We are going to the cemetery today.  This cemetery is named for Christopher Columbus.  The 140-acre cemetery has more than 500 major mausoleums, chapels and family vaults.  It is one of the greatest historical cemeteries of the world and the second most important in Latin America, second only to La Recoleta in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I stayed on the bus.

Zeb the Duck’s view from the bus

Mom didn’t think I should be posing on these monuments.  Here is some of what we saw.

Monument

Another monument

One of the most famous tombs is for Senora Amelia Goyri or popularly called La Milagrosa.

La Milagrosa

When approaching, one must knock 4 times with the iron ring and when leaving, walk backwards.

This tradition was started by her husband and is continued today.  The senora and baby died during childbirth and were buried.  When the bodies were later exhumed, the baby was in the mother’s arms.  The baby had been buried at the mother’s feet.

This is main chapel for the cemetery.

Main chapel

Near the chapel this lady was restoring some other monuments.  Very slow, tedious work, but very important.

Restoration in progress

Many of these sites have been neglected as many of the families now live outside of Cuba.

In this cemetery there is a 75 foot memorial to firefighters.  Also two monuments to baseball players.  There is one bartender buried here.  He was Hemingway’s bartender.  Here are more photos.

Monument

Monument

Space in this cemetery is a a premium, so after three years remains are removed from their tombs, boxed and placed in a storage building.

A family vault

And here is the bat.

The bat

This was not the cemeteries I see in Colorado.  I hope you see this soon.  It is beautiful.