Nature, travel and vacation

Smallest House in Great Britain

2010-10-22T17:02:00.000+02:00

The Smallest House in Great Britain, also known as the Quay House, is a tourist attraction on the quay in Conwy, Wales. The 3.05 metre by 1.8 metre (10 feet by 6 feet) structure was used as a residence from the 16th century until 1900; as its name indicates, it is reputed to be Britain's smallest house.

The house was lived in until 1900, when the owner was a 6ft 3 inch fisherman named Robert Jones. The rooms were too small for him to stand up in fully and he was eventually forced to move out when the council declared the house unfit for human habitation. The house is still owned by his descendants. In June 2006, there was a 50% loss of tourists to the house because of the road work that was being done nearby.

credited to wikipedia

Ryugyong Hotel - it would have become the world's tallest hotel

2010-01-18T11:00:00.000+01:00

The Ryugyong Hotel is a skyscraper intended for use as a hotel in Sojang-dong, in the Potong-gang District of Pyongyang, North Korea. The hotel's name comes from one of the historic names for Pyongyang: Ryugyong, or "capital of willows". Its 105 stories rise to a height of 330 metres (1,100 ft), and it contains 360,000 square metres (3,900,000 sq ft) of floor space, making it the most prominent feature of the city's skyline and by far the largest structure in the country. It is currently the world's 28th tallest building. If completed on schedule, it would have become the world's tallest hotel.

Construction began in 1987 and ceased in 1992, due to the government's financial difficulties. The unfinished hotel remained untouched until April 2008, when construction resumed after being inactive for 16 years.

The building's plan for a large hotel was reportedly a Cold War response to the completion of the Westin Stamford Hotel in Singapore the previous year by a South Korean company, SsangYong Group. North Korean leadership envisioned the project as a channel for Western investors to step into the marketplace. A firm, the Ryugyong Hotel Investment and Management Co., was established to attract a hoped-for US$230 million in foreign investment. A representative for the North Korean government promised relaxed oversight, saying, "The foreign investors can even operate casinos, nightclubs or Japanese lounges if they want to."

The Ryugyong Hotel was designed to feature 105 stories, resembling a flattened and bent ziggurat. The exterior walls of the building were to be covered in mirrored glass, with 3,000 guest rooms and several disk-shaped floors near the top of the building to feature five revolving restaurants. Under the leadership of Kim Jong-il, construction on this pyramid-shaped hotel began in 1987 by the North Korean construction firm Baekdu Mountain Architects & Engineers. The reinforced concrete structure consists of three wings, the face of each wing measuring 100 m (328 ft) long and 18 m (59 ft) wide, which converge at a common point to form a pinnacle. At the top is a 40 m (131 ft) wide circular structure which contains eight floors intended to rotate, topped by a further six static floors. The hotel is surrounded by a number of pavilions, gardens, and terraces. Its walls slope at a steep 75 degree angle. It was added to maps and North Korean postage stamps before it was half-finished. Shortly after the building's concrete hardened, it was discovered that elevators would not be able to operate in its poorly-designed shafts

The hotel was scheduled to open in June 1989 for the World Festival of Youth and Students, but problems with building methods and materials delayed completion. Work ceased in 1992 due to electricity shortages, funding problems and the North Korean famine. Japanese newspapers estimated the cost of construction was US$750 million—equivalent to 2% of North Korea’s GDP. There had been some question about whether North Korea had the raw materials or energy for such a massive project. A government official said in 2008 that construction had previously been halted when funds ran out.

Though the basic structure was complete when construction came to a halt in 1992, the building shell sat vacant and without windows, fixtures, or fittings for 16 years. A rusting construction crane at the top assumed the role of a permanent fixture. Even though the hotel dominates the Pyongyang skyline, it has proven difficult to obtain information about the hotel or its future from North Korean sources. The problems associated with the hotel led some media sources to dub it "The Worst Building in the World", "Hotel of Doom" and "Phantom Hotel".

After 16 years of inactivity, foreign residents in Pyongyang noted that Egypt's Orascom Group started refurbishing the top floors of the hotel in April 2008. Though the effect on the architecture has yet to be determined, glass paneling and telecommunications antennas were observed being installed.

The Orascom Telecom subsidiary of the group confirmed involvement in the structure to begin developing GSM infrastructure in North Korea for up to 100,000 initial subscribers. Only government officials are currently permitted to use mobile phones and the service has been banned from use by ordinary citizens and foreigners since 2002.

In September 2008, Choe Jong Hun, an official with the Committee for Cultural Relations With Foreign Countries, said the refurbishing of the Ryugyong Hotel will be done by 2012 – the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung. At the same time, an Orascom company official said the goal of the project was to at least give the structure's facade a facelift and make it more attractive.

On December 22, 2008, photos of ongoing construction at the hotel appeared on the Internet. The exterior construction has included the installation of windows and a covering of the top (circular) floors.

In August 2009, photos appeared showing at least one side of the hotel completely clad in glass, along with the upper circular floors that were to house the revolving restaurants. In October 2009, a TVB Hong Kong news program confirmed that a single side of the hotel, along with the upper floors were the only parts of the hotel to be clad in glass.

credited to wikipedia

World’s Most Spectacular Natural Arches and Bridges

2009-12-23T09:40:00.000+01:00

Some of the most beautiful natural arches and bridges from around the world:

Vallon-Pont-d'Arc - France

Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a commune in the Ardèche department in south-eastern France. Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a capital of prehistoric and cultural tourism. This small village, peaceful in wintertime, sees its population multiply 10 times in summer. Its touristic importance largely comes from the fact that it is the departure point for the descent of the gorge of the Ardèche river from Pont d'Arc to Saint-Martin-d'Ardeche.

Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is situated at the threshold of one of the most beautiful tourist sites of France: "les gorges de l'Ardèche" (the Ardèche canyon). The famous Pont d'Arc, a natural arch of more than 30 meters height, carved out by the Ardèche and classified as Great Site of France, gave it its name.

1.8 km (1.1 mi) southeast of the village, the river Ibie flows into the Ardèche, which forms all of the commune's south-western border.

Natural Bridge - Utah, USA

A natural arch or natural bridge is a natural formation (or landform) where a rock arch forms, with a natural passageway through underneath. Most natural arches form as a narrow ridge, walled by cliffs, become narrower from erosion, with a softer rock stratum under the cliff-forming stratum gradually eroding out until the rock shelters thus formed meet underneath the ridge, thus forming the arch. Natural arches commonly form where cliffs are subject to erosion from the sea, rivers or weathering (sub-aerial processes); the processes "find" weaknesses in rocks and work on them, making them bigger until they break through.

Rainbow Bridge - Utah

Rainbow Bridge National Monument is administered by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, southern Utah, USA. Rainbow Bridge is often described as the world's largest natural bridge. The span of Rainbow Bridge is 275 feet (84 m), and at the top it is 42 feet (13 m) thick and 33 feet (10 m) wide. Two other natural arches, Kolob Arch and Landscape Arch, both also in southern Utah, have confirmed spans several meters longer than Rainbow Bridge, but by most definitions of the terms are described as arches but not bridges. With a height of 290 feet (88 m) Rainbow Bridge does indeed stand taller than either of its longer competitors, but it is outdone by Aloba Arch at 394 feet (120 m), which is in turn dwarfed by the world's tallest arch, Tushuk Tash in China at an estimated 1,200 feet (366 m). It is probably the most accessible of the large arches of the world, as it can be reached by a two-hour yacht ride on Lake Powell or by hiking several hours overland from a trailhead (obtain a permit from the Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona).

Pravcicka Brana - Switzerland

This splendid rock formation is located in Bohemian Switzerland. This area is also known as Czech Switzerland, a picturesque region in the north-western Czech Republic.

Natural Bridge - Kentucky, USA

Natural Bridge State Park is a Kentucky state park located in Powell and Wolfe Counties along the Middle Fork of the Red River, adjacent to the Red River Gorge Geologic Area and surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest. Its namesake natural bridge is the centerpiece of the park. The natural sandstone arch spans 78 ft (24 m) and is 65 ft (20 m) high. The natural process of weathering formed the arch over millions of years. The park is approximately 2,300 acres (9 km2) of which approximately 1,200 acres (5 km2) is dedicated by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission as a nature preserve. In 1981 this land was dedicated into the nature preserves system to protect the ecological communities and rare species habitat. The first federally endangered Virginia big eared bats, Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus, recorded in Kentucky were found at Natural Bridge State Park in the 1950s.

Azure Window - Malta

The Azure Window is a natural arch in the Maltese island of Gozo featuring a table-like rock over the sea. The Inland Sea, Gozo, and Dwejra Bay, were created millions of years ago when two limestone caves collapsed. This and the near by Blue Hole and Inland sea are popular scuba diving sites. Dwejra is a tourist village that belongs to the town of St. Lawrence, Gozo, Malta.

Turret Arch - Utah, USA

Our next beautiful and interesting natural arch formation is located also at Arches National Park and it is the Turret Arch.

El Arco de Cabo San Lucas - Mexico

El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, or Lands End, Cabo San Lucas is a distinctive rock formation at the southern tip of Cabo San Lucas, which is itself the extreme southern end of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. The arch is usually known as El Arco in the town of Cabo San Lucas.

Skyline Arch - Utah, USA

Offcourse! - Utah ! Name of this beautiful arch is Skyline...

Arch of Akakus - Libya

Acacus Mountains or Tadrart Acacus is a mountain range in the desert of western Libya, part of the Sahara. They are situated east of the Libyan city of Ghat. They streach north from the Libyan border about 100 km. Tadrart means 'mountain' in the native language of the area (Tamahaq language). The area has a particularly rich array of prehistoric rock art.

Metate Caprock Arch - Utah, USA

Metate Arch is one of the main attractions of the Devils Garden natural area now part of the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument in southern Utah. It is reached via the historic Hole in the Rock road and is about 18 miles southeast of Escalante, Utah.

The Wonderful Bridges - Bulgaria

The Wonderful Bridges is a rock formation in the Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria. It is located in the Karst valley of the Erkyupryia River in the Western Rhodopes at 1,450 metres above sea level, at the foot of Persenk Peak. The "bridges" were formed by the erosive activity of the once high-water river. It transformed the marble clefts into a deep water cave, the ceiling of which whittled up through time and collapsed, allegedly during an earthquake. Geologists suppose that the water carried the debris away.

