Day in an Estancia

On Friday we went to an Estancia, a large tract of land with a beautiful old house. The estancia, called La Esperanza, was founded in 1854 and belongs to the same family that founded it.

The owner of the estancia told us regardign the rich history of his family and how the main house was built and the very smart design to protect the member of the family from the attact of the natives of that part of Argentina

We have the opportunity to learn about dances and dresses from the early generations of the family.

We also have the opportunity of demonstrate our habilities with the dance.

We have lunch under the shadow of many trees and we had an exquisite lamb.

After a great day in the countryside we returned to Rosario and enjoyed a dinner next to the river.

Visit to La Capital Newspaper

On Thursday evening we visited La Capital neaspaper. This was a very interesting visit. Our guide explained the birth of the newspaper in the XIX century and the growth up to today. We had the opportunity to learn about how technological changes affected media and how media shapes public opinion.

City Tour and Lunch at the River

On Thursday we had a tour of downtown Rosario. We visited the Flag Monument, a massive monument built in the 1950s to commemorate the creation of the Argentine flag and first official use of it in Rosario.

The view of the city from the top of the monument is impressive.

After we visit the Flag Monument and its Flag museum we took a boat accross the river Parana and went to an island. There, we enjoyed a beach and have lunch.

Rosario

On Wednesday we left Buenos Aires and travel to Rosario. Before arriving we stopped in La Campiña, an agriultural establishment founded by two very well known newscasts from Argentinan. We had the opportunity to learn regarding the different activities performed at the farm and how they produce for both the domestic and foreign markets.

After having lunch in La Campiña we continued our trip to Rosario.

After arrvival and check-in at our hotel we took the local bus to the Universidad Austral. There, the Rosario students made a series of presentations regarding Argentina and Rosario, while the UNF students made a presentation about UNF and how students live at UNF.

UNF students have the chance to talk with other students, exchange impressions and experiences regarding their respective institutions and the student life.

We finished the day with dinner.

Tuesday

On Tuesday we visited Volkswagen's factory in Argentina (http://www.volkswagen.com.ar/)

Our host explained us the different steps in the production of cars and we were able to see first hand the production of cars. The following are the main issues we discussed:

1. Productive process and coordination with other production plants around the world

2. Coordination and trade with Brazilian plants

3. Main export markets

4. Problems generated by government policies and collaboration with unions.

Overall, this was a great visit. We were not able to take pictures because of safety issues.

After the visit we stopped by in a shopping mall and at night we went out for dinner and say goodbye to Buenos Aires.

Visit to Exologistica

Monday we visited Exologistica (http://www.exologistica.com/), one of the top companies providing logistic services to companies in Argentina and other countries in South America (Brazil and Uruguay). This company handles the logistic operations of several top companies in Argentina and abroad.

We had the opportunity to learn how the company operates and manages its business. We also learnt about the challenges of operating in emerging markets and the problems of dealing with different exogenous shocks that affect its normal business operations.

Our host, Carlos Cremona, explined the opportunities and challenges of Mercosur, the agreements with the Union and the Government, which produce a very different business environment than in the United States. He showed us how packages and orders from clients are processed, stored and delivered, and the system they use to handle these tasks.

We had the opportunity to see their impressive safety system that provides protection to the trucks delivering the clients' orders. This system is a key component of their business given the high rate of crime in Argentina.

All these additional factors and variables gave students awareness regarding risks, challenges and opportunities of doing business in Argentina. Furthermore, they learnt that understanding how to operate in the the local economy is a key component of the company success.

Boat Ride and Soccer Match

On Sunday we took the train to Tigre, a city north of Buenos Aires. Once we got there, we took a boat and have a nice ride among the many island of the Delta. The Delta, formed by the Parana river has numerous islands, and people has built their houses in these islands.

We had lunch in Gato Blanco, a restaurant located in one of the Islands. After lunch we took the boat back and a bus took us to the soccer game. We watch River Plate against Racing Club. The game was not very exciting, they tied 0-0. But the crowd behaved very different from sport crowds in the US.

First Day in Buenos Aires

Long flight, but it was worth it. We are in Buenos Aires.

We had a tour of the city and visited the Pink House (picture), Plaza de Mayo, the Cathedral, the Obelisk and La Boca, Palermo y Recoleta Neighborhoods.

After lunch we walked to the Recoleta Neigborhood and visited the Cemetery and the Flea Market.

The only drawback was that only Kyle and Robert were brave enough to go in this visit. The rest stayed at the hotel...

Robert and Kyle were not very afraid of the Police car.

On the Road ... On the Plane

We left Jacksonville Friday at 11:30. The trip to Miami was uneventful. We have time to talk and get to know each other much better.

Well, sometimes students were too tired to talk...

We arrive to Miamit airport with enough time to check in and try some Cuban food.

Getting Ready

Tonight is our last meeting before departure. Everybody is excited. We have been working on the different aspects of the Argentine culture and the economic environment.
Most students wonder about the economic hardships and recent boom of Argentina. Among the most important questions we have:
Impressive growth rate
Price controls
Alliance with Chavez
A Woman President