I find few things better than an adrenaline rush. I’m always looking for one, especially when I’m on the road. I think its great to do fun things that get your blood pumping in between the museum tours and church visits. One great way to get way your nerves tingling is to get scared. I fight with myself in my head about this. I love to get scared but I hate to get scared. I always wonder what kind of person wants to get scared and then I remember that I, sometimes, love to get scared. I’m a skeptic when it comes to ghosts, its the psychological frights that really scare you know what out of me. Here are five completely terrifying places you should visit (or avoid at all costs) while on the road.
Prypiat, Ukraine
This may be one of the creepiest places on earth, a phrase I may reuse throughout this post. Prypiat is a northern Ukrainian city that was once home to 50,000 people. Now its home to zero. Thats right, not one person lives there now. In 1986 there was a reactor malfunction in Chernobyl and since Prypiat was in the designated evacuation area, the entire city was abandoned. Its buildings have been left to rot and decay. Hospitals are unsettling to begin with and when they’re decrepit the unsettling factor is multiplied by ten. Along with the hospital, there is also an abandoned amusement park (including a ferris wheel and bumper cars) and a nursery. Its said that baby shoes and baby dolls line the walk to the nursery, which is full of rusty, broken, and should be in a dumpster baby cribs. Nothing terrifies me more than creepy things having to do with children. Ukraine believes that the radiation levels from the Chernobyl meltdown are safe. Visit at your own child-amusement-park-ghost-radiation risk.
The Myrtles Plantation, Louisiana
In St. Francisville outside of Baton Rouge is an old plantation from 1796. This has been called one of the most haunted houses in the USA. The story goes that ten people were killed on this plantation. I can imagine that number may be higher given the utter racist time period that this plantation was in use. I also believe that the count may be higher because there has been a sighting of 12 different ghosts. 12 ghosts but only ten murders? Something doesn’t add up. And its creepy. But if you’re ready for the scare, there are rooms available for you to stay at the plantation as it is now used as a bed and breakfast.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Some have deemed Edinburgh as the most haunted city in Europe. The Edinburgh Castle is the focal point of these claims. The castle has been featured on several paranormal shows here in the USA. Which means its definitely haunted. People have seen the ghosts of war prisoners from the Seven Years War and the American Revolutionary War. But that isn’t all, there have also been sightings of pipers and drummers. An entire ghost band may appear if you’re lucky.
The Tower of London, England
The Tower of London is not only a historic landmark in the city but it is also quite haunted. Henry VIII lived in the Tower for all of his marriages and I think we all know how those turned out. Why do the paperwork for a divorce when you can just behead your wife? Needless to say several women were beheaded on the grounds of the Tower. Many people have claimed to see Ann Boleyn floating around the grounds carrying her head. Apparently she like to frequent the Tower Green and the Tower Chapel Royal. Tours of the the Tower are provided regularly and there are also options for haunted tours.
Aokigahara Forest, Japan
I may have lied earlier when I called Prypiat the creepiest place on earth. The Aokigahara Forest may take the cake. I’m even terrified to write about it. Since the 1950’s there have been over 500 reported suicides in these woods. On any given day a hiker in these woods can find nooses hanging from trees and maybe a body hanging from the noose (Fair warning, google images will prove this true). The problem got so bad that the Japanese government started conducting sweeps of the forest looking for bodies. Back in 2002 they found 78. What spooks me is that in this dense woodland it would be very easy for a body to be missed. I think its given nickname, Death Forest, suits perfectly. To make matters worse, as if 78 suicides in a year isn’t bad enough, looters are known to run around the forest looking for bodies to steal jewelry, money or clothes off of. This place terrifies me and the thought of it may make it hard for me to get some sleep.
–Nick