As a result, the two remaining bridge-shaped boulders remained. The large one (situated upstream) is 15 metres at its widest and 96 metres long, and shaped by three vault arches, the largest of which is 45 metres high and 40 metres wide. The Erkyupriya River flows under the middle-sized arch. The large Wonderful Bridge is passable under the vaults where birds nest in the marble clefts. The smaller bridge is located 200 metres downstream. It is unpassable, 60 metres in length, with a total height of 50 metres, 30 metres at the highest place of the arch. A third, very little and hardly reachable bridge-like formation follows, constituting the entrance of a pothole cave where the river waters disappear underground, and show back up after 3 km.

Double Arch - Utah, USA

Double Arch is a famous close-set pair of natural arches—one of the more impressive features of Arches National Park in Utah, USA. The arches are reached by a short walk (approx. 200 meters) from the area parking lot. There are no guardrails or fences to prevent visitors from exploring directly beneath and through the arches. The area was used as a backdrop for the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, in which the arches are briefly visible. However, the cave shown in the movie does not exist.

Cerro de Arcos - Ecuador

The Cerro de Arcos (English: Hill of arches) is a windswept rock formation in the high paramo of the Ecuadorian southern sierra. It is situated on the border between the provinces El Oro and Loja, on the elevated plain between the Cordillera de Chilla and the Cordillera de Timbayacu at an altitude of 3700 m (12140f). The rock formation features towers, columns and several of the eponymous arches formed by wind and weather erosion. The formation covers an area of about 300 m by 300 m.

Landscape Arch - Utah, USA

The extraordinarily beautiful Landscape Arch is the world’s longest natural arch. The arch is among many in the area known as Devil’s Garden. The arch has a span of 290.1 ± 0.8 feet or 88.4 meters.

Durdle Door - England

Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset, England. It is privately owned by the Welds, a wealthy landowning family who own 12,000 acres of Dorset in the form of the Lulworth Estate. It is open to the public. The name Durdle is derived from an Old English word 'thirl' meaning bore or drill.

Grosvenor Arch - Utah, USA

Grosvenor Arch is a unique sandstone double arch located within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. It is named to honor Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor (1875-1966), a president of the National Geographic Society, publishers of the National Geographic Magazine. Located in northern Kane County, it is close to and south of Kodachrome Basin State Park and is accessed from the north or south via Road 400, a dirt road that traverses Cottonwood Canyon, Utah and skirts the Grand Staircase on its western margin.

Delicate Arch - Utah, USA

The amazing and world-famous Delicate Arch is a freestanding natural arch located in Utah. It is the most widely- recognized landmark in Arches National Park and stands at 52 feet or 16 meters tall.

Natural Bridge - Wisconsin, USA

Natural Bridge State Park is an 530-acre (214 ha) Wisconsin state park featuring the largest natural arch in the state. Directly beneath the arch is a rock shelter once used by Paleo-Indians. The park is located southwest of Baraboo between the unincorporated communities of Leland and Denzer, in the town of Honey Creek.

Natural Bridge - California, USA

Natural Bridges State Beach is a protected area in Santa Cruz, California, featuring a natural bridge across a section of the beach. It is also well known as a hotspot to see monarch butterfly migrations.

Sewanee Natural Bridge - Tennessee, USA

Sewanee Natural Bridge in Franklin County, Tennessee, is a 25 feet (8 m) high natural sandstone arch with a span of 50 feet (15 m). It is essentially a giant sinkhole partially eroded to form a large stone bridge. A wet weather spring located behind the bridge in a rock cave probably contributed to the erosion forming the arch. It is called the Sewanee Natural Bridge as it was once owned by the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is a 3 acre (12,000 m²) designated state natural area.

Cedar Tree Arch - Colorado, USA

Rattlesnake Canyon is a scenic area within the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness which in turn forms the core of the Bureau of Land Management administered McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in west central Colorado. The canyon contains 9 natural arches, the second highest concentration of such arches in the United States, after the much better known Arches National Park. Limited access and primitive facilities limit visitation and help preserve the wilderness in its natural state.

East Rim Arch - Colorado, USA

East Rim Arch (also known as Akiti Arch or Centennial Arch) has a span of 40 feet and an opening height of 120 feet.

Bridge Arch - Colorado, USA

Bridge Arch (also known as Hole-in-the-Bridge Arch) has a span of 40 feet and an opening height of 30 feet.

Natural Bridge - Virginia, USA

Natural Bridge, known by locals as Natty B, in Rockbridge County, Virginia is a geological formation in which Cedar Creek (a small tributary of the James River) has carved out a gorge in the mountainous limestone terrain, forming an arch 215 ft (66 m) high with a span of 90 ft (27 m). It consists of horizontal limestone strata, and is the remains of the roof of a cave or tunnel through which the creek once flowed. It is crossed by a public road, U.S. Highway 11. There are fences on either side of the highway, blocking the view from the top of the bridge. Natural Bridge has been designated a Virginia Historical Landmark and a National Historical Landmark.

Sipapu Natural Bridge - Utah, USA

Sipapu Bridge is a natural bridge or arch located in the Natural Bridges National Monument in the U.S. state of Utah. The bridge spans White Canyon. Sipapu was long reported to have a span of 268 feet by the National Park Service, ranking it as the fourth longest natural arch in the world. A more accurate measurement obtained by laser survey in 2007 revealed the measurement to be a significant overstatement. The Natural Arch and Bridge Society has published a revised span of 225 feet, demoting the arch to a seventh place ranking.

