I See Dead People - Part II

As a follow-up to Matt's post about the Recoleta Cemetery, I thought I'd share a few photos of different mauseleums to show the vast range of styles. These are shots I was able to capture when the SilverSeas cruise ship group didn't get in my way. :) Yes, while the cemetery is truly breathtaking - you feel like you've stepped into the 1800s - there is the unavoidable tourist aspect of it. Anyone who travels to Buenos Aires feels obligated to visit, and on weekends, it can be mobbed with people trying to view Evita's grave.

This first grave is that of an Italian family who arrived during the large wave of Italian immigration. Senor Roverano is literally "getting off the boat" to start his new life in Argentina.

This second grave was built by a poet/artist type. He felt his family's remains should be stored in a more natural setting, and indeed, it's quite a contrast to the gold-gilded tombs all around it.

This one has more Arab influences - and a feline friend sleeping on it. A sizeable segment of the population hails from the Middle East. In fact, the last president, Carlos Menem, has a Syrian background. (Incidentally, Menem's son is now dating the pop singer Shakira. There's your one People-magazine fact.)

Finally, here is Evita's grave, located in her family's tomb ("Familia Duarte"). Stylistically, it's fairly sedate, but there are usually fresh flowers placed on it daily by her loyal supporters. Interestingly enough, her husband, three-time president Juan Peron, didn't make the cut for the Recoleta Cemetery. He is buried elsewhere. One other piece of trivia is that her family had to place a steel plate and a series of trap doors in the mauseleum to prevent the theft of Evita's body, which had once "disappeared" for 16 years until it was located in Milan. Apparently the tomb is now strong enough to withstand a nuclear attack!