I am Johnny "Gaucho" Marx Golfinopoulos! A Uruguan cowboy!
Uruguay is the home of cowboys ("Gauchos"), cattle ranches ("Estancias") and horses ("Cabalos") in South America with the best reputation for steaks (beef) and barbeques ("Asados"). It is also known as the "Switzerland" of South America because of the Uruguains laid-back style, secret bank aacounts and "neutrality" in its military support of other countries. Refer "URUGUAY FACTS" below for more detail.
Our journey from our hotel in Buenos Aires to the one in Colonia Del Sacramento was mainly by ship (The "Eladia Isabel" owned by the company "Buquebus"), only 50km across the Rio Del La Plata, taking 3hrs in a total travel time of 5hrs.
The ship is big, carrying approx 500 passengers and trucks/cars.
Mon 21MAR was the official start of our last fifth Intrepid segment with our total group rising by one to a total of 11 plus our new guide Alberto from Buenos Aires. We said goodbye to Poonam, Jess and Tamara and welcomed Sarah and Ben from Melbourne, Rebecca from Northern Ireland and Veronica from Stockholm. This segment will finish in Rio on 6APR.
Colonia Del Sacramento (Pop 22,700. Est 1680 by Portuguese Brazilians) is the only UNESCO protected site in Uruguay because of its unique cobbled stone streets, Portuguese inspired colonial stone houses and the original wall of the Bastion San Miguel.
This strait-side town is where Europeans (Portuguese) first settled Uruguay and was used to smuggle goods into Buenos Aires. It has many streets completely covered in trees and many plazas with colourful trees and restaurants. I set out at 1:30pm in a very muggy 32C heat.
First stop was "Plaza De Armas" which contains "Inglesia Matriz" built in 1680 and the oldest church in Uruguay. I then visited the "Puerta De Campo" or stone gate at "Plaza 1811". The gate is part of the old wall of "Bastion De San Miguel" and almost reaches the water.
From here it is a nice stroll along "Calle De Los Suspiros" and "Calle Paseo De San Gabriel" which contains the oldest of the stone, tile and stucco colonial homes.
The views of the town and surrounding water from the "Faro" or lighthouse at "Plaza Mayor 25 De Mayo" are terrific - the old town is lterally built on a penisula that juts out into Rio De La Plata. Everywhere you look there a rustic bars and restaurants specialising in grilled seafood and meats. It is very cheap. Most meals range from 5-10AUD.
From here I walked to the "Puerto Viejo" or Old Port via "Plazoleta San Martin". Very scenic since it is along the water and dotted with nice eating and drinking places. This town is very relaxed but also very touristy. I hate to think how hot it is in DEC/JAN.
From the Old Port it was back to my airconditioned room at around 3:30pm. I relaxed to some blogging and cable until it got cooler for my first run in Uruguay. The run was magic, along a coastline of beaches and pines to a bright orange setting sun. The water was like oil and there was a cooling breeze with pine aromas - it reminded me of the island of Poros in Greece.
That night Maureen, Sue and I dined at a local Parillada and my "Chivito La Plata" (open steak sadnwich on a plate) was enormous and tasty - thin beef grilled over wood coals with cheese, bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato, chips and a Russian Salad (potato, peas, carrots, mayo). We also drank our first Uruguayan wines: a lovely orange coloured Rose with raisin nose but tasting dry and a 2008 Cab Sav Reserva back at the hotel. Colonia is a great place.
The next morning (Wed 23MAR) I could hardly wait to run along the beaches to sunrise - much to my surprise when I stepped outside at 6am in just running shorts (since I thought it would be warm like the sunset) there was a mini cyclone!!! Howlling wind, trees sideways, rain, very cool and still dark. It was no go. I went back to bed. Our journey from hotel to hotel (Colonia to Montevideo, the Capital) took 5hrs featuring a 2.5hr, 170km bus ride. It was raining lightly all the way but you could see the countryside was flat with green rolling hills and farms - much like anywhere in Australia or the world. After dumping our gear in our very centrally located hotel it was off to visit the city.