Kachina Bridge - Utah, USA

Kachina Bridge is one of three natural bridges in the Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah.

Owachomo Bridge - Utah, USA

Another spectacular geological formation located in Natural Bridges Monument is the Owachomo Bridge which means “rock mound” in Hopi and is named after the rock formation on top of the east end of the bridge.

credited to wikipedia

Lake Eyre - Australia

2009-12-16T09:00:00.000+01:00

Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately 15 m (49 ft) (AHD) below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is the largest lake in Australia. It is the focal point of the vast Lake Eyre Basin and is found some 700 km (435 mi) north of Adelaide.

The lake was named after Edward John Eyre who was the first European to sight it in 1840. It is located in the deserts of central Australia, in northern South Australia. The Eyre Basin is a large endorheic system surrounding the lakebed, the lowest part of which is filled with the characteristic salt pan caused by the seasonal expansion and subsequent evaporation of the trapped waters. Even in the dry season there is usually some water remaining in Lake Eyre, normally collecting in a number of smaller sub-lakes on the playa.

During the rainy season the rivers from the northeast (in outback Queensland) flow towards the lake through the Channel Country. The amount of water from the monsoon determines whether water will reach the lake and if it does, how deep the lake will get. In strong La Niña years the lake can fill. Since 1885 this has occurred in 1886–1887, 1889–1890, 1916–1917, 1950, 1955, 1974–1976 , with the highest flood of 6 m (20 ft) in 1974. Local rain can also fill Lake Eyre to 3–4 m (10–13 ft) as occurred in 1984 and 1989. Wave built shingle terraces on the shore suggest that during the Medieval Warm Period and centuries immediately prior Lake Eyre possibly held permanent water at levels above those of 1974. Torrential rain in January 2007 took about six weeks to reach the lake but put only a small amount of water into it.

When recently flooded the lake is almost fresh and native fresh water fish, including bony bream (Nematolosa erebi), the Lake Eyre Basin sub-species of golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) and various small hardyhead species (Craterocephalus spp.) can survive in it. The salinity increases as the 450 mm (18 in) salt crust dissolves over a period of six months resulting in a massive fish kill. When over 4 m (13 ft) deep the lake is no more salty than the sea and salinity increases as the water evaporates, with saturation occurring at about a 500 mm (20 in) depth. The Lake takes on a "pink" hue when saturated due to the presence of beta-Carotene pigment caused by the algae Dunaliella salina.

Typically a 1.5 m (5 ft) flood occurs every three years, a 4 m (13 ft) flood every decade, and a fill or near fill four times a century. The water in the lake soon evaporates with a minor and medium flood drying by the end of the following summer.

The 2009 Lake Eyre flood peaked at 1.5 m (5 ft) deep in late May which is a quarter of its maximum recorded depth of 6 m (20 ft). 9 km3 (2 cu mi) of water crossed the Queensland–South Australian border with most of it coming from massive floods in the Georgina River. However the greater proportion soaked into the desert or evaporated en route to the lake leaving less than 1 km3 (0.24 cu mi) in the lake which covered an area of 800 km2 (309 sq mi) or 12% of the lake. As the flood did not start filling the lake's deepest point (Belt Bay) until late March little bird life appeared preferring instead to nest in the upper reaches of the Lake Eyre Basin, north of Birdsville, where large lakes appeared in January as a result of monsoonal rain.

credited to wikipedia and flickr users: goody62, simonwaterhouse, gsketch2000, c_and_g, mitshellh53, nic_pepsi

Ebenezer Place - the world's shortest street

2009-12-10T07:50:00.000+01:00

Ebenezer Place, in Wick, Caithness, Scotland, is credited by the Guinness Book of Records as being the world's shortest street at 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in). In 2006 it surpassed the previous record (5.2 m (17 ft)) set by Elgin Street, Lancashire. The street has only one address: the front door of No. 1 Bistro, which is part of Mackays Hotel

The street originated in 1883, when 1 Ebenezer Place was constructed; the owner of the building, a hotel at the time, was instructed to paint a name on the shortest side of the hotel. It was officially declared a street in 1887

credited to wikipedia

Copenhagen: What consequences can we expect, and what can we do?

2009-12-09T09:54:00.002+01:00

Many of the effects of global warming have been well-documented. It is the precise extent that is difficult to predict.

Ministry of Climate and Energy of Denmark

Predicting the consequences of global warming is one of the really difficult tasks for the world’s climate researchers. Firstly, because the natural processes that cause precipitation, storms, increases in sea level and other expected effects of global warming are dependent on many different factors. Secondly, because it is difficult to predict the size of the emissions of greenhouse gases in the coming decades, as this is determined to a great extent by political decisions and technological breakthroughs.

Many of the effects of global warming have been well-documented, and observations from real life are very much consistent with earlier predictions. It is the precise extent that is difficult to predict. Among the effects that can be predicted are:

More droughts and more flooding:

When the weather gets warmer, evaporation from both land and sea increases. This can cause drought in areas of the world where the increased evaporation is not compensated for by more precipitation. The extra water vapor in the atmosphere has to fall again as extra precipitation, which can cause flooding other places in the world.

