Thursday, 3/21/2019 – A fabulous day with Gabby and Danny.
Ok, I lied about yesterday being my last post. I had extra time after my incredible day before I have to go to the airport to fly home, and I wanted to take the time now to document the sights and sounds I experienced in Buenos Aires while they are still fresh in my memory! Today was the day I got to meet Gabby, the guide I’ve been in contact with for a couple of weeks! She came to my hotel this morning, soon followed by Danny, the driver and her associate, who would manage our transportation around this beautiful city on this absolutely gorgeous day!
Gabby is as sweet and smart as they come! Very knowledgeable about her city’s history and, as a lifelong resident, about the city in today’s world as well. I had provided her with a list of about 10 places I wanted to see, and she was able to work in a couple of other quick stops that added a locals touch! The first thing was a very symbololic status of Eva Peron—Evita! Its the only statue of Eva in Buenos Aires, and sits in front of what was once the presidential home. The story of her life and contributions to Argentina’s people, particularly women, is fascinating and amazing. She came into the world as Eva Duarte in Los Toldos, Argentina, and going out as Eva Peron, first lady of Argentina, at age 32 in 1952 of cervical cancer. I won’t go into details of her contributions, as they are too many and too great to cover here, but I will definitely be reading more about her when I get home.
From there we drove to the Cementerio de la Recoleta, which is Eva’s final resting place in the Duarte family crypt, after being interred in at least two other places prior to being moved to Recoleta. This is the most magnificent cemetery I have ever seen, and I easily could have spent an entire day here, wandering through the rows and rows of massive crypts, and listening to stories about the people entombed here. Lots of ghostly tales, including the White Lady, Liliana Crociati, Rufina Cambaceres, David Alleno and many, many more. Some were famous, such as former presidents and business leaders, and other just common people. Too much to write in detail, but the stories are fascinating and worth reading more about.
Adjacent to the cemetery is Basilica Nuestra Senora del Pilar. It’s a beautiful white church built in the mid-1700s to house Franciscan monks, who were a reclusive sect. Thus, the name “Recoleta” which means reclusive, and the reason for this part of the city to be so named. Its only 2-3km from where the main part of Buenos Aires was located at that time, but there were many hazards to making the then long journey to this area.
We drove past the Argentinian Parliament building and to the Pink House, Office of the President in May Square, where there was a protest taking place. Very noisy with music and fireworks and lots of people shouting, it was a peaceful march and gathering from a group wanting a different judicial power. I’m not really sure what that means, exactly, but it was interesting to watch and hear them. We actually walked through the edge of the protest to meet up with Danny, who was waiting on the other side.
Gabby also told me about the May Square Mothers (Asociación Madres de Plaza de Mayo), whose symbols are all around the center of the square. They are the mothers and grandmothers who children “disappeared” during the military dictatorship of Argentina in the late 1970s and early 1980s. There were up to 30,000 people kidnapped or killed during this time, and they are collectively known as los desparecidos. Many/most of them were children at the time of their disappearance, the many of the mothers have gone to their graves without knowing what happened their child/ren. Some of them survived, and as adults have learned of their history. Devastating, to say the least, to learn of what happened to them…
Later we went across town to the La Boca and San Telmo barrios. They are located in the section of Buenos Aires that was part of the original inhabitation. We watched some Tango dancing in La Boca where the Tango originated—the original dirty dancing. Then we walked through areas where artisans display their art and wares. Following that, we went to San Telmo and visited the marketplace, which includes antique/vintage goods stores, art displays, purveyors of food and drink, and produce vendors. The buildings in these parts of the city are unique architecturally, and many have been painted bright colors, which adds to their charm and special beauty. In many places, the original cobblestone streets are still in use. Also way too much info to share here, but there is quite a storied history in both of these areas.
It was a very full several hours of enjoying the company of two local people who love to tell the story of their city and country! I can’t possibly recall everything we saw and did, but the pictures I took will be a reminder later. This was definitely the highlight of my short visit to Buenos Aires, and my overall trip as well. Definitely will get a guide on my next big city visit, as it enhances the experience tremendously, and reduces this county girls anxiety!
Hasta la Proxima, Buenos Aires!
Travels with Nance 