Montevideo (Pop 1.3m. Est 1726) is full of neoclassical buildings influenced by Portugal and Spain. It even has some art deco buildings. It is very unkept and most of the buidlings need to be cleaned or restored. It has nowhere near the grandueur or vibe or sophistication of Buenos Aires but it does feel old and full of history. It has much more of a naval feel to it with more seafood on the Parilla menus.
The first stop was "Plaza Independencia" which features a huge statue of the country's hero, General Artigas with his ashes in an urn, guarded 24x7 by two armed guards, in an mausoleum below the statue.
This plaza also contains the 18th century "Palacio Estevez" (Presidential Palace) and the 26 storey "Palacio Salvo" which contains many Government Departments and looks like something out of Moscow. In the 70s it was the tallest building in South America. The "Teatro Splis" or Opera House is also here. The plaza is huge and also contains a mixture of skyscrapers from the 60s and 80s. It is a real mismatch of buildings but grand in its size.
From here I followed "Calle Sarandi" which is the main pedestrian drag leading to "Plaza Constitucion" which is much smaller, very leafy and surrounded by cafes. The "Inglesia Matriz" or Main Cathedral is here and although the outside is ordinary, the inside is very nice with a huge tomb of the first Archbishop of Uruguay.
After a lovely cup of coffee, I stepped into side streets to view some the colonial buildings including two musuems on Missiones and the massive Greek inspired Bank of Uruguay.
After passing "Plaza Zabala" I turned into "Calle Perez Castellano" which is in the middle of "Ciudad Vieja (Old City)", contains all of the oldest residences and leads down to the old port and "Mercado Del Puerto".
This is a massive wrought iron structure containing many "Parillas" or Grill Restaurants inside. Each one tries to out-do the other with their big log fires sourrounded by mountains of BBQ meats including livers, kidneys and blood sausages. I have never seen more meat in my life. The BBQ aromas simply make you want to eat. This is a lunchtime place with a similar set up at the other end of town for dinner, but much much smaller.
The old port area is charming, even in the rain and it is on a penisula sticking out into the Rio De La Plata which is the large strait that goes to Buenos Aires on one side and the Atlantic on the other.
After returning to the hotel at around 3:30pm, I grabbed a jacket and started another round of sites. "Plaza Del Entreveros" was next and it was boring.
The one after, "Plaza Cagancha" was terrific, surrounded by neoclassical buildings and covered in trees. By now the rain was getting heavy so I finished up and returned to the hotel for some rest.
At 6pm it was time for pre-dinner drinks in Sue and Maureen’s room then it was off to the Parilla (Steak House) after the team briefing at 7pm. My eye fillet steak was the best to date but still not as tasty as Meat & Wine. It was big at 400g, very tender and cost only 13AUD. We drank 1.5L of carafe Uruguyan Rose since it was the only cold wine on the menu but it was enjoyable. light, dry and refreshing.
I was greatly relieved when I looked out of my window at 7:30am on Thu 24MAR and saw a blue sky. I wanted to run yesterday but the rain and wind would not let up. My reward this morning was a terrific coastal run passing 2 of Montevideo’s 8 beaches with fresh air and lots of sun. The beaches were small, tan sand and no waves. Not that great. The city coastline is open and vast with some units but not a lot of cafes or restaurants. Either it gets too windy here or the locals haven’t bothered developing it yet.
I set out at 9:45am to re-visit some of the city’s key sites so I could re-take pictures in the blue-sky sun to replace the drab and rainy photos of yesterday. It is amazing how your perspective of a place improves with great weather. Montevideo was like a different (and better) city. It was also very comfortable with low humidity and a cool 22C day.
