Life (and Death) in Argentina

23:10 el 1 de marzo 2009
Mi cama (my bed)

(continued from previous post)

Sunday afternoon, six of us headed to Recoleta to visit the arts-n-crafts feria (my third time there), and thanks to generous loans from my friends, I did make a few purchases, including a really pretty decorative mate and a green skirt.

Unfortunately, it started rain, so we headed to a café for pizza. Once the weather let up, Liz and I headed to the famous cementario, which was amazing. Imagine a small city of the dead, with large mausoleums instead of houses and coffins of aristocrats rather than living inhabitants. Thanks to the recent rain, the lack of other breathing bodies and damp atmosphere gave the walled city an incredibly haunted feel. Many of the tombs have fallen into disrepair as families are unable to afford upkeep so it was rather spooky to walk by these intricate mausoleums complete with pleading angels, broken glass, cobwebs, and be able to see the coffins up close. I kept expecting them to open and have a skeleton hand pop out and grab me. At one point, we found an old wooden ladder and we precariously climbed it to the top of a mausoleum to get a bird’s eye view of all the spires and cupolas. El Cementario de la Recoleta is a very exclusive country club for the dead elite, with only the oldest and richest families owning a mausoleum. One plot of land can go for more than 70,000 USD, making it the most expensive real estate per square footage in the world. Among others of the rich and famous of Argentina’s past, we saw Evita Perón’s tomb, who was the famous wife of President Júan Perón during the 1940s and 1950s (the musical and movie Evita was modeled after her life).

It’s amazing that I’ve been here just over a month now. I’ve really adapted well to living here, and I’ve gotten really comfortable with the city. There are a few things that I miss from the US though…

Nicole’s Miss List

1. Gum: Topline is pretty much the only brand, which isn’t that chewable or tasty. If I’m lucky to come across Beldent Splash, I splurge. Oh, how I miss my signature Trident gum scent.
2. Toilets: As you can tell from the post of my first day, there are hardly any public toilets. And toilet paper is even more scarce, many times requiring you to tip the bathroom attendant for its use.
3. Water: Oh, how I miss free water. The lack of water fountains and tap water at restaurants is a detriment to my soul. At least the pipe water is potable here, but I hate the extra expenses of buying drinks.
4. Peanut Butter: Well, actually I don’t really miss it, but a lot of my friends do. They have the alternative Peanut Paste, which is not the same, my friends. Some have resorted to begging and bribing people coming from the states to stash anywhere up to five jars of Jiffy in their suitcases. 5. Internet: Yes, my personal lack of internet connection has required trekking to the ISA office and cafes, which is not the biggest convenience in the world.
6. Telephones: I will be very grateful when I go back to the US and have a phone plan so that I don’t have to constantly pass by kioscos and pick up telephone cards. We burn through a 20 peso card with 5 minutes worth of calls here! TIP OF THE DAY: Stick to texting.
7. You! Of course I miss all my friends and family. When are you coming to visit me? :)

Other than these conveniences, I really don’t miss too much. I love going to the grocery store and picking up fresh French bread or the frutaderías to grab a few ripe pears and plums. I enjoy sitting for hours chatting at cute little cafes, kissing everyone hello and goodbye, and taking siestas in parks. I’m grateful for all the Spanish I’m learning and the friends I’m making. I can’t believe all the unique things I get to do and see here on a daily basis. It’s really fantastic!

Coli