Recoleta Cemetery

One sunny afternoon we went to Recoleta Cemetery. We had been doing a city tour and this was where the tour ended. The cemetery itself is very small, but the headstones and crypts are huge, with each competing against the next to be the most grandiose, most sculpted, have the most adornments or simply, just be the biggest.

This graveyard is home to past generations of rich and famous Argentinians. From generals, actors, presidents to the elite - they're all here with their families.

Some of the crypts are huge with up to 50 people buried beneath the ground. It's strange, because from street level all you see is the doorway and a small stairwell going down, covered in cobwebs and dust.

Those that don't have the chambers beneath, often have the coffins clearly on display with photographs, flowers and gifts littered around the small chamber. Iron bars protect the dead behind the glass doors, often stained or decorated glass, while stray cats lie out front to guard the dead.

The most famous person buried here has to be Eva Peron - Evita. Her body was moved from pillar to post before coming to rest in this cemetery and ironically, she is buried alongside the very people she fought against whilst living - the rich elite. The crypt she lies in is quite modest in comparison to most and doesn't bear her family name. A small plaque showing her name denotes her location and that's all.