Maureen and I had no choice but to start cheese and wine in the van on our way to the ranch since it was already 5:30pm when we left the bus. We arrived at 7pm and met 17 other young Australians doing our Intrepid tour in reverse - Rio to Buenos. They were leaving in the morning so we all enjoyed Spaghetti Bolognese outside around a roaring camp fire using mince from the local cattle. It was rich and full of flavour.
The station owner, Juan introduced us to his wife Susanna (Swiss who he met in Tibet and 7mths pregnant with their second child) and gave us a run down of the ranch and what we would be doing over the next two days. We also met 2yr old Dharma who made me so homesick for my nieces. The sun had set, the stars were out and a cool breeze blew. This Juan was clever. Having realised the rising tourist industry he fitted out his large two-storey house full of bunk beds and bought a shipping container and coverted it into a mini-hostel for 8! He could sleep 30! Juan's command of English was excellent and he was very tuned in to everything Australian. I knew at that moment that we were going to have a geat time here. By the time 10pm rolled around we had drunk everything in site and discussed all topics. I was the only one out of 28 gringos to sleep by myself in the roof attic - it was terrific - quiet and breezy! My reputation had proceeded me... I felt like a celebrity - what am I talking about... I am a celebrity!
What a relief. The cloud had scattered and the sun was making its way through on the morning of Sat 26MAR. Perfect for our morning horse ride. Today we all switched horses and I got "Neuve (Cloud)". He is a spritely chap and likes to be at the front of the pack so he would just speed up without my beckoning. I saddled him up mysefl including the placing of the metal "bit" in his mouth to which the reins are attached for control. All horses have a gap in the middle of their mouth where the bit sits and when you pull back on the rein this bit presses against the roof of the horse's palate causing some discomfort so the animal stops.
This morning's mission was to ride out to a paddock approx 5km away and round up approx 500 sheep and bring them back to the pens next to the farm house for mulesing (cutting away the "dags" or poop) and treating any infections. The ride out was magnificent - the sun simply highlighted how lush and green this country was - no wonder the beef is so good. My horse was great - easy to control. The saddle was also very comfortable - we spent a total of 2.5hrs on horseback on this occassion. Mustering sheep is a lot easier than cattle since one follows the other. The four farm dogs did a great job. Each one would walk beside a horse until Juan or Malinga shouted a Spanish command and they would race off. We all surprised ourselves on how quickly we rounded up the sheep and brought them back.
The sun was now shining with scattered cloud and a cool breeze - perfect for my second run whilst the others lunched. It was great to run in joggers again and the road had dried up well.
After a brief rest at the ranch it was off on horseback again. Our mission was to return the 500 sheep to their paddock. There was only 4 of us riding with Juan and Malinga and we returned the sheep in just over an hour. Juan then took us scenic riding up to an elevated ridge full of dead trees overlooking the whole area and beyond.
The middle of Uruguay (and entire northern half) is very green with rolling hills, scattered trees and very rocky. For this reason not much cropping is done in the North - just cattle and sheep.
Croping occurs in the southern half with mainly wheat and corn. WIne is also on the rise. There is no mining or oil in Uruguay. On our way back to the farm, Megan (who grew up on a farm in South Africa with horses) showed us how to "canter" (slow gallop) and even gallop and we did it. My gallop was only for 1min and was bloody scary. You did not have to encourage these horses. Once they saw the open grassy plains and Megan's horse starting to bolt they automatically followed. A gallop feels like you are floating through the air. I had to stand on my stirrups and lean forward like a jocky. It was exhilarating but scary.
We celebrated our epic 3hr horse ride in the garden outside with chilled Uruguayan Sav Blanc and Sav Gris blend 2008, smoked salmon stuffed green olives and local cheese (like Jarlesberg). Civilised Gauchos indeed!!! This culinary delight was a great prelude to a tasty dinner of beef stew and stir-fried vegies.
Once again we all sat down to another DVD movie - "Black Swan". Very impressive performance by Natalie Portman - again another deserved Oscar. Tonight we saw best acctress and last night we saw best actor - great combo!
