Life and Death

One day we had a light day at the clinic and someone suggested that we go visit the Guatemala City Cemetery over our lunch hour. We had no idea that we were in for such an experience. By the end of the next hour we felt like we had seen a unique view of the thin line between the struggles of mortal life and the step forward into the next life.

There were many family "plots" like this one. Some of them were very ornate.

And within yards were other families.

Some might call this the family tree.

Over this section of the cemetery, which had dropped about 20 ft due to an earthquake, you can see a car cemetery in the background. A bit unusual because everything here is recycled. I think in reality these cars are being stacked to be reprocessed into some other form of car life, or perhaps washing machines.............

Next to the cemetery, down a 300 ft cliff, you can see what look like toy trucks in a sand box.

My telephoto lens reveals that the sandbox is filled with people.

The people, called the garbage people gather around the trucks as each new truck arrives.

They stake claim to a portion of the contents by placing a hand  on the side of the truck.

Meanwhile their feathered co-workers watch carefully to see if they miss anything of culinary value. I sincerely hope that they really aren't watching for workers tired out by years of sorting garbage for subsistence. 

On top of the hill are these final resting places for the poorer people of the city, many of whom labored just a short distance away, at the bottom of the ravine. The hand made ladders are used by family members to place flowers near their loved ones.

As you can see, these tombs seem to go on forever. Fitting I think since the souls of those resting here have been promised that they too will go on forever; in a more peaceful state, hopefully leaving the garbage and the vultures  behind.