Not quite buried

While waiting for the housing situation to sort itself out, I spent the afternoon exploring the neighborhood and visiting the famous Recoleta cemetery. It's where Argentina's rich and famous, and important political figures are buried. Walking through there is like reading a "who's who" of Argentina's history. Except, they are not exactly "buried".

Having just explored the Milltown Cemetery in Ireland where I have family buried, it was interesting to compare with this location. Each crypt is like a small church, some with large statues and stained glass windows. Much to my surprise, when I peaked through some of the windows, the coffins were there in plain sight! In a few, the doors have broken glass, or the door was slightly open. Maybe the residents need a bit of fresh air! Some have stairs leading into the basement of the crypts and you can see shelves of coffins. Others are covered by a grate. In any case, it was a bit eerie, but a great intro to the history of Argentina.






Fortunately I wouldn't need to stay the night here. The school found an apartment downtown for me to stay in for the night and I'd join my host family on Sunday. So this evening, I threw a sweater around my shoulders and strolled around the city at night as if I owned the place. Home sweet home!