There are two ‘must sees’ in this city, and the day was profitably spent seeing them! Moving around the city on the bus network and on foot gave us a valuable insight and orientation of the city. It’s vast, and the tree-lined avenues, stylish shops and bars give it a wonderful, almost exhilarating feeling. We headed for the world-famous Recoleta Cemetery, and just before entering made a cooling visit to the monastery and church of Nuestra Senhora de Pilar, the oldest in the city. The summer heat today is relentless, and the shade of the church precincts gave a small amount of welcome release from the torments of the full sun; the city is known as Buenos Aires for good reason too: every so often, a gentle breeze wafts over from the river (Good Air)! The cemetery was smaller and more concentrated than expected, and the tombs (actually, grand mausoleums would be a better term) more built up than expected. We explored in detail, and then went to find the family tomb of the Duarte clan, especially to see the final resting place of their most famous member, Eva. Of course, her married name was Peron, and every Porteño knows of her by her nickname, Evita. Let’s not get Into the debates on Latin American politics just yet, but I’m sure that this trip will not be complete without a full run down of the battle between left and right, socialism and greed. But not today!
It was then time to visit the famous area of the docks where the Italian immigrants set up there quarter: the brightly painted streets of La Boca. At first we were more than dismayed, we were frankly gutted that it has been turned into an almost Disneyfied version of the heyday! Especially where old, beautiful window shutters were lined with postcards and rickety balconies had various other merchandise hanging from them. But slowly and surely, the magic of this zona gradually overtook us by stealth. It is the quintessence of the real Buenos Aires, and for good reason. We actually managed to find some of these Jenga stacked shacks untouched and in their original glory, and the real finishing touches were the beautiful lantern-style street lights and the sounds of accordions and voices accompanying traditional tango dancing. As we explored the futuristic outer contour of La Boca, we found some real talent in masterpieces of all kinds of wall art; from graffiti on the walls of the local’s basketball court to the carefully painted images of tango dancers and joyful scenes. A coffee stop in an authentic, non-tourist café was well deserved!
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