Recoleta Cemetary

It seems fitting that our last stop on our BA adventure is the Recoleta Cemetery, where dozens of Argentinian aristocrats rest in piece. The cemetery, which is 4 blocks square in the middle of BA, was established more than 200 years ago. Each mausoleum is a family—owned piece of real estate, which is maintained by the family. The tombs vary in size, but the general principle stays the same — bodies are first interned on the top level, and are visible through the door or a grate. Over time, the disintegrated remains are transferred to smaller caskets, and are transferred to the below ground levels. A family is free to sell their plot. But, many plots are abandoned and have fallen into disrepair, with cracked windows, collapsed ceilings, and piles of dust and debris. The entire cemetery is both beautiful and sad.

Although the cemetery is only 4 square blocks, the number of family plots is overwhelming. We walked around for over an hour, looking at the tombs, and peeking inside, and didn’t even begin to see everything. The style of each tomb differs, although the most common style is Art Deco, as that corresponds with the largest growth in building. Some of the tombs are in active use, with markers indicating that someone had been interned in the last few years, and fresh flowers or plants inside. But the vast majority look like no one has visited for decades.

After strolling around, we headed back to the apartment, packed our bags and went to the airport. We bid goodbye to Kelly, who was flying back to Flagstaff, and we went to catch our plane to SFO. Much to my surprise, Arie had snagged an upgrade of our seats, and we traveled home by business class. I must admit, a girl could get used to this type of travel.Read more