¡Adios, Buenos Aires!

As I write this, I am kicking myself for not going to bed sooner. We just got back from a dinner in Salta, followed by a post-dinner karaoke bar. Now, I look at the clock and see that I have to be up in about four hours. Awesome. But anyway, I’ll recap our last day in Buenos Aires (that is, until we return next week).

Yesterday morning, with the help of three alarm clocks, we woke up, packed, and checked out of our hotel. Nico met us to take a tour of la Casa Rosada. In the entrance of the house, there were dozens of pictures of former Argentinean presidents as well as portraits of foreign leaders that other countries have sent to them. We then started our tour of the house, which ended up being absolutely breathtaking. In the room where President Christina Fernández de Kirchner makes her speeches, the walls and ceiling were painted white with intricate gold designs and framework all over. We also saw where she works (the equivalent of the Oval Office). We visited a newer room that Kirchner just added during her presidency, and it is a room dedicated to influential Argentinean women, one of them being Eva Perón.

To be quite honest, I remember a minimal amount about Eva Perón from my Spanish classes. I knew she was former president Juan Perón’s wife, and I knew she was a national icon, but beyond that, my knowledge was lacking. It wasn’t until I got here that I realized what a huge effect she had – and still has – on the citizens of Argentina. The day before at Recoleta Cemetery, there were people taking pictures at her mausoleum. In la Casa Rosada, people went crazy snapping pictures of her desk and her picture in the women’s room. I began to realize how influential she was, but I still didn’t quite understand why, which is why I was glad our next tour was to the Eva Perón museum.

At the museum, we took a trip through her life. We learned that Evita was the youngest of six siblings and spent the earlier part of her life as a B-list actress, our tour guide said, but an actress nonetheless. Acting was how she met Juan, and they married in 1945. I immediately got the impression that she was a hybrid of Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana. Her style was impeccable (we saw some of her dresses and shoes), and her heart was beyond huge. It was thanks to her that poorer children received a decent education. She helped repair the public school system, and gave the lower classes an opportunity. In fact, the house that the museum was in was a shelter that she founded for single mothers and their children. But some people were strongly against her decisions, blaming her for the decline of the economy in the coming decades (since she was using the public’s tax dollars). She died prematurely at the age of 33 from cancer. We saw a clip of one of her final speeches, in which she knew she was going to die soon. She asked the public not to be sad, but rather to carry on her legacy. After finishing the emotional speech, she spun around and began weeping into Juan's chest. That image is where the phrase “Don’t cry for me Argentina” comes from. Interesting, right?

After leaving the museum, we returned to Los Inmortales for lunch, and then headed to tango lessons! It’s such an incredible dance, and I’ve decided that I would LOVE to learn some more. Our instructor was a funny man who would yank us from our tango circle and correct our form if we were doing something wrong. We learned the basic leader and follower steps, and I would say he was content with our performance by the end of the lesson.

After leaving our lesson, we prepared for the 19-hour bus ride. I was mentally preparing myself for a torturous bus in which the seats recline all of two inches, and I was also kicking myself for not packing any Tylenol PM (or at least a stone that I could use to knock myself out) to help me sleep. But we got to the bus and… wow. I don’t think I’ve ever – or will ever again – use the word “luxurious” to describe a ground public transportation system, but this bus was luxurious. There were touch-screen televisions behind every seat, seats that reclined completely (the rows are about 6 ft. away from each other), and footrests that come completely up, so essentially, you have your own bed. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm obsessed with Sex and the City, and I can relate any situation to the television show or the movie. So as soon as I stepped on the bus, the airplane from Sex and the City 2 popped into my head. It was nice.

The drive in was beautiful. There were mountains against the horizon and blue skies. Then, after one turn, we were greeted by a breathtaking view overlooking Salta. Our tour guide, Christian, says that Salta is the safest province in Argentina, and so far, I have the feeling that nothing can go wrong. The town is quaint, and the square is a scene straight from a movie (think Back to the Future). Even though I am a city girl, it’s a nice change of pace, I have to admit.