Bela Lugosi’s Grave: Dracula cemetery in LA! Urban Body Jewelry review, Goth plugs & tunnels.
Bela Lugosi’s dead (or undead).
To honor the legendary Dracula actor, we went to his grave in Los Angeles… and rolled around on it. Literally, as you will see.
The cemetery was the ideal place to take photos of Trevor wearing Urban Body Jewelry, purveyors of alternative septums, plugs, tunnels and more. Read on for the vampiric tale…
Trevor and I were in Los Angeles late last month. We always get a thrill from visiting a special location, and styling ourselves in ways that reflect the mood. Perhaps you remember when he styled me in Issey Miyake and vintage couture, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers.
Outfit of the Day: I’m wearing Daria boots by P. Manjo (a Spanish footwear designer), and an apocalyptic cut out top by Michi, my current favorite.
Shop my look below:
Bela Lugosi is a horror movie icon, best known for playing Count Dracula in the original 1931 film. With his Hungarian accent and lurid expressions, he thrilled audiences with his portrayal of Bram Stoker’s vampire.
Although he appeared in other horror movies, Bela Lugosi spent the last years of his life in obscurity. My favorite Tim Burton movie, Ed Wood (you MUST see if if you haven’t!) chronicles his final appearances in B-movies, such as Plan 9 from Outer Space.
Bela Lugosi died at age 73 from a stake through the heart (hyperbole… it was a heart attack). He was buried wearing his Dracula costume, complete with cape!
Today, Bela is undead — at least in the sense that he has become a Hollywood legend. Fans like us still visit his grave at Holy Cross Cemetery in Los Angeles. (Address: 5835 W. Slauson Ave, Culver City, CA).
If you’re not familiar with the classic horror actor, I encourage you to check out the Bela Lugosi film collection (which includes Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, The Invisible Ray and Black Friday). And of course, the movie that made him an icon: Dracula.
Look out, Trevor… When you lie with the undead, evil spirits are bound to appear…
We couldn’t have picked a better spot to photograph these Gothic accessories. They’re from Urban Body Jewelry, an online boutique with over a thousand styles of plugs, from 16 gauge to 2 inches. They also have septums, body rings and more.
Trevor had a hard time choosing from all the alternative designs: cobwebs, skulls, crosses oh my. Here’s a close-up of his silver spiderweb plugs. I love the fine detail of the webbing.
As you can see from the ominous shadow (no Photoshop here), the ghosts of the graveyard must have approved…
We were thrilled with Urban Body Jewelry’s large selection of alternative jewelry, especially for less common piercings (such as nipple rings and septums). The dark styles also complement Trevor’s tattoos.
Trevor says, “I am very pleased with the quality, and the concepts are very unique. I definitely would like to incorporate more of their pieces into my personal wardrobe.”
Trevor had a hard time choosing designs from their Plugs and Tunnels page. Everything is well priced (many items are under $10) but made with quality materials like stainless steel.
In his hand, you can also see a black captive nipple ring and stainless steel nipple bars that he’s excited to wear.
When you’re resting your head on the grave of Bela Lugosi… you’d better be ready for Dracula’s bite! Trevor has these incredible liquid blood plugs in his ears (0 gauge), which look like vials of victim blood.
Here’s a closeup of his Stainless Steel Cross Tunnel Plugs as well. A classic Gothic style that matches all types of outfits.
(The tattoo is a nice touch, since Bela Lugosi often acted in movies with Frankenstein’s Boris Karloff).
Don’t worry if you lack piercings, like me. You can also pick up fake septums and rings that look like the real deal.
I think the photos speak for themselves… Urban Body Jewelry is a gem for those who love alternative accessories.
And they kindly gave me a coupon code to share with you! Just enter CARMINA10 at checkout for a 10% discount. Take a look at their selection here, and let me know what you end up getting.
Here’s to Bela Lugosi, a pioneer of horror. RIP (1882-1956).
Dracula’s grave is located in front of this grotto, in the southwest part of Holy Cross Cemetery. After you enter the main gate, turn left and follow the road up until you see this cave.
There are no tombstones or mausoleums in this resting ground — only flat grave markers. You’ll have to walk around a little and scan the names in order to find Bela.
The late afternoon light created interesting glow effects. (All photos shot on my Sony A7 mirrorless camera.)
Other celebrities lie beneath the earth at Holy Cross: Rita Hayworth, Bing Crosby, and Sharon Tate, who was murdered by Charlie Manson’s followers.
