What self respecting shore excursion wouldn’t include a visit to a cemetery?
Decorative Tomb in Saint Thomas
As we departed the cruise ship the guide mentioned we would be stopping at a cemetery. I thought it was a little strange and although I had never been on a shore excursion before that actually stopped at a cemetery, I assumed it was part of the regular tour.
Above ground burial vaults
As we departed the parking the answer became apparent. It just so happened there were a large group of funeral directors on board the ship, some of which decided to go on the same tour we were on.
Because of their occupation, they requested to see a cemetery in St. Thomas. Since I had lived and grown up in Batesville Indiana, the home of one of the largest casket factories in the United States, I could relate. As a child , a lot of our daily conversation centered around the manufacture of caskets, along with this came the usual jokes, like people are just dying to use our products and we get no customer complaints.
An interesting feature of all cemeteries in areas that are at sea level or below, they are buried above ground so that when flooding occurs, the remains are protected from the flood waters.
It became an enjoyable experience as most of the funeral directors knew where Batesville was, and many had visited there.As a result many knew some of the same people I did. That is always nice when traveling far from home.
When visiting Saint Thomas ,don’t forget to check out the cemetery.
Now you can follow my travel adventures on Kindle.
Gary has been a writer/ photographer for over 20 years, specializing in nature,landscapes and studying native cultures.Besides visiting most of the United States, he has traveled to such places as Egypt,the Canary Islands,much of the Caribbean. He has studied the Mayan Cultures in Central America, and the Australian Aboriginal way of life.Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in many different parts of the world!
He has published several books about the various cultures he has observed.
For more information and a link to his hard cover and Ebooks,and contact information: please check his website, http://www.journeysthrulife.com.
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