Yesterday my dad and I arrived in Mendoza, Argentina after flying through Dallas and Santiago. From Santiago we flew up, up, up, and then over the Andes down to Mendoza on the other side. The mountains are big and full of glaciers. Upon arrival in Mendoza we caught a cab to our professor Ana's house. She has an attached apartment which is very small (see below). We are going to study Spanish with her for two weeks and then spend another week sightseeing.
Our first day of classes was tough, but I think that is how it must be when you learn a new language. We are in class for 4 hours and then we have 3 hours of written homework. This morning an Argentine girl who was studying English introduced herself and kissed me on the cheek. That is the custom, apparently. I could get used to that.
Last night was Sunday, and everything was closed and the streets were empty and forlorn. This afternoon we walked to downtown Mendoza (about a mile and a half) and everything was much more active. It's fast-paced and crossing the street is dicey. We conducted a couple of transactions to test the waters and it went OK. People talk fast, of course. I think it will get easier.
One thing that is rather shocking is the money situation here. The government sets the official exchange rate at 5.2 pesos to 1 US dollar. However, it's actually worth far less than that. On the black market, the rate is currently about 10 pesos to the dollar. Last week it was 9:1, last month it was 8:1, and at the beginning of the year it was 7:1. The peso seems to be collapsing at an exponential rate. I wonder how any business can stay afloat. It seems like the government here is doing a pretty good job of screwing everybody over.
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| Flying into Santiago from Dallas |
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| Flying over the Andes from Santiago to Mendoza |
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| Street sweeping |
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| Our cuddly accomodation |
