Day 7
Our first morning expedition was a brisk walk to the Recoleta Cemetery. Since the United group hadn’t experienced this plot of Argentina’s history, all of us walked a couple blocks to the entrance before the American Airlines group split off. The bus took us to the Evita Museum, which is located in a former women’s home, a place where women with any type of issue could find refuge. The rooms of the museum were filled with key artifacts of Perónism, the party that Evita and her husband, Juan Perón, created. Evita essentially transformed the definition of the word “charity” in this cultural context to “social welfare.” Although Evita was both loved and despised, the museum aimed to present a balanced view of this influential woman. A couple of my friends on tour and I have decided to host a celebration on September 29th, the day that women won the right to vote in Argentina.
Next up was one of my favorite stops of our trip thus far: MALBA, the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. We had enough time to glance through the first floor, which housed their permanent collection of modern art, and the second floor, which had a permanent exhibition of Diane Arbus’s photography. The layouts of these two floors contrasted greatly, leading to a very different experience on both floors.
After the art museum was a block of time for us to glance through the Feria de Recoleta (the Recoleta art fair), grab a bite to eat, and make it back to the buses. Because it was raining, we didn’t stick around the art fair for very long, but we were there long enough to pick up a few trinkets and souvenirs. Our group decided to stop at an Italian restaurant for lunch. The food was very delicious, but the waiters had a tendency to drop plates and cups. Once we conferred with another group, we made a plan to stop at the ATM and hotel before making our way back to El Ateneo, the bookstore we visited yesterday. We made it back to the buses right on time and drove back to Tango Porteño for our rescheduled tango lesson. It was arguably not as exciting as the salsa/bachata lesson, but it was also shorter and taught differently. However, it is true that experiencing all three of these styles of dance was a fun experience.
Our last destination was the same restaurant we visited on the second day, La Biela. Since the United group never had a chance to dine there, we ate there for dinner. It was as tasty and our last visit and the dulce de leche ice cream was as unforgettably delicious as ever. We headed back to the hotel afterwards to pack and rest up for our ferry ride to Uruguay the next day.
Although it was our last full day in Buenos Aires, it was a great way to head out. We have the San Telmo market tomorrow (with a special stop at the nearby Pride Cafe for anyone interested) and then we’re headed off to Uruguay! Wish us safe travels across La Plata!