Sunday, June 11, 2017

Looking at . . . Places

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Al Hajjarah, Yemen


Al Hajjarah is a village in Yemen that is built upon a precipice, famous for its towering houses which are built onto the cliff faces. Its citadel was founded in the 12th century and became an important fortification during the Ottoman occupation of Yemen, given the strategic importance of the location. It is today also used as a base camp for trekkers.

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Mount Huashan, China


Mount Huashan, also known as Mount Hua, is a mountain in China with five peaks, the highest being 2,155 metres. Whilst there are various routes up the mountain, the most dangerous is the Plank Walk in the Sky, reputed to be the most dangerous hike in the world. Safety has been improved and harnesses are now required but not everyone wears them Pictured above is the staircase to the Plank Walk, below is part of the walk.

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Bamboo Forest, Kyoto, Japan


Not only is the Sagano Bamboo Forest, in Arashiyama area on the outskirts of Kyoto city and popularly referred to as the Kyoto Bamboo forest, a visual attraction favoured by tourists, the distinct rustling sounds in the bamboo have become an attraction in itself! A couple of years ago the Ministry of Environment even put the Sagano Bamboo Forest on its list of “100 Soundscapes of Japan”, a list of everyday noises/sounds intended to encourage locals to stop and enjoy nature’s music.

Winter

Night
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Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA


Dubbed the Rollercoaster Highway, the official name of this road is “County Road NS 366.” It’s one mile west of Old Highway 56, and about 1.5 miles west of State Highway 56, just north of Wewoka, Oklahoma. Bring plenty of sick bags, just looking at the pics makes me queasy.
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Rainbow Mountains, Zhangye, China


The Rainbow Mountains of Zhangye are the result of lthe uplifting and subsequent erosion of layers of sandstones and siltstones that were deposited in China before the Himalayan Mountains were formed. The sand and silt was deposited with iron and trace minerals that provided it with the key ingredient to form the colours seen today

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Elephant Foot Glacier, Greenland


Known as piedmont glaciers, the unique Elephant Foot Glacier in northeastern Greenland has been described as resembling a bowl of batter that has been poured over a pan. The pressure of the ice has broken through the mountain and spilled into the sea in close to symmetric, fan-shaped lobe. 
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Dragon Blood Trees, Socotra, Yemen


The dragon blood tree is the most famous and beautiful and distinctive plant of the island of Socotra. It has a unique and strange appearance, described as "upturned, densely packed crown having the shape of an uprightly held umbrella". This evergreen species is named after its dark red resin, which is known as "dragon's blood".
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Swarovski Kristallwelten, Wattens, Austria


The Swarovski Crystal Worlds (Swarovski Kristallwelten) is a museum, located in Wattens, Austria. The museum was built in 1995 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Austria based crystal company Swarovski. The entrance features the head of a giant, spouting water from its mouth.

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Christ of the Abyss, Italy


Christ of the Abyss (Italian: Il Cristo degli Abissi) is a submerged bronze statue of Jesus Christ, the original of which is located in the Mediterranean Sea, off San Fruttuoso, between Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera. Various other casts of the statue are located in other places worldwide, both underwater and in churches and museums. The original bronze statue was placed in the Mediterranean Sea on 22 August 1954, at approximately 17 metres depth, and stands 2.5 metres tall. The statue was placed near the spot where Dario Gonzatti, the first Italian to use SCUBA gear, died in 1947. It depicts Christ offering a benediction of peace, with his head and hands raised skyward.
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Guanajuato, Mexico


Guanajuato is a city and municipality in central Mexico, located in a narrow valley, which makes its streets narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides. Many of the city’s thoroughfares are partially or fully underground. The historic centre has numerous small plazas and colonial-era mansions, churches and civil constructions built using pink or green sandstone.

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Beach of the Cathedrals, Spain


As Catedrais ('Beach of the Cathedrals') is a beach in Spain named for the natural arches and caves, which can be seen only at low tide.




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