Just the clothes on my back (Day 1)

Remember how I was spouting off that I was having great luck? Well, that seems to have come to an end.

So, my flight to Buenos Aires was really quite good. I was fed really well (supper and breakfast- take that Air Canada!) and I slept pretty great, considering the seats we were crammed into (paired with the fact that I can sleep anywhere!). The plane was also a good ease into culture-shock, since I was exposed to lots of Spanish and Argentinians heading home. Things were looking pretty great! We landed and deplaned without any problems. The weather looked spectacular and sunny. After about a 1.5hr wait in customs (I guess there was a backlog from other delayed flights), and with NOTHING to declare, I got to the baggage claim. And this is where my luck stopped. Seems, with my sprint to catch my flight in Dallas, the airline must have assumed that I wouldn't make the Buenos Aires connection, so they considerately left my pack for me. In Dallas.

So, no pack for me. No change of clothes, no deoderant and no wash cloth that I was really looking forward to (and likely those around me would appreciate it too), no toothbrush, no sandals...just the clothes on my back. Awesome. So, I fill out my baggage grievance with a very nice staff from American Airlines who assured me my pack will be delivered to my hostel tomorrow afternoon, get my $25 credit for a "convenience pack " (read: bathroom essentials so I won't be shunned from public places) and I head to the bank. But no. Brick wall once again. Why no, you can't cash that $25 credit here silly, and no, you can't cash American Express traveller's cheques into local currency at the airport bank either! Silly Tera.

Hmmm. Okay, this is the part where I'm supposed to just "go with the flow". Just part of the adventure, right?! So, I manage to grab some local change and head for the #86 local bus that will bring me to my hostel. After a 2hr bus ride, which was actually a really great way to get a taste of the surrounding city from the comforting bubble of the bus, I arrived at the hostel. All in one piece, even if I do only have what I'm wearing and the few extras in my carry on. Ah yes, the adventure has begun!




The Ezeiza Airport in Buenos Aires, ARG







To be honest though, I haven't really felt the "freak-out" yet that I have been warned of. So far, I'm still in complete holiday mode- I can roll with the bumps so far and I'm pretty calm. In a completely foreign place, but totally excited and really looking forward to what's ahead. I believe DFAIT calls this the "honeymoon stage " (http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/living/culture_shock-en.asp) of culture shock ;)