There's Something Below!

 

The Commonweath of the Bahamas is a great of nearly 700 islands, cays and inlets in the Atlantic Ocean.   I have yet to visit the Bahamas,  but I know that are my type of place :) with bright blue waters and white sand beaches.  But what lies below these islands has really earned them the title of a Strange Spot.  The islands are dotted with caves of various types including caves formed by sinkholes, fault lines or fractures, flooded flank margins of fresh waters ponds and more.  The unique combination of cave types is not found anywhere else in the world! 

from the top

This Place is a Dump!

 

Some say Casanus Hotel is a dump, others say it's a hole,  I say build a few more and make a colony.  This lovely colon hotel is located on a small Belgian island between Antwerp and Ghent.    What was JoepVan Lieshout thinking about when he designed this place?  Who wouldn't enjoy about lovely night curled up in a veiny butt whole.  Apparently, it's clean, odor free and will only set you back about $165 USD per night.  

 

 

 

 
 

Shop Till Ya Drop!

 

Take a look at the pictures below, no wonder why they shop till they drop. The Ikea in Beijing, China is MASSIVE.  It is currently one of the largest furniture stores in the world. Apparently, the Chinese are beating the heat and heading off to their local Ikea store to take a nap.  The "try before buy" policy hasn't always been Ikea's philosophy, but here in Beijing it certainly isn't discouraged. As the economy in China improves, Ikea hopes many of the sleepers will some day but purchasing customers.  Nothing wrong with a little investment in the future :).  Can you imagine an Ikea store in the USA allowing noon naps?  Wish they would!

 

tucked in the children's furniture section

 

 

Pablo's City

 

Villa Epecuén was and still is a tourist village in the Buenos Aires Province or Argentina.  The city was built in the early 1920s.  After a railway was installed making access to the village with ease, the area rose to be a well developed tourist destination for folks from Buenos Aires.  They came to swim in the healing waters of the Lago Epecuen (salty lake).  The town had the capacity for up to 7,000 vacationers and up to 1,500 residents.  Unfortunately in 1985,  heavy rainstorms followed by a series of wet winters caused the lake to overflow and the bursting of a nearby dam.  The town flooded up a maximum of 33 feet, leaving it permanently inhabitable. Today, the town has exactly one resident, Pablo Novak (now is his mid 80s) who returned to his home shortly after the flood.  Somewhere online there is a documentary that filmed the chronicles of his life.  If I find his documentary,  I will post why the lovely man decided to stay.  It's about a 6 hour drive from Buenos Aires and all that pass . must stop.  Pablo is by many accounts the ambassador of his own town.  He is known to welcome all those who decide to venture out into this surreal land.  Almost 30 years living in desolation and quiet,  finally the tides are changing.  The area is once again enjoying tourism.. this time 'ruins'.   If you enjoy stairs to nowhere, broken appliances, rusted automobiles and bathtubs in the wrong places,  then this is your spot!  Say hello to Pablo for me :).

 

Romantic Reef!

 

The Great Barrier Reef of Australia has a heart of it's own.  At first glance it seems that it just couldn't possibly be real, but indeed the reef has created it's own natural heart. The heart beats with the each wave of the Coral Sea.  It's coral body romances the aquatic life who take refuge it it's safe haven.  It memorizes the couples flying above, the snorkelers below and the photographer from every angle.  Of course, the reef is highly protected.  Snorkeling and diving within the reef is strictly prohibited.  Most enjoy Heart Reef by helicopter or sea plane.  It's has been the site of numerous declarations of life and marriage proposals.   What a wonderful world!

Stonehenge of Armenia??

 

 

Karahunj (aka Zorats Karer, Carahunge, Զորաց Քարեր, the Stongehenge of Armenia) is a very curoius site located outside of the Armenia  that has sparked a bit of debate amoung researchers. 

