Our Day at The City of Dead.

rwantuch — Wed, 9 Sep 2009 08:20:00 GMT

Day 2, Wednesday, 9^th September, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Today we decided to explore some of the city with our intended goal being the much lauded Recoleta Cemetary.

For the first half hour or so I found it hard to shake the feeling of being a foreigner in a strange and bustling metropolis and the vulnerable feeling that comes with it. However, soon enough the general vibe of the city began to feel right and I soon became quite comfortable. The rules of safety are pretty much the same everywhere. You don’t have to constantly worry or be in fear of potential danger, but always exercise common sense, whatever your surroundings.

It was a very pleasant day, sunny and warm, a nice change from the previous day and we covered quite a bit of ground. We walked up Avenida Florida, the busy micro centre of the city, a pedestrianised commercial shopping centre which held very little interest for both myself and Kate, but it did enable us to make a couple of necessary purchases.

Walked around a couple of plazas, learned about General San Martin. He is the main hero round here, statues of him on his horse are everywhere, as well as parks, streets and plazas which are named after him. He liberated Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and possibly some other places which escape my ignorant mind at present.

We stopped for lunch at a lovely little place, the name of which I have forgotten, and had some sort of casserole type dishes followed by our very first Yerba Mate, for those who don’t know, it is a bitter herb drink very popular in Argentina and Uruguay, where you pour hot water over the herbs and drink through a metal straw, sugar can be added also. It is an acquired taste, but one that has grown on me.

After lunch we made our way to Recoleta cemetery where we were immediately greeted at the entrance by an eccentric character called Florenzia. She was selling maps of the cemetery and made a beeline for us, asking if we were British, in a very nasally, over the top British accent. She was great this woman, the map-selling becoming a secondary factor replaced by her keenness to tell us of her experiences in Britain, mainly being cold and discovering a fondness for Kit Kats. Nevertheless, her knowledge of our homeland impressed me, especially when she referred to me as ‘Brummie Boy’ upon learning that I was from Birmingham.

We parted ways with Florenzia, but not before buying a map and went to explore the cemetery.

My humble words will not do justice to the glorious edifices that house the deceased nobility of Argentina, and so I took a lot of photos. You will see if you choose to look at them how elaborate and ornate all the tombs and sepulchres are. Some of them are very old and are no longer maintained with plaster falling away to reveal crumbling red brick beneath, but somehow that only adds to the beauty.

My personal beliefs of posthumous treatment contradict these elaborate displays of mourning and I can’t help but feel that it is a way of the wealthy classes almost competing with one another. Regardless, the result is beautiful and highly impressive.

The sun was beginning to set over the Necropolis and the bell began to chime as a signal that the cemetery was about to close for the day. We left and wandered around the grounds marvelling at the huge trees situated there.

That evening we went for another meal in San Telmo. I had steak medallions in a mustard sauce with potatoes. Very tasty. Surely we can’t dine this finely all the time?

Arrival in Buenos Aires.

rwantuch — Tue, 8 Sep 2009 08:13:00 GMT

Day 1, Tuesday, 8^th September, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Arrived in Buenos Aires on a Tuesday morning; a chilly, dull, grey Tuesday morning. We were dressed for summer. Serves us right for being so damn smug; “We’re going to be avoiding winter for a whole year” we’d told everyone back home. Oh well.

Couldn’t help but regard everyone who approached us with suspicion, although they were all taxi drivers looking for their next fare. Opted for the bus into the city as it was so cheap but failed to have any small change. This was resolved by a helpful German couple, also starting out on their year long travels.

The bus was an experience to say the least, crammed in with locals and no sign of any reprieve in terms of space and comfort for a good hour and a half. It took us through all the slums surrounding Buenos Aires or the ‘Barrios’ as they are known. Barrio is a word meaning neighbourhood but most often used for the poorer rundown areas. The sight of a dead dog lying on the side of the road was quite unsettling for some reason.

We arrived into the centre of Buenos Aires and things began to look up. We parted ways with the German couple and made our way down the massive Avenue 9 de Julio. It has something ridiculous like 17 lanes and is quite a hair-raising venture when attempting to cross. We found Hostel Sol, our choice of temporary abode during our stay in this fine city. A nice place, basic in service, interesting in design if a bit cold and overly spacious, which of course was part of its charm. The owners were very lovely people who didn’t speak a word of English, and made me truly regret I didn’t speak better Spanish. This regret will be consistent throughout my travels here as I am sure to meet so many interesting people but will never be able to truly converse with them.

That evening we took a walk into San Telmo and treated our eyes to the delights of an antiques market there and then subsequently treated our mouths to a mouth-watering steak and delicious red wine, a Malbec, a very popular grape over here in Argentina, and quite possibly my favourite.

All in all a fine first day in Argentina.

Rich's Tales of Adventure

Our Day at The City of Dead.

Arrival in Buenos Aires.