The best thing about Argentina!

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ok ok so our last blog raved about the natural wonders of Argentina, and said little else...but finally we found some fun and soul in Buenos Aires!! What a cool place to stay for a few days, and spent a lot of time trawling the shops - shop-PING all the way to the tills!!

We spent most of the time doing the cultural stuff and sightseeing. We went to the Recoleta Cemetery, perhaps one of the strangest famous tourist attractions...we spent a couple of hours wandering around the mausoleums, seeing the differences between the bankers, the militarymen, doctors and politicians. It has one of the biggest ranges of funeral architectures in the world, and also has the tomb of Eva Peron which was decorated with red roses.

We also went to a couple of art museums, got freaked out by the modern art one but no where near as much as the Americans who were going around at the same time, and didnt really like the piece with Jesus strapped to an American fighter plane...food for thought...

We also went to the Sunday market at San Telmo, found the Antiques section and quickly walked away after we saw an A-Team Van (Brigada A) which made us feel very very old, but wow! I pity the fool!!! We also saw a lot of tango dancers...keith thought they might be orange....uncultured!! Sharon, you wouldve loved it! The dancing was ok, the music was ok, but wow, the shoes were amazing! Definitely good for the shimmy shimmy.....

We also managed to see the weekly demonstration of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, which they have been holding every Thursday since 1981, to protest about the disappearances of family members during the military dictatorship. This was a particularly interesting and somewhat moving experience for me, as I studied this during my degree, and had to do a presentation on this - basically the question was whether or not they should stay at home and forget about what had happened to their family members so as not to make Argentina continue to remember what had gone on and what was still left unanswered...I know, what a subject matter but I argued with my lecturer and nearly all my classmates as they thought it was better to forget. In 2003, the summer after the arguement at the end of my degree, the Argentinian government found documents recording the fates of some of the disappeared, although there are a huge number still unaccounted for, and so the Mothers are still walking round the Plaza with pictures of their loved ones round their neck. It's the only power they have against the government and was interesting to see how much attention they draw.

We also did the cow thing at a fancy restaurant, in their modernised dock side area, and keith felt the after affects of too much red meat during the night - The power of Christ compels you!!! Leave the bed alone!!!! Apparently red meat, a lot of red meat gives Keith very lucid dreams......hmmm. It's interesting to note though that we havent actually seen any cows in Argentina, anywhere, except on the barbie!!

We caught the ferry across to uruguay, bought the biggest bar of Dairy Milk we could find, actual real Birmingham Cadbury's stuff!!!! Needless to say there is none of that left, but wow it was good!! We are now at the beach, catching up on the suntans, although it is raining and thundering at the minute, so we have had to find some shelter...not all fun in the sun!

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Photos

Eva Perons mausoleum
She apparently spent 3 years getting embalmed...

Madres de la Plaza de Mayo 2
The headscarf has become a symbol for truth and the plaza outside the government building has these laid into the floor where the Madres protest

I see dead people
... but no sign of the exit

Us... celebrating Valentines day early
I ate Bob and stacey ate Daisy but they may have had the last laugh...

Another day at the beach
just for you Liz xx