Less ice and snow:

Glaciers are shrinking rapidly at present. The trend is for the ice to melt faster than estimated in the IPCC’s latest report. In areas that are dependent on melt water from mountain areas, this can cause drought and a lack of drinking water. According to the IPCC, up to a sixth of the world’s population lives in areas that will be affected by this.

More extreme weather incidents:

The warmer climate will most probably cause more heatwaves, more cases of heavy rainfall and also possibly an increase in the number and/or severity of storms.

Rising sea level:

The sea level rises for two reasons. Partly because of the melting ice and snow, and partly because of the thermal expansion of the sea. Thermal expansion takes a long time, but even an increase in temperature of two degrees Celsius is expected, in due time, to cause a rise in the water level of almost a metre.

In order to get an idea of the extent of the consequences, researchers typically work with scenarios that show various possible developments.

credited to United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen official site

Principality of Sealand

2009-12-04T13:21:00.000+01:00

The Principality of Sealand is a micronation located on HM Fort Roughs, a former World War II Maunsell Sea Fort in the North Sea 10 km (six miles) off the coast of Suffolk, England.

Since 1967, the facility has been occupied by former radio broadcaster British Army Major Paddy Roy Bates; his associates and family claim that it is an independent sovereign state. External commentators generally classify Sealand as a micronation. It has been described as the world's smallest nation. Sealand is not currently officially recognized as a sovereign state by any United Nations member.

In 1943, during World War II, HM Fort Roughs was constructed by the United Kingdom as one of the Maunsell Forts, primarily for defense against German mine-laying aircraft that might be targeting the estuaries that were part of vital shipping lanes. It comprised a floating pontoon base with a superstructure of two hollow towers joined by a deck upon which other structures could be added. The fort was towed to a position above the Rough Sands sandbar, where its base was intentionally flooded to allow it to sink to its final resting place on the sandbar. The location chosen was in international waters, approximately six miles from the coast of Suffolk, outside the then three-mile territorial water claim of the United Kingdom. The facility (called Roughs Tower or HM Fort Roughs) was occupied by 150–300 Royal Navy personnel throughout World War II; not until well after the war, in 1956, were the last full-time personnel taken off HM Fort Roughs.

Occupation by Roy Bates and the establishment of Sealand

On 2 September 1967, the fort was occupied by Major Paddy Roy Bates, a British subject and pirate radio broadcaster, who ejected a competing group of pirate broadcasters. Bates intended to broadcast his pirate radio station Radio Essex from the platform.

In 1968, the Royal Navy entered what Bates claimed to be his territorial waters in order to service a navigational buoy near the platform. Michael Bates (son of Paddy Roy Bates) tried to scare the workmen off by firing warning shots from the former fort. As Bates was a British subject at the time, he was summoned to court in England following the incident. The court ruled that as the platform (which Bates was now calling "Sealand") was outside British jurisdiction, being beyond the then three-mile limit of the country's waters, the case could not proceed. In 1975, Bates introduced a constitution for Sealand, followed by a flag, a national anthem, a currency and passports.

Forcible takeover

In 1978, while Bates was away, Alexander Achenbach, who describes himself as the Prime Minister of Sealand, and several German and Dutch citizens staged a forcible takeover of Roughs Tower, holding Bates' son Michael captive, before releasing him several days later in the Netherlands. Bates thereupon enlisted armed assistance and, in a helicopter assault, retook the fort. He then held the invaders captive, claiming them as prisoners of war. Most participants in the invasion were repatriated at the cessation of the "war", but Achenbach, a German lawyer who held a Sealand passport, was charged with treason against Sealand and was held unless he paid DM 75,000 (more than US$ 35,000). The governments of the Netherlands and Germany petitioned the British government for his release, but the United Kingdom disavowed all responsibility, citing the 1968 court decision. Germany then sent a diplomat from its London embassy to Roughs Tower to negotiate for Achenbach's release. Roy Bates relented after several weeks of negotiations and subsequently claimed that the diplomat's visit constituted de facto recognition of Sealand by Germany. Following his repatriation, Achenbach established a "government in exile" in Germany, in opposition to Roy Bates, assuming the name "Chairman of the Privy Council". He handed the position to Johannes Seiger in 1989 because of illness. Seiger continues to claim—via his website—that he is Sealand's legitimate ruling authority.

Post-1990

1990: The Royal Maritime Auxiliary vessel Golden Eye was fired upon from Sealand in defence of their claim to the waters surrounding Roughs Tower to the extent of twelve nautical miles.

1997: Because of the massive quantity of illegal passports in circulation (estimated at 150,000), the Bates family revoked all Sealand passports, including those that they themselves had issued over the previous twenty-two years.

2006: On the afternoon of 23 June 2006, the top platform of the Roughs Tower caught fire due to an electrical failure. A Royal Air Force rescue helicopter transferred one person to Ipswich hospital, directly from the tower. The Harwich lifeboat stood by the Roughs Tower until a local fire tug extinguished the fire. All damage was repaired by November 2006.

In January 2007, The Pirate Bay attempted to buy Sealand after harsher copyright measures in Sweden forced it to look for a base of operations elsewhere. The deal fell through.

2007: Sealand was offered for sale through Spanish estate company InmoNaranja.Since a principality cannot technically be sold, Sealand's current owners plan to transfer "custodianship". The asking price is €750 million (£600 million). Plans for an online casino have been announced.

