with friends in San Antonio, Texas – a good way to ease back into warmer temperatures and a less hectic pace. Here are pictures of some of the fun we had in the US.
And then we were off to Argentina, via a 24-hour layover in Lima. Because we have been to Lima a handful of times, we decided to take it easy and spent a leisurely day walking through some parks and along the coastal cliffs before we headed to the airport for our midnight flight.
After what seemed like endless travel and waiting (our connection in Chile was delayed), we finally landed in Buenos Aires. While both Matt and I still have a lot of Spanish to learn, we were proud of how well we navigated Argentine immigration and customs. Unlike other countries we have entered, the Argentine government took our mug shots and thumbprints. As Matt pointed out, we have no idea what the US government does for non-citizens, so maybe this is similar treatment. Our flight had been delayed about two hours so we were relieved when a driver holding a “Matt Geiger” sign was waiting for us. Franco took us to our apartment in Palermo Hollywood, a very nice, vibrant part of the city, where we met our landlady, Norma. Norma was headed to Washington DC to stay with her daughter for 6 months and spoke excellent English, which was a bonus for us after a night of little sleep and travel. As we are in Buenos Aires for 3 1/2 weeks, we opted to get an apartment because it was more economical than a hotel and would give us more space. We are happy we did so and have settled in nicely to our new digs and neighborhood.
Our apartment is a duplex, which means we have a downstairs living area and narrow staircase up to the second floor. The second floor has an office niche that we are using as a luggage storage and clothes drying area, an awesome walk-in closet, bedroom, another patio, and a unique bathroom area – a small, separate toilet area, a nice open area with the sink, a bathtub and a bunch of open shelves and then the shower, which is a narrow 5×2 foot area that has the patio door at the end of it. While the door is frosted about halfway down, I think I may be flashing the neighbors when I shower! There is also a typical European shower in the downstairs powder room toilet area – a hand held shower and a drain on the floor, but I will stick with flashing the neighbors rather than showering over a toilet in a 3×2 space. The upstairs is too narrow for photos, but here are pictures of the downstairs.
Buenos Aires is amazing – we love the vibe here and are having a great time despite the heat. The food and wine are delicious and the dollar is strong. More to come soon…
