Wow! A huge culture shock for me….. a young 22 year old from New Zealand that has never moved out of home and never travelled further abroad than the Gold Coast, Australia.
This is the first stop on my dream holiday. A trip I have spent the best part of a year planning; and will spend the next 5 months living through, alone!!! I will be travelling solo through South America & Europe.
Upon arriving at Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Buenos Aires it become apparent how naive I am. I obviously knew Spanish was the local language but up until this point had honestly believed I could ‘wing it’ like they do in the movies with a guidebook and pointing at things – yes I did get away with it but I feel all my senses have been heightened as am feeling fearful of what travelling in a foreign country alone might be like. All of those horror stories I was told (and had secretly sniggered at) are at the forefront of my mind. The words I had told all those cautious storytellers, ‘those things only happen to silly, naive, young girls, I would never fall for such obvious scams’, flash before my eyes as I allow a strange Argentinian taxi driver lift my luggage off a conveyor belt and quickly carry it out the door into the dark night.
Following a nerve-racking drive on the biggest highway I had ever seen I eventually arrived at my hostel.
My paranoia lasted a few days but I eventually settled in and have decided that I love Buenos Aires! The European-style architecture is stunning and the city is bursting with culture. Theatres and Tango clubs on every corner, I feel exhilirated to be exploring such an amazing destination.
My first observation of this city is that everything is about Evita. Eva Perón (Evita) was the second wife of Argentine President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. I visited Plaza de Mayo where the Casa Rosada is located, it is the famous pink balcony on which Evita dressed her adoring fans shortly before her death.
The square has a strong political history and its name commemorates the May Revolution of 1810, which started the process towards the country’s independence from Spain in 1816.
I also payed a visit to La Recoleta Cemetery, set in 14 acres, the site contains 4691 vaults, all above ground, of which 94 have been declared National Historical Monuments by the Argentine government. The entrance to the cemetery is beautiful, the neo-classical gates with tall Doric columns make it a notable place. The cemetery contains many elaborate marble mausoleums, decorated with ornate statues. The entire cemetery is laid out in sections like city blocks (a map is required), with wide tree-lined main walkways branching into sidewalks filled with mausoleums.
Eva Perón’s tomb is actually one of the more modest ones in the cemetery. It is notable because of the crowds and the fresh flowers that always adorn it.
Top Tip: On the directory there are no “Perón” families listed. She is under her family name of “Duarte”. That alone will save you an hour. Alternatively, follow the crowds.
IMAGE COPYRIGHT: T photography / Shutterstock.com & Anton_Ivanov / Shutterstock.com