How fitting that we should decide to take a night tour of one of the local cemeteries on Friday the 13th!!! To be honest, I hadn’t even realized the date until someone pointed it out to me during the tour. The idea about visiting the local cemetery had been floating around for a while within the team before we finally decided to arrange a date to go. Thanks, Ninoska, for making this happen for us and for bringing us all together : ) I had been there once before on the Day of the Dead. It was daytime and the cemetery was packed with people visiting deceased family members. This time the sun had already set, and the only people around were the tour participants… and maybe something/someone else?!?
History of the cemetery:
Construction of the cemetery began in 1846 and today it is considered one of the most representative and emblematic cemeteries in all of Peru. The current cemetery was constructed over a colonial cemetery and is the only construction in that area which still maintains its original construction design, meaning it has not been altered like the rest of the buildings which surround it. In 2011 the municipality took control over the cemetery. (1)
The tour:
The tour lasted for about an hour and was led by local anthropologists. They started by presenting us a few displays of the famous Peruvians buried in the cemetery and highlighting how it is important to be proud of this Cusqueñan heritage of great thinkers and leaders. They also explained how in the Andean culture people do not die… they move on to another place.
We walked around to a few important tombs and were presented some fun stories:
- The story of how the dead are judged by dogs and ultimately on how owners treated their dogs during their lifetime
- The tomb of two young children who died in a plane crash and now protect planes in flight
- The tomb of a woman who asks taxi drivers to bring her home each midnight
- A tomb at the back of the church where black magic is sometimes practiced
- And more…
The cemetery is home to multiple elaborate tombs complete with angles, gargoyles, crosses and more. Others are more basic and consist of stacked rows and columns hosting the remains of the (not) dead. There is even a cylindrical monument which is home to young children who passed away too soon. The tour guide mentioned that this may be the only cylindrical tomb of its type in South America.
Highlight:
I quite enjoyed the tour. The weather was perfect, the company was great and the stories were fun; however, my favorite moment came at the end of the tour. We were given some free time to explore a little before we had to leave. I eventually made my way down a dark and creepy staircase which led to a pitch-black tomb. I stayed there silently for a few moments until I heard some footsteps making their way towards me. I timed my surprise as skillfully as I could and then… BOOOOOO! I definitely scared some unsuspecting Peruvian guy. The demons made me do it. I swear it : )
How to get there:
The cemetery is very close to the center of town. The easiest way to arrive is by taxi for about S/. 3.00-4.00. Just tell the taxi driver to bring you to “el cementario Almudena”… everyone knows where it is. You could also take a bus called “Arcoiris” for S/. 0.70 which will drop you off right in front of the cemetery.
Bibliography:
1) Letona, Adelayda. “El Cementerio De La Almudena: Un Recinto Mortuorio Con Historia.” El Cementerio De La Almudena: Un Recinto Mortuorio Con Historia. RPP, 09 Nov. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.