We found an altar with candles and the monogram IHS. This is apparently a “Christogram” (representing the first three letters in the Greek spelling of Jesus).
Somehow, we managed to make this look more like a Satanic ritual…
Trevor and I decided to make this a Dracula Day, in Bela Lugosi’s legacy. After the graveyard, we went to a Vampire Wines tasting lounge and an Endless Night ball (I will show you in an upcoming photo diary).
Side view of my new lavender-blue hair color. It’s the work of stylist Stephanie Hoy at Stratosphere Salon, Vancouver.
Holy Cross cemetery surpassed our expectations. What a pleasure to wander in this hauntingly beautiful grotto.
“The bats have left the bell tower / The victims have been bled / Red velvet lines the black box / Bela Lugosi’s dead” – Bauhaus
The sun began to set as we climbed back into our Goth-mobile.
Can you believe we have 666 on our license plate?
We tested out Silvercar, and it was by far the best car rental service I’ve experienced. This startup exclusively loans out silver Audi A4 sedans, wired with GPS, WiFi and more.
Renting a car is usually a hassle with long lineups, poor customer service and contracts that try to trick you into spending more money. I always feel like I need to be on guard, or else these companies will give me a lemon.
I had the complete opposite experience with Silvercar, which truly lives up to its motto: “Car rental the way it should be.” The company “hacked” the process to make it as streamlined and stress-free as possible.
When we got to LAX, Trevor and I didn’t have to wait for a dingy shuttle to take us to the lot. Instead, a Silvercar with a friendly driver was waiting to pick us up!
At Silvercar HQ (address: 9010 Bellanca Ave), there wasn’t any complicated paperwork to sign. In fact, we didn’t even need to go inside. We simply used the mobile app to unlock the car by scanning a QR code, and tapped the screen three times to seal the deal. Returning the rented car was just as easy.
All the cars are luxury Audis in pristine condition. We immediately connected the Bluetooth and played Marilyn Manson.
Silvercar is everything I love about startups. They take a frustrating service (in this case, airport car rentals) and subvert it, using apps and out of the box thinking.
In this spirit, we couldn’t resist taking this cheeky photo! When the 666 tattoo on your butt matches your license plate… how could you not?
Best of all, the rental rates are very reasonable. In fact, I’d have paid more if I got an Audi from one of the big-name companies. After this joyful test drive, there’s no doubt I will be riding with Silvercar again (especially if they give us the 666 car!).
Silvercar is currently available in major American cities including Austin, NYC, San Francisco and Miami. The startup is growing quickly and will open in new locations soon, so keep an eye out.
I hope you enjoyed our vampiric photoshoot. Don’t forget to check out Urban Body Jewelry to pick up dark accessories for yourself (code CARMINA10 at checkout for 10% off.)
Have you watched any of Bela Lugosi’s works? Perhaps this post may inspire you to have a classic horror movie marathon.
Shop for my look below – and don’t miss out on the current Shopbop sale, on til Mar 5. Just enter BIGEVENT16 at checkout for 15-25% off orders on most items.)
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A Tour of Tulum’s Mayan Ruins with Loco Gringo! Chichen Itza pyramid, Ek Balam cenote.
The aliens have landed! Yukiro and I vogue-ed in front of Chichen Itza, the mysterious Mayan pyramid.
That day, we had the best possible tour of Tulum’s ruins, thanks to Loco Gringo. This local-run concierge company helps travellers with personalized tours, recommendations, bookings, or anything at all to make their trip outstanding.
In Part 1, we’ll show you how our Loco Gringo guides tailored the trip exactly to our spooky interests — starting with the ancient civilizations of the Yucatán Peninsula!
For this special day, I wore my favorite tank top: it has a custom illustration of my Scottish Fold cat on it!
My friend, LA-based designer Lili Chin, is a “pet portrait artist” and made this for me. She can make you a shirt, print, pin or other design that looks exactly like your dog or cat. Simply send her a photo of your pet, and she’ll transform it into a portrait. (Check out her pet shirts and pet art websites for details.)
Our Loco Gringo guides went above and beyond our expectations, to deliver a tailored tour and make us feel at home. They picked us up early in the morning, from our Karisma El Dorado hotel, and took us all throughout Tulum that day. We couldn’t have possibly covered so much ground without them.
