Venice of AFRICA?

photo source NLÉ architects

Makoko is a slum neighborhood located on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria.  The population is believed to be well over 85,000. Makoko was established and remains primarily a fishing village.  The majority of structures are simple and build on stilts over the Lago Lagoon. Today the area is essentially self-governing. Unfortunately in 2012, Nigerian government destroyed many homes giving residents on 72 hours to evacuate and one resident was killed during the process.   Makoko is an area of great poverty yet a home and a cultural area for it's citizens.  The area is at risk for development do to it's desirable waterfront location.Every home has a canoe. The large ones go out to sea with nets to fish. Smaller ones are used for inshore work. The fish are returned to Makoko where they are smoked.

photo source Reuters

photo source Jon Gambrell

photo source AP

 

ENDLESS storm!

 photo source unknown

The Catatumbo lightening  is an atmospheric phenomenon in Venezuela, South America. It occurs only over the mouth of the Catatumbo river where it empties into Lake Maracaibo. The lightning is so frequent and in a small area that it is world's largest single generator of tropospheric ozone.  It originates from a mass of storm clouds, and ocIn 2010,  the lightning disappeared  from January to April for the first time in centuries due to a drought. The indigenous living in the area were quite happy for it's return.curs during 140 to 160 nights a year, 10 hours PER DAY  and up to 280 times per hour.  Several studies were conducted regarding this phenomenon.  It was identified that methane produced by the local swamps and the areas oil deposits are the most likely the source of the endless lightning. 

photo source GreekSky

photo source unknown

 

Glass Beach

photo source Travis Burke

This awesome cove is covered with glass, literally covered with millions of pieces of glass that have been rounded by the rolling waves!!   Glass Beach is located in MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, CA.  The unsharp glass was created after years of dumping garbage into the area that was tossed around and smoothed by the sea.  The beach is literally covered with millions of peices glass that you can walk on bare footed.  In 1967, the state decided to clean up the area, and today it is prestine (other than the remaining glass).  Collecting glass is forbidden.

source unknown

 source unknown

 

High Anxiety Eats

photo source gogirlmagz

There's a particular mountain int he Hubei Providence, 12 km north of the city of Yichang, where you can actually experience find-dining on  the side of a cliff.  Located in the Happy Valley of Xiling Gorge, the Fangweng hanging restaurants offers a breathtaking view of it's natural surroundings to adventures brave enough to set foot in it. Fangweng Restaurant simply doesn’t do the place justice, and it’s only after you pass through it that you can give yourself a pat on the back for discovering such a unique venue to experience Chinese cuisine while admiring the beauty f Xiling Gorge. 

sources spotcoolstuff & easy tour China 

 

Give 'em a Hand

photo credit unknown

Atacama desert (driest desert in the world) in Chile you will find giant sculpture of a hand about 70 km south of Antofagasta A popular photo spot for tourists. It is constructed at an altitude of 1,100 meters above sea level. Mario Irarrázabal sculpted of iron and cement. It stands 11 meters tall. A Most of the desert is composed of stony terrain, salt lakes(salares), sand and lava felsic flows towards the Andes.   The desert as plenty to see for tourists and you can always take a dip in Thermal Lake if you get to hot. 

 photo credit unknown

 photo credit unknown

 photo credit unknown

 

 

Drowned Slaves

photo credit Vicissitudes

Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park is located off the island of Grenada in the West Indies. It sadly depicts the history of slavery and those slaves who were thrown overboard on their journey to the mainland.  The Sculpture park, which began construction in 2006 is situated on the sandy ocean floor in the barren Molinere Bay and it now acts as an aid to relieve pressure on natural reefs which have become popular among water sports enthusiasts, particularly in nearby Flamingo Bay which is the most visited snorkeling destination on the island.  There are over sixty-five concrete individual sculptures covering an area of over 800 square meters  and in total weigh around 15 tonnes in dry cement. 

unknown photo source

 photo credit unknown

photo source uknown

Blue Bubbles

photo source Orvar Thorgeirsson.

This ice cave is located on the frozen lagoon of the Svínafellsjökull glacier in Skaftafell, Iceland. The cave is accessible through a 22-foot entrance on the shoreline. At the end it tapers to a tight squeeze no more than four feet high. Ice caves are in general unstable things and can collapse at any time. They are safe to enter only in winter when the cold temperatures harden the ice. Even so, one could hear constant cracking sounds inside the cave. It was not because it was going to collapse but because the cave was moving along with the glacier itself.  It's only open in the winter :).

photo source Orvar Thorgeirsson.

photo source unknown

photo source Orvar Thorgeirsson.

photo source Orvar Thorgeirsson.

Waterfall Eats

Labassin Waterfalls Restaurant, San Pablo, Philippines. The world's only waterfall restaurant.. The water comes from an overflowing dam above the restaurant, allowing visitiors to enjoy water at their feet while being served on bamboo dining tables.  Most importantly, it keeps you cool on the hot days in the Philippines.

photo source unknown

photo source unknown

photo source uknown

photo source unknown

 

Bamboo Forest

photo credit unknown

Arashiyama (嵐山) is a pleasant, touristy district in the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan where can find the glorious Bamboo Forest.  The area has been a popular destination since the Heian Period  (794-1185), when nobles would enjoy its natural setting. Apparently walking through the forest, one can hear nature songs whispering through the bamboo

photo credit Ben Von Wong

photo source unknown

photo source unknown

 

World's BIGGEST Mirror!

photo credit Carolyn Morse

Salar de Uyuni (Salar de Tunupa), Bolvia is the largest salt flat in the entire world.  During periods of rain, water covers the flats making this the biggest mirror in the WORLD.    It has a total measurement of 4086 square miles.  Located in southwest Bolivia near the crest of the Andes,  it's elevation is a whopping 11,995 ft above sea level. For obvious reasons, it is dubbed the World's Largest Mirror.

photo credit Takaki Watnanbe