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    South by South America Tour – Chile Part 6

    Monday, August 26, 2019
    Santiago, Chile

    An apartment building for the deceased at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    An apartment building for the deceased at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    A sunburned map table at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    A sunburned map table at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    A statue of a woman of action at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    A statue of a woman of action at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    A couple of crypts at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    A couple of crypts at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    Today, I took the subway up to the north side of the city to visit the Cementerio General de Santiago. I spent a good couple of hours wandering around in the early afternoon sun, the harsh light of which is terrible for photos. Toward the end of my visit, though, the lighting conditions had improved quite a bit. The Cementerio General de Santiago is pretty big—larger overall than the one in Buenos Aires, Argentina—but a bit more unkempt and weathered, and somewhat less spectacular. But still, some very picturesque mausoleums, crypts, gravestones and statues are to be found—especially in the southern half. It’s a pleasant place to visit to get away from the jostling crowds of the outside streets.

    A flowery tribute on a tree at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    A flowery tribute on a tree at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    Are you ready for the second coming of the Lord? The Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    Are you ready for the second coming of the Lord? The Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    A classical crypt at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    A classical crypt at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    A statue depicting joy and sorrow at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    A statue depicting joy and sorrow at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    “The Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile is one of the largest cemeteries in Latin America, with an estimated two million burials. The cemetery was established in 1821 after Chile’s independence when Bernardo O’Higgins inaugurated the Alameda de las Delicias along the old course of the Mapocho River. O’Higgins set aside more than 85 hectares of land for the foundation of what became a magnificent grounds filled with ornate mausoleums surrounded by palm and leaf trees set amidst lush gardens and an estimated 237 sculptures. The cemetery, which is located northwest of Cerro Blanco, serves as a true urban park for Santiago.

    Goth in the sunshine at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    Goth in the sunshine at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    A couple of more crypts at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.
    A couple of more crypts at the Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile.

    Yep, I saw this here one feller out in front of the yeller buildin' in Santiago, Chile.
    Yep, I saw this here one feller out in front of the yeller buildin’ in Santiago, Chile.

    One corner of the Plaza de Armas in Santiago, Chile.
    One corner of the Plaza de Armas in Santiago, Chile.

    “The cemetery is the final resting place for at least 172 of the most influential people in Chile, including all but two of the deceased Presidents, the exceptions being Gabriel González Videla and Augusto Pinochet. One of the most visited memorials is that of former President Salvador Allende, who had been buried in the Santa Ines cemetery at Viña del Mar following his suicide in the 1973 coup d’état. With the democratic changes that began in the 1990s, Allende was exhumed and his remains were transported in a solemn procession through the streets of Santiago to a place of honor in the Cementerio General de Santiago. The cemetery also has a memorial to the people who were ‘disappeared’ during the regime of Augusto Pinochet that ousted President Allende.”—Wikipedia

    Words and photos ©2019 Arcane Candy.

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