Evita Peron museum and Japanese Gardens
Trip Start
Jan 28, 2008
1
10
28
Trip End
Feb 08, 2008
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Buenos Aires,
Argentina
Saturday, February 2, 2008
The candle of the tango burnt the long wick of the next day, leaving much less to light when one does eventually arise - no matter what time! One finds that consumption of a reused wick depletes the energy necessary to keep the day bright with ideas, energy and enthusiasm. However, with what we had we made loaves and fishes suffice for days of vacation. Today is our 2nd trip to the internet cafes and then a 3rd trying to find one that is a) cool; b) loaded with Java for downloading photos; and with c)sufficient bandwidth and/or speed. We do manage to get some photos out, but it is slow slogging.
February 2, 2008 Our city exploration starts with a taxi ride and then a sufficiently long walk when I realize I do not have my camera with me
The gardens in perspective
. Our destination is the Japanese Botanical gardens and the Evita Peron museum. As the camera probably will not be allowed in the museum and we had already taken many photos of the gosh-golly, gorgeous, greenery growing generously wherever there isn't 12 lane Avenitas - we decide that no camera: no big deal. But it was and we had to find a way, we did. This is or must be the most peaceful place in Buenos Aires, the Jardin Japones. I believe it is one of the biggest Japanese Gardens in the world outside of Japan where Kyoto ranks highest. It is inside the Tres de Febrero Park.
"The Gardens were created in 1967 by the Japanese community residing in this country as a token of gratitude. Ten years later, the landscape artist Yasuo Inomata redesigned the Garden inspired on the Zen gardens that are generally located at the main entrance of temples. The garden surface occupies nearly two hectares (5 acres)." This includes a man-made lake comprising seventy per cent of the whole garden, as well as several bridges and isles. The main isle is the Gods Island, that you can reach by the Good Venture Bridge. "The flora comprises 150 species, most of them brought from Japan. The main attractions of the place are the Monument to the Japanese Immigrant - as a homage to the founding community - and the Peace Bell used every year to celebrate the world peace day."
This park is open everyday, all the year round
Tofukuji garden
. The Japanese botanical gardens have a minimal entrance fee and a maximum value. It is truly worth several times the price of admission. One notable ending pleasantry is the Japanese tea garden restaurant in the Pavilion, allowing us to sit down, cool off and get a beverage. Most of the staff were Argentinian; however, the owner is Japanese. Being the show-off I am, I pay and express my gratitude with: "Dom Arigato, Gossai Massu" rather than "muchas gratias". The BA server does not understand but did understand a little English. I tell her it meant thank you in Japanese. She then tells me that the only Japanese person who is the owner, who I must pay not her. Undaunted by my first failure, I try again to express my gratitude for the food and service and the owner looks like I am talking baby goo-goo talk. The server then tells me, that he is Japanese but he does not speak the language! Go figure... So, I stayed with the few words of Spanish of which I had picked up. We again walk as one would in Paris on the premise that no matter how cheap the metro or how convenient is a taxi - nothing substitutes for mingling with the sidewalk people and accepting one's role as a fish not only in a fish bowl but also as one lured to a merchant baiting any unsuspecting tourists! We continue to traverse the parks, the multitude of them; never ending, one leading into another, joined together by a monument, a statue, and obelisk, a large Avenida and always a general on a horse monument. We have succumbed to the lure of the coffee houses and with each day and hour we are finding ourselves addicted to it
Peace Bell
. Much of our promenade today forces us to face Avenida 9 Julio several times. The best description of this 12 lane (each way) non highway, is that if one steps off the curb 1-2 seconds BEFORE the walk signs glows and then speed walks across as many lanes as possible, one may be able to get a point where the sign seems to say: "Danger turnaround and go back now-quick.." I haven't yet seen the 3rd option of: "uh, oh - too late either way - freeze and take your chances where you are." I must say though that at first I did not notice on many corners they did have a countdown clock so that a pedestrian knows how long it will be until the all the tires of BA coming running over him/her. The Museo Evita is located on one of Palermo's quieter back streets in a Neo-Gothic residence that Peron expropriated to convert into a women's shelter for his wife's quasi-statal welfare agency. We are told that it is worth a visit to see the range of myths her person has inspired. Again, the history as recorded by someone from his point of view at the time. Not necessarily all factual. Paintings and propaganda posters are displayed alongside clothes she wore on her regal tours of Europe. It is located at Lafinur 2988 entre Guitierrez y Las Heras; Admission AR$10. ($3 dollars Canadian). Later in visiting the Recoleta Cemetery we were particularly pleased that we had reviewed all of this history and legend first
the bridge
. It is described as follows:"The museum was inaugurated in July 26, 2002, on the fiftieth anniversary of Eva's death and it is located in a petite hotel built during the first decade of the XX century. In 1948, the large house on Lafinur Street was purchased by the social assistance foundation called Fundación de Ayuda Social Eva Perón to house the 2nd Transition Home, a site that would lodge women from the provinces during their pass through Buenos Aires. Across thirteen permanent exhibition rooms and one temporary display room, the museum reviews the history of Eva Duarte from her childhood, going through her youth as an actress, and then her life as the First Lady, next to Juan Perón, her struggle for female civil rights, the social work she developed in the foundation until her resignation and death."
In the display cabinets in the various rooms, visitors may observe, apart from the costumes and working tailleurs worn by Evita, shoes, hats, a funeral mask made by artist Juan Carlos Pallarols, the first Argentinian female DNI (identity card) -which belonged to Eva-, decorations, daily use elements with Perón and Evita's faces, translations of the book La razón de mi vida (The Reason for my Life) into various languages, among other significant items
Evita Peron waving at crowds
.The walls of the rooms reproduce Evita's quotations, photographs of the original rooms of the institute, and even the kitchen of the site may be seen, as a result of a neat set.
Lovers of architecture will enjoy the beautiful Andalusian patio from the year 1923 used in the times of the home as a site for recreation and leisure; while those interested in history may see extracts from Leonardo Favio's movie Perón, sinfonía del sentimiento (Perón, A Symphony of Feeling), at the auditorium seating 80 people. The Eva Perón National Institute of Historical Research operates inside the museum, where the library and the newspaper library may be consulted. A café-restó, which also has an independent entrance on Juan María Gutiérrez Street, and a souvenir store complement the facilities.
Dinner tonight is our first home cooked meal - a pizza! We follow this up with a fresh fig, that daughter Jennifer (Jeffy) told us to make sure we did as we would never taste anything like it in Canada in ANY season. We concur that is the best tasting figs if not fruit we have tasted (burp).
