In Recoleta, artisans and an over-the-top cemetery
We let Caitlin sleep and go for a walk around the chi-chi neighborhood including, it turns out, the Great Britain and New Zealand embassies. Very Parisian. Flower stands are incredible.
We blast Caitlin out of bed and head to the Recoleta cemetery and Evita’s grave. Finally it feels like a summer day! But first we run into an artisans fair. We snap up earrings and necklaces with pink rodocrosita or "Rose of the Inca,” the Argentine national stone.
We finally enter the cemetery, which Caitlin immediately loves. Teens today are into vampires and morbidity and the drama of life and death, and this is one over-the-top cemetery. She loves peering into the elaborately decorated tombs, with caskets on display. Statues abound, including a haunting life-sized one of a girl and her dog that could inspire a story. Stray cats lurk; food and water for them have been placed on some of the broken-into or maybe just neglected tombs. We find Evita’s family tomb by the small crowd gathered down its aisle. A man from Tucson said he’s heard Evita’s body was moved out, but nobody knows for sure. You can see stairwells leading down into some of the crypts. Others have dead flowers inside; some are covered in cobwebs. Creepy. But overall, it’s beautiful and exotic. To have a family crypt where everybody goes is some kind of cool.
We feel raindrops (and we don’t have our pants on!), so we head to a café for ice cream, which we’ve been assured we should not leave without tasting. Nearby, we can see a gentleman in a fedora playing a guitar and waltzing, apparently for money, taking requests. We’re back to the hotel in plenty of time to gather up our worldly goods and head for the airport. Ten hours and 15 minutes and we’ll be home.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.