AfterLife

How a city chooses to promote tourism often reflects its own self-image. After the 2001 economic crisis & following devaluation, Buenos Aires became a very popular tourist destination. Naturally, the city government jumped on the bandwagon & developed an extensive website to provide information about Buenos Aires to visitors. They did a spectacular job in a short period of time.

A series of audiotours was made available for download, one in particular focusing on the neighborhood of Recoleta. Although basic, it attempts to introduce tourists to the general layout of the area. As for the cemetery, there is no separate audiotour available… but three minutes (of a 72-minute recording) are dedicated to the most popular attraction in Buenos Aires. Text on the webpage describes the site:

History & art are summed up in the passageways of Recoleta Cemetery, one of the most notable necropoles in the world. Among the most relevant figures buried here are Eva Perón, Adolfo Bioy Casares, & Facundo Quiroga. Listen to author López Mato recount stories about the cemetery.

Spanish speakers can listen to the three-minute segment below. Strangely, the text above lists Bioy Casares & Quiroga as noteworthy, but they are not mentioned in the audio… a minor oversight but Sarmiento would be better to highlight than Quiroga:

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For non-Spanish speakers: According to the audioguide, the most important people in Argentine history are buried in Recoleta Cemetery. No doubt. Its architecture is important & over 70 tombs have been declared National Historic Monuments. Good so far. Omar López Mato discusses the meaning behind the dates inscribed on the floor of the main entrance. Not so important but fine to mention. Eva Perón is here, important for her social work & fight for women’s right to vote. Then López Mato tells the urban legend surrounding Rufina Cambacérès. What’s a cemetery without a few urban legends?

However… No mention is made about restoration works in progress. There is no discussion about the origins of the cemetery. And probably the worst omission is that no effort is made to convey all the historical sagas contained within its walls.

Like no other cemetery in the world, Recoleta wraps up almost 200 years of national drama… Rosas, Lavalle & Dorrego all wound up in the same place. Juárez Celman, Roca, Pellegrini, Alem, & Campos are all neighbors (well, JC has since been moved). Aramburu, Lonardi, & Evita rest in peace together. I doubt they ever thought they would all end up in the same spot. Anyone who knows minimal Argentine history cannot ignore the irony of that.

A visit to Recoleta Cemetery should remind visitors that the same fate awaits us all—friends & enemies alike—& turn that observation into a lesson about Argentine history. It’s a twist that few tour guides or authors emphasize & doing so would present a more complete image of the city & the nation.

Premiering in 2001, “The Amazing Race” pits 11 teams of two people on an around the world trip to see who can complete challenges & finish the course first for one million dollars. Currently on its 15th season, naturally they’ve filmed in Buenos Aires a few times. Season 5, Episode 2—airing in 2004—had teams travel by ferry from Uruguay to Buenos Aires & make their way to the tomb of Eva Perón. Of course.

Ignore the severe thunderstorm warning beeps & see the teams make it, sooner or later, to their next clue inside Recoleta Cemetery:

A few comments: Obviously the cemetery was closed during filming as there are no other tourists around. Driving the teams to the tomb in a vehicle normally used to transport caskets is a bit creepy & useless… Recoleta Cemetery is only four blocks big. Asking caretakers where her tomb is located would have been more realistic, & it’s only a 2-minute walk or 30-second run from the entrance. Better yet, they could have directed teams to the crypt of Aramburu first, then on to Eva with a history lesson along the way… but maybe that’s too much to ask.

After ending the wake around 10:00, a mass for Alfonsín was said by his cousin, Archbishop José María Arancedo, on the steps of the National Congress:

Accompanied by the mounted Honor Guard, the casket moved  slowly up Avenida Callao toward Recoleta Cemetery. Barricades disappeared by the time the casket reached Avenida Corrientes, & several hundred people followed the funeral procession:

Meanwhile, everything was under control at Recoleta Cemetery, but somehow a few people had made it past the Policia Federal. Crowds of eventually three to four people deep waited for the procession to arrive at the intersection with Guido:

The motorcycle brigade announced Alfonsín’s arrival, blaring their sirens & making sure the way was clear:

Then the Horse Guard came into sight:

So many people accompanied the casket at this point (friends, family, followers, & what seemed like hundreds of press photographers), that it was difficult to see. The pics didn’t turn out very well, & at one point I stopped trying to capture a good shot in order to experience what was going on around me. Fortunately Jeff got some video of the casket:

Trying to get as close to the entrance gate as possible, we went around Vicente López & found ourselves face to face with the Horse Guard. The horses were surprisingly calm given the amount of activity around them:

Then we realized that the casket was still making its way to the cemetery. Everyone wanted a photo; everyone wanted one last look at Alfonsín. Police cars, horses & human barricades began to clear a path for the casket to keep moving. In the process, I was separated from Jeff… the police really had no idea what they were doing as throngs of people were pushed around & for several minutes the procession was stuck. At least I got a better look at the casket & a few decent pics:

Unable to find Jeff, I opted to return home & see the rest on tv. There was little chance of entering the cemetery given the general confusion. Some family members didn’t even make it inside before the gate was shut. Two hours & eight eulogies later, the casket was finally taken into the crypt… not an easy task since the staircase has about a 60º angle! The Granaderos had to let the cemetery caretakers do their job:

Photo credits: 1-5 – Marcelo Metayer • 6 + 18-20 – EFE • 7-17 – Robert Wright; Video: Jeff Barry.