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Argentina > Buenos Aires: Part II
continued...
We'd read on another couple's blog about a 3-floor second hand clothes mall - fortunately for us it turned out to be really close to our apartment and so we spent a while exploring this vintage heaven. The huge dressing up box had lots of things that caught my eye but unable to decide I left the purchasing to Nick who bought a couple of things, which he's lived in since!
Whether the steak we demolished on market day disagreed with us or we'd accidently consumed some tap water, both of our stomachs decided to reject something, and it rejected it in a big way which lasted an even bigger 3 nights and 4 days. As the apartment is centrally located we bravely went on mini-adventures during these horrible days but stayed close to bars/cafes/restaurants and had a few early nights. We both felt pretty low at one point and I felt true home sickness, nothing beats your own bed and some TLC from your mum. Despite feeling like death, Nick still managed to muster the strength to play a football tournament that was made up of both tourists and locals. His diverse team of American, Italian, German and English worked really well together and came third out of the twelve teams that showed up.
Once we felt human again we went back to Boca to see the area itself. It is full of bright and beautiful houses in all different shapes and sizes. Compared to the rest of BA, Boca is regarded as a poorer area, but with energetic colours that proudly show off its streets, the area was rich in fun and laughter.
Recoleta is a lovely part of BA in which we experienced a cinema session and a visit to the famous Crematorium that holds the body of the beautiful Evita. We finally got round to watching Slumdog Millionaire (thought of you Soph! & imagined seeing you on the next big bollywood movie after gate-crashing the set in India!!) after being told that the films in Argentina are shown in the language they are made in and given Spanish subtitles. Even the cinema didn't fail to impress us in its 3-floor glory that offers a book shop, coffee shop and even a McDonalds! Just around the corner is the Cemetery, unless you knew it was there, you wouldn't guess it due to the high walls that protect it. Once we'd got a map from a crazy lady wearing a mask to protect her from Swine Flu (because of the hundreds of reported cases in Argentina?!?) we entered what I can only describe as the little village of the dead. Each "headstone" is situated either in front of on top of small solid houses where the coffins are kept. They all have their own design and each one at least 10ft high. As you can see from the photos (when we are finally able to put them up!), there are so many graves for these famous South American politicians, poets, writers etc and are lit by huge street lamps that only add to the village sense that it gives. The most famous person buried here for us, is Evita, but for such an icon her family loaded coffin with a few plaques was unfortunately outshone by many other graves that were both bigger and better designed than half of the houses that occupy poor areas in South America.
To balance out the football antics over the last couple of weeks I dragged Nick along to a Tango show on our last evening. We ate a really nice meal before-hand at the venue and the hour long performance kept us entertained; Nick jaw-dropping over the flexibility of the female dancers, or maybe it was their very revealing outfits... and myself amazed to be watching authentic, passionate Argentinean Tango.
Half of the time we kept having to remind ourselves that we were in South America as BA boasts a European style that is only enhanced by the beautiful people, their cars, the buildings and their fast-paced fashionable way of life.
Lots of love XXX
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