Baby Boomer Traveling: Attacked by a Cross

Yep, you saw right. I was telling Danielle about it over the phone and I could hear her laughing as I recounted my sob story about my other accident. It wasn't enough that I had fallen and banged up one knee, I had to go whole hog and bang up the other knee. Leaving me looking like Dr. Frankenstein's creation when I walk. Making it difficult to climb up or down stairs.

So now that Danielle has heard about the other knee I'm going to let the cat out of the bag and tell the world. Might as well, start at the beginning of this saga. After my little tour of Viejo San Juan, the Paseos, and the Bay I headed to El Morro. But before going on my tour there I decided to stop and check out a cemetery that was just too beautiful to not look at and wander through.

Unlike the walled mournful cemeteries in New Orleans where many of the tombs are in disrepair, there is talk of voodoo, and ghost tours are given nightly I saw a a cemetery that was about as opposite as you could get. It was walled like most Spanish cemeteries are; but in stark contrast to the ones in New Orleans, this one was bright, white, apparently well maintained and overlooking the sea. It sits on a bluff next to the fortress and glistens in the sun. Most of the markers are in white marble, they are very elaborate and well maintained.

The cemetery by the sea.

What can I say, but it drew me in. So in I went. And it was breathtaking, glittering white with a blue sea in the background and crystal blue sky above. I heard waves crashing against large boulders down at the bottom of the bluff, the grave markers many of which were large raised tombs were luxuriant configurations of saints. Some tombs had different poses of Jesus, others were decorated with angles, marble carved flowers, and the names were prominently displayed on all the tombs. Family names, not single individuals. And though most Spanish style cemeteries, and this dates from the Spanish occupation of Puerto Rico, have crypts in the wall there were no crypts in these walls. Or so I thought. But as I walked through the cemetery I did find walls crypts in the older part labeled Section 1.

The cross that attacked me.

However there was one little lonely cross in the new section that had only a few colored tiles decorating on the front of it. It was placed on the edge of the graveyard closest to the sea, leaning a little, with no name on it that I could see. I set my camera bag down on the ground and took my position to shoot, one knee down and one not. After my picture of the cross, I bent over to pick up my bag. As I picked up my bag, I had the strong desire to reach out my hand and touch the cross, curiosity wanting me to look for some inscription that would show a name, a date, something but no I just didn't feel comfortable touching it. I moved away to pick up myself and my things. Then that's when it happened. The cross broke free of it's base which was just under the soft, spongy grass and when it did it fell on my other knee. Taking me down with it. Here I was again down on the ground, the other knee wounded and feeling the pain of a very heavy cross having hit me.

My first thought was "again!" But then I looked at the cross and knew my knee wasn't as important as that cross having fallen. I hobbled around the cemetery for a while to find the office of the cemetery. Once I found it I knocked on the door and went in. I told Dan that whoever was buried there wanted to get my attention. They did. I also told him with my luck it was probably someone who just didn't want their picture taken.

The next day my knees felt better and I was out again hobbling around, taking pictures, getting lost, asking directions and speaking to folks.

St. Mary Magdalene cemetery in San Juan.

One of the first tombs that I came upon.

Straight ahead inside the front gate.

One of the tombs in section 3, the new section.

The waves crashing on the rocks of the beach below.

Another of the family tombs in Section 3.

Just a small square box with names on all sides.

The entrance to Section 1, the old section of the cemetery.

In the old part of the cemetery, the markers
are much smaller and simpler for the most
part. But there are a few that are quite
showy.

In the older section, this round mausoleum sits in the middle
of the field of tombs and markers.

Dated from 1878, the old part of the cemetery.

1886 in Section 1 of St. Mary Magdalene cemetery.

Gates of a tomb facing the sea.

In the old part of the cemetery, a low tomb.

A very weathered marker in Section 1.

Section 1, and behind this cross the long building is a
part of the wall that has tombs built into it unlike the
new section where there are not tombs in the wall.