Day 6 in Rivera: A Rainy Day Pivot to Duty-Free Delights and Teacher House Comforts

Elefante with the Rivera crew!

What a night! I woke up to the sound of rain drumming against my window, a full-on thunderstorm in the middle of the night. Today's Saturday, which usually means a packed weekend of activities with our host teachers. However, the rain had other plans for us. Our WhatsApp Rivera group chat was buzzing this morning with messages from our teachers as we scrambled to pivot. Our highly anticipated trip to the Nature Reserve has been postponed until Thursday, which is a bit of a bummer, but safety first!

Instead, our new plan led us to meet Celeste at the Sineriz Duty Free Shops for lunch. Milton, our ever-fun and playful driver, chauffeured us in the van to the mall. This place is massive! It's all on one level, but it feels endless. Seriously, anything you can possibly imagine, you can find here. The mall is neatly divided into sections: perfumes, accessories, snacks, menswear, outdoor gear, electronics, toys—you name it. Celeste, being Celeste, had to text us a selfie of herself in front of Burger King to give us a clue of her whereabouts. Clearly, we weren't in the food court yet, so we set off on a mini-hunt for her, which thankfully didn't take too long. The food court options were a bit limited, but enough to satisfy our hunger. I opted for another chivito sandwich combo. I swear, it's that good!

After lunch, we strolled through the mall, walking off our meal and stalling for time. Our next meeting was with Rafael, another one of our wonderful host teachers, at the "Teacher House" for some tortas fritas, mate, and games. Apparently, the "Teacher House," built in the 1940s, is a popular hangout for teachers to lounge and unwind, just as Rafael suggested. It's truly a home, complete with rooms with beds, a kitchen, bathrooms, a living room, and a versatile multipurpose space. The entire place instantly reminded me of my grandma's house—it was that inviting.

The cold, damp weather practically begged for a fire, so Anne graciously started the fireplace and kept it roaring, first with recycled paper and then with acorns that Celeste thoughtfully brought. We spent the afternoon swapping stories and enjoying each other's company. I had to pass on the mate because of my cough, but best believe, I will absolutely try it before I leave! Rafael brought a batch of those amazing tortas fritas for us to snack on. These deep-fried, crispy, circular discs of cinnamon and sugar yumminess were devoured by all of us. It was just so nice to be indoors, out of the rain, and simply enjoying each other's company. I especially loved hearing the Fulbright journey of each of our host teachers. One thing I know is that this Fulbright experience isn't just about teaching or learning, it's about forging these incredible, unexpected connections and gaining a deeper understanding of the world, one shared story at a time.