When I finally landed in Buenos Aires, the plane stopped and we unloaded into buses that drove us to the actual airport terminals, the planes don't connect to the terminals like most do in the US. We then had to wait in customs. forever. I was waiting in the line for about an hour and a half when I finally got to the agent, then he tells me I had to go to the back of the line and go pay some other unmarked booth the tax for coming from the US. Evidently I was the only American of all of the 4 flights that had just landed. After paying, I had to re-wait in the line to go through customs. After about 3 hours in total I was finally through and then went to claim my baggage. Then I had to go through another security line where they put all of my bags through a scanner thingy and I unconsciously took off my shoes and jacket before being screamed at that that wasn't necessary. not in america no mo. Finally I made it through and was released into the craziness that was the airport lobby terminal. I felt like I was in a jungle or something. People were everywhere running and screaming in this foreign language which, mind you, I cannot understand. The accents are so different and people talk so much more fast than the Spanish I have learned. I made my way to the ATM to try to get some money out so I could use the payphones and pay for a cab. But, things were not going my way that day so naturally, the ATM didn't work for me. Then I remembered I had a free trial phone card so I tried to use it and called the number of the university that htey had given me, turns out that the number had changed. At this point I am so exhausted, overwhelmed adn scared that I am on the verge of tears. I had to get to my school by 6 o'clock or I would be homeless for the night, and I was supposed to get in at noon that day but due to the delays and custom lines it was fast approaching 5 o'clock. I finally get through to a different USAL (my school is Universidad del Salvador) and they directed me to the international office. Someone got on the phone speaking entirely too fast especially with all of the noise going on around me in the busy airport. After them trying to relay the address to me like 8 times, I finally got it and scribbled it down (it was a new address too, it was really convenient being informed this when I was already in the airport in this foreign scary country). After getting the address I went to exchange money to pay for a taxi, I know you aren't supposed to exchange money in airports because you don't get as good of a rate but I just wanted to have some money on me. I asked the lady at the exchange counter- in butchered Spanish- the best way to get where I was going and she asked if I felt confident enough to take the bus..I pictured myself on the crowded "colectivo" (bus), with all of my overpacked suitcases and pillow and wanted to cry. So no, I didn't feel confident enough for the bus. Then she said that a taxi would rip me off so she recommended the remises which are like private cars or more safe taxis. I got one and paid a whopping $60 but I didn't care if I had to pay a zillion dollars I just wanted out of the airport as I was obviously the most vulnerable, pathetic, foreign person there. We drove by and through much of the city and I watched in awe. The most fascinating area was what I now think is called el barrio Boca which is like the ghetto. Houses on top of eachother - or shacks rather- made of garbage and random materials leaned against each other with people coming in an out of random holes etc..to be short, I'm not sure if I've ever seen such built up poor neighborhoods- not built up as in well developed but built up as in neverending shacks supporting oneanother on top of each other (literally, they looked dangerously tall).