I have received several requests for more information on the abandoned Jewish cemetery that I briefly mentioned in this blog post, which I wrote earlier this year.
The cemetery was probably a private family plot located in what is now jungle, far from any roads or infrastructure, and consisted of maybe three graves, though it was hard to tell. Each of the tombstones had fallen and succumbed to the overgrowth of the jungle. The only way to reach the area is via a boat driven by someone who knows exactly where (s)he is going. That person is not me, I was there just once and only long enough to take a few pictures which I’ve posted below. Mike Heusner, owner and operator of Belize River Lodge took me to the graveyard while he was giving me a private ecological tour of the Belize Olde River outside of Belize City. Currently, Mike is trying to figure out a way to get the mostly destroyed tombstones to a location where they can be preserved.
Arriving at the grave site via boat. A crumbling brick wall is the only part of the cemetery still standing, but being taken over by the jungle.
One of the broken tombstones. It’s difficult to make out in this picture but the engraved writing is clearly Hebrew with a Star of David symbol.
Megan L. Wood is a writer and explorer. This is her blog about culture and travel.
If Mike Heusner does recover these gravestones and can decipher any additional information from them, such as names or dates, or can post clearer photographs, that would be really great.
Posted by Philip Trauring | December 18, 2011, 6:50 amThis kind of thing makes me wonder what else is hiding in the jungles of Belize.
Posted by Megan L. Wood | December 18, 2011, 10:32 am