All language subtitles for The UnXplained S04E04 Secrets of Abandoned Places 1080p HULU WEB-DL AAC2 0 H 264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

WILLIAM SHATNER:
Vast landscapes
poisoned by radiation.

An English colony
that vanished without a trace.

And cities that have been
forsaken by the gods.

All over the world,
there are locations that were

once thriving
and full of activity

that are now abandoned,
empty, devoid of human life.

Why do people
desert these places?

Why do people
desert these places?
Did they become too dangerous?

Did they become too dangerous?

Did the area become
incapable of sustaining life?

Or is it possible
that some places

are actually destined
to be abandoned?

Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.

♪ ♪

In northern Ukraine
stand the remains

of an abandoned city
known as Pripyat.

Pripyat was founded
by the Soviet Union in 1970

to serve Chernobyl,
the nearby power plant.

At its height,
nearly 50,000 people lived here,

but today,
Pripyat's streets are empty.

Its buildings have fallen
into disrepair.

Nature has reclaimed
large portions of the city.

And it's all because
of a tragic event

that took place
on April 26, 1986.

An event known as
the Chernobyl disaster.

In 1986, we were horrified

to see the greatest
nuclear accident of all time

emerge at the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant.

The reactor went out of control,

creating an uncontrolled
chain reaction

like a small atomic bomb,

like a small atomic bomb,
blowing the roof
right off the reactor.

blowing the roof
right off the reactor.

A huge amount
of radioactive material

shot through the roof
and then into the atmosphere.

SHATNER:
36 hours after the explosion,

officials finally determined
that the residents of Pripyat

needed to be moved to safety.

The city was then evacuated
in less than four hours.

They were evacuated very,
very quickly at that point.

And when they're evacuated,
they can only take

certain things with them--
small things.

And the government put guards

outside some
of these apartments,

basically saying,
"We'll protect your material,"

suggesting the residents

would actually go back to
Pripyat, which they never did.

Pripyat was built to be
a self-contained town

which had everything
for the workers

of the Chernobyl power plant.

So that meant kindergartens
to send their kids to,

all this leisure activity.

So the Soviets, in that respect,
were getting better

at providing their workers
with facilities.

Working at Pripyat would be
a much better gig

than different towns
in the Soviet Union.

Before the Chernobyl
nuclear disaster in 1986,

Before the Chernobyl
nuclear disaster in 1986,
Pripyat was a city of dreams

Pripyat was a city of dreams

for the residents and the people
that lived around.

It offered amenities
and resources

that would not be found
in nearby cities and villages.

After the accident,
people were evacuated,

and they were forced to leave
their hopes and plans

for the future behind them.

And that's really what we see
in Pripyat today

is what was left behind.

is what was left behind.
It is a ghost town.

It is a ghost town.

Pripyat is an example
of an abandoned place

Pripyat is an example
of an abandoned place
that was vacated
in a great hurry.

that was vacated
in a great hurry.

And so, of course,
you have vehicles

And so, of course,
you have vehicles
that are just left abandoned.

that are just left abandoned.

You have household objects,

children's toys,

kitchen utensils
that were just dropped

kitchen utensils
that were just dropped
in the middle
of meal preparation.

in the middle
of meal preparation.

There are a lot
of hopeful murals

about science leading you
into a proud future.

And they're in buildings
that have been abandoned

for over 30 years.

That's something that is
sort of impossible

not to feel the weight of.

SHATNER:
While the nuclear meltdown
was caused

by both human error
and technical failures,

there are some former residents
of Pripyat who claim

that the Chernobyl disaster
was actually destined to happen.

Some of the workers
at Chernobyl,

in the days immediately
preceding the explosion

and following,

reported seeing this mysterious
winged creature

reported seeing this mysterious
winged creature
with blazing red eyes.

with blazing red eyes.

with blazing red eyes.
This creature,
which is referred to

This creature,
which is referred to

as the Black Bird
of Chernobyl today,

was thought to be
some sort of a warning

or a kind of crisis apparition.

The concept of
a harbinger of doom

is incredibly common
and incredibly long-standing.

Probably the most famous
example is

the Horsemen of the Apocalypse,
the Four Horsemen

who are said to foretell
the ending of the world.

