Readjusting your schedule: it won’t take long.

After an uneventful flight on a starved-for-services Aerolineas Argentinas flight, we arrived safely in Buenos Aires.  The first night we quickly discovered how much our schedule will be changing.  With the campervan in New Zealand, we had tried to race to the shared kitchen by 5 or 6 in the afternoon, both to beat the rush that would soon hog the burners and counter space, and also to finish dinner before we had to go to sleep.  With no power in the van, we roared through AA batteries trying to read a little in the evening.  After that, it was lights out.  Fortunately for us, it didn´t get really dark until 9 pm or so!

In Buenos Aires, dinner doesn´t start until at earliest 8 or 9 pm.  On our first night in the city, we leisurely feasted on steaks, wine, bread and salad followed by a flan con dulce de leche and coffee from 10 or so until midnight.  We hadn´t been out that late since Sydney!  The meal was delicious, and pretty reasonable.  Jet-lag kicked in (or maybe we were still in a food coma) in the morning, so we didn´t head out until the afternoon.

La Recoleta

Saturday in the neighborhood of La Recoleta was hopping with an open craft market, performers, and tons of people enjoying the beautiful sunny weather.  After wandering through the market, making a couple of purchases and hanging out for a bit on the expansive lawn, we head to La Recoleta cemetery. We spent some time in this famous resting place where many notable scientists, writers, presidents and wealthy folks are buried, including Eva Duarte de Perón (Evita), a granddaughter of Napoleón Bonaparte, and Adolfo Bioy Casares (writer). The mausoleums, sarcophagi and sculptures are in many different styles, all laid out like city blocks with sort of “roads” and alleyways. In this and other ways, La Recoleta reminded us of New Orleans’ “cities of the dead.”

We like visiting cemeteries when we travel. For some people, it may seem morbid, but we enjoy the architecture and art, the peacefulness, and the education. It’s interesting how the way people lay their dead to rest is tied into culture, religion and history. As we changed gears from our time in New Zealand, we moved into starting our adventures in Argentina and the rest of South America. La Recoleta was the perfect place to linger and reflect on past, present and future.

More photos from Buenos Aires