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Published: September 14th 2012
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Our first night in Buenos Aires and we take a walk into San Telmo - the old part of town. As we are picking our way over the little cobblestoned streets lit up in pools of amber light by the old fashioned wrought iron street lamps a convey of Bugsey Malone style 1930's cars pass us - their inhabitants dressed up to the nines like gangsters and molls. The 30s is one of my very favourite periods and a lot of the art and the music harks back to this golden age of decadence and wealth when the city was booming. If I could have lived then (while it was all mint Juleps, silky long dresses, strands of pearls, cocktails on the balcony and dancing the night away to The Black Bottom - e rnot the Depression bit obvoiusly) I would have. I take it as a good sign - me and this city are going to get along.
The group's last night is spent having a tango lesson followed by a show. We sit down awkwardly along the sides of an old fashioned dance hall and let the humilation begin- Louise audibly gulps.
There is no need to
Tango Lesson
Let the awkward English dancing commence worry - its very much tango for tourists as we learn three sets of short steps with a little camp dancer who has a pat set set of one liners and comedy put downs. Then we trail into the restaurant for a steak dinner and to watch the show. Our teacher takes to the stage and the dancers enact a variety of tango routines in 30's period dress.
The next day is the end of the tour and i am staying in Buenos Aires. The rest of the group have a free morning before they head off so we walk to Recoleta which is one of the most upmarket barrios (or neighbourhoods) in the city.
The name derives from a Franciscan order of monks (the Recollect fathers) who inhabited the area in the 18th century. When yellow fever and cholera swept the city in the late 19 century the wealthiest fled to the heighest and insect free terrain - Recoleta and it has been one of the most affluent areas since.
Sabrina and I make our way towards the famous cemetery where Evita is buried. Strolling through the spotless streets and leafy lanes; the green and cream
Tango
...kind of... striped awnings of up market apartments, Dior and Vuitton shop fronts and perfumeries and patisseries - its easy to see why B.A has been given the moniker "the Paris of South America." There is even an obsession with primped up poodly little dogs in this city.
The cemetery is situated next to the monastery and is free to enter. On a grey day with an empty bone white sky - it has an eerie gothic feel. Huge looming jet black and stone sarcophagi are crammed side by side between marble statues and importuning angels. Some of the sarcophagi have dusty windows allowing you to peer into the gloom within. Gold vases and the dying petals of recent relatives offerings scatter the paths. The little alleyways running between the tombs are maze like and higgledy piggledy. I loose the group for a while and a little chill goes down my neck. We are looking for Evita's tomb - expecting- i suppose - some kind of fanfare...gold and gilt edges, bugle blowing cupids. But when we finally stumble across it, it is small and non descript and very difficult to find - she is listed only as "Duarte" her maiden name.
Tango Show
how its done properly Just a few simple plaques and some bouquets from admirers.
A couple of grave diggers are laughing and joking in between sweeping out the cracked glass and dust from the empty tombs and are happpy enough to steer people in the right direction.
Outside I give a donation to an aids charity outside. It has a leaflet in broken english that suggests mutual masturbation as a form of safe sex, i suppose it is...!
Recoleta also has a park dominated by a huge silver flower designed by the architect Eduardo Catalano.
"What do you think of the flower?" I'm asked by a couple of Portenos. "Is it still broken??"
I love it. Like the very best designs it is deceptively simple and optimistic. It is has an electronic system that means it is supposed to open its petals at sunrise and close them at 8pm every day. However it has been broken since 2010 and would supposedly cost millions to repair which means it sits - permanently open for the time being. I'm sure there is a metaphor in there if i look hard enough.
I join my hostel - The Arts Factory, a
colourful hostel with lots of bright decor, murals on the walls and a very sleepy gay guy with highlighted mullet on reception called Adrian. He reminds me of the doormouse from Alice in Wonderland. Always one drop of tea away from nodding off. In my room (a shared dorm) is a guy from Lichentenstein - Mauritz and a friendly (is there any other kind) Ozzie couple who are just coming to the end of their travels.
The next day i decide to take myself off to see one of the most famous sights in the city - the barrio of La Boca.
The neighbourhood is famous for its brightly coloured houses and home to La Bombonera - Boca Juniors football stadium. Caminito is a pedestrianised street that literally translates as "little walkway."
Buenos Aires is home to a large population of italian immigrants, their influence can be felt in the fresh pasta and pizza restaurants and the cafe culture that dominates the streets. Many settled into La Boca at the turn of the nineteenth century and brought with them the Genoese tradition of painting the outside of their houses in bright colours with paints left over from
the shipping yard. By the 1950s many of the original had been lost due to redevelopment but a world famous artist from the barrio Quinquello Martin committed himself to redesigning it. Caminito is therefore his tribute to the neighbourhood where he grew up.
Due to my spectacularly abysmal sense of direction I end up taking a half hour detour round some dodgy back streets (its still a rough area) which means I arrive just as the sun is ducking down behind the houses. If you go, go on a day of bright blue sky and summer sun as its the best way to see the primary paint colours of the pretty little facades and your photos will look so much better as a result.
As well as painted houses they have created life sized caricatures of La Bocas inhabitants that appear out of windows and hang off balconies. The area is touristy with market stalls of tat and tango shows in the streets designed to charge a premium. In Mexico you can see brightly coloured painted houses for free but it is probably one of the most famous sights in B.A and therefore worth the visit.
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