Argentina
After spending Christmas with my family at my brother’s home in Invermere, B. C. it wasn’t long until my friend Kate and I were off to Argentina.
We were so lucky to stay with our friend Lucrecia in her apartment in Buenos Aires. We met her ten years ago when we were in Costa Rica. She is a professor at the University of Buenos Aires and kindly invited us to stay with her.
We loved Buenos Aires, visiting the famous cemetery of Recoleta, which is laid out in sections like city blocks with wide tree lined walkways. The elaborate marble mausolems make you feel like the spirits might come out at night for a stroll. Famous people such as Eva Peron are buried there. We walked through the trendy barrio of Puerto Madero along the banks of the Rio de la Plata where old warehouses have been turned into high end condominiums and businesses. I wanted to be sure Kate saw the Mothers of the Plaza who march every Thursday morning to commemorate their loved ones who disappeared during the dark period of Argentine history when people were kidnapped, tortured, assassinated and thrown in jail without cause, most of who were never seen again. The Mothers never forget and formed a network that continues to search for their lost family members.
We especially loved the colorful La Boca District where the tango began. The houses and businesses are painted in bright colors which custom originated when early settlers retrieved the leftover paint from the boats they arrived on to paint their new dwellings. Our night at Boca Tango was a real highlight and I dreamed all night of dancing with a handsome tangero.
