We recently traveled to Chicago and since we have been there several times, we were looking for unique experiences for our trip. One of the things that we discovered was that Medieval Torture Museum and to say that it was not your typical museum would be a huge understatement. It is an interactive museum, but don’t worry, there aren’t people in costumes that are going to jump out at you. The various displays within the museum are extremely realistic and also extremely horrific.
Interactive Woman Accused of Witchcraft Being Dunked in WaterInstruments of Torture
Walking through the museum takes you on a journey of how the torture techniques used by humans have evolved throughout our history. It is disturbing to see all of the ways that we have come up with to impose pain and suffering on our fellow human beings. It would be wonderful to think that as a modern society, we’ve eliminated all forms of torture, but some of the forms of torture still exist today. Obviously, this is not an experience for young people and we have chosen to put photographs here that are suitable for everyone, but be aware that there are some that are more difficult to see.
One of the DisplaysVery Realistic Mannequins
The cost to visit the museum is about $40 per person and it will only take you about an hour or two to get through all of the exhibits. There is an online audio tour that you can get on you mobile device and there is also signage on many of the exhibits explaining what is being depicted. In addition to Chicago, the Medieval Torture Museum is also located in Los Angeles and St Augustine. Certainly, this is not an experience for everyone, but if you aren’t squeamish and want to discover some unique aspects of our global human culture, it is fascinating.
In some ways we are surprised that it seems like no matter where we travel to, there is a chance that we will see monkeys at some point during our visit. Whether it is North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, or Africa, we have seen monkeys in so many different locations throughout our travels. Because of how expressive they are and the way that they share human traits, they are often fascinating to watch, but more often than not, they are troublemakers that have to be watched carefully. We have seen monkeys steal items from people who are not prepared for the fact that they will grab almost anything that they can get their hands on. They are extremely curious, and that curiosity often leads to a desire to explore items that you might have in your possession, especially if it is shiny.
Barbary Monkey in Gibraltar Adult BaboonSpider Monkeys in the AmazonAdorable Baby Monkey in Panama
Although monkeys can be found in the wild in Mexico, our first encounter with monkeys was actually in captivity during our trip to Puerto Vallarta, which is certainly not the experience that we prefer. Our second encounter was in Gibraltar during our trip to Southern Spain where we saw the Barbary Macaque Monkeys. During our trip to Panama, we actually took a tour that took us to several of the “monkey islands” that were created when the area around the Panama Canal was flooded to allow for the massive ships to pass through the canal. The smaller monkeys were trapped on the islands and are kept alive by the tourists who visit and feed them.
Chimpanzee Doing His Morning GroomingBaby BaboonMonkeys at the Temple in KathmanduUp Close and Personal with Monkeys in Panama
It is no surprise that we encountered monkeys in the Amazon Jungle both during our trips to Bolivia and Ecuador. In Vietnam, we saw monkeys on the shoreline of Halong Bay after our boat went through Sung Sot Cave. For obvious reasons, we saw plenty of monkeys, especially baboons, during our safari in Kenya and Tanzania as they were prevalent at each of the parks that we visited. Earlier last year, we visited “Monkey Temple”, more appropriately Pashupatinath Temple, just outside of Kathmandu in Nepal. Then later in the year, we decided to trek to visit the larger primates, gorillas and chimpanzees in Rwanda.
Silverback Deep in ThoughtHe Looks Cute, But He Could Be Trouble Baboons Outside of Our Lodge in KenyaMonkey Relaxing in a Tree
As long as you know that these amazing creatures are unpredictable and you keep your eyes on them to ensure that they don’t take advantage of your curiosity, these animals are truly fascinating to watch. You can often see them almost deep in thought as they watch everything going on around them. Of all of the monkeys that we’ve seen, the ones that we trusted the least were the baboons as they almost acted like a gang where several of them will group together to distract you while others attempt to get away with your belongings. Our time with the gorillas was probably the most incredible experience that we’ve had and will be something we will treasure forever. What is your favorite or least favorite monkey experience that you’ve encountered?
Greeted by BaboonsOne of the Monkeys in the TreesCute Monkey in Puerto VallartaBaby Gorilla with His Mother
We really enjoy seeing historic churches throughout the world and most of them can be found in the old town areas of the cities. There are times, though, when modern cities with skyscrapers surround the old churches and the images can be just as striking. Seeing the bell towers reaching towards the sky in parallel with the glass towers is quite a juxtaposition of images. Obviously it goes in direct opposition to the desire to have the churches and cathedrals be the tallest buildings in a city where people could see them from all of the surrounding areas as they ventured towards the city. Here are some of our favorite examples of churches and skyscrapers.
New York CathedralSitting at the Base of the SkyscrapersBell Tower and Skyscraper Perfectly ParallelDwarfed by the CityChurch Tower and Modern Buildings in Frankfurt
