Don't Cry For Me, Argentina!

Okay.  So, I thought about trying to remember what order I did everything in and writing in chronological order, but this city has so much to offer, that the order I did things is just a blur, and many things were done part in one day and part in another, and I went to some places multiple days.  So, I'm going to try to do this by topic.  The topic for this installment is one of my heros, Maria Eva Duarte de Peron, aka Evita.  She was born the bastard daughter of an influential politician.  When he died, her family was no longer provided for.  Eva worked as a seamstress and did other jobs before turning to show business and getting some roles in radio and even a couple of movies.  While working, she began her activism, organizing unions and working to improve working conditions for the poor, especially those in her field.  When she met and fell in love with Juan Peron, she was able to expand her activism through his political offices, including as President of Argentina, making her the First Lady.  She was very loved and very hated.  There didn't appear to be much middle ground.  Even today, many of her detractors will say that if they had done the work she did, Evita would be nothing more than a B actress.  Maybe so, but the point is, they didn't do that work.  In fact, many of them in their day actively worked against the reforms Evita made for healthcare, education, housing, and so many other social programs that have made Argentina what it is today.  The people begged her to run for Vice President, an office she declined, saying she would accept the work, but not the honor.  She died at the age of 33 from cancer, and left a legacy few can rival, even when they have lived to be elderly.  She was so controversial that her body was stolen after laying in state and being given full government honors.  Eventually, it was sent overseas and hidden so it could not be molested any further.  Ultimately, she was returned to Argentina and allowed to lay in rest in her father's family tomb in Recoletta Cemetery in Buenos Aires.  This is just the cliff notes.  Do more than just watch the movie, Evita, to learn more about her.  That movie just scratches the surface, not much deeper than I just did.  She is an amazing woman.  I speak about her in the present because, though her body has died, her spirit is still alive, and she remains amazing.

My first stop was Recoleta.  The area has many amazing things in it.  Things such as UN Park, where there is a flower sculpture.  In the morning, the flower opens.  At sunset, it closes.  I had thought about coming to see it open or close, but that didn't happen.  The area around the park has statuary (again, surprise!) and a lovely bridge the crosses the road.  And the parks are full of these huge rubber trees!

One of these trees is so large and so old that they have erected statuary to hold up some of the larger branches!

The focus for Recoleta, for me at least, was the cemetery. Recoleta Cemetery houses the final resting sites of many famous people, including Napolean's daughter, and many of the crypts are very interesting. The style of interment here seems to be similar to that in New Orleans or other low-lying, primary Catholic areas.

I didn't take the tour, but they did give me a map, which pointed out where some of those crypts were, including Evita's. The aisles are so narrow, it was impossible to get a full shot of the family tomb, so here is the best I could do. She is well loved, and people place flowers for her every day.

After paying my respects, I went to Casa Rosada.  It is the Presidential Palace.  In front of the Casa is the Plaza de Mayo, where countless demonstrations have occurred throughout history.  Evita made addresses to the people from the balcony here into the plaza.  There are apparently tours of the casa on Saturdays, which must be arranged in advance on the website, but I never could get the website to load.

This building was the original seat of government.  It now houses a museum (which was closed everytime I was in the area).

I'm not sure what this building is, but I was intrigued by the clock.  Unfortunately, it was not working, so I never got to see what happened when it was time to strike.

Casa Rosada with the statuary and flag in front.

Statue of Gen. San Martin.  He was hidden by the trees between the flag pole and Casa Rosada.  He is also well loved.

This protest is by indigenous women.  They would like an audience with the President to describe the rights they are being denied (which are significant).

And before I left, I had to do it.  Yes, I know it's trite and that my voice isn't what it used to be, but how can you be in Plaza de Mayo and not sing it?

Finally, I went to the Evita Museum.  The don't allow pictures inside, and they watch very closely.  There was a lady taking picture while I was there, but she was being guided and appeared to be some kind of major donor with status I didn't have.  I thought about trying to ride her coattails, stick close to her, and try to take my own pictures along with her, but that just seemed wrong.  (Don't know where THAT bit of conscientiousness came from!)  Anyway, the only pix I have are from outside.  The museum is housed in one of the first homeless shelters for women and children that Evita opened up.  It is an ornate building and was well furnished.  She felt that poverty should be a temporary condition and that while struggling to climb out of poverty, people should still have the vestiges of self respect.  Therefore, she specifically chose an upper-class neighborhood (at the time) and a luxurious building for the shelter.  The museum details her life, from birth to death, in chronological order.  Through a QR code, you can get an audio tour of each room, which is offered in Spanish, English, and (I think) French.  In the second room, they played a clip from one of her movies, and she appeared to be a pretty good actress to me, but it was only a clip, so you can't really tell.  Now that I've finished most of the sightseeing and am resting up for the next phase of this trip, I may try to find one or two of her films and watch them.  Yes, the  museum is one sided.  Its purpose is to showcase her virtues and all the good she did.  I wouldn't expect to see much anti-Peronist doctrine in the Evita Museum!  Much of the city could also be part of her museum.  Basically around the corner from my AirBNB is one of the technical schools that she began, and similar schools, especially STEM-type schools are everywhere!  Though I got my blood work done at a private lab, the framework of the healthcare system, including the integration of the private sector, was set up by Evita, trying to ensure that everyone has access to healthcare, even if they can't afford to pay the prices on the private market.  She was a firm believer that poverty does not make one sub-human and that given the right supports, poverty can be only a temporary condition.  The museum houses many of her clothes, many of the original items in the house, books, and other articles that represent Evita and her legacy.  Much of it is in news clippings (print, audio, and video) of the things she did, speeches, and major events that shaped the country.