Juan learnt his excellent English from watching English DVDs with Spanish subtitles - he has a library of over 300! After the movie it was time for a game of UNO in the kitchen with plenty of beer to lubricate the action. Then the coffee liqueur came out which fuelled some excellent discussuions on politics and life. What an evening. Fabulous comapany and discussion.
I woke up with a stiff back and quickly worked out why - galloping pains - from the many hours of horse riding in the last two days. By 9am we were on the road again with Juan driving us 210km to the Uruguyan border town of Salto. The day was great. Sunny with high shapely alto-cirrus clouds. The landscape completely flattened out with plains as far as the eye could see.
NEXT BLOG: covers Iguazu Falls due 31MAR.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: 1) Our new tour guide, Alberto, made a big first impression on 21MAR by replacing our 10hr overnight bus from Iguazu to Sao Paulo with a flight! 2) Untold thanks to the hosts with the most, Juan and his wife Susanna who made us feel like extended family on his cattle ranch in the middle of Uruguyan nowhere!!! Special thanks to Malinga who rode with us and always made us feel welcome.
ESTANCIA PANAGEA FACTS: 1) Name of our ranch is "Panagea" and it has been in Juan's family since 1926. He was born and raised here. His home was built in 1926 2) Its size is 1,000 hectares. 3) Elevation is 196m 4) Location is 40km from Tacuarembo, 140km from the Brazilian border and 210km from the Argentinian border. 4) Annual rainfall is 1,600mm on average and it is sunny 80% of the time. 5) Panagea has 1,000 head of cattle, 2,000 sheep and 84 horses. 6) 800 gringos visit it every year on average. 7) There are approx 10,000 ranches like this one in all of Uruguay. 8) Beef is still the number one export in Uruguay and the price now is very good.
With 13.8 million people, Buenos Aires (Est 1536) is far from being a town but it is certainly the capital of Tango!
Buenos Aires is known as the "New York" of South America... a city that never sleeps! More on this grand city in a second. First it is off to the lakeside ski town of Bariloche at the top of Argentinian Patagonia!
Our journey from the Ancud hotel door in Chile to the one in Bariloche Argentina took 11.5hrs - 9hrs on the bus and the rest at the border.
We left Ancud on 16MAR at 10am in rain and arrived in Bariloche at 10pm to a freezing moonlit night. It rained most of the way but we could still make out the dramatic pine forest and glacier lake scenery along the way.
Bariloche (Pop 100,000. Elev 894m) is very reminiscent of any ski town in Switzerland, especially Lausanne given its goegraphy and position on Lago Nahuel Huapi.
All its buildings are built of stone and wood with steeply pitched roofs and every second shop sells chocolates or is a fondue restaurant - how more Swiss can you get?
The morning after our arrival I went on a lakeside jog - probably the coldest one after Antarctica - I had to wear a thermal top! The wind was howling and the lake dominated by white crested waves but the sun was out and clouds parting! I then walked to the central plaza and lakeside beach. The wind was still up but the photos magic. The tourist office gave me a map of the town and surrounds and told me that the cable car to the top of "Cerro Otto (1,600m)" was closed due to the high wind.
There was not enough time for me to visit the more distant "Cerro Campanario" with weather-proof lift and make my 3:30pm flight to Buenos Aires. I discovered that a dirt road went up to Cerro Otto so I caught a taxi which took me up there with myriads of photos along the way and the top. The views were breathtaking and the sun stayed with me. Bariloche is one of many towns around an intricate lake system, fed by many mountain glaciers which are also covered in pines. It was good to see trees on mountains at last!
It was love at first sight! First impressions was that Buenos Aires is architectualy a "European Salad" with influences from Madrid, Paris, Barcelona and even Lisbon.
The city boulevards are huge with Paris style 8-storey apartments, side-by-side, fronted with big leafy green trees with cafes down below. The orange of the setting sun lit up the facades like faces in front of a fire place. The place was buzzing with people and cars.
