You know it’s going through your head so just sing it out!
Yes, I think the entire city tour for us was based on getting to the cemetery where Eva Peron is buried. Now, I know that when I think of cemeteries, I think of vast lawns, crosses, plaques and grave markers. Not so here! Mausoleum is the way to go and we are not talking a wall with a slide in for coffins. We’re talking buildings decorated with fabulous art, sculptures and pillars.
I am standing beside one of these mausoleums and the paths go on and on. There are 8 of these spikes from a center monument with many side paths. Think of a pie, cut into 8 wedges then many waNt a piece just with interior pieces and no crust! Each wedge ends in a beautiful sculpture. Our lovely tour guide said they had recently tiled the streets. Previously they were soil.
The depth insIDE goes 5 meters down and some extend under the paths. Each can hold 20 to 50 of your most beloved ancestors. There is no electricity so any light in the depths must be provided by natural light (or your cell phone flash light). Many of these had incredible stained glass, gold leaf, and sculptures found only in the best museums and done by world renowned artists.
Here are two of the caskets sitting for all to see. They themselves are works of art. Some of you may see morbidity in this but we were fascinated by this cultural tradition. Our tour guide told us most people are 'buried' in this manner. I would imagine some not as richly or decoratively. At this cemetery, it takes them 100 years to 'kick out' any family not paying their fair share or not keeping up the mausoleum. I thought.... heck, in America we turn off peoples heat and electricity after a months arrears!
And that brings us to the reason for the cemetery. This is Evita's grave. She is finally at rest in her beloved Argentina
after being located across the globe due to political crisis.
She is a hero to the country and women. For you younguns', get the movie Evita starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas,
Jim at Evita's
grave.
Next to the cemetery was a beautiful church in the Roman
Catholic tradition with side chapels and beautiful artworks. There was a cloister that cost 40 pesos to get in. I was like, 'I’m not paying that much to get in'. We finally figured it was about a dollar! In we went to see some old artifacts and a Gregorian Chant book that was 300 years old. It was the only one surviving after a fire destroyed the other 5 volumes.
Here is a view of the Recoleta Cemetery from inside the Cloisters.
Mostly we cannot figure out why a 15 minute taxi ride should cost $2 or a dinner with two cocktails, a bottle of wine, appetizers and main course would cost less than $80. Inflation is rampant apparently so the US dollar is strong. People seem very grateful for American dollars.
Until tomorrow, sleep well and Buenos Noches.
💜
Jim didn’t like
