Day 228 – Buenos Aires, Argentina
April 8, 2011 12 Comments
Day 228 – Buenos Aires, Argentina 04/06/11 Mileage: Local miles
This morning it was back on the train downtown to the Brazilian Consulate to apply for a visa. Luckily there was only one person ahead of me in line and it only took 20 minutes. They said it would be ready tomorrow at noon which would be great, as I was told by others it would take at least a week…sometimes two! That done I was off to see more sights, this time heading for the upscale bario’s of Recoleta and Polermo. First up was Recoleta and it was nice just to walk the streets.
I found a nice sidewalk cafe for a small bite to eat and then walked across the plaza to tour the famous Cemetario de la Recoleta…the final resting place of anyone who was anyone in Argentina…ex presidents, generals, aristocrats and Eva Peron are all buried here.
But that alone is not what makes this cemetery famous, it’s also the mind boggling array of mausoleums and tombs in every conceivable architectural style that make it like a small city itself. Some look like miniature chapels or the stone edifice of an old bank, while others have monuments and sculptures.
The Duarte family mouseleum….Eva Peron’s maiden name….
Most are well kept and some have fallen into disrepair, but for sure there is a unique story behind each of them.
This one was glass on the front and sides…a close-up of the inside is below…
After making the rounds at the cemetery, I walked to the bario of Polermo taking in the scene along the way. I picked up a sandwich and had a relaxing picnic lunch in the botanical garden…a little oasis of tranquility in the bustling city.
After strolling around Polermo I started making my way back towards the train station, then back to Dakar Moto’s to finish up the work on the bike.
I also relocated from Dakar to a friends of friends house who live in Martinez…a very nice suburb of Buenos Aires. It was short ride over to Gustavo and Helena’s house…and what a nice house it is! It was a significant upgrade from the “modest” accommodations at Dakar and they are very gracious and welcoming hosts. Photos coming soon…