Submitted by Adamari Rodriguez on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Argentina sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…
As I reflect back on my first week studying abroad in Argentina, my favorite excursion we have taken so far would be visiting El Tigre. El Tigre is a town in the province of Buenos Aires that is located at the Parana Delta. Unlike the United States where the main form of transportation is by vehicles El Tigre uses the river as the main highway. Therefore, in order to go to the grocery store or if they need a service like an ambulance, they all move around on boat. The tour guide stated that they call El Tigre a wild Venice for that reason. In addition, every house by the river has a private dock and instead of addresses that we are used to, each private estate gives their home a unique name of their choosing. However, what surprised me the most about this neighborhood was that as a foreigner one would think that being that close to the river would lead to the dangers of flooding. Despite that assumption, we observed how the entire town is well prepared for floods and that is evident in their architecture and lifestyle. Everyone has boats so flooding does not really phase the locals as I thought it would. I learned that the worst thing possible about living at El Tigre was actually the low levels of the river. That poses a problem because it prohibits transportation for both sellers and consumers. Overall, El Tigre was an incredible experience and insight into a different culture whose entire life is centered around a river.