So, when Chernobyl explodes,
the Black Bird of Chernobyl

was not just a strange
sighting in the sky.

People start to think
that maybe this wasn't

so much an accident
as it was something predestined.

SHATNER:
Is it possible that Pripyat
was destined to be abandoned?

SHATNER:
Is it possible that Pripyat
was destined to be abandoned?
As far-fetched as it may sound,

As far-fetched as it may sound,

many locals believe
the answer is yes.

And for further evidence,
they point to a prophecy

of death and destruction
that is written

in the Book of Revelation
in the Holy Bible.

McNEILL:
It's interesting because
the word "Chernobyl"

is the Ukrainian word
for wormwood.

is the Ukrainian word
for wormwood.
And wormwood has a lot
of historical

And wormwood has a lot
of historical

and cultural affiliations
with poison,

with bitterness, with darkness.

And we see that
most poignantly, perhaps,

prophesied in the Bible

that there will be seven angels
blowing seven trumpets.

And trumpet number three
is the trumpet

that causes the star
called Wormwood

that causes the star
called Wormwood
to fall from the sky

to fall from the sky

and poison the land
and the waters

so that people
who drink the waters will die.

The story could be
an amazing symbolic description

of a nuclear power plant

exploding and irradiating
the landscape

so that people
who live in that space,

who touch those objects,
who drink that water will die.

It's really compelling
to see that connection,

and it is hard to simply
write it off as a coincidence.

HIXSON:
You can imagine the way

that people reacted
to this story

that people reacted
to this story
after the disaster in 1986.

after the disaster in 1986.

The people that lived
in this region

were highly dependent on water
for their way of life,

and their lives were
forever disrupted

by the radioactive materials
that were thrown

out of the reactor
on the night of the disaster

and left in the environment.

HOROWITZ:
When you add up
these different elements--

the spotting of
a winged creature

or some sort of
a harbinger of doom

and the fact that a falling star
in the Book of Revelation

has the same name as
the nuclear power plant itself--

you can understand how
some people read meaning

you can understand how
some people read meaning
into the Chernobyl disaster.

into the Chernobyl disaster.

SHATNER:
Whether the fate of Pripyat
was predestined

or simply the result of modern
technology gone terribly wrong,

this abandoned city
continues to spark

both fascination and fear.

We are endlessly fascinated
with abandoned places,

whether they were abandoned
gradually or suddenly,

because buildings are supposed
to be filled with people.

They're supposed to be used
for commerce or habitation.

And when they're empty,
it seems ghostly.

The Chernobyl disaster
is a cautionary tale

that reminds us that our cities
can become dangerous

that reminds us that our cities
can become dangerous
without any warning.

without any warning.

But not all abandoned places
are deserted so quickly.

Sometimes it happens over
a much longer period of time.

Like in the case of
an ancient temple complex

located in Cambodia
that is known as Angkor Wat.

SHATNER:
Deep in the northwestern jungles
of this small nation

SHATNER:
Deep in the northwestern jungles
of this small nation
tucked between Vietnam
and Thailand

tucked between Vietnam
and Thailand

sits the abandoned ruins
of Angkor Wat,

a massive, ancient complex
of temples.

Experts believe that
Angkor Wat is the largest

religious structure ever built.

STEAVU:
It's just a massive,
impressive sight

STEAVU:
It's just a massive,
impressive sight
swallowed up by the jungle.

swallowed up by the jungle.

Trees are wrapping around

some of the stones
and sculptures that-that remain,

yet you can still make out
some of the exquisite sculptures

between leaves and branches.

And you can see something
really majestic underneath.

EDWIN BARNHART:
Angkor Wat is huge.

When you walk up
to its front entrance,

it's a bridge going
across the moat

and then a causeway
going to the temples themselves.

And they're so far off
in the distance,

you walk across that bridge
for ten minutes,

and you're still not
at the temple.

SHATNER:
All told,
Angkor Wat encompasses

more than 401 acres of
buildings, temples and gardens,

and a 700-foot-tall spire sits
at the center of the complex.

Angkor Wat was built
in the 12 century A.D.

by the Khmer people,

and it was the spiritual center
of their empire.

