Where the Living Meet the Dead

(Co-written with Rachael Z.)

“The life of the dead is set in the memory of the living.” -Marcus Tullius Cicero, Philippics, 44 BC

Curiosity and wonder fill us as we begin walking up the cerro (hill). Music plays in the background and murals painted on building walls… we’re almost there. When we are arrive, we’re not sure what to expect. It’s evening and dark and we are about to enter a sacred place for many Chileans, the cementerio. When we arrive, we are greeted by Danilo, who is about to take us on a journey through time from the Independence of Chile to the 1906 earthquake and beyond. Cemeteries in Chile are unique in their placement and construction. There are over _ cemeteries in Valparaiso, or Valpo and because of limited ground space, they’re often built stacked on top of each other on top of a hill. The two that we visited was home to many important figures in the history of Chile. We learned about Bernard O’Higgins, the liberator of Chile, Camilo Mori Serrano, a Chilean painter, and Jorge Montt, a former President of Chile. Due to popular demand, Danilo indulged us with stories of the paranormal. Backlit from the only flashlight in the dark cerro, Danilo told us of forbidden romances, lost children and moments of communication with those who have been dead for years, even decades. Although these are some of the oldest cemeteries in Chile, Danilo helps keep their memories alive.