Our taxi took us through Recoleta, the ritzy part of town to our 4 star hotel. We were in paradise. The hotel in Recoleta had stuffed up our room booking so they cabbed us to another of their chain in San Telmo, the Steak and Tango part of town. That evening we had our first huge steak, a "butterlied" thick New York cut. It was around 400g and fabulous and only 15AUD but Meat & Wine Co in Melbourne still tastes better! We also enjoyed the best house cut chips to date and two terrific 16AUD bottles of 2007 Chardonnays from Mendoza. Heaven.
After passing "Teatro Colon (Opera House)" I arrived at the landmark "Obelisco (Obelisk)" celebrating the 400th birthday of the city.
From here it was a short walk to the majestic "Avenida De Mayo" to "Plaza Del Congresso". Avenida De Mayo has the best looking buildings in the city. My neck was cramped from the constant "looking up" at the many styles of roof, balcony, window and decorations. I then decided to walk on the road to capture the full impact of these grand buildings.
Finally I arrived at the National Congress which is modelled on and looks like the one in Washington DC. It is fronted by a grand fountain and monument, whose steps symbolise the Andes.
From here it was back to Av 9 De Julio via Rivadavia and I walked the other side of Av De Mayo all the way to the main Cathedral and "Casa Rosada (Pink Palace)" or Presidential Palace on "Plaza De Mayo".
The Palace is in fact pink and was made famous by the many speeches that Eva Peron made from its central balcony.
The Cathedral facade looks like a brand new Acropolis and inside is the very impressive, Napoleanic style coffin and monument to General San Martin who was key in commanding the local troops that led to the demise of the Spanish and independence in all of South America.
I then walked past some of the oldest buildings in the city to arrive back at the hotel around 4pm. In fact, many of the old, large grand mansions in San Telmo are being restored and made into hotels or offices.
My first run in Buenos Aires was along the wharf area past "Puerto Madero", the newest barrio and very much like the King Street wharf precinct in Sydney. The best restaurants in the city are along the docks, complete with valet service and for the first time I saw fine motor cars in South America.
When I got back, Maureen and I enjoyed a few cold beers and some cheese before being picked up for our grand Tango dinner show in the San Telmo area.
The venue is much like the state theatre in Sydney, Very decorative, lots of velour and huge chandeliers.
For 75AUD we got a three-course dinner (including thick steak), unlimited beer/wine, a spectacular 2hr Tango show and a 45min Tango lesson! The food was good and the show was dazzling. The music and movements were to die for,
There were legs flying everywhere and the speed of the dancing was awesome. It was a fantastic night. So much so that I could not remember how I got home. According to Maureeen, I sang in the lobby with some of the dancers, bought a CD, tangoed from the bus to our room and ate half a Panatoni - none of which I could remember!
Sat 19MAR was a day full of surprises. The day started with Maureen and I moving to our Intrepid hotel. I then set out at 11:30am to discover the commercial and retail side of the city.
"Avenida Florida" is the main pedestrian and retail "Pitt St Mall" style street only 10 times longer! It is bustling with people, stalls and even buskers.
Another iconic street is "Roque Saenz Pena", a diagonal boulevarde of 6 lanes connecting the Obelisk with the Cathedral. Iconic because it is lined with massive grand old buildings that remind you of Madrid or even the Champs Elysee in Paris.
The excitement then began when I passed a small Tourist Office on Avenida Corrientes (another important and main thoroughfare).
I was not going to stop but I thought - what the heck - I may as well ask the question: "Where did Aristole Onassis live when he was in Buenos Aires".
The lady behind the counter, Gabriella was interested! After googling in Spanish we discovered that Onassis had arrived in the city on 7 September 1923 and shared a one bedroom hostel room in a building on the corner of the Obelisk intersection on Corrientes. This tourist office was 10m from this corner. Gabriella pointed to the oldest of the four buildings with McDonalds at the bottom!
