Thursday, 9 October 2014
My last day in Buenos Aires! And it was a dark, gloomy, rainy day. Really I have no luck in Argentina! And unfortunately there were things that I didn't get to do here, like check out the nightlife, drink mate (pronounced mah-tey) which is a herb infused drink that you drink out of a cute cup and straw, and see a gaucho. Oh well, I guess sometimes you can't do it all.
In the morning I checked out of the hotel at about 10 am, leaving my luggage behind temporarily, and first headed out to the tour agency to collect my tickets and vouchers for Iguazu Falls. Once that was done, I headed out to the Recoleta Cemetery.
The Recoleta neighbourhood is one of the more fashionable neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, with much open spaces and public gardens. I read that there was an English tour at the cemetery at 11 am, and it was recommended that we join the tour, lest we get lost in this place, which is entirely possible.
The Recoleta cemetery was inaugurated On 17 November1822, becoming the first public cemetery in the city of Buenos Aires. It used to be the garden of the adjoining church and covers about 54,843 square metres. The cemetery is huge, almost like a city within a city, with ominous looking gates and labyrinthine paths. It has more than 4,800 elaborate vaulted tombs and majestic mausoleums, 70 of which have been declared historic monuments. The mausoleums resemble chapels, Greek temples, pyramids and miniature mansions. The tombs are all packed closely and separated by streets and passageways. Evita Peron, a number of past presidents, sports stars and writers were laid to rest here.
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