DOUGHERTY:
It's difficult to explain

just how important
this place was.

In fact, "Angkor Wat" means
capital city or capital temple

or city temple,
depending how you translate it.

So this was not only
a religious center.

It was also a political center.
It was a military center.

There was absolutely
no separation

between religion and daily life.

The temple served
all of these purposes.

And it was home
to tens of thousands

of ordinary people
who were farmers, merchants

living in this tremendously
important religious center.

STEAVU:
It was a massive, vibrant city.

The urban landscape extended

far beyond Angkor Wat itself,
in every direction,

far beyond Angkor Wat itself,
in every direction,
for, uh, miles.

for, uh, miles.

So there were anywhere
between about 750,000

to a million people living, uh,
around the city of Angkor.

SHATNER:
In the year 1431 A.D.,

the Khmer people
abandoned Angkor Wat.

For decades,
archaeologists have speculated

as to what caused
the demise of the city.

Numerous theories,
blaming everything

from climate change
to invading armies,

from climate change
to invading armies,
have been proposed.

have been proposed.

And yet, no one knows
for certain

why nearly a million people
chose to abandon

why nearly a million people
chose to abandon
these magnificent temples.

these magnificent temples.

DOUGHERTY:
The abandonment of Angkor Wat

illustrates to us
that something catastrophic

had occurred
within Khmer society.

This incredible place
was still capable

of supporting
large numbers of people.

It was still
an important temple,

but it was almost
completely abandoned.

It was just left.

And what that suggests is that

something changed
in the Khmer people.

SHATNER:
Some experts have proposed
that because Angkor Wat

was such an important
religious site,

it may have been abandoned
for spiritual reasons.

Angkor Wat was the link between
mortal people and the gods.

And it was built
by Suryavarman II...

...who fought a series
of military campaigns

to unify his people,

to unify his people,
brought stability, prosperity.

brought stability, prosperity.

And Suryavarman II intended
Angkor Wat to be his mausoleum.

STEAVU:
The tomb of Suryavarman II

was intended to be located
underneath the central tower.

And there's a hole at the top
of the central tower

that lets in a beam of light.

And that beam of light
would have shown

directly onto the tomb,

demonstrating in a way
that Suryavarman

was directly linked
to the divine.

Suryavarman II clearly intended
to be buried at Angkor Wat.

He would be interred
in the central temple.

But he died on a military
campaign in what is now Vietnam,

and nobody knows
what happened to the body.

SHATNER:
Curiously, after
King Suryavarman died

and his body was not placed
in its intended tomb,

the living conditions
at Angkor Wat

took a turn for the worse.

There were repeated droughts
in the region,

There were repeated droughts
in the region,
which led to famine

which led to famine

because there was not
enough water for crops.

But on the other hand,
there were also huge monsoons

that at times
would cause major flooding.

Some scholars believe
that these calamities

may have been seen
by the Khmer people as a sign

that their connection
to the gods had been lost

and that it was time
for them to abandon Angkor Wat.

The Khmer people
would have remembered

the time of Suryavarman II,

of this golden age
that had existed.

of this golden age
that had existed.
But later,
things weren't as good.

But later,
things weren't as good.

But later,
things weren't as good.
Could it be that the link

Could it be that the link

between mortals and their god
had been broken?

STEAVU:
If what made Angkor City great

was the blessings that were
sent down from the gods,

then when things started going
more badly for the city,

then when things started going
more badly for the city,
people would naturally
interpret that

people would naturally
interpret that

the gods again are taking away
their blessings.

And then that, in turn,
would serve as a cue

for the Khmer people
to also leave behind the city.

BARNHART:
All civilizations on the planet,

no matter how big they are,
they eventually fall,

and Angkor was no different.

And the factors were not
just as simple as one thing.

There were a number
of things happening.

In many regards,
the abandonment of Angkor

was just
an acknowledgement that,

however large and grand
their life was there,

that the gods didn't favor it
and it was time to end it.

Did the Khmer people
abandon Angkor Wat

because they believed

that they had fallen
out of favor with the gods?

Seems possible,
especially when you consider

that the entire complex
was built to honor the divine.

