The British Museum

I woke up late this morning. I just didn't want to get up. I felt congested and flu-ish. Not a great way to start my life in London. After lazing about for an hour or so I finally got dressed and figured out how to make my way to the British Museum.

It's really quite easy to use the public transit system once you know how it works. I used the website to plan my journey and then wrote it down even though it wasn't complicated. It took me about an hour to get to the museum.

The main entrance - Montagu House on Great Russell road

Founded in 1753 it has always been and remains free to the public. That was the point in the first place. Sir Hans Sloane, physician, naturalist, and collector, left his 71,000 objects to King George II in his will, on the condition that the King pay 20,000 pounds to Sloanes' heirs. The King wasn't terribly interested, but parliament was, and so, the British Museum was created.

One side of the Great Court - the middle building is the Kings' Reading Room

It's all rather interesting, but if you wanted to read about every object it would probably take a hundred years. It is HUGE. The many galleries display the history of humankind for the past two million years. The exhibits include: North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East. They also have exhibits that you have to pay for that change from time to time, right now it's the Terracotta Army from China... which I will have to get to before it marches off in April.

Pieces of the Lewis Chessmen - from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. They are made of Walrus Ivory.

It seemed to me that a lot of the artifacts should actually be in their countries of origin. I know there has been a lot of debate over this fact in the last couple of years but I'm not too familiar with the whole thing. Many of the objects are ancient relics that I'm sure would be much appreciated by their respective cultures.

Basalt Statue known as Hoa Hakananai'a from Easter Island.

All around though it was a good day. I still haven't seen the whole museum, so I will be heading back at some point to see the rest... it is that big... anyway, coming up, the hunt for a job and whatever else comes up.