Started off the new year right – slept in until around 8! That’s pretty amazing for us! Got up, had our instant coffee in our little kitchen and dining area, then went out for a morning walk to explore the neighborhood. A cold front had obviously come in last night (it was windy and pretty cool – on the balcony for the midnight NY celebration, I had to put on my new $6 long sleeve shirt I got in the Atlanta airport). It was brisk with a nice cool breeze as we walked along the cemetery walls, looking into the church and watching vendors set up their craft stalls around the park outside the cemetery.
We wandered around the block, just getting a feel for where we were. Stopped at an appliance store to window shop – and were attacked by mosquitoes! Uh oh! We didn’t spray! Who would have thought it? We ran back to the hotel, slapping and shooing and swishing our arms and legs to keep them away. Bad enough in Iguazu – we never figured we’d have problems in BA. So glad we brought both bottles of Off and Deep Woods Cutter.
Back at the hotel – we showered and sprayed up! Ordered breakfast which comes in a cute little tray with strawberry and regular milk, cereal in little cellophane bags that are individually tied with ribbon, muffins, brownies, bread for toast, ham and cheese slices, coffee and orange juice. It was so cute! After we snacked on the treats – we headed out to Recoleta Cemetery in search of Evita’s grave.
It only takes a minute or two to walk to the cemetery – it takes days to explore it fully and really see everything properly! Maggi – you would be in heaven (excuse the pun!). The mausoleums and the crypts in the cemetery are spectacular. Even the small relatively unassuming crypts are amazing. We walked through the main avenues heading in the direction of Evita. we were fortunate that we were there early on New Year’s Day and had the place mostly to ourselves.
We found Evita’s grave with the help of a chatty guard who is stationed right outside the row for the crypt. He and I had a lovely conversation in Spanish about the cemetery and how different cemeteries in the US are – how bodies are “interred” not normally above ground. I couldn’t go so far as to tell him about New Orleans – I had pretty much exhausted my Spanish by that time!
So – Evita’s grave is a small black crypt on a side alley with tons of flowers and people around it. Totally unassuming and stark in comparison with some of the grandiose marble and granite behemoths that crowd the cemetery lanes. We took some pictures, listened to a tour around the corner explaining her life, death and burial, then went back and took more pictures (this time with Pietro who refused to sit nicely on the stone – so a nice little oriental man who was there filming the grave tried to help, but Pietro still wouldn’t cooperate. Then a cute little old Argentinean man finally figured out he could hold Pietro up while I took the picture. How sweet! All for the Evita photo op!).
After the Evita pix, we just wandered aimlessly through the rabbit warrens of mausoleums. It truly was amazing in there. One larger than the next. The stairs and ladders that go deep down into the crypts, stained windows inside throwing colored shadows onto the caskets. Ornate marble statues of everything from angels to horses to military men at attention in front of the soldiers crypt.
After the cemetery we wandered around Recoleta – taking a walking tour through the tree lined streets, looking at the art museum (which didn’t open until 12:30). browsing some of the craft stalls, generally just wasting time. We decided to head into the center of the city and explore Plaza Mayo (the main plaza where the catedral and president’s house are) – so we hiked up to the subway and caught the train.
Easy and cheap! like 30 cents US a ride. Train came right away, 10 minutes and we came up into the fresh air at Calle Florida – the shopping pedestrian mall. Being that it was a holiday everything was closed – and the streets were a mess from the new year’s eve celebration – littered with bottles and cans and strips of paper that turned out to be last year’s calendars. Obviously a tradition here is to take your old year calendar and throw it up in the air at midnight to welcome in the new year. Pretty fun idea actually!
We walked through Plaza Mayo, looking at the cathedral, taking pictures of the pink palace ( the president’s home – but not really where she lives), the museums and other buildings that surround the square. Most of the streets had lanes blocked off for the Dakar 2010 race start – we saw something about the route on TV, but of course, only caught part of what they said – so we had no clue about start times or anything!
By this time it was getting to be around 2 and we decided to get something to eat – not a lot of options, but we did manage to snag a sidewalk table at Le Junta de 1801. Really? Named after a “Junta”? Ok – well….when in BA…..Turned out to be a great spot to eat, people watch, and see the start of the Dakar! We started with empanadas, then shared a pizza which was excellent. Even got to order 1/2 a bottle of wine, not the whole darn thing!
As we sat eating, the motorcycle portion of the Dakar paraded by – so we got to see them and watch the crowds scream and yell as they lined up at the stanchions to watch. After lunch headed back to the hotel for a nap, yes, a nap! Our wandering was taking it out of us!
Later that evening, we headed out looking for a place for drinks and dinner. Found a bar – 1771 (Uno Siete Siete Uno) - actually one that Ed had read about and wanted to visit – right outside our hotel – so we sat there for drinks and had pocos (popcorn!). Then tried to find a parilla that was really highly recommended on Trip Advisor – but they were closed. So we ended up at Clark’s – right around the corner from the hotel.
Sat in the sidewalk cafe portion and shared chorizo and fried provolone for app’s – both were excellent! Then I had a rib eye steak and Ed had sirloin – again both were excellent! The beef here is just so flavorful – and different. And the way they cook it over the grill and the coals and the smoke – all really bring out the flavor even more.
We had one more drink at the 1771 bar, then headed back to the hotel for the night.
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