Onassis had arrived in the city with only USD60 in his pocket. To make it last he slept in the bed during the day (since he first worked as a telephone operator at night) whilst his room mate slept in the same bed at night! You may laugh but this guy was worth USD6billion by 1955.
I then asked Gabriella if she knew anyone old that could tell us where Onassis lived most of his time. Gabriella then told me that she was part Greek and she called up her 80 yr old uncle, Metodio Spanos to see what he knew. Much to our surprise he called back 10min later to inform us that an old card playing mate of his had the address: Miller 2045 in Villa Urquiza (between Juramento and Echeverria Streets). This was approx 8km from the tourist office near the end of the Metro B Line. I left immediately.
After 20min on the metro I alighted at the last stop "Los Incas" and caught a cab to the fabled address. There was a new house there and the suburb was nice with tree lined streets. As I was taking photos a 50-55 yr old looking guy came out and spoke to me in Spanish. I then tried to explain that his house was the site of Onassis home and on hearing the name Onassis he declared that he was Greek! Can you believe it! What are the chances of this? We then broke out in Greek.
I then caught the metro back to the centre and continued my journey down Florida Avenue. After visiting the ritzy "Galeria Pacifico" shopping centre I arrived at "Plaza Libertador General San Martin", a huge park sourrounded by the 5 star hotel chains, complete with a huge statue of the General.
Sunday 20MAR was another Greek day for me. Thanks to John and Marina, I knew the location of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Palermo, a park covered, yuppie barillo of all places.
I made the start of Othros (Matins) at 9:30am with the Liturgy going from 10:30am-12:30pm. Services are late here because everyone goes out to very late on Sat nights. The Cathedral is located inside a small compound that features a hall and outdoor stage. The Cathedral is small and called the "Dormition of the Virgin Mary". I met Fr John Argiris and Chanter George on my arrival and both filled me in on Greeks and Orthodoxy in South America after the service - refer "GREEKS IN SOUTH AMERICA" below. The service was in Greek and Spanish. The order of service and melodies are the same as in Australia but it weird to hear the Spanish. Even the Gospel, Creed and Lord's Prayer were in Greek and Spanish. Both the priest and chanter knew some English but the parishiners in general spoke mainly Spanish.
I then walked to "Plaza Palermo Vieja" which was lined with trendy cafes, hip restaurants and art stalls around the park.
After a nice strong coffee I headed up through tree-lined streets full of posh apartments and corner cafes and ice cream shops till I arrived at "Jardin Botanica Carlos Thays". This was great - very thick with greenery, lots of varieties of trees, plants and flowers and wonderfully cool - the day was blue sky and close to 28C.
Next stop was the "Museo Evita" or the Eva Peron Musuem - a fascinating place chronicalling her complete life story in pictures and film - refer "EVA PERON STORY" below.
It was then a short tree-lined walk to "Jardin Japones" which is a replica of the types of "tranquil" water-based gardens you would see in Japan.
Across the road is the "Parcque De Febrero" featuring a lake with paddle boats and the "Rosedal" or massive Rose Garden. This place is like Cenntenial Park, full of people on a Sunday, walking, bike riding, picnicing, roller skating and jogging. They even had live bands going.
From here I walked to the Palermo Metro and by 4:30pm I was back at the hotel. My legs were on fire. Equipped with beer and olives I spent the rest of the arvo writing this blog. Chandon Extra Brut Champagne (only 11AUD - normally 24AUD in Oz!), tuna and lentils with cable movies was just what I needed that night to celebrate what turned out to be a great day.
My last day (Mon 21MAR) in Buenos Aires was even greater. I got my passport back complete with second Brazilian VISA!!! The saga was over.
This happened at noon but before then I went for run at 7:30am and left the hotel at 9:15am to visit Eva Peron (Evita) at the the famous Recoleta Cemetery. Recoleta is the posh suburb (like Double Bay in Sydney) and this cemetery is only for the rich and famous.
