Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

I was on a tour of Havana and made a stop in the Christopher Columbus Cemetery. It was a very windy day and noticed a line of people walking backwards. I assumed it was to keep their back to the wind but then I came across the grave of Amelia Goyri, or La Milagrosa. I learned that Amelia's grave has attracted many, many pilgrims from all over, particularly pregnant women or women praying for a child. The story goes that Amelia died during childbirth and miraculous events have occurred near her grave site. The ritual is to approach the statue facing forward and never turn your back to her, causing visitors to walk away backwards while still facing her. Admittedly, I was somewhat of a skeptic after hearing her story, but a heavy, eerie feeling fell over me as I passed her.