Buenos Aires - Day 13

Saturday 4th November

Carlos Gardel completes the trio of famous Argentinians after Maradona and Evita. If you like tango (or not) his name is stamped all over Buenos Aires. I´d like to learn more about him but in the meantime I decided to visit his grave at 'La Chacarita', a large cemetery a bit further out of town.

I didn´t expect anything like Recoleta cemetery (as it´s not as famous) but it´s quite similar except the avenues are wider and it´s spread out over a larger area. It´s also a very busy cemetery unlike Recoleta that seems to attract mainly tourists. In the short time I´m there countless people visit to place flowers in their family mausoleums. I don´t see any other tourists.

Carlos Gardel´s mausoleum is bright and colourful. Someone has put a cigarette in his hand and a bunch of roses under his arm. There are plaques from fans all over the world thanking him for his music. On the metro (subte) back into town, at every stop someone walks through the carriage selling something - electric toothbrushes, hair clips, mobile phone cards, CD cases etc.

Have another tango lesson this afternoon with Claudio. This time we´re improvising. I am told to forget all the steps I´ve learnt and follow his lead. This fills me with dread. I still have no idea which way I´m going but somehow I seem to get it right most of the time. I still need to work on my posture (I´ve been likened to a robot) and to stop looking at my feet.

Claudio invites me to La Viruta in the Armenian social centre in Palermo to see locals dancing the tango. We meet at 10.30 which is almost my bedtime and I join a basic tango lesson together with 200 odd other people. While practising with Claudio the dance instructor picks me up on my feet which are not together most of the time but commends Claudio on his technique. The classes, which are split by ability, are over at midnight and the dancing begins. Argentinians are not shy in showing their moves and soon the floor is heaving. I´m surprised at how many older people are up that late and dancing well into the morning. Confident that no one can see me in the middle of the dance floor I don´t mind practising my botched tango with Claudio although I´m sure it´s not much fun for him.

There isn´t much room to practise the full basic steps so we end up going round in circles. By 5am I have no ability to concentrate and am falling over his feet and my own. It´s time to call it a night.