In January 2009, The Kingdom of Marduk claimed ownership of Sealand, saying it was not mentioned in treaties after the Second World War and so can be claimed by anyone. Michael Bates dismissed the claim as that of an "imposter", and Sealand News said, "Marduk has popped up before".

credited to wikipedia

Ghost place - Red Forest near Pripyat

2009-12-02T08:18:00.000+01:00

The Red Forest, formerly the Worm Wood Forest, refers to the trees in the 10 km² surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The name 'Red Forest' comes from the ginger-brown colour of the pine trees after they died following the absorption of high levels of radiation from the Chernobyl accident on April 26, 1986. In the post-disaster cleanup operations, the Red Forest was bulldozed and buried in 'waste graveyards'. The site of the Red Forest remains one of the most contaminated areas in the world today.

The Red Forest is located in the zone of alienation; this area received the highest doses of radiation from the Chernobyl accident and the resulting clouds of smoke and dust, heavily polluted with radiation. The trees died from this radiation. The explosion and fire at the Chernobyl No. 4 reactor contaminated the soil, water and atmosphere with the radiation equivalent to 20 of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In the post-disaster cleanup operations, a majority of the pine trees were bulldozed and buried in trenches by the "liquidators". The trenches were then covered with a thick carpet of sand and planted with pine saplings. Many fear that as the trees decay radiation will leach into the ground water. People have evacuated the contaminated zone around the Red Forest.

As humans were evacuated from the area in 1986, animals moved in despite the radiation. The flora and fauna of the Red Forest have been dramatically affected by the radioactive contamination that followed the accident. It seems that the biodiversity of the Red Forest has increased in the years following the disaster. There are reports of higher numbers of mutations in some of the plants in the area, leading to unsubstantiated tales of a "forest of wonders" containing many strangely mutated plants. Specifically, some trees have weirdly twisted branches that do not reach for the sky.

In the years after the disaster, some plants have displayed gigantism, in which the shape of the plants features remain normal, but its size becomes much larger than average. Gigantism and other plant abnormalities of the Red Forest can be found in the most radioactive parts of the zone of alienation.

The site of the Red Forest remains one of the most contaminated areas in the world. However, it has proved to be an astonishingly fertile habitat for many endangered species. The evacuation of the area surrounding the nuclear reactor has created a lush and unique wildlife refuge. In the 1996 BBC Horizon documentary "Inside Chernobyl's Sarcophagus", birds are seen flying in and out of large holes in the structure of the former nuclear reactor. The long-term impact of the fallout on the flora and fauna of the region is not fully known, as plants and animals have significantly different and varying radiologic tolerance. Some birds are reported with stunted tail feathers (which interferes with breeding). Storks, wolves, beavers, and eagles have been reported in the area. and joint International Atomic Energy Agency/WHO/UNDP press release Chernobyl: The True Scale of the Accident, International Atomic Energy Agency/World Health Organization/United Nations Development Programme, September 5, 2005.

Today

Today, radiation levels in the Red Forest can be as high as one röntgen per hour, but levels of ten milliröntgens per hour are more common. More than 90% of the radioactivity of the Red Forest is concentrated in the soil.

Scientists are planning to use the radioactive ghost town and surrounding area as a unique laboratory for modeling the dispersal of radionuclides by the detonation of a dirty bomb or an attack with chemical or biological agents. The area offers an unparalleled opportunity to fully understand the passage of radioactive debris through an urban and rural area.

The nature of the area seems to have not only survived, but flourished due to significant reduction of human impact. The zone has become a "Radiological Reserve", a classic example of an involuntary park. There were thought to be cases of mutant deformity in animals of the Red Forest, but none have been proven, except partial albinism in swallows. Currently, there is concern about contamination of the soil with Strontium-90 and Caesium-137, which have half-lives of about 30 years. The highest levels of Caesium-137 are found in the surface layers of the soil where they are absorbed by plants, and insects living there today. Some scientists fear that radioactivity will affect the land for the next several generations.

credited to wikipedia

UFO-Memorial in Ängelholm

2009-11-30T05:12:00.000+01:00

The UFO-Memorial Ängelholm is a shrine dedicated to a supposed UFO landing in Kronoskogen, a suburb of Ängelholm, Sweden. It is Europe's only such shrine except for the Emilcin UFO memorial in Emilcin, Poland. Dedicated in 1963, it is situated in a forest clearing at Kronoskogen, which had witnessed numerous "large-scale test flights" in that time period. The UFO-Memorial Ängelholm memorialises the landing of a UFO, which is said to have taken place on May 18, 1946 and been seen by the Swedish ice hockey player Gösta Carlsson. The memorial consists of a model of the UFO and the landing traces, and is constructed of concrete.

Clas Svahn, chairman of UFO-Sweden, has investigated the case and written a book together with Gösta Carlsson about the incident. According to him there was no convincing evidence that the event ever took place the way Gösta Carlsson described it.

In the encounter Gösta Carlsson claims to have received recipes for natural remedies. Based on this knowledge he started the pharmaceutical companies Cernelle and Allergon which grew to become a success and made him wealthy. He later founded the first professional ice-hockey club in Sweden — Rögle BK.

The memorial was recently sabotaged by a large fire under the momument itself, causing the concrete to crack and the grass underneath to burn. A fund has been created to pay for the repairs and the monument is now being restored to its original state.

credited to wikipedia

Gandaki River

2009-11-24T08:19:00.000+01:00

The Gandaki River (also known as the Narayani in southern Nepal and the Gandak in India) is one of the major rivers of Nepal and a left bank tributary of the Ganges in India. The river is notable for the deep gorge through which it flows and for a large hydroelectric facility in Nepal. It has a total catchment area of 46,300 sq km, most of it in Nepal, which lies between the Kosi system to the east and the Karnali system to the west.

In Nepal

The river is called Sapta (seven) Gandaki for its seven tributaries rising in the Himalaya or to the north along the main Ganges-Brahmaputra divide. These are called Daraudi, Seti, Madi, Kali, Marsyandi, Budhi and Trisuli.

The Kali Gandaki rises along the border with Tibet at an altitude of 3,900 m (12,795 ft) in the Mustang region of Nepal. . The two headwaters Nup Chhu and Shar Chhu ("West River" and "East River") meet near Mustang's ancient captial Lo Manthang. The river then flows southwest with the name of Mustang Khola. In Kagbeni a major tributary Kak Khola descends from Muktinath and from this point the river is called the Kali Gandaki.

The river then flows southward through a steep gorge known as the Kali Gandaki Gorge, or Andha Galchi, between the mountains Dhaulagiri (8167 m) to the west and Annapurna (8091 m) to the east. If one measures the depth of a canyon by the difference between the river height and the heights of the highest peaks on either side, the Gorge is the world's deepest. The portion of the river between the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna massifs is at an elevation of between 1300 metres and 2600 metres, 5500 to 6800 metres lower than the two peaks. The river is older than the Himalayas. As tectonic activity forces the mountains higher, the river has cut through the uplift.

South of the gorge, the river is joined by Rahught Khola at Galeshwor, Myagdi Khola at Beni, Modi Khola near Kushma and Badigaad at Rudrabeni. The river then takes a right-angle turn and runs east along the northern edge of the Mahabharat Range. The largest hydroelectricity project in Nepal is located along this stretch of the river. Turning south again and breaking through the Mahabharats, Kali Gandaki is then joined by a major tributary, Trishuli at Devighat, then by the (East) Rapti draining the Inner Terai valley known as Chitwan. The Gandaki then crosses the outermost foothills of the Himalayas -- Sivalik Hills -- into the Terai plains of Nepal. From Devighat, the river flows southwest and is known as Narayani or Sapt Gandaki. The river later curves back towards the southeast as it enters India.

In India

The river flows southeast across the Gangetic plain of Bihar state, eventually merging with the Ganga near at Hajipur, or Patna.The entry point of the river at the Indo-Nepal border is also the confluence of Gandak, known as Triveni, with rivers Pachnad and Sonha also descending into India from Nepal.Pandai river flows into Bihar (India) from Nepal in the eastern end of the Valmiki Sanctuary and meets Masan. its drainage area in India is 7620 sqkm. After the river enters India at Triveni, it travels for a further length of 300 km before it joins the Ganga, just downstream of Hajipur at Sonepur (also known as Harihar Kshetra), near Patna.Bfore joining the river Ganga nar patna, it flows through Champaran, Sarang and Muzaffarpur districts. The total length of the river is 630 km out of which 330 km lies in Nepal and Tibet.

It is said that the Gandak River has shifted about 80 km to the east due to tectonic tilting in the last 5000 years (1). The Gandak plains, called the Gandak Megafan comprises Eastern Uttar Pradesh and North Western Bihar and lies in the Middle Gangetic Plains

Major towns and cities located along the banks of the Kali Gandaki are Lo Manthang, Jomsom, Beni, Baglung, Kusma, Ridi, Devghat, Narayangarh, Valmikinagar and Triveni. The river also forms the western border of Chitwan National Park.Gorkha is an important town in the Trisuli river basin. Along the stretch in Nepal, the river carries heavy amounts of glacial silt, imparting the river a black color. Kali Gandaki is a popular whitewater adventure destination.

The important towns in the Indian part of the Gandak river are the Valmikinagar(Bhainsalotan)- location of Gandak Barrage, Bagaha, Bettia (district hqrs & field directorate of Valmiki Tiger Project), Harinagar (Ramnagar), Hajipur (across the Ganga 10 km from Patna) and Sonepur (also Known as Harihar Kshetra), near Patna.

credited to wikipedia and flickr users: rehvonwald, east_med_wanderer, kuuan, martidou, cogiac, jonsequitur, medeepakaryal, mustang2009, oliphant, a-ni-za, theresponsibletravellers, my_trips, abramovichifat, jenstodzy

Ball's Pyramid

2009-11-19T14:36:00.000+01:00

Ball's Pyramid is an erosional remnant of a shield volcano and caldera that formed about 7 million years ago. Ball's Pyramid is 20 km (13 miles) southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean. It is 562 m (1844 ft) high, while measuring only 200 m (656 ft) across, making it the tallest volcanic stack in the world. It is part of the Lord Howe Island Marine Park.

Ball's Pyramid has a few satellite islets. Observatory Rock and Wheatsheaf Islet lie about 800 m WNW and 800 m WSW, respectively, of the western extremity of Ball's Pyramid. Southeast Rock is a pinnacle located about 3.5 km southeast of Ball's Pyramid. Like Lord Howe Island and the Lord Howe seamount chain, Ball's Pyramid is based on the Lord Howe Rise, part of the submerged continent of Zealandia.

The pyramid was named after Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball who discovered it in 1788 at the same time he discovered Lord Howe Island (see the history section of that article). The first person to go ashore is believed to have been Henry Wilkinson in 1882, who was a geologist at the New South Wales Department of Mines.

The first successful climb to the summit was made on 14 February 1965 by a team of climbers from the Sydney Rock Climbing Club, consisting of Bryden Allen, John Davis, Jack Pettigrew and David Witham.

There had been an earlier attempt in 1964 by another Sydney team that included adventurer Dick Smith (then just 20 years old) and other members of the Scouting movement. They were forced to turn back on their fifth day running short of food and water. In 1979 Smith returned to the pyramid, together with climbers John Worrall and Hugh Ward, and they successfully reached the summit. At the top they unfurled a flag of New South Wales provided to them by Premier Neville Wran and declared the island Australian territory (a formality which it seems had not previously been done).

Climbing was banned in 1982 under amendments to the Lord Howe Island Act, and in 1986 all access to the island was banned by the Lord Howe Island Board. In 1990 the policy changed to allow some climbing under strict conditions, which in recent years has required an application to the relevant state Minister.

In 2001, a team of entomologists and conservationists landed on Ball's Pyramid to chart its flora and fauna. To their surprise they rediscovered a population of the Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis) living in an area of six by 30 metres, at a height of 100 metres above the shoreline, under a single Melaleuca shrub. The bush is growing in a small crevice where water was seeping through cracks in the underlying rocks. This moisture supported relatively lush plant growth which had, over time, resulted in a build up of plant debris, several metres deep. The population was extremely small, only 24 individuals. Two pairs were brought to two Pacific zoos to breed new populations. On the unsuccessful 1964 climb, Dave Roots had brought back a photograph of the insect, which the Australian Museum told him they thought was extinct.

credited to wikipedia

Gravity Hill - A hill that gives the illusion of objects rolling uphill

2009-11-17T16:47:00.000+01:00

A gravity hill, also known as a magnetic hill (and sometimes a mystery hill or a gravity road), is a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope. Thus, a car left out of gear will appear to be rolling uphill. There are hundreds of gravity hill locations around the world.

The slope of gravity hills is an optical illusion, although tour guides may claim natural or even supernatural forces are at work. The most important factor contributing to the illusion is a completely or mostly obstructed horizon; without a horizon, judging the slope of a surface is difficult as a reliable reference is missing. Objects one would normally assume to be more-or-less perpendicular to the ground (such as trees) may actually be leaning, offsetting the visual reference. The illusion is similar to the well-known Ames room, in which balls can also appear to roll against gravity.

Websites devoted to the paranormal also tend to have names like "Haunted Hill", "Magnetic Hill", or "Anti-gravity Hill", reflecting attribution of the properties of the area to the supernatural or magnetism. While humans also have a sense of balance to determine the inclination of the ground, visual cues can override this sense, especially if the inclination is shallow.

credited to wikipedia and youtube

World's Quietest Places

2009-11-12T08:27:00.000+01:00

Central Park, New York City

Really? No, of course it’s not quiet—but it is amazingly quieter. You start hearing birds instead of brakes, wind in the trees instead of gusts coming up subway grates. Consider the sensory shift it brings as an opportunity, in a hugely crowded city, to remember the pleasures of listening. Marie Javins, author of Stalking the Wild Dik-Dik, says, “When I went to Shakespeare in the Park, I couldn't help but marvel that the actors spoke against a backdrop of crickets, not buses. We were just a few blocks in from the surrounding city but somehow the buses, horns, and voices of Manhattan can't reach into the park, as if the stage were surrounded by wilderness.”

Asolo, Italy

An hour outside Venice (another carless place that could have made this list), Asolo is a perfect medieval hill town of walls and cobbled streets and afternoons of nothing to do but sip a drink in an open-air café. Once home to Robert and Elizabeth Browning, in Asolo, the only alarm clock you’ll ever need here are the songbirds. According to Dr. Cheryl Fraser, “On a circular hike through the hillside farms and vineyards, over the top of the old castle and down the ancient winding stone path, the predominant sounds are the buzz of various insects (I wonder, do they buzz in dialect?) and the beating of my own heart.”

The Troll Ladder, Norway

Roads tend to be noisy places. Engines and wheels are not at all kind to the soundscape. But the Troll Ladder has something very few roads do: a soundtrack. Famed Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg wrote his piece “Hall of the Mountain King” with exactly this place in mind: Hairpin turns so close to a towering waterfall that it’s a good idea to check your brakes and windshield wipers before starting the drive. Norway’s mountains block the horizons in scenery that looks like you thought The Lord of the Rings should have looked like, if the producers hadn’t been from New Zealand.

Yap

Once you get past the fun of just saying the place’s name—YAP—this Pacific island (take a left at Guam), might just be paradise. It’s a jungle island, with endless coastline, mangrove swamps where giant fruit bats play, and under water, manta rays with ten-foot wingspans glide without a sound. Yap’s entire culture is built on adherence to social peace, so that, according to resident Richard Flow, even playing your car radio too loud when you drive simply isn’t done. “Do it,” he says, “and you’ll come back the next day to find your windshield broken.” So the loudest sound in Yap? Waves hitting the reef, more than a mile from shore. And