Arcane Candy

Thursday, August 8, 2019
Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Eco Parque in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Eco Parque in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A peacock at the Eco Parque in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This afternoon, I subbed the way all the way out to the northwest side of Buenos Aires and the Palermo district. My plan was to visit the zoo, but after circling around an area semi-boarded up with art-splashed plywood depicting various animals and birds and emblazoned with the words “Eco Parque,” I was told by a passerby that the zoo was indeed being transformed into an eco park. (They’re in the process of getting rid of some of the animals they couldn’t take good enough care of, and keeping the others; as well as giving the whole place a new makeover.)

Sunset at the Jardin Botanico in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A statue at the Jardin Botanico in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Since most of it was under construction, they advised me to visit the Jardin Botanico just across the street. That turned out to be great advice, as I really enjoyed strolling around inside the lovely and relaxing green environment, which is a nice respite from the busy and crowded city streets just outside. Organized by foliage from different countries, the gardens, which were declared a Argentina national monument in 1996, contains a total area of 17 acres and holds approximately 5,500 species of plants, trees and shrubs, as well as a number of sculptures, monuments and five greenhouses.

An arboreal arch at the Jardin Botanico in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Another statue at the Jardin Botanico in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A sun-splashed tree at the Jardin Botanico in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

After about an hour, I moseyed a couple of blocks east to the Museo Evita, dedicated to María Eva Duarte de Perón (May 7, 1919 – July 26, 1952), the wife of Argentine President Juan Perón (1895–1974) and First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death from cancer in 1952. She is usually referred to as Eva Perón or simply Evita. Created by her great-niece, Cristina Alvarez Rodriguez, the museum houses many of Eva’s clothes, portraits, films about her life and death, and many other personal items, and has become quite a popular tourist attraction.

A bust of Eva Peron at the Museo Evita in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A display of trinkets at the Museo Evita in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A display of literature at the Museo Evita in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The displays, which are laid out with attractive graphic design, are arranged roughly chronologically and progress from Eva’s childhood, to her stint as an actress as a young adult, to her marriage to Peron, to becoming the First Lady who engaged in many charitable and women’s rights activities, which made her an enduring heroine of the Argentinean people. Leaving the museum, I took a walk up into the Palermo Soho neighborhood, where there’s a seemingly endless array of glitzy and glamorous boutiques, shops, bars, restaurants, cafes, etc. Looking around at all of the opulence on display, I kept wondering, “Where does all the money come from?”

A go cart and a tricycle at the Museo Evita in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A Rutas Nacionales board game at the Museo Evita in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Words and photos ©2019 Arcane Candy.

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