Tour of Recoleta - Saturday, July 31, 2010

We didn't care that we couldn't sleep in on this P-day because we had a wonderful day planned. I got up at 6:00 when the alarm went off, but after turning the heat on, I couldn't resist getting back in the comfortable warm bed for just a half hour longer. A half hour wouldn't put us behind much, and besides it would be warmer on my second try.

We had permission to take Elders Peterson and Hales to see some sights in Buenos Aires. When we asked the President if we could take them to the Recoleta Cemetery, he was all for it and said to take as many missionaries as we could. Problem is that only the four of us have Saturday as our P-day. This was our second visit to the cemetery, the first being when Paul and Denise and Shalyse came last October.

Our planned time to pick up the elders was 10:30, but after getting ourselves showered and ready for the day, we had to clean our apartment and get it ready for the fumigation guy to come. That was the reason for the early wake up. He always comes at 10:00 and starts on the top floor first. We needed to vacuum up the dust, damp mop the tile floors, and move some thngs away from the walls so he can squirt along the floor and in corners. Today the odor was very strong so we aired it out best we could and were glad we were going to be gone most of the day.

When he left, we got in the car which we brought home from the office yesterday and went to Disco to the ATM machine to draw out some money. The elders hurried to pick up their laundry while we went to the office to get both of their cameras which were in their desks. They were so excited to go somewhere different and we were glad to take them. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky. The temperature was to reach 57 degrees -- not bad.

After a little effort and getting lost a couple times, we finally made it to Recoleta. We didn't have an exact address to enter into the GPS, but Rich had found it on his iPhone and we knew the approximate location. As we emerged from the underground parking, we heard someone call to the missionaries. It was the Grieves and Snells, our senior couple friends. We told the Snells yesterday that we were going there with our elders and they had plans to go also. No way did they or we ever think we would run into each other. It was fun to introduce our elders to them. Sister Snell returned Rich's placa and missionary book. She stuck it in her purse just in case.

La Recoleta Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in Buenos Aires and was the first cemetery built in the city. It was dedicated in 1822 and is one of the main tourist attractions in Buenos Aires.

The cemetery includes graves of some of the most influential and important Argentinians, including several presidents, scientists, and wealthy people. There is ongoing refurbishing of the crypts of some of the more prominent people.

It contains many elaborate marble mausoleums, decorated with statues, in a wide variety of architectural styles. Each mausoleum bears the family name etched into the facade, or on brass or bronze plaques attached to the front. It is one of those cemeteries where there is the tradition of engraving a death date, but no birth date has been listed.

Looking through the glass fronts or doors of the mausoleums, one can see the caskets in plain view. Some are well kept like this one with plants and flowers.

Elder Peterson stands with us on one of the many walkways through the cemetery.

The entire cemetery is laid out in sections like city blocks, with wide tree-lined main walkways branching into sidewalks filled with mausoleums. There are 4700 crypts at La Recoleta. The elders approach us on this walkway.

The elders were awe struck when they walked though the gate having never seen anything like this and had no idea what to expect. They were shooting pictures right and left, totally enjoying themselves. They were cute to watch!

Some mausoleums are fancy with towering structures

While many of the mausoleums are in fine shape and well-maintained like this one which includes flowers, candles, and pictures of the deceased, others have fallen into disrepair. Several can be found with broken glass and littered with rubbish.

Some have angels guarding the crypt -- not us, of course.

And some are more rustic like this one built of stones.

It was interesting to see this one with an Egyptian flare.

After leaving the cemetery, we went across the street to see some HUGE trees. The roots are above the ground and dwarf anyone standing next to them. One tree is so large that there are supports to hold up the monstrous branches that extend outward.

Last, but not least on our outing, was lunch time. We were all starved, and in looking over the sidewalk cafés in the area a representative from this restaurant was handing out flyers and directing people it's way. It had reasonable prices so we treated the elders to an asado which included various barbequed meats cooked to perfection. We added an ensalada completa as a side dish. And, of course, the pan (bread) was so delicious.

It was time to return to San Fernando so the elders could shop for groceries, and do their internet before they headed out at 6:00 for citas (appointments). It couldn't have been a better day -- good weather, good entertainment, good food, and good company. What more can we ask for?

We dropped the elders off at their favorite grocery market and then came on home. It was after 4:30 and we contemplated going somewhere as the day was still young. But, we were tired and decided to take a nap for just an hour. I knew we would probably end up just staying home because when the sun goes down even if it is just 6:00 or 6:30, we lose all desire to leave the house and go out into the darkness. And that's what happened.

We spent the evening looking at past pictures that Rich has organized and turned into videos. It was fun and made us realize that we have seen quite a lot since being here in Buenos Aires. Then, I worked on this entry and now it's time for bed. It has been a wonderful day!!