Another scorcher today. The mercury said 30 degrees but the air said much hotter, thanks to the humidity. This morning, I took care of some last-minute details at the hostel, like finding a cash machine to settle up, and once again trying to find change. It’s become something of a full time job here.
Then, I caught the bus to the Recoleta neighbourhood. The famous tourist attraction in Recoleta, of course, is the Recoleta Cemetery, where the wealthy and prominent citizens of Buenos Aires were buried throughout history. The cemetery is very large, full of lavish sculptures and mausoleums. Of course, the most famous tomb is that of Eva Peron, and, kind of like the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, there were large tour groups who seemed to just make a beeline straight there, snap a photo, and leave. I spent about as much time as I could stand the heat, wandering around, snapping photos, and at one point I kind of latched onto a free guided tour. Except I didn’t know it was free, so I was trying not to make it too obvious that I was listening in, until the guide gestured to me to join in and said the tours are all free there. They covered some of the history of the city, the famous people buried there from past presidents to artists to even sports figures. Extremely interesting.
After that, all I really wanted was water and air conditioning, not necessarily in that order. I left the cemetery to stumble upon the city’s largest craft fair, which takes place every weekend on the grounds outside the Recoleta Cultural Centre. I had a nice lunch at the nearby Buenos Aires Design centre, overlooking the plaza, and after that, I spent some time browsing the shops at the Design centre, and then the art, jewelery, handicrafts, and various other items at the craft fair. Despite the heat, the crowds were out en masse enjoying the day. It was a nice way to spend my final day in Buenos Aires.
At the moment, I’m back at the hostel, hiding out under the air conditioner. Soon it will be time to leave for the airport to fly home. I’m sad that this trip has come to an end, but it’s amazing to think of everything I’ve seen and done in only two weeks.
Catch you all back in the northern hemisphere.