You wouln't think that a page on cemetaries would belong here, but the cemetairies of New Orleans are legendary,
and tourist attractions in their own right. All of them are above ground, of course,
since the land is below sea level. They are scattered
about the city in highly unlikely locations, and are popular on
voodoo and vampire tours, and have helped inspire much gothic fiction.
I have only a few pictures and wish I had more, but you will find what
little I do have to be quite fascinating.



I am starting with a fire hydrant rather
than cemetairies or crypts to show how the
land is sinking. Being below sea level and
built mostly on swampland, it was discovered
over 200 years ago that burying the dead below
ground was not such a good idea.
This being your introduction, we shall
now proceed...


In the heart of Uptown New
Orleans, you'll find cemetaries
like this one, in fenced-off
blocks, side by side with houses
and businesses. New Orleans is
a compact city, and land is at
all times a premium. This is
one of the reasons why it is a
very expensive city to live in.


It is not always easy to snap
cemetary pictures in a moving car,
and not always possible to pull off
the road. Notice how the dead are
all buried above the ground.


This is a glimpse of one of the
very large cemetaries at the
crossroad between New Orleans
and Metairie. These are referred
to as the "Cities of the Dead",
and according to legend, are
full of vampires.


This elaborate mound-crypt overlooks
the crossroad at Canal Street, Canal
Boulevarde and Metaire Road. I am a
little uncertain as to whether or not
it belongs to the Fire Department or
the Oder of Elks, a huge carnival
association that hosts a Mardi Gras
parade with hundreds of floats.
Whoever it belongs to, it is
impressive.


This is one of the oldest of the
many mosoleums that have become
popular in the last few decades.
My parents are buried in an
indoor mosoleum, across town
in Metairie.


There is also a variety of
interesting cemetary types
as well. This is the gate to
a stately old Jewish cemetary
in Uptown New Orleans, not far
from where Charlie's sisters live.


This is the gate for the Masonic
Cemetary. The Masons are greatly
respected in New Orleans, and active
in the Shrine Circus' chairities for
disabled children, which my father was
very actively involved in. He was not,
however, buried here.


I've never been clear on what the
Oddfellows organization is or was,
but all my life I've found this name
to be absoluetly wonderful and funny,
and apparently so do other locals.