After almost a month in Buenos Aires we finally mastered the local bus system. We caught the correct bus going the correct way and got to the Recoleta cemetery in 5 minutes.
This cemetery is as beautiful as the other one we visited. There are amazing tombs with incredible statues. This one, however, is smack dab in the middle of the Recoleta neighborhood, so it’s surrounded by tall, modern buildings.
The entire cemetery is interesting, but the most famous person buried there, at least for us American tourists, is Evita Peron. We wandered around in the searing heat looking for her tomb. I assumed it would be grand, with giant statues and overflowing with flowers and admirers. Turns out her tomb is quite simple. Her family’s crypt is in the middle of a long row or other tombs. The flowers and smattering of other tourists were the things that kept us from walking right by.
Afterward, we stopped for coffee and alfajores (sandwich cookie filled with dulce de leche). While Evita’s tomb was smaller than I expected, the coffee and dulce de leche lived up to expectations.
Would love a Sheryl’s top 10 and maybe bottom 10 of what we have to see/avoid in BA. It also might be interesting to see if Jeff’s thoughts are different. We still haven’t made any plans for March, but will have some sort of a big trip – Europe, South America, who knows!
Miss you!
I love the cemetary pictures and videos. It’s quite a remarkable place. Thanks for sharing the experience.
Six of us did the tour of Buenos Aires on 3 January 2011, an excursion sponsored by the Cruise Ship “Celebrity”. We visited Recoleta Cemetery and Evita’s tomb. Our tour guide was outstanding as she described to us all the complicated details of Evita’s good deeds for the poor and the hatred she suffered thru by Argentine aristocrats. But what intrigues me still is all that took place AFTER her death at 33 and her final entombment at Recoleta, the most impressive cemetery I’d ever seen in all my 76 years. We also visited the Church of El Pilar just outside the cemetery. It is totally stunning in it’s golden splendor. This visit was one of the major highlights of our cruise.
I agree, the story of how she finally made it to Recoleta Cemetery after her death is as interesting as her life.