I confess, the idea of coming to Buenos Aires to check out a cemetery is creepy. Most Americans have heard of the Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), but we just don't have this kind of thing in the States. Probably the closest we get is Memorial Day, were some Americans put flowers on a loved one's gravestone, but we stop short of having a family picnic with our great-great-great gramps and grams. Something about visiting the dead just isn't particularly appetizing... But I gotta say, after visiting this cemetery, I get it; it's cool.
According to CNN, this is the 2nd most beautiful cemetery in the world. The sepulchers are massive, in most cases about 6x my height (well, when I put it that way, it sounds less impressive). Anyway, it was awesome. We spent the better part of an hour and a half wandering around just checking the place out.
Pictured Below: Exposed coffin (family stopped paying for upkeep on the family plot)
Pictured Below: Evita's plot (compared to her neighbors, it was a little under-whelming. I guess with the media hype, I thought it would be cooler. The lady at the entrance informed us that "only 1/2 the population liked her anyway." Apparently, her body was originally buried in Italy and brought back years later to this site by her husband. Also, I discovered that she died young (at 33 years of age) due to cancer... but maybe that's just a wiki fact? The grave itself said 30, but it was unclear if that was Eva Peron or her daughter).
Pictured Below: Inside, underneath the site, stairways leading down to the tomb. Burial shelves for family coffins.
Pictured below: Recent additions to the family site. Pictures displayed for family members, and the family dog (lucky dog).
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