Jesus Christ: The Resurrection
Back in Argentina, we’ve stumbled upon God. In a theme park. Seriously. Buenos Aires is home to Tierra Santa (Holy Land), the most unusual – and ambitious – theme park project ever attempted. And it is magnificent: a triumph of fibreglass, hundreds of life-sized animatronic puppets and five or six manic actors.
In the Beginning: Wonder at the miracle of creation every hour on the hour as God creates heaven and earth. An opportunity maximised by the set designer who leads us seamlessly from laser show, through fake jungle replete with thousands of litres of cascading water, to enormous moving plastic animals (only african), finishing with Adam and a rather bootylicious Eve.
The Nativity: Be there every half an hour as shepherds, wise men, assorted cattle and some frightening angels celebrate the birth of Christ in a cattle shed.
This is My Body: Be moved by the Last Supper as an extremely life-like puppet Jesus shares bread and wine with the apostles. Notice sly Judas moving his eyes from side to side, an indication of the betrayal to come.
Hallelujah: Marvel as a 30ft Jesus rises from the mountain. Arms outstretched, he closes his eyes and raises face and palms to heaven. Accompanied by Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. Hourly.
And, when it all gets too much, be served cappuccino and cake by a Mary-alike in the Bethlehem cafe.
Park open till midnight every day. Emma and Neil officially gobsmacked.
Fact of the Day: In arabic, Bethlehem, Bayt Lahm, literally translates as ‘House of Meat’, which given we are in Argentina, suggests that the cafe should serve up huge slabs of local cow. Sadly it doesn’t.