Wednesday 11 May 2011

Decaying Beauty of an Ascension Island Cemetery

I once had a long flight down to Ascension Island in the south Atlantic. I was there on assignment and the week-long event I was reporting, finished early. I was, therefore, marooned there until my flight home. The aircraft came from the Falkland Islands and the weather prevented it taking off for some days.
I have to admit I was rather pleased as it gave me a chance to visit some of the very old cemeteries on Ascension. Loaded down with Kodachrome film, I was able to shoot away to my heart's content.

My first visit was to the Georgetown (Dead Men's) Cemetery. Ascension being a volcanic island meant that the background looks like a lava field. It reminded me of a long abandoned archeological site awaiting discovery. Many of the early graves had eroded very badly - the site is close to the beach and years and years of sand being blown by the wind across the cemetery has left its mark. Note the lumps of volcanic rock used to edge the graves. Here are a few examples of what I saw through my viewfinder.







4 comments:

Owen said...

Laurie !

This is fabulous... what an experience that must have been ! I imagine not many people will ever visit Ascension Island in the course of their lives, but you've got me wanting to go now. Beautiful shots, incredible site apparently.

You didn't get to Saint Helena also, while you were in that part of the world ?

One you your best posts for the sheer exotic quality of the location. Do show us more !

Laurie said...

Thanks Owen. Just wait and see what's to come. Look up the bonetta cemetery! Sadly, I didn't get to Saint Helena - it's a long boat trip. I was part way through scanning my slides tonight but the scanner stopped working. I'll fix it later.

Taphophilia Catafalque said...

What a bleak place....
love your photos of it, they give the cemetery a beauty all of its own.

Laurie said...

Thanks - it wasn't half windy!

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