MARCH 5 - mARCH 11, 2015 • TIMES 25 VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS [email protected] Cruising South America from Buenos Aires With great joy, after a grueling 48 hours of travel, my plane landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I began my journey on Oceania Cruises on the Atlantic Ocean beginning in the city of the infamous Eva Peron and taking 11 days cruising north to reach Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The sun shone brightly as I boarded the cruise ship, and after a fast unpacking I got on a bus for a tour of the city. There were several land excursions that I could have selected in Buenos Aires. I chose to visit the cemetery where Eva Peron was buried and the museum bearing her name. The bus made its way through the bustling city of wide boulevards, a park as large as Central Park in Manhattan and European-designed buildings. The city has earned a reputation for having the largest number of theaters in the world. I was dropped off with our guide at the cemetery that is famous both for being the burial place of the beloved, feared and despised by some Eva Peron but interestingly holding over 4,000 mausoleums, one of the largest in the world. The mausoleums hold families for generations and can be three floors deep, many elaborately designed. From there we drove to the Evita Museum to hear about the internationally known first lady of Argentina who died of ovarian cancer in her mid-30s. The museum opened its doors on the 50th anniversary of her death in 2002. In her short life she married Juan Peron, who was to become the president of Argentina. It was the beginning of the worldwide movement of protecting laborers and women’s rights, and the Perons took a leadership role. So many people adored her that there was a massive move to have her succeed her husband, but she turned it down. When she died, her funeral drew millions of people and she was embalmed and laid to rest in the capital. Sadly, when her husband lost power and had to flee the country her body was stolen by military officers from the coup that toppled him. A finger was removed, her face was assaulted and the body was eventually secreted away to Italy for decades. Only after years of negotiations was her body returned to Argentina, where a mausoleum was built bearing her maiden name Duarte. I know the story has been told in musicals and movies but its fascination never ceases and it was a highlight of my visit to Buenos Aires. Reboarding the ship for dinner and a show. The next stop was Montevideo, Uruguay. Stay tuned ..... victoria’s secrets tweet me @vschneps Tango was born in Argentina Eva and her husband Juan Peron Dynamic $1000 off Lumineers $500 off Invisalign DENTAL WORK Free Whitening included the inViSiBle WAy to Some excluSionS Apply StrAighten teeth third generation dentist 175-15 Jamaica avenue, Jamaica 718-297-4100 • 718-297-4106 Oceania is known for their delicious meals and beautiful presentation Chamber music played each night aboard the ship Marcia, my roommate, and I ate breakfast on our terrace each morning
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