When we arrived at Chichen Itza, we met local expert Abel and were immediately swept away by his passion for Mayan culture. He whipped out his iPad to show us how the ancient calendar influenced the architecture, and encouraged us to do fabulous poses in front of the structure!
Loco Gringo took care of our tickets and logistics, so we were able to bypass lines, and go straight to the best viewing locations.
We found a prime spot in front of El Castillo, the famous stone pyramid of Chichen Itza.
Abel riveted us with tales of rituals and myths about this pre-Columbian city. At the top of this Temple of Warriors is a “chac mool,” or sculpture of a reclining person with his head turned 90 degrees. The Mayans made sacrificial offerings on its chest, including human blood and hearts.
In front of the stairs, he clapped his hands — and we heard a reverberating “quack quack” sound! We were amazed at how well the ancient Mayans understood acoustics and design. Or… perhaps the pyramids were built by extraterrestrials…
Abel showed us photos of Mayan skulls, with coneheads. Alien invaders? Not quite: in fact, the Mayans performed cranial deformation as a body modification (they pressed a board to an infant’s head, creating a long and flat shape).
I’m endlessly fascinated by the way standards of beauty can vary so widely, in different eras and cultures.
From the 8th-10th century, Chichen Itza was an economic powerhouse. I could still picture the vivid ceremonies that took place right where I’m standing.
Today, the pre-Hispanic city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and considered a new World Wonder.
At the base of the El Castillo stairs, I saw these feathered serpent sculptures. At certain times of the day, the steps cast shadows that make it look as if a snake is wriggling down the side. Some believe that this is a representation of the Mayan god Kukulkan.
We walked around and saw the Temple of Venus, and a large ball court where game results were literally a matter of life or death (a member of the losing team could be offered as a human sacrifice).
Chichen Itza fed our fascination for unsolved mysteries and ancient civilizations. If you’re staying in Tulum, Cancun or Playa del Carmen, I encourage you to reach out to Loco Gringo for an entertaining private tour like ours.
Our guide Paulina and driver Miguel then took us to the old city of Valladolid, for lunch in a charming courtyard. We always love getting to know locals, especially when they are as passionate about their country as these two.
They helped us pick out the most authentic dishes from the Mexican menu — such as enchiladas with mole, a traditional sauce accented with chocolate.
In Valladolid park, Yukiro shared a cute moment in the love-seat with driver Miguel.
Loco Gringo knows that we are connoisseurs of dark matters… so they made sure we visited a Mexican graveyard, and museum filled with Day of the Dead skulls! Coming up is an entire post about these places, as we saw so much in a single day.
No visit to Tulum is complete without seeing the famous cenotes, or natural sinkholes filled with groundwater. Loco Gringo took us to Ek Balam cenote, where people can dive in and swim. These beautiful natural formations were important to the Mayans, who conducted sacrificial offerings and rituals in these “sacred wells.”
Yukiro and I let our imaginations run wild, as we explored the ruins of Ek’ Balam (another Mayan kingdom, 35 miles northeast of Chichen Itza). The name translates to “the black jaguar” — and eerily enough, the stairs are always protected by friendly stray black dogs.
Yukiro ascended the steps of El Torre, the 30 meter high tower of the Central Plaza. This evil queen gesture seems appropriate for an ancient structure, laden with Mayan symbolism.
I wish my Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow, could go on these journeys with me… But at least he’s present on my custom pet t-shirt by Lili Chin!
Yukiro and I are more interested than ever in Mayan culture, after seeing these ruins for ourselves and learning about the history.
Fascinating how blood was considered the nourishment of Mayan gods — and so, human sacrifice was the ultimate offering.
We’re grateful to Loco Gringo for understanding our “offbeat” interests, and tailoring the day trip to suit us exactly! Instead of a cookie-cutter bus tour, we got to move at our own pace, and get to know our sweet guides.
Loco Gringo is an indie company, and all of the staff lives in the Riviera Maya — I can vouch they are true, passionate insiders. They also give back to the local community with each reservation, including donations to Coco’s Animal Rescue and other charities.
Yukiro and I hope you’ll get to experience Loco Gringo’s outstanding service and expertise for yourselves. Whether it’s a Tulum tour, apartment booking, or concierge request — they will go out of their way to help you out. For more, take a look at the LocoGringo website and Facebook.
Have you heard stories of Chichen Itza and alien visitors? The truth is out there… I’m kidding…
(PS – check out more funny photos like the one above on my Instagram and Snapchat @lacarmina.)
LA CARMINA
