Thursday, November 22, 2012

2012 South America Adventures: Don't Cry for Me Argentina - Visiting Evita

Last Thursday, I decided to visit the famous Recoleta Cemetery located in the swank Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires.  Presidents, Nobel prize winners and many other great intellectuals and leaders are buried here but for me the most famous of all is Eva Peron.

Entrance to the cemetery is free to the public and they also run free tours.  The tour guide brings you to some notable monuments and elaborate mausoleums, some of which would cost $1 million dollars to construct today.  Some mausoleums have built in chapels so when the families come to visit they have a place to pray.  Some have magnificent statues and beautiful frescoes and then there is the mausoleum for Eva Peron.  It is by comparison to others in the cemetery, pretty modest.  It is located in a narrow aisle and tour groups have to take turns visiting as there is not enough space for large crowds.  I'm not a really big fan of visiting graveyards or cemeteries, but being that Eva accomplished many important things to help women and the poor in Argentina's history, I just had to pay my respects.  And I did find the tour very informative.   

First, you should visit the Church of Our Lady of Pilar, which is located next to the cemetery.



You here at the main entrance and you then catch the next tour group leaving. No reservations are required.




This mausoleum belongs to Rufina Cambaceres Bacichi who died at only 19 years old in 1902.  There is a story that Rufina was thought to have suffered a Catalepsy.  One day a worker found the top of her stone casket moved open and inside the cover they found scratches.  The family insists that she did die, but stories surfaced that she may have suffered some kind of coma and was buried alive.  Her family insists that the latter is not the case.  I sure hope that it wasn't.


There is a story that good luck will come to all those who rub the nose of this dog and that is why his nose is so shiney.


And the last mausoleum we visit is the one for Eva Peron.


Fans of Eva visit and leave flowers and rosaries on her mausoleum, which is very endearing.



After my visit here I hopped in a taxi and went to visit the Japanese Gardens. This garden is located in the Palermo neighborhood and is quite impressive. 
  




Hard to believe that this place can exist in the middle of such a busy city. But to be honest I have to really credit the city of Buenos Aires for having so many wonderful parks and plazas throughout the city. In every park I see people hanging out, jogging or just walking about. I've even spotted a few of those very famous Buenos Aires dog walkers. In fact, in the park right by the Recoleta Cemetery I find this happy group.




5 comments:

  1. So fascinating! I love historic cemeteries like this. Love the dog nose. And so interesting that people continue to pay tribute to Evita.

    That Japanese garden is gorgeous! Glad that BA has special green spaces like this.

    Your photos are wonderful. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

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  2. Hi Annie, thanks so much for your comments. I also find it so cool that people continue to pay tribute to Evita. I have to admit that I rubbed the little guy's nose. I think everyone did in our group.

    I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! I spent it riding the Zodiac boat ride and getting drenched by the Iguazu river. :)

    Have a great long holiday weekend.

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  3. A Japanese garden in Argentina? Interesting! BTW, I knew a Chinese Argentinian at college -- yes, you read that right. He dated a Danish-Colombian and they spoke Spanish (but of course) to each other. We lost touch after college -- hope he (and her) are doing fine wherever they are now -- be it the US, Argentina, Colombia, etc. :)

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  4. Wonderful photos, and what a great park! It looks like BA is a beautiful city (I love the idea of rubbing the dog's nose for luck!)

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  5. Hi girls, thanks so much for your comments,

    YTSL, yes it is so interesting which is why I just had to see the gardens while here. :) How interesting that college friend of yours. I quite often think about people in my life and wonder whatever happenedd to them and as you do wishing they are doing well.

    Sandra,like the coin in the Trevi or the rubbing of the statue on the Charles bridge and all the other wonderful traditions that bring us good luck, I too rubbed the little guy's nose. I hope the spirits didn't mind us doing so. I don't think they do. BA is an incredible city and really worth a visit.

    Thanks so much girls.

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It's me Trekcapri (aka Kathy). Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a comment.