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Published: December 6th 2007
OK everybody, (in my best Samuel Jackson impression), hang onto your hats. I´m trying to upload some photos.
Right, well, it´s kind of working so I´ll get writing while a few download. This´ll be a quick entry - I´m getting hungry from some Argeninian beef at a paillia (grill house). Supposedly they can cut the thick filets with a spoon. Looking foward to that, I have to say.
Today was an interesting day. Still gorgeous, and the usual smell of urine and pollution wafted away on the gentle sub-tropical breeze. Honestly, no irony intended. It was a lovely day.
Anyways, spent the majority of it at the Recolleta Cemetary. Yup, at a cemetary. This place was unbelievable. Tombs to die for. These things, holding the remains of Buenos Aires´ and Argentina´s leading citizens were clad in marble, granite, and ivory for pete´s sake. And their condition ranged from pristine (presumably those with families still around) to falling down around the coffins. Literally. And you could see the coffins - no plebian sarcophagi for these folks!
My favourites were, of course, Evita´s (pretty much the only Argentinian people know right off the top of their heads). A very
popular tomb. Did I mention that this is one of the top five tourist sites in BA? My other favourite, not at all visited, was the Pentarch of the Three Friends. I don´t know the story, but this beautiful monument was a three corner spire, each side with a brass engraving of one of the three friends. Two were writers (they had stylized open books beneath their faces) and the third was a musician, obviously an expert in the lyre (since that´s what he had beneath his - not a harp, as you might expect, but a lyre). Whatever caused them to buried together, forgoing their familes (most of the tombs are a name and "y familia") is surely a story to tell.
On a sader note (yup, I found the tombs poignant yet amusing), you´ll see a picture from yesterday on the site. It´s a partial shot of one of the walls for the Disappeared, a few of the 30-45 thousand victims of the brutal repressive government in the 70´s and 80´s in Argentina. Every Thursday the "Mothers of the Disappeared" (I´ve forgotten the Spainish title) continue to march, since very few have every been found, or their
The Obelisk
In a city full of phallic statues and monuments, this one is definitely noteworthy ...remains. Kind of hard to believe it could have happened, looking around BA today.
Did I mention all the cute babes? Not as prevalent as Prague, but I am seriously considering immigrating.
OK, that´s all for now. I´ll figure out the photo thing better for next time, but take a look and if you have any suggestions, fire away. I´m off to El Calafate in Patagonia tomorrow, and join an organized tour and hike on Saturday by FitzRoy Mountain and Petit Moreno Glaciar (which, by a freak of nature, is one of the few in the world still advancing despite our best efforts to heat the planet. Silly glacier.)
Hope all is well in, I´m told (thanks Maureen!) snow-bound Ottawa and bitter London. All the best!
Mike
P.S. Someone send me the Sens results of the last couple of days please ... much better to get from a fan than off the web!!
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Mark Rayner
non-member comment
Punilicious
Oh Mike! Tombs to die for? Sounds like you're a bit giddy. I like the stories though. The lyre might be a symbolic thing, though, not literal. You will be happy to know the Sens turned around their losing streak last night. Gory details here: http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=146979 Hope you enjoy the beef. I'm making stew tonight to sweeten up life in Bitter London :) m.