Cities of the dead

Today we toured Recoleta neighbourhood and cemetary. Recoleta is amongst the most affluent barrios (neighbourhoods) of Buenos Aires and it was a nice day for a walk (though a bit cold).

According to my guide (who spoke in Spanish, slowly, thank god), Recoleta was originally settled by catholic monks, who were expelled by the aristocrats of Buenos Aires when a yellow fever epidemic overtook the city and they needed a new place to live.

Recoleta is also home to the most exclusive cemetary in Buenos Aires. I've included a few photos of some of the more opulent shrines (including Eva Peron's (maiden name: Duarte)).

The cemetaries reminded me of those I visited in New Orleans about a year ago, which is all the more poignant given recent events. In the cemetaries of New Orleans, everyone is buried above ground, with the result that the cemetaries resemble (and are called) 'cities of the dead'.

The reason for burying people above ground is that since New Orleans is below sea level it floods quite often (of course, none as bad as Hurricane Katrina). As a result of these floods, they had to stop burying people underground because the floods would unearth the bodies and they would float through the streets. Creepy.

Anyway, on to the pictures. The first two pictures are from the cemetary - the tomb of Eva Peron and a random tomb that I had to break out laughing at its ostentatiousness. Even look at the pose - the guy is stepping from a sinking boat onto dry land with a courageous face. The bottom row of pictures includes a huge bush (yes a bush, not a tree) and a university that I found quite funny. I'm sure moron has a different connotation en espanol.