And devotion to God also played
a role in the construction

of an abandoned place
located in Portugal.

of an abandoned place
located in Portugal.
A structure that may have once
been home to the Holy Grail.

A structure that may have once
been home to the Holy Grail.

SHATNER:
This popular tourist destination

is known for
its pristine beaches,

historic gardens
and numerous palatial estates.

One of those estates
is named Quinta da Regaleira.

This gothic palace
has been unoccupied

for more than 30 years,
and it has a reputation

for being a mysterious,
eerie place.

Regaleira is really the... it's
the spooky mansion on the hill.

But when you get up closer,
it immediately

seizes your imagination
and draws you in,

and you begin to appreciate
the secrets that it holds,

compared to the other
more glitzy palaces nearby.

SHATNER:
According to historical records,

Quinta da Regaleira
is an ancient estate

that dates back
nearly a thousand years.

And it was bought
in the late 19th century

by an eccentric
Portuguese businessman

named Carvalho Monteiro,

who reportedly had
a fascination with the occult.

LYNN PICKNETT:
Monteiro was a multimillionaire,

and he embraced all manner
of mystical, um,

philosophies and traditions.

And so he invested an awful lot
of his wealth at Quinta.

And so he invested an awful lot
of his wealth at Quinta.
He enhanced the property
to add symbolism.

He enhanced the property
to add symbolism.

There are statues

and inscriptions and carvings

that are connected
with Freemasonry,

the Knights Templar

and occultists
of various descriptions.

Monteiro basically
adapted the property

into this extraordinary sort of
theme park to the occult.

into this extraordinary sort of
theme park to the occult.
People thought it was odd,

People thought it was odd,

but to a serious occultist,
if you've got the money,

you're gonna go for it,
and that's exactly what he did.

SHATNER:
Each year, thousands of tourists
visit Quinta da Regaleira

to walk through
the palace and gardens.

But what attracts
the most attention

is a curious
underground structure

is a curious
underground structure
known as the Initiation Well.

known as the Initiation Well.

The Initiation Well is like
some kind of Gothic fantasy.

It's called the Initiation Well,
but it's not a well.

It's like an inverted tower

that's going 90 foot deep
into the ground,

and your senses are completely
confused by the sight of this.

SILVA:
When you enter,

you're looking down
at this shaft

with the spiral staircase
full of niches

with the spiral staircase
full of niches
going, uh, clockwise

going, uh, clockwise

down this corkscrew,
deep into the earth,

and you become very aware
that you're passing through

into a completely new
level of reality.

You almost have
a spiritual, uh, moment,

like a revelation.

SHATNER:
The Initiation Well is
the most elaborate creation

in Monteiro's sprawling
monument to the occult.

However, some historians
believe that Monteiro was not

the original architect
of the well.

They claim that
he merely refurbished it

and that this structure was
first built in the Middle Ages

by the Knights Templar,
who were a secretive group

of Christian warrior monks.

SILVA:
It's highly likely

that the Templars
were responsible for the well.

The Templars were
the first deed holders

of the property that became
Regaleira many centuries later,

and they were definitely
working on this property

in the 12th century.

SHATNER:
Another piece of evidence
which suggests

that the Knights Templar
built the Initiation Well

is the fact that there is
a network of underground tunnels

is the fact that there is
a network of underground tunnels
that extend out from it.

that extend out from it.

SILVA:
At the bottom of the well,
you suddenly find yourself

in this labyrinth of tunnels
which go every single direction.

Some of the tunnels extend
deep into the mountain

to the point where
you can come up underneath

a chapel or a convent
in a hilltop five miles away.

McMAHON:
The whole place is
honeycombed with tunnels.

So there's plenty of evidence
for the Templars being there.

Monteiro was effectively
buying a chunk of real estate

right on top of where
the Templars had been.

There's no accident in this.

He's then recreating

what he thinks
the Templars stood for.

It's believed that Monteiro
may have been

looking for something
the Knights Templar

have left behind
in those many tunnels

that were underneath,

which may have included
the Holy Grail.

SHATNER:
According to
Christian tradition,

the Holy Grail was the chalice

that Jesus drank from
at the Last Supper.

