Sucre’s Drop-Dead Gorgeous Cemetery, Bolivia (PHOTOS)
With a full day of free time in Sucre, we first wandered into the main square, had a fresh fruit smoothie at the market and then, at the recommendation of our guide, made our way to Cementerio General. Climbing the gentle uphill incline from the city centre was a strain given the altitude and midday sun. We arrived at the entrance, passing flower stands vending colourful bouquets waiting to be laid as tribute to the dead. Standing between two white columns – above which read Hodie Mihi Cras Tibi (Today Me, Tomorrow You) – we debated whether we were meant to pay an admission fee. (Not the case.) I didn’t know what to expect inside, but I immediately appreciated the shade and serenity afforded by the high walls of Cementerio General; true respite from the hubbub of the city. Strolling amid manicured walkways, past grand family-occupied crypts and niche-filled columbarium walls, my mind was flooded with questions to which I had no answers; answers I’d have to look up later. Without context my observations were superficial at best. Mostly I was surprised to find such an elaborate cemetery …