Hi everyone! Today was the very last full day of our exchange. It was also Saturday, which meant field hockey matches for my partner, Emma, and her sisters! After eating homemade banana bread and toast for breakfast, we drove Emma’s sisters to the Quilmes High School sports fields for their hockey matches. From there, we drove for about an hour through the capital city and towards Pilar, where Emma played her hockey match! On the way, we passed the Obelisk, a few universities, and the River Plate Fútbol Stadium (where Taylor Swift will have her concert later this year)! It was sunny today with a few clouds, making it a perfect day to be outside. Unfortunately, the Quilmes team lost 3-0. After the match, we ate pizza and empanadas at a picnic table near the field.
Later in the afternoon, we went to the nearby Unicenter shopping mall and explored the three floors of stores that sold clothing, shoes, jewelry, and food. There were many stores with the same brands that are popular in the US, such as Nike, Adidas, Columbia, and Pandora, but most of the other stores were special to Argentina. After we left the Unicenter complex, we drove back towards the Buenos Aires capital city, and two blinks and a short nap later, we drove past one of the art museums that we visited on Thursday.
At one of the parks in the city, there was a large market, and the vendors’ stalls formed a large maze around the park. There was also a band that played live music. Because it was already around 5:45 and the sun was setting, some people started to pack up their stalls. There were stalls of handmade bracelets, dreamcatchers, candles, and other goods. All of the vendors that we talked to were very sweet, and we bought a few bracelets as gifts.
Once the market closed, we had merienda (teatime) at a nearby cafe called Ol’Days, which is actually owned by one of Emma’s cousins. We each ordered different items off the menu, including lattes, scones, avocado toast, and alfajores. The cafe was very close to the ports, so we walked around and crossed the Puente de la Mujer (bridge). Then, we returned to Quilmes for the night around 8:30. Once we got back to Emma’s house, we ate homemade tacos for dinner and watched part of a movie before going to bed. Overall, today was a fabulous last day of exploring different parts of the city and spending time with my host family, and I am so grateful to share a small glimpse into our last full day of the exchange program!