The Knights Templar were known
to have searched

The Knights Templar were known
to have searched
for important
religious artifacts

for important
religious artifacts

while in the Holy Land
during the Crusades.

while in the Holy Land
during the Crusades.
And there is evidence to suggest

And there is evidence to suggest

that if they did find
the Holy Grail

they may have brought it
to Portugal.

SILVA:
One of the big clues
that we know

that the Templars left something
of incredible importance there

lies in the seal
that was printed

by the first king of Portugal

in a deed that he gave
to the Templars.

And if you look
very carefully at the seal

that the king put on there,

it has the word "Portugal"
written as an anagram.

It reads "por tu o gral,"

which means
"through you the Grail."

What the king of Portugal
is insinuating

is that the Templars
brought the Grail to Portugal.

McMAHON:
So, when the Templars

are bringing their treasure
out of Jerusalem,

they could have brought
the Grail to Regaleira.

They had fortresses,
and they had secret tunnels.

They could get
their treasure there,

and it would be protected.

and it would be protected.
If you look around Regaleira,

If you look around Regaleira,

If you look around Regaleira,
you'll see evidence
for the Grail.

you'll see evidence
for the Grail.

We have, rather intriguingly,

We have, rather intriguingly,
a bench referred to
as Bench 515.

a bench referred to
as Bench 515.

At the center of it
is a female character,

and she's holding out a chalice,

and that's believed
to represent the Holy Grail.

SHATNER:
Was the Holy Grail hidden

somewhere in
the Initiation Well?

And if so,
did Monteiro find it there?

We'll never know for sure,
because Monteiro died in 1920

and took the secrets of the
Initiation Well to the grave.

You come away from Regaleira,
there's no doubt

it's the Initiation Well
that plays on your mind.

It's so odd that so much effort
went into creating this,

It's so odd that so much effort
went into creating this,
and yet, what does it all mean?

and yet, what does it all mean?

And that's what is
the big unanswered question.

Did the Knights Templar
hide the Holy Grail

Did the Knights Templar
hide the Holy Grail
in the Initiation Well?

in the Initiation Well?

Or perhaps in the underground
tunnels that it's connected to?

It's a fascinating notion,
and the truth is

that abandoned places often
raise intriguing questions.

For instance, there's an island

just off the coast
of North Carolina

where, over 400 years ago,

115 people
mysteriously vanished.

SHATNER:
More than 400 years ago,

this was the site
of a colony called Roanoke,

the first English settlement
in North America.

Roanoke is known
as the Lost Colony

because it was
mysteriously abandoned in 1590

and the colonists vanished
without a trace.

The Lost Colony remains
this mystery

that's at the very heart
of the origin of our nation.

People remain fascinated
by Roanoke because

we know so little
about the place.

We know what happened
in Jamestown.

We know what happened
in Jamestown.
We know
what happened at Plymouth.

We know
what happened at Plymouth.

But Roanoke is this mystery

because we don't know
what happened.

When we think about the founding
of the United States of America,

we think of it
in this fairly linear way

that colonists showed up,
they settled,

they move west-- America.

And really, it turns out

that there were a number
of false starts

in how this country got started.

And one of those was
the colony at Roanoke.

And one of those was
the colony at Roanoke.
This was a group of people

This was a group of people

who showed up
and were ready to settle,

but what happened to that colony

is one of the big unanswered
questions of American history.

SHATNER:
What happened to
the Roanoke colonists?

Perhaps the answer can be found
by examining the events

in the late 16th century

that led to
their fateful disappearance.

LAWLER:
In the 1580s, England was

a very small, poor,
struggling island

that really wanted to get in

on the game
of colonizing the Americas,

because that's where
the money was.

GABRIEL-POWELL:
The English were looking
at the Spanish ships

coming back laden with gold
and various commodities

from their empire, if you like,

in Mexico,
South America, Florida,

and of course, that was making
the Spanish very powerful.

Essentially, it was a case of,
if we don't find

our own source of wealth
in this New World,

we could be sort of overrun
by our enemies.

