Totem at the British Museum

Nothing says British imperialism quite like The British Museum in London. The "artifacts" from great British explorers are simply amazing. It's almost too good to be true. So good, in fact, that you quickly realize many of the "donations" found their way home to London under cover of night. Cloak and dagger-type stuff long before MI6 ever existed. The coolest thing about the museum is that it embraces that history. One of the first rooms we visited seemed like it was torn right out of an old explorer's diary. Not everything has a terrific story behind it, which is sort of the point. These explorers voyaged to parts unknown and brought back everything they could get their hands on because the last thing they wanted to do was leave behind some insignificant little bird only to find out a century later that it was the cure to the next Plague.

The British Museum is a must-see for any tourist of London. It's fantastic! I have to admit, though, that at the end of the day, the objects filled me with slightly more sadness than wonder because it just didn't seem right that they were trapped in this beautiful, environmentally-controlled building rather than outside on soil half-way around the world where they really belonged. 

This photograph was captured with an iPhone 4s.