traveling and arriving

The journey begins… in Munich. First, I went to Zurich and from there to São Paulo. The flight to São Paulo lasted twelve hours, but it went by relatively quickly. Because of the four-hour time difference, I was completely confused about how long I had actually been traveling. It suddenly dawned on me during the landing approach: I had finally arrived in South America and for the first time outside of Europe! While looking for my terminal, I met a couple from France and Greece who were also on their way to Mendoza to study. We enjoyed a Brazilian coffee and waited for our connecting flight.

I am very glad that I chose a window seat on the last flight because I spent nearly four hours just observing the landscape. The transition from Brazil to Argentina was fascinating, as the green, colorful Brazilian landscape transformed into fields and desert. I followed the route a bit and I believe we also flew over the Paraná River. It stuck in my memory because it looked very huge and natural. What impressed me in particular was the vast emptiness. Fields and desert as far as the eye could see, with an occasional mountain range, and no houses in sight. The closer we got to Mendoza, the drier it became. During the landing approach, I could admire the surroundings of Mendoza. On one side, nothing but flat land with not a single house, and on the other side, the Andes, which looked truly enormous. It really makes you realize how small we actually are.

At this point, I was already exhausted from the long journey, but luckily my landlady and her boyfriend picked me up from the airport. They are also students and very kind. Together, we drove to the Hotel Mallorca, where I would stay for the first four nights until I can move into my apartment. The hotel owner is also very nice and happens to study Translation as well! And the best part: there is a cat and two dogs living at the hotel.

Everything still feels very new and of course, I still need to settle in, but the conditions are good for that to happen quickly because everyone is very helpful and the weather is warm, so...