Finding Evita was easy, thanks to the directory at the gate. She is buried in vault number 57 with her parents and siblings hence the title "Familia Duarte" (maiden name) above the vault. Her husband is buried elsewhere at Museo Quinta in Buenos Aires.
The steel and glass door to the vault has a small hole in one spot where you can insert your camera lense and take a photo of her casket inside - refer my photo in this blog. The vault next to hers is for sale if you are interested. I kid you not, but the owner can be contacted at dsabelli@hotmail.com. Talk about a mercinary!
I then walked extensively around Recoleta, soaking in the boutique shops, professional dog walkers (some have up to 10 dogs!!!), hundreds of salons and little old women with boofon hair does.
I had a great cup of coffee next to the Bulgarian Embassy before picking up my passport from the Brazilian Consulate, just around the corner. I was so happy to have my passport and Brazil in my pocket, knowing that my trip would not be stuffed up!
I then caught the metro down to San Telmo and walked to "Plaza Dorrego" which was my favourite. It is small, covered in trees and features tango dances. I saw one and filmed it in black and white - great look.
Next stop was "Parque Lezama" where on Sundays little old guys play chess. Being a Monday, no chess but lots of people lazing aorund.
The walk from here to "Caminito" in La Boca barrio was long and hot. By this time it was 2:30pm, blue skies but close to 30C. La Boca was first settled by Italian immigrants from Genoa back in the 1950s. Today it is a dive. Even the pastel coloured houses of Caminito were very ordinary and the place is way too touristy. I stayed 15min and caught a cab back to the metro. I was glad to put my feet up to a cold beer and blog back at the hotel at 4pm.
All in all, Buenos Aires turned out to be everything the guide book and our tour guides said it would be. It will be interesting to see if Sao Paulo or Rio can top it!
NEXT BLOG: covers Uruguay due 26MAR.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: 1) Incredible thanks to Gabriella and her uncle Metodio for helping me track down the first two abodes of the most famous Greek of Buenos Aires - Aristole Onassis. 2) Pleasure meeting John and Marina Cassimatis - current owners of Miller 2045! 3) Thanks to Fr John and Chanter George for the enlightening rundown of Greeks in South America.
GREEKS IN SOUTH AMERICA: 1) There are approx 100,000 Greeks in all of South America with 40,000 in Brazil and 30,000 in Argentina. 2) Most came after WWI since Argentina's economy was very bad post WWII, most immigrants chose USA, Australia and Canada instead. 3) There are approx 45 Greek Orthodox churches in South America with 25 in Brazil (mainly Sao Paulo) and 10 in Argentina (5 in Buenos Aires). 4) There are 23 Greek Orthodox priests in South America with 13 in Brazil and 7 in Argentina. 5) The "Coliva" or boiled wheat commemorating the dead even tasted the same as in Oz!
EVA PERON STORY: 1) Born Maria Duarte in Los Toldos on 7 May 1919. One of five children. 2) Dad died 1926 and was Eva was raised by her very strict mum. 3) Shot to fame as an actress from 1934-1945. 4) Married General Juan Domingo Peron on 22 October 1945 who went on to become a three-term President of Argentina from 1946-1955. 5) Married name was Maria Eva Duarte De Peron. 6) As first lady, Eva Peron fought for womens rights followed by workers rights and became President of the Workers Union Party. 7) On 23 September 1947 a key act was passed recognising equal rights for women - this made her especially popular and she became an icon of women going by the name "Evita". 8) From 1948-1951 Evita made incredible reforms in childrens health and aged care, all by influence and never did she hold any official office in Government. In fact oone of her most famous speeches was in 1951 when she turned down the offer of the Vice Presidential ticket along side her husband. 9) She died of cancer at 8:25pm on 26 July 1952 at age 33. A 14-day wake followed with over 2 million people at her funeral - probably the longest wake and biggest funeral of any person in history. 10) Fearing a revolution, the military buried her body under a false name in Milan Italy. Her remains were given back to her sister in 1974 with subsequent burial in the Recoleta Cemetery in 1976.
