Places to go in Buenos Aires 6th October 2010

San Telmo market was colourful, fascinating and full of things to feast your eyes on. I walked up through a park with huge beautiful trees their roots sprawled away from the trunks. The branches were home to familes of noisy parakeets. The market itself was full of antiques - ancient guacho equipment, harnesses, knives and all manner of stirrups; beautiful coloured glass soda syphons and a stall of intricate macrame necklaces mixed with precious stones especially the Inca Rose which is the stone of Argentina; mate gourds, hats, besides a host of other crafts and antiques. There was also a fantastic tango orchestra playing in the street - El Afronte - with 4 bandoneon players, 3 violins, a double base, piano and singer - very high energy and completely compelling - the first of many.

On the way out of San Telmo I watched entranced as 2 yummy young clowns played with the traffic at a cross roads - they were delightfully mischievious.

I have now had 3 days in Language School and my brain is struggling but everyone says that the first week is the worst. Great teachers with endless patience and they all seem to have a good sense of humour. My class has 3 students from Holland, 2 from Brazil, one from Belgium, myself and a lass from Belgium. So we have to speak Spanish!! Even if very badly.

The other thing I did this week was visit the Cemetry where Eva Peron is buried. All the graves are in mausoleums. For me it was a place for reflection. Cobwebs and some ancient trainers held up a rusting corrugated roof. Cupolas of coloured glass shone in the sunshine while angels guarded the summits. This was a place for nature to try again. Ferns and wildflowers grew from cracks in the crumbling mausoleums while these sat alongside those of gleaming black marble - the new arrivals. There were cats there too, sleeping and watching in the sunshine. Small decorations caught my eye, shells, crosses, snakes, azrec profiles.

I come across where Eva Peron was buried almost by accident - I had no map. She is in her family vault - Familia Duarte. She had 3 placques and these were some of the words enscribed on them. "Eterna en el alma de tu Pueblo" "EVITA Eterna en el corozon del Pueblo de Almirante Brown."

Some vaults are in ruins - the coffins long gone. Small birds sing sweetly in this peaceful place. The parakeets are the bully boys of the parks. Not for them this place of the dead. I dont know why but two vaults touched me. Maria Isabel Vidal Carrega 1945 "Your grave is broken open, cracked with age. I can see the rusting handle at the end of your coffin. I imagine above you is your husband, Fernando, his too is open to the sky.

This is a city within a city and like BA is is also designed on the grid system but there are no names to these streets only angels, urns, crosses, colossal monuments and crumbling facades to give you clues if you wish to return to where you began.

One Milonga last night - Milonga Catedral - held in a cavernous wharehouse. I did the classes beforehand which were fairly disastrous - hundreds of beginners and the next one was slightly better but my partner was not! I had 2 or 3 dances with Frederico, the teacher, so was definitely an evening of quality and not quantity. Not a cabaceo in sight but wasnt sure if I could ask so unlike me I just chatted to student friends instead. It was an amazing building.

A different one tonight with flowers and chocolates, so I have been told, I´ll let you know.

Kate, glad the 5th Anniversay of the Practica was lovely - it sounded it - and thanks for your note.