Winter Wonderland

Greetings from the other side of the equator! I am sitting in a smoky internet cafe in bustling, yet beautiful Buenos Aires. Our Fulbright group arrived yesterday morning after an 11 hour overnight flight from Washington DC. We took a 4 1/2 hour city tour yesterday that introduced us a bit to this capital city. We visited places like the Plaza de Mayo (which is where the original city was centered), La Boca (the colorful neighborhood where the famous tango evolved) and Recoleta (where we walked among the grand mausoleums of the cemetary, including the plot of the most famous "resident" - Eva Peron). My first impressions of Buenos Aires is that this is a captivating, inviting place that is alive with energy. It is home to grand architecture, a rich and varied history, and feels European and Latin American at the same time.

Our hotel is in the Microcentro which is in the heart of the city. Our hotel here is very nice - they even have bedets in the bathrooms! I think the strangest thing so far must be suddenly going from the middle of summer to the middle of winter, although at least here in Buenos Aires it is pretty mild (60´s in the daytime - very refreshing!). We´ll be here until Saturday - I will try to post another message before we leave for our next stop. I can´t load pictures from this particular computer, but will try to find one the next time around so you can see some sights from this magnificent city!