the paraguayan reverie

presently typing away from the second floor of a hostel in the palermo neighborhood of buenos aires (BA) that has great stained glass windows and nice, "real" matresses, not a little foam pad that you have to suppliment by spreading magazines out underneath for a little extra cushioning. This is my first of 5 days in BA and ive got a pretty big schedule to get on, including the recoleta cemetary and adjoining artesinal fair today, a slew of museums and tango show tomorrow, and then maybe ill rent a bike and hit up most of the major parks to take some of the photos i keep saying that Ill take and then never do.

Im pretty excited about the cemetary today, to be quite honest. I found a map to all the graves in one of the side rooms in the hostel and the place is huge! Ive always been kinda curious about what would drive people to built a huge monument to store the body of a deceased family member. Must there at least be a little motivation on the part of the living to show off to the curious people, like myself who pass through, that their family was powerful, or that their family had money, or their family was well respected. Granted, it is also a tribute to the deceased, which has its place. But when that tribute (to use some examples ive seen in Paraguay) is a little house literaly covered in smooth shiny tile while the family has a dirt floor and crumbling walls, i have to question the rationality of it all. Well, regardless of the rationality of the place, im off to see it right now!

Ill add more later! Chau till then!