SHATNER:
In 1587, an English mapmaker
named John White

was commissioned to found
a new colony on Roanoke Island,

which had been claimed
by a British expedition

to the New World
two years earlier.

to the New World
two years earlier.
After an arduous
two-month voyage

After an arduous
two-month voyage

across the Atlantic Ocean,
White and 117 colonists

across the Atlantic Ocean,
White and 117 colonists
landed on Roanoke Island.

landed on Roanoke Island.

LAWLER:
The people who chose
to come along

LAWLER:
The people who chose
to come along
on this ill-fated expedition

on this ill-fated expedition

were middle-class people
from London.

So, they were eager
to find new lands,

because to have land
in England meant everything.

That's what gave you status.

But they knew they needed
more supplies and more colonists

in order to succeed,
in order to thrive.

So John White decided
to return to England

in order to get those
needed supplies and colonists.

SHATNER:
On August 25, 1587,

only three months after
first arriving on Roanoke,

John White set sail for England.

He planned to return with aid
in less than six months.

But a series of conflicts
with the Spanish navy

would delay
White's return mission

for three long years.

In August of 1590, John White
returns to Roanoke Island.

In August of 1590, John White
returns to Roanoke Island.
They anchor offshore.

They anchor offshore.

And when they arrive, it's dark

and it's too late
for them to go ashore,

and it's too late
for them to go ashore,
but John White is happy

but John White is happy

because he sees a fire
in the distance,

and he assumes that the settlers
are there waiting for him,

maybe even have seen his ship

and have lit a bonfire
in order to guide him in.

SHATNER:
The next morning,
White came ashore,

expecting to find the colonists
there to welcome him back.

But to his surprise,
there was no sign of them.

The entire settlement
was completely abandoned.

GABRIEL-POWELL:
John White gets back to Roanoke,
but there's no sign of anyone,

and he finds all the houses
have been taken down.

And in their place is a very,
very well-built defensible fort.

So, little bit of a mystery.

You've got this new fort
that wasn't there in 1587

when he last saw them,
and the place is deserted.

when he last saw them,
and the place is deserted.
Where have they gone?

Where have they gone?

SHATNER:
Eventually, John White
came across a cryptic clue

as to the whereabouts
of the colonists.

He found the word "Croatoan"

mysteriously carved
into a wooden post.

John White had told the
colonists when he left in 1587

that if they were to abandon
the settlement

that they should leave a secret
token, as he called it, behind

so that he would know
where to find them,

and this seemed
to be the answer.

Here was "Croatoan"
carved onto the post.

Croatoan was what
we call Hatteras today,

Croatoan was what
we call Hatteras today,
an island about 50 miles
to the south.

an island about 50 miles
to the south.

It's also the name of the tribe
of Native Americans

It's also the name of the tribe
of Native Americans
who lived on the island.

who lived on the island.

SHATNER:
But when John White
prepared to set sail

SHATNER:
But when John White
prepared to set sail
to search for the colonists,

to search for the colonists,

a storm blew in
and damaged his ship,

and he was forced
to return to England.

Unfortunately,
John White was never able

to return to the New World to
search for the lost colonists.

But in recent years,
archaeologists have carried out

But in recent years,
archaeologists have carried out
extensive excavations
to try and solve

extensive excavations
to try and solve

this 400-year-old mystery.

Archaeologists have been
digging on Hatteras--

Archaeologists have been
digging on Hatteras--
what was called Croatoan--

what was called Croatoan--

and they have come up
with some remarkable evidence.

The first, most important
piece of evidence found

was a gold ring that was made
in Elizabethan times.

This was big news
because it seemed to indicate

the possibility that
at least one of the colonists

had been on Croatan Island.

And then another competing team
was digging on Hatteras Island,

and what they found
was really intriguing.

They actually
discovered the hilt

of an Elizabethan-era sword

that was found in
a Native American village.

that was found in
a Native American village.
Now, whether or not
this is something

Now, whether or not
this is something

that belonged to a lost colonist
remains to be seen.

GABRIEL-POWELL:
It's possible some did survive
long enough to have a family

and that there would have been
assimilation with the Croatoans.

And yet, considering
how much archaeology

that's been done,
we have no skeletons.

Where are they?

That is a mystery.

McNEILL:
If we had found
dead bodies scattered

or obvious signs
of a siege or an attack,

that would be
the answer that we need.

We get this word "Croatoan."

But did people actually
make it there?

Where did they go?

What happened
to this group of settlers?

It's the ambiguity that really
keeps this legend alive.

It's hard to imagine
that an entire colony

that was home
to over a hundred people

could just vanish into thin air.

Did the colonists at Roanoke
simply decide

to move somewhere else?

Or was there a darker reason
behind their disappearance,

like in the case of an island
near Mexico City

that was abandoned
because locals are convinced

that it's haunted
by an evil entity?

SHATNER:
Just south of Mexico City.

Dotted amongst the numerous
tree-filled canals

that run through
this ancient city

are dozens of artificial
floating islands

known as chinampas.

But one chinampa stands out

because the branches
of its willow and cypress trees

appear to be growing
something rather unusual.

The place is called
Isla de las Muñecas,

otherwise known
as the Island of the Dolls.

HOROWITZ: The island is
a forestlike enclave

draped with thousands

and thousands of ordinary dolls.

Childhood playthings
hanging from trees,

vines and branches.

It's very eerie.

These look like
suspended living presences

that are believed
to ward off evil.

DOMINO PEREZ:
It's a spooky living sculpture

that some people say, um,
is cursed.

And according to folklore,

And according to folklore,
you can hear whispering...

you can hear whispering...

you can hear whispering...
(eerie whispering)

(eerie whispering)

...and you can hear
little girls' voices.

Uh, you can see the-the dolls'
eyes blinking on their own,

Uh, you can see the-the dolls'
eyes blinking on their own,
which is just terrifying.

which is just terrifying.

SHATNER:
The only permanent residents
of the island

are the strange dolls
that have given the place

a ghoulish reputation.

But who created
this macabre spectacle?

And why?

Well, according to local lore,

the story began in the 1950s
when the island was owned

by a man named
Julian Santana Barrera.

Julian Santana Barrera
came to live on the chinampa.

And according to the stories,
he came across, uh,

a little girl floating
in one of the canals.

Barrera is devastated that
he can't save the little girl

and pulls her out of the water

and pulls her out of the water
and buries her on the island.

and buries her on the island.

Barrera felt eventually

that he was seeing
the ghost of this girl

walking around
his little chinampa island.

To try to make her happy,
he hung some dolls in the trees.

And he hung
more and more dolls up

to appease the spirit
of this little girl

to appease the spirit
of this little girl
who died tragically.

who died tragically.

We can think about what
Barrera did as a talisman

or a symbol, um,
that is used to, uh, protect.

All across the globe,
you see these totems

All across the globe,
you see these totems
being used
in this particular way.

being used
in this particular way.

There are stones,
and there are ornaments

that people hang
in their houses, in their cars.

Sometimes people carry them
on their physical person.

And the act is done
as a kind of protective gesture.

SHATNER:
Ultimately, Barrera hung
thousands of dolls

SHATNER:
Ultimately, Barrera hung
thousands of dolls
all over the island

all over the island

not only to honor
the memory of the young girl

but also to guard
against a dark entity

that he believed
had caused her death.

An entity known as La Llorona.

La Llorona is
a tragic character.

She is the first Native mother

who gave birth to children
from a conquistador, a Spaniard.

The story says that
her community rejected her

because her children were
Spaniard, and so she was shamed.

She was so ashamed
of this, in fact,

that she went down to the river
and she drowned her children.

She immediately regretted this.

Now she's this spirit
that haunts lakes and rivers.

La Llorona is a well-known myth
all around Mexico.

La Llorona is a well-known myth
all around Mexico.
And so, a man like Barrera

And so, a man like Barrera

who sees a child
floating in the water,

he almost certainly,
at least for a moment,

thought of La Llorona and that
this is her children floating.

SHATNER:
Since Barrera's death in 2001,

the Island of the Dolls
has remained abandoned.

But locals continue to tell
the story of the drowned girl,

and many are convinced
that there's

an evil presence on this island.

And as evidence, they point
to the chilling circumstances

of Julian Barrera's death.

After suffering
from a fatal heart attack,

his body was found
in an unsettling location.

PEREZ:
Barrera dies.

And not only does he die
on the island

but his body is found
in the exact canal

but his body is found
in the exact canal
where he found the little girl.

where he found the little girl.

Is there correlation?
We don't know.

But many people believe

that if you are out
at night by yourself,

playing down by the river,

that La Llorona will "get you."

Is there a dark entity
that lurks in the water

surrounding
the Island of the Dolls?

Well, if there is,
it hasn't stopped visitors

from wanting to see this
bizarre site for themselves.

In fact, there are many
abandoned places

around the globe

that have become
tourist attractions,

including a city that was once
a thriving capital

including a city that was once
a thriving capital
until it was covered
in volcanic ash.

until it was covered
in volcanic ash.

SHATNER:
On the rim of the Caribbean Sea

300 miles southeast
of Puerto Rico

lies the tiny island nation
of Montserrat.

The most popular tourist
destination on Montserrat

The most popular tourist
destination on Montserrat
is not its sandy beaches

is not its sandy beaches

but rather the remains
of its capital city, Plymouth.

Plymouth was once
a bustling town,

but it now lies buried
under volcanic ash and mud.

McNEILL:
The city of Plymouth
on the island of Montserrat

was considered
this luscious island resort,

was considered
this luscious island resort,
this beautiful city.

this beautiful city.

There was sort of
this whole atmosphere

of people getting together,
enjoying themselves,

of people getting together,
enjoying themselves,
having a good time.

having a good time.

Plymouth is
the capital city there,

and in 1995,

and in 1995,
this was a city of 4,000 people.

this was a city of 4,000 people.

So it's not just
a tiny little town.

But Plymouth was completely
wiped out by the volcano there.

SHATNER:
Between July of 1995
and August of 1997,

a series of eruptions of the
nearby Soufrière Hills volcano

turned Plymouth into
an uninhabitable wasteland.

19 people were killed.

Everyone else
was forced to evacuate.

CHRISTOPHER:
You have the mudslide

that went through
the center of the town,

and then all around that,
you have the husks of the homes

and the schools
and things like that

that are left there
and overgrown.

When you see pictures of this,
you're going to see

rooftops of buildings
poking out of ash, basically.

There's a very famous image
of this church

buried up to its roof,
essentially.

The whole city is
sort of frozen in time.

SHATNER: Plymouth sees
thousands of visitors each year

who arrive from all over
the world to explore the ruins

and take photographs
of the wreckage.

People visit this abandoned city
in spite of the fact

that the nearby volcano
is still dangerously active.

It's a strange phenomenon

It's a strange phenomenon
known as dark tourism.

known as dark tourism.

Plymouth today is like
a modern-day Pompeii.

Its buildings, its stores,

Its buildings, its stores,
its squares, its plazas,
its churches

its squares, its plazas,
its churches

are covered in
and buried in volcanic ash.

And people go to view it
because they feel like

they're viewing ancient ruins

but they belong
to our own generation.

CHRISTOPHER:
The reason people
are drawn to places

like Plymouth and Pompeii
for dark tourism

like Plymouth and Pompeii
for dark tourism
is because they give you
a chance to see

is because they give you
a chance to see

maybe what our cities
are gonna look like.

Is there gonna be a point where
coastal cities are underwater

or where the neighborhoods
that we live in,

nobody's in anymore and they've
turned into a forest?

McNEILL:
To go to a place
where such terror

and trauma took place

and trauma took place
is a way to engage
with those things

is a way to engage
with those things

without having to experience

the actual terror
and trauma ourselves.

We are really intrigued
by seeing

the finality
of a natural disaster

in just the stillness.

CHRISTOPHER:
In a lot of ways,
places that are abandoned

kind of have
that memento mori aspect,

so there's this element of
coping with your own mortality,

and seeing something like that,
I think, gives you

the opportunity
to come to terms with it.

So, what do you think?

Would you like to visit the site
of the Chernobyl disaster

or take a boat ride
to the Island of the Dolls?

The truth is that
abandoned places fascinate us.

There's something
that draws us to them,

even when they might
be dangerous.

Which is why we'll continue
to explore these places

in hopes of unlocking
all of their secrets

that, for now,
remain unexplained.

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