It is strongly believed the stones are reminants of a necropolis (burial) site from the Middle Bronze Age (up to 4,500 years ago)  to the Iron Age.  During this period, it was common place to bury the dead in massive stone cists (coffins) that were covered with great stone slabs.  About 200 shallow tombs have been located at the site.  The "central" stone circle appears to resemble Stonehenge to many respects.  It hosts a ring of 40 standing stones. It is unknown if these stones were utilized to reinforce walls for a dolemen (a ceilng stone).   It is believed that the stone circle had complete intact walls orginally, however the stones that weren't driven into the ground washed away.  Many believe it was used as a temple in honor of the Sun God.  Manmade holes in 84 of the uprights stones at the Karahunj site leave others to believe  this maybe an ancient astrological observatory similar to Stonehenge in England. Several scientists assessed the directions of the holes and found them pointing directly at  sunrise and sunset of midsummer, as well as holes pointing to Deneb star in the constellation of Cygnus. These scientist estimate the age of the site at 7.600 years based on the position of the stars in the sky at that time.  If true,  Karahunj is the oldest astronomical observatory in the world.  Unfortunately,  it is not confirmed if the holes were made long after the origination of the site.  Petroglyphs at the site, thought to be much older than the megalith circle, have modern day ancient aliens hunter mind's spinning.   Many of the pictures appear much like the modern day descriptions of idea of "grey" aliens you often see in sci fi movies.  Locals might tell you a completely different story.  Legend has it that the stone fortress was built by kind hearted giants for a tribe of short people.  Interesting and worthy of a Strange Spot. 

Flinestones, meet the Flinestones...

 

A busy beehives, a gigantic termite colony or just a beautiful rural village, however your minds perceives Kandovan, Iran, you can't miss that fact that this is a pretty Strange Spot.  Kandovan lies remotely within the Northwest corner of Iran, far from the hustle and bustle of city life and yet, has become an major tourist attraction.   Long ago, the nearby mountain of Sahand erupted creating, massive cone like stones. Initially, the caves dwellings were simple natural pockets within the stones used by the locals to hide from the advancing Mongol Army.   Over a 700 year period, Kandovan's homes have been dramatically expanded and modernized.  Amazingly enough, many of them have been continuously inhabited.  Inside, it is not uncommon to find four stories, windows, doorways, electricity and even televisions.  The homes need no heating or cooling as their indoor temperature remains stable regardless if it is snowing or in the heat of the summer.  Those who decide to visit Kandovan have the option to stay within a cool cave hotel (with your own private sauna) or even a nearby 4 star hotel.  Stones homes yet certainly not Stone Age.

 

 

 

 

Ray's City

 

Love them or hate them, we share the world with these wonderfully terrifying creatures. I've been stung (beyond definition of pain), the world lost it's best crocodile man (Steve Irwin)and yet, so many still want to play in the Caribbean with them. Stingray City, located just of the of Antigua appears to be the perfect painless place to get up close and personal with the Southern Stingray. Many adventure companies lead adventurous tourists to the shallow waters to feed, touch and even kiss your new friends.  The Southern Stingray, known as the "puppy of the sea", loves attention and of course a tasty treat. The stingray's tail has a boney spine that is used for defensive purposes only to protect itself from predators when sleeping or relaxing. If the rays are unthreatened, they do not sting. Fortunately, Antigua has plenty of professional guides to educate those who wish to join the adventure of a lifetime. Are you brave enough????

 

Resting in "PEACE"!!!

 

Joal-Fadiouth small village in Senegal consisting of two areas.  Joal is on the mainland, but Fadiouth is what qualifies this place as a Strange Spot.  Fadiouth is a crunchy little island that is attached to the mainland by a narrow pedestrian bridge.  Most of the residents and little sea creatures of this island are long deceased as it is primarily a cemetery.  Villager having fished mollusks for generations, left behind their shells leaving them to good use.  The shells grace the islands gravesites, walls and the land.  Some say the shells bring peace as this is the only cemetery in all of Senegal in which Muslims and Christians can share the same cemetery! Another unique attraction to this areas is it's granaries on stilts over the water.  These are small storage units.  I'm not sure what they hold inside (maybe animal feed?).