Buenos Aires: The necropolis of Ricoletta

Casa Rosa (the pink house - BA's city hall)




Without any doubt in my mind, the best trip I have ever been part of was in Buenos Aires in March 07. The entire family plus about 10 friends from Athens and Salonika went for Manos' wedding. It was my first encounter with Latin America which I can tell you that immediately climbed on top of my favorite destinations. Now I am dreaming of going back to Argentina, doing BA again, as well as Patagonia, gaucho land and some road trips. But I also want to go to Peru, Brasil, Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, you get the idea.
The ten days I have spent in Buenos Aires were the most memorable of my life. Very emotional as well. I kept crying throughout Manos' civil wedding and dancing at the reception of the religious one. In Argentina people get married twice, to the same person usually the same week. Not a bad habbit. Two parties :-)
There are several things that are different in Latin America. Different in a better way than we do it here. The most important thing that i liked the most, people are friendlier. They have a better mood, they love to dance, and they have a much more relaxed attitude than the rest of the world, at least the world that I have been to
Another thing that stroke me as extremely unusual was the fact that in the heart of the city, where Kolonaki would be in Athens, lies the Necropolis of Ricoletta. Necropolis, as the name implies from Greek, is the city of the dead. The Dead are extremely important in Catholic religion, but I think in LATAM they place more emphasis than, say in France, a catholic overall country. The Dead are so important in the religion, that there is early November the day of the Dead, a bank holiday, where people parade with lit candles in memory of loved ones who are now gone
Yet, never would I have imagined, that a cemetary, or cemetaries, would be so celebrated.

Necropolis of Ricoletta

The Necropolis of Ricoletta, is a famous cemetary where a family grave would cost more than a 5-room house in an upscale residential area!!! In the Necropolis Evita is burried, but Peron himself, was burried in a cheaper cemetary!!!

Evita Peron's grave (family name Duarte)

Argentinians consider Evita as their national heroine, they still love her and miss her and her grave is still full of flowers. Fresh flowers delivered every day by her people. There are tourist tours conducted in Ricoletta. My hotel was facing the necropolis and was considered one of the most priviledged spots in the city. In a way it is strange. In another way, it makes people suffer less for the ones that are gone. It somehow keeps them part of our lives.