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  • Day 106

    Graveyard Visit

    March 13, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We wake early as at 3pm we will cath a bus for 20 hours down south so we want to make the most of our time here . One of the biggest visitor attractions here is the cementerio de la Recoleta, it houses argentinas dead elite, in the grandest splendour. Its like a small town of houses that are actually tombs , but rivals some of the grandest architecture in the city. There is a starbucks just opposite and i grab one of my favourites before starting my wander around this necropolis. The countrys presidents, military figures and of course Evita lay here, and Mark and i spend severalnhours just exploring.Its crazy because some of the tombs are literally open with just coffins lay between the crumbling slabs. This place is so mesmerizing that these graves that cost 200,000 pounds per 100 years(rent) are left to rack and ruin, but i guess theres more to this than i will ever know. We leave the cemetery and stroll down towards the river, this place has so mamy beautiful areas, and buildings to explore and really is a beautiful city. In tge park is a huge metal flower that cleverly uses solar panels to open and shut its peals, so as the sun rises the petals open and as the light dissapears they gradually close. We take a walk back, passing many beautiful statues, pieces of art work and gorgeous parks , Buenes Aires really does have i all and i am quite disspointed that i havent assigned more time here. The problem is we have tried to avoid the big citeis for the plain reason they are so full of the arrogant touristy types, and my patience runs a little thin with them. Our ideal so far has definitely been getting of the beaten track and exploring the hard to reach places, and the idea of getting on a bus for 20 hours is maybe the rason why i want to stay, but back to the hostel a quick bite to eat and over to the terminal it is. Everything is so accesible here by tube (subte) that even with our luggage we find it easy. There are lots of ways to travel here bus train subway and walking, as when you are travelling taxis become a thing of the past (or maybe a little treat when youve been on a bus all day) so arriving on the tube we take a ten minute walk to the bus station. This place is huge and has over 70 platforms with no real warning of where your bus will pull in until ten minutes beforehand.
    Our bus is due to leave at 3 and at five to there is still no sign of it and im really starting to panic that were going to miss it. Marks attitude is if the bus isnt here how can we miss it?? But after our experience at missing a bus before, im not fancying having no seat for 20 hours . I ask the guard and he just points to where it should be and says soomething that i dont understand. My stress is relieved when our bus pulls in to where we are standing and as Mark say we are in South America, they are allowed to be late. We jump on the bus and are greeted by the biggest leather reclining chairs and a blanket and pillow, so Im pretty sure we will be able to sleep later. Within 10 mins of the bus departing bingo tickets are handed out and the guy starts calling numbers, here is where i came unstuck i cross numbers off while trying to guess what they actually are , every one on the bus is waiting on 1 or 2 numbers , but im still waiting for 5 so i guess i missed a few, i feel like shouting house just to be told its a false call , but i restarin myself and accept the fact im not going to win. Dinner is served, and its just like being on a plane, a little tin foil carton with meat and potatoes a bread roll and a little cake and we snuggle up to catch some sleep.
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