“Don’t cry for me Argentina”

Evita, Eva Perón, is buried at the renowned Recoleta cemetery. Compared to some of the other tombs there, hers, deep in the family vault, is relatively simple. When she died in 1952, aged only 33, three million people lined the streets of Buenos Aires for her funeral. Soon afterwards though, her husband Juan’s government was in turmoil and her body was taken to Italy. After Juan’s death in 1974, following his brief second stint as President, it was returned to Argentina. But, despite Evita retaining the affection of many, the Perón legacy was divisive, and so the decision was taken not to give her an elaborate memorial, but to bury her privately and securely with the Duarte family of her birth.

The cemetery is a fascinating, if rather sobering, place. Many of the great figures from Argentina’s past are buried there and the tombs represent many different architectural styles.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous aria from Evita has been in my head for the last couple of days, probably reflecting my own sadness at leaving the country it implores not to cry! I couldn’t have asked for a better stay though, and there was a satisfying completeness to ending it with a happy family occasion: the celebration of a “significant birthday” for Estefi’s Mum, Adriana.

We are hugely grateful to Jorge, Adriana, Caro and Estefi for hosting us, and particularly to Estefi for her impeccable organisation of our various excursions.

I’m posting this from Santiago airport in Chile, the fourth and final South American country in which I’m setting foot on this trip. I had a great view of some favourite haunts as the plane took off from Buenos Aires:

It’s a month to the day since I left England and it certainly has been the trip of a lifetime so far. South America has long been the continent I’ve most wanted to visit and it has not disappointed. The natural beauty, the flora and fauna (particularly in the rainforest that I loved so much), the historical sights, the vibrant cities: it’s all been great and I’ve felt very protected and blessed as I’ve explored it.

South America is not without its problems, with threats to the natural environment, political unrest and economic inequality (even affluent Buenos Aires has sizeable shanty towns). I often sensed a heartening whiff of optimism in the air though, particularly in Argentina, where the economy has stabilised in recent months, and I pray that optimism is well-founded…

For me though, it’s time to cross the Pacific. Next stop: New Zealand!