For The Love of Travel

When Argentina’s wealthy and powerful rest for eternity, they do it in style.

Recoleta cemetery is one of the world’s most extraordinary graveyards, with over 6,400 grandiose mausoleums resembling Gothic chapels, Greek temples, fairytale grottoes and elegant little houses. The exclusive cemetery is the last stop for the country’s most celebrated (and controversial) presidents, intellectuals, army generals and entertainers, and a popular attraction for visitors to Buenos Aires. 

Probably the most famous, the first lady, Eva Peron (from family Duarte). She used her position to fight for women’s suffrage and improving the lives of the poor.  She also unofficially ran the health and labour ministries in her husband’s government. Three years after former First Lady Perón died of cancer in 1952, her body was removed by the Argentine military in the wake of a coup that deposed her husband, President Juan Perón. The body then went on a transatlantic odyssey for nearly twenty years before finally being returned to the Duarte family mausoleum in Recoleta Cemetery. She now lies in a crypt five meters underground, heavily fortified to ensure that no one can disturb the remains of Argentina’s most beloved and controversial First Lady.

“Fuerza Bruta” at the Recoleta Cultural Centre was incredible last night…..a unique show, a bit like a cross between Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group and a ‘healthy’ LSD trip. Still recovering from sensory overload. Loud music, pretty colors, crazy overhead acts and we got sprayed (yep wet through!, lucky only a 5 mins walk over the road to my hotel room).  

Walked into an exclusive store in Recoleta called La Martina, founded by Lando Simonetti, an Argentine of Italian origin, as a sports and leisure company in 1985. A keen polo player in his youth, Mr Simonetti saw an opportunity to provide professional players with high-quality equipment. He began by making leather saddles and boots, then added shirts and caps. To reinforce the brand’s Argentine roots, La Martina sourced 65 per cent of materials locally. La Martina has now been designated the official supplier of the Argentina polo teams by the Argentinean Polo Association. La Martina also equips the university teams from Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge and the College of St. Xavier in Mumbai as well as the English national team. What a lovely shop, I could have reclined in the red leather for ages, but instead took quick photos and exited…5 staff standing around looking intently at me.  

I wanted to see a tango show in Argentina, and booked for one of the 20 offerings tonight in Buenos Aires…the Piazzolla tango show. He was a composer of some of the most atmospheric tango music ever written and the venue is dedicated to his memory. A fantastic show – the band were all top class professionals and likewise the dancers.  I also enjoyed the two singers (who kept our attention during a couple of costume changes), who were a great bonus.  

OMG! Ricky Martin is performing in Buenos Aires on 11 and 12 March! I missed him in El Calafate a few weeks back….I tried to get tickets on line last night (there were $500 ones still available) but my bank was not being recognised by the ticket website program (curses), so I took myself off to the ticket office this morning, hoping against hope that there would be some good ones still available.  Stood in line for an hour before I got told they only had ‘standing’ tickets ….. doh! Saves me $500 but very sad that I couldn’t attend what will be an amazeballs! (boomers, check urban dictionary) concert.

Decided to sign up for a show called “Fuerza Bruta”, a ‘post modern’ theatre show that originated in Buenos Aires in 2003, created by Diqui James. (Post modern productions are centered on highlighting “the fallibility of definite truth, instead encouraging the audience to reach their own individual understanding”).  It apparently, is a very energetic spectacle, featuring interaction between the performers and the public, and is described as a 360 degree experience. Will let you know what that’s about, after I’ve attended a performance on 11/3! Got a general admission ticket! Also booked a ticket for a (totally restrained but hopefully spectacularly sensual) tango show tomorrow.

Long walk today from the Recoleta area I’m staying in, to the Obelisk and Teatro Colon (the main opera house in Buenos Aires, and acoustically considered to be amongst the five best concert venues in the world).  No performances before 15 March however – drats, would have loved to attend a ballet or musical event! Is there a theme developing here??

There’s quite a bit of building works going on in the city, so you step carefully along broken pavements; there’s lots of dust…and then you suddenly see the decorative entrance to a naval building circa 1880’s  …and park sculpture circa 1930’s…..that makes the walk worth it. 

Tired gal this afternoon, retired to hotel at 3pm after 5 hours of ambling. Fitbit has buzzed (hit 10,000 steps at noon!). English language TV, what a treat – watching back episodes late 1990’s/early 2000’s TV series of “Will and Grace”, and “Mad About You” – lovely.

A day at sea and we arrive at Ushuaia and disembark – just in time for the perfectly timed worker’s demo (8.30am) about the Government cutting their wages by 5% to spend on social security and health initiatives. Police and SWAT squad lined the 2 streets alongside the hotel we were relaxing in, waiting to catch the flight to Buenos Aires. I decided to walk around and covertly take some pics of what’s happening…getting quite good at that. Trained myself when catching penguins by surprise 🙂

Also saw an unexpected series of images by a local photographer, Sergio, at the Ushuaia prison museum – of penguins – gorgeous detailed shots.

4 hours uneventful flight to Buenos Aires and I take a cab to my hotel in the Recoleta district – coming to Avenida de Mayo, we are stopped in our tracks by a demo. It takes a while to read the banners and then I realise its an International Women’s Day March!

The march’s length goes for at least 1 km either side of the cross road I’m on. Great to see such an embrace of the occasion. At 6pm…right in the middle of rush hour…..I got out of the cab and took the photos, hopping back in just in time when the taxi took off, there was a gap in the march and some the traffic forced itself through the cross street. 

My little apartment is lovely, and handy – right opposite the famous Recoleta cemetery, where Eva Peron, numerous Argentinian Presidents, and ‘intelligentsia’ were buried. Recoleta is also famous for its art, culture precinct and food, just my sort of hang out.