If there ever was any location I’ve previously overlooked when traveling, it’d have to be the cemeteries. It’s not exactly the type of place that would make a brochure anyway.

Upon doing my homework on some pretty notable cemeteries, I’ve come across 5 that are really worth looking into. Though Halloween’s still a couple of months off, these would be some nice considerations for those traveling around that time.

Rookwood Necropolis – Is the largest multicultural necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere, which is located in Sydney, Australia. It’s just a bit ways off from the business district, and is accessible via the nearby railway station. The interesting thing about this cemetery is that, it’s so big, it’s actually divided into several different cemeteries. There’s a Catholic, Independent, Muslim and Anglican section, with a completely different set of staff and offices for each. They also hold several tours, with one set as the “ghost” tour, which is the Tales of the 21st Century tour.

Zentralfriedhof – Located in Vienna, this is the largest and most well-known of the country’s nearly 50 cemeteries. It was opened in 1874, and in over the last 122 years, approximately 2,500,000 people have been buried here. What’s interesting about this cemetery is they have a section called the Ehrengräber, the final resting place for composers, writers, artists and politicians.

Great Pyramid of Giza – The oldest and the largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis, it is also the last remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. What’s interesting about this is, that this was built over a 20 year period, but was meant to be a final resting place for the pharaoh Khufu. It simply means that, while he was alive, the labor of his being pharaoh would be his final tomb, nonetheless. It still flips my head over how the ancient Egyptians’ thought process worked, as they were able to build something so ornate and sophisticated.

Catacombs of Paris – A solution to the overpopulated cemeteries of old Paris, thousands of corpses were transferred into the abandoned tunnels and quarries directly underneath the city. What’s eerie is that they arranged the various bones of the corpses to line the walls, creating what can only be described as “cemeteries in the wall.”

Cemetery of the Heroes – In the Philippines, it is the fitting resting place for the country’s heroes. Buried here are military personnel, from privates to generals, and even heroes and martyrs. Only the President of the Philippines can grant permission for individuals to be buried in the national cemetery. Written on the cemeteries’ front gates are, “I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I know the glory of his death.”

I’m a vegetarian. I’ve been one all my life. I don’t try to make an example of myself as a moral high ground. I’m friends with a lot of people who eat meat. I’m just living life as I want it. And what I want is to not eat any meat.

With that said, the in vitro meat concept intrigues me. This is a process where meat is grown in a laboratory from animal cells. The process does not hurt any animals, and does not produce waste. Right now, it’s expensive to make, but hopefully it can get to a competitive price soon. It’s said that in vitro chicken may cost twice as much as normal chicken with current methods.

PETA has issued a $1 million reward to anyone who can make something that looks and tastes like the real thing. They want everyone to stop eating meat, but since they can’t really do that, might as well support a substitute. I applaud them for that effort, but they should really lighten up on the other issues.

I’m not sure I can eat this in vitro meat. I still don’t like meat, no matter where it comes from. But at least someday I’ll be able to better stomach watching my friends eat.

I love fruits and veggies, and I tend to eat a lot. That said, I found a few that made me second-guess my devotion to munch on them. I don’t know about you, but I’d definitely think twice about eating these!

1. Cactus Apples. This is a red or purple fruit that grows on certain cacti. Considering how hard it is to gather, peel and eat, and how eating more than three will constipate you, this is one I might avoid.

2. Durian. Don’t get me wrong, it tastes great. It’s the smell that troubles me. It’s quite nauseating, and I always eat this in an open area where the smell can dissipate. And the durian breath is nasty! It’s also quite fattening, so I rarely indulge.

3. Natto. The thought of these fermented soybeans entering my gullet makes me violently ill. Especially the threads that hang from it…

4. Fiddlehead Fern. It’s eaten in the US, yes, but it’s poisonous. Only a thorough cooking can remove the toxins. Personally, I’d rather not risk it.

5. Dulse. This is a purple seaweed, dried, sold in Canada. Algae, small stones, and flotsam stick to it, and is eaten as it is. Yuck.

Have you eaten any of these things? Tell us!