Recoleta

Yesterday we had a free day, so I set out to see Recoleta Cemetery, one of Buenos Aires' most famous and remarkable sights. Recoleta is about 4.5 km from our hotel, and I decided to walk. My route took me up along the Avenida 9 de Julio, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the widest avenue in the world. (Our guide from Tuesday, Luz, said the widest is actually in Brasilia, but who knows?)

I saw this photogenic cafe (above) somewhere along the way...

...as well as this building with a gigantic mural of Eva Perón speaking to the descamisados and trabajadores. Apparently on the other side of the building there's another image of her smiling, but I haven't seen it yet. (Again, that's according to Luz.)

The cemetery is amazing. It's where many of Buenos Aires' most famous and wealthy residents are interred, in incredibly ornate above-ground mausoleums. Most of the structures are quite old and some are in rather dire condition, with collapsing ceilings and coffins exposed to the elements. But others are more modern and look as cozy as (ironically) a living room, complete with houseplants.

The statuary is remarkable. I'd love to know how many angels are in Recoleta Cemetery.

Eva Perón is interred here, in a rather basic-looking black granite vault belonging to her family, the Duartes. Apparently Juan Perón, who remarried after Eva's death, is elsewhere. But I did see some other past presidents of Argentina as well as military officers and leaders of all sorts.

After exploring the cemetery and having coffee in a nearby cafe, I made my way back to the hotel. Along the Avenida Uruguay I came across this pack of middle-class dogs, parked for a dog-walker who was perhaps making either a delivery or a pick-up. The dog in front with the blue collar was barking, a slow, rhythmic chant of protest at being left tied to a tree.

I also saw a little brown dog, a terrier of some sort, running loose in traffic. He did not have a collar and seemed very freaked out. He ran past me and peered up into my face as if thinking, "Do I know you?!" I guess he was looking for someone familiar. Some police tried to catch him but he was fast and got away. My theory is that he was with one of these dog-walkers and slipped his collar, because he looked too healthy to be a stray. I hope that dog is still alive this morning.

I got back to the hotel and met up with Dave, and we went to find lunch. We walked back to Puerto Madera and ate at a cafe along the canal. I had a local beer called Patagonia. Not bad!

Then we walked into the nature preserve behind the skyscrapers of Puerto Madera in order to see the Rio de la Plata. We couldn't really see it from anywhere in town, and I didn't want to leave without at least catching a glimpse. As you can see, it's very wide. Uruguay is somewhere across all that water.

It was also nice to walk through a green space, with towering pampas grass and monk parakeets flying overhead. (Unlike the rose-ringed parakeets we see in our garden in London, monk parakeets are apparently a native species here.)

Today, we're off to Iguaçu Falls!