Cementerio Británico

I went in search of Neil Morrison's grave on Monday, having managed to establish by phone that he was buried in Cementerio Británico, which is in Callao, and is also called Cementerio Bellavista. I managed to persuade Francisco to take me for a smallish fee. He drives an old jalopy of a van which is converted for use as a taxi and has been patched and repaired numerous times. It reminds me of the van I used to drive for Kenny B, that summer when Jimmy B's boy wrecked my elbow and almost took my life away. No time to go into details right now.

Francisco likes to drive fast and has no time for stragglers or dilly dalliers. However he was in a more serene frame of mind on Monday and the morning passed with no arguments with other road users. Unlike two weeks back when he picked me up at the airport and had a ding dong argument with another driver, who was probably marginally in the wrong, but whose misdemeanours hardly warranted shouting at him through the window at the next lights, and giving him a mouthful, including advice as to the need to learn how to drive. He then apologised to me for losing it. What could I say, except to agree that the other guy was an idiot.

Callao is the port of Lima, founded by the Spanish in 1537, soon to become the most important port of it's time on the west coast of Latin America. Still is I guess. I'm sure Neil Morrison would have visited Callao on his many voyages, and would have known it well before he eventually moved to Lima in 1879. I reckon many Scottish sailors would have been familiar with Callao, including many from Isle of Lewis. Donald J has sent me a rather lewd song which the sailors sang as they left Callao. All about the professional ladies having taken all their money for services provided. It's not what one would call politically correct so will refrain from quoting it here.

When we got to Callao we were a bit lost, as there are two sites for the British Cemetery, and we were looking for the original one, where burials stopped in 1955, due to lack of space. Francisco shouted at a passing police vehicle asking for directions, so we were driving along side by side with this cop car, who was shouting out directions for us. They then drove off ahead of us, but must have taken pity on us, as they slowed down until we were again side by side, and told us to follow them.

So we had a police escort for the final bit of our journey. Not quite with guns loaded but you get the picture I'm sure. Not the sort of thing that would happen in Edinburgh. As we got near the place the police car stopped and one of them got out to speak to us to make sure we knew where to go. Amazing. Obviously not a lot of crime in Callao to be discovered. Or maybe they are all like that in Callao.

Neil Morrison is buried at plot no 2-K-46 in Cementerio Bellavista. There were a couple of grave diggers busy at work as we arrived, and they downed spades to help us find the grave. We were joined by security with his radio phone, which he used to confirm the information I already had. We found the grave, quite easily in fact. Unfortunately there is no gravestone.

So there I was standing on Neil's grave and I have to admit I felt quite moved and sad thinking of my fellow Lewisman buried there. He seems to have died without a family, at least none that I've been able to find out about and the cemetery office folk don't know who arranged the burial,except that he/she was called J. Martin. Seemingly forgotten by one and all, except for Donald J Macleod back in Aberdeen. Including it seems the whole of Peru, for whom he almost sacrificed his life.

I'm still hopeful of getting some information from Peruvian Army records. Francisco has a pal who was in the army and he is currently trying to help find his army record. I've also written to El Comercio, Peru's biggest newspaper and I've just had a reply from them inviting me to come in to search their old copies. Maybe they printed an obituary for him. So will need to call them.

There are a large number of Scotsmen and women buried in the cemetery at Bellavista, and folk from all over UK and Europe. Many with great big gravestones. Quite astonishing that I made my way there. I've not been to Callao before so was good to see the place. I might go back. Everyone here says how dangerous the place is, and tell me not to go. But they said the same about Villa Maria del Triunfo, and look what I would have missed had I listened to the warnings. But must close this post now. I'm hungry. I see Scotland went down to defeat yet again. As did Peru to Paraguay. Like I said Brazil is not for the likes of us. Levein must go. But please no Strachan!!!