Going under ground

I've always been fascinated with cemeteries. Some years ago, I planned to go to New Orleans to check out their famous "cities of the dead" - Lafayette, St. Louis, and Metairie but I skipped that plan and went on a ten-day tour of Europe instead. The dead can wait, I figured. Since there was nothing else to do in Majayjay and we couldn't watch any DVD because the player suddenly refused to show anything on screen after we changed a single setting the night before, I decided to check out (my sister tagged along) the only underground cemetery in the country in Nagcarlan. I've always wanted to visit Nagcarlan's famed cemetery . The first time I attempted to with my cousins, it was closed, even if there was a sign that showed its operating hours and we were clearly there not on its off day. It was a relief to see that it was open when we went. Nagcarlan's underground cemetery was a working cemetery from 1845 to 1981 until it was declared a national historic uhm, place. According to the almost-toothless lady who have us the 411 on the cemetery, there are about 36 niches with the oldest niche dating back all the way to........ .... 1908. I was about to tell her, "Huwwwwaaattt??? 1908??? That's NOT old!" She didn't explain the whereabouts of the niches all the way from 1845. I think it was because I interrupted her spiel to ask about the oldest niche so her train of thought was derailed. When it finally went back on track, she said that the lawn in front still had tombs under, which they didn't bother touching because it didn't have any markings. She said it was only those with markings that were moved to the niches located outside the chapel. I was surprised when we went one flight down - that there wasn't much to see. "This is it??" I asked my sister, who looked bored and annoyed that I was taking one too many photos. Sure it had faded frescoes on the wall and the ceiling but really, it was just that one room that had an empty altar, cracked floor tiles, and about 5 occupied niches with the rest all empty. It was rather disappointing. The underground cemetery was said to be used as a meeting place of the katipuneros during the Spanish era. So I was thinking, either the Spanish must've been really stupid that they didn't notice anyone plotting against the gobernadorcillo just one flight down from the street level or there were really winding tunnels and long halls of tombs that existed but were boarded up and sealed from the public. Darn.