A fan dressed as “Loki” poses before the European premiere of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” at Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush, London April 21, 2015. (Photo by Stefan Wermuth/Reuters)

Racegoers make their way home after Ladies Day on the second day of the Grand National meeting at Aintree Racecourse on April 9, 2010 in Aintree, England. Friday is traditionally Ladies day at the three-day meeting of the world famous Grand National, where fashion is as important as the racing. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Only the most intrepid urban explorers cross the tattered ruins of the old Iron Curtain to endure the excessive bureaucracy, military paranoia and freezing winds of the East to hunt for the ghosts of an empire. Rebecca Litchfield is one who couldn’t resist the haunting allure of the ruins of the Soviet Union.

During a jungle survival program February 20, 2013 taught by Royal Thai Special Forces in Sannapit, Thailand, U.S. Marines learned to catch cobras and drink their fresh blood, not to mention eat forest insects and pull the heads off of chicken. The training was part of Operation Cobra Gold 13, the 32nd edition of international military exercises hosted by the Thai. According to a U.S. Marines press release, Cobra Gold is the largest exercise of its kind in Asia and incorporates troops from five other nations in addition to the U.S. and Thailand. The Daily Mail reports that the Marines were invited to experience the local custom of drinking cobra blood after being taught to catch and kill cobras in the wild. As CNN notes, Cobra blood is believed to be a panacea and aphrodiasic in parts of Southeast Asia. In Jakarta, vendors can earn over $100 a night selling shots of cobra blood mixed with liquor. (Photo by Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP Photo)

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte looks at Miss Universe candidates at the presidential palace in Manila, Philippines January 23, 2017. (Photo by Erik De Castro/Reuters)

A worker fills a public bus with diesel as the bus driver and passengers look on, at a fuel station in Kolkata, India, February 1, 2017. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

Bonnie Morgan arrives at the LA Premiere of “Rings” at the Regal LA LIVE Stadium 14 on Thursday, February 2, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP Photo)

Damir Sagolj has won Reuters photojournalist of the year for his 2016 work, which included documenting the deadly Philippine drug war and the North Korea congress. Here: A 17 year old girl lays dead next to her doll after she and her friend were killed by unknown motorcycle-riding gunmen, in an alley in Manila, Philippines early October 26, 2016. According to the police, a sign on a cardboard reading “Tulak ka, hayop ka”, which translates to “You are a (drug) pusher, you are an animal” was found with the body of girl's friend. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)