The first stop was the sculpture garden in plaza des Naciones Unidas. Officially named Floralis Generica, but commonly referred to as the Steel Flower, the central sculpture was unveiled in 2002. A porteño named Eduardo Catalano created the eighteen ton sculpture.
In googling the Steel Flower to find its proper name, I discovered that the flower actually opens and closes. I've only ever seen it in the daytime, when it is open, but apparently at night, the flower closes its petals and emits a red glow. I'll try to catch it at night next time I'm in town!
Our group of three carried on to nearby Recoleta cemetery. Best known as Evita Peron's final resting place, the cemetery is a great place to visit. Wide, tree lined avenues splinter into narrow streets and alleys filled with above-ground tombs. Some are beautiful, some are falling apart, but all are fascinating to see.
The tomb of Liliana Crociati de Szaszak is always crowded with spectators due to its uniqueness. Most of the tombs resemble phone booths in size and construction while hers is a green statue of herself petting her dog and standing on a podium. She died on her honeymoon after an avalanche in Austria and her body was sent home to her native Argentina.
Whenever I've gone to Recoleta in the past, I've always found Evita's tomb just by following the crowds. Today was surprisingly quiet and we had to ask for directions.
Lunch was across the street at a cafe. My ears perked up when I heard an accordion, so I grabbed my camera, recruited someone to take my photo, and dashed off towards the music. The accordionist was more than happy to have his photo taken with me and in this picture I am in fact moving his hand to my hip and away from other parts of my body.
After a long day out in the sun, we went out to a concert I had heard about from other backpackers months ago. La Bomba de Tiempo is a weekly improv drum circle that takes place on a stage in an old warehouse. This was an event I had been eager to see for months but as I had no idea when I'd next find myself in Buenos Aires on a Monday night, I half expected that I'd never see it. Even after the long wait and anticipation, it didn't disappoint one bit. There must have been enough energy coming off that stage to power Las Vegas for a week!
Fifteen musicians clad in red jumpsuits stormed the stage and took turns conducting the group. The conductor controlled the music with simple hand gestures. What impressed me the most about the performance was that such a large group of people could work together so seamlessly without saying a word. Each musician was clearly a skilled percussionist but, more importantly, was also able to follow directions and cues without the slightest hitch. It made me seriously wonder what the rest of society could learn about successful communication from these musicians.
The show lasted about two hours and they switched conductors every forty or so minutes. At this time, some of the musicians took the opportunity to shuffle instruments, going from bongos to cow bells to drums that I won't pretend to be able to name. Meanwhile, a new conductor might pound the drum in front of him to start a beat and draw the other musicians in.
Watching the conductors felt like something of a spectator sport. These guys definitely have rhythm but for some reason, they absolutely cannot dance! One conductor moved around the stage like Sideshow Bob wearing flippers. The audience also included some amusing dancers, most notably the hippies prancing and swaying about.
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