Cementerio General de Santiago

Right at the bottom of the cemetery we found the grave of my lovely Chilean's late grandfather. It wasn't too hard to find; it was the only square crib painted green amidst the other white cribs along the wall. We sat in front of it for a while in remembrance.

We continue on through the rows of tombs and fields of the unmarked graves of those who could not afford anything else. Surprisingly this half of the cemetery was full of life as complete families visited their ancestral graves on the weekend, bringing with them fresh flowers and other such decorations. If they were football fans, they almost camouflaged their ancestral grave with flags and other memorabilia from their favourite team.

Groups of delinquent kids lingered around in the dark areas, ready to pounce on any unsuspecting soul. I held onto my lovely Chilean's hand as we swiftly moved across to the other side of the cemetery.

It was almost as if we had crossed a threshold and all of a sudden the cemetery had become this beautiful, peaceful garden. The tombs became larger and more grandiose. The names of ex-presidents began to appear, the flower gardens became more cultivated. The architecture became an item in itself to visit. No longer were the seldom people in this area visiting the graves of their ancestors. Instead they came for the tranquillity and to admire the beauty of the graves, some mausoleums intimating Inca architecture or a Moroccan mosque, others impressively modern, almost as if they were pieces of art rather than houses of the dead.

Apparently Chilean independence leader, Bernardo O'Higgins set aside more than 85 hectares of land for the foundation of what would become the final resting place of all the ex-presidents including Salvador Allende but excluding Augusto Pinochet.

I ached to have a book to read silently in the setting sun or to have a picnic basket full of different cheeses as well as a bottle wine. It momentarily slipped my mind that I was in a cemetery, not the 'secret garden'. I guess this is a reflection of Santiago's socio-economic order - the vast contrast between the poor and the rich; between those who are educated to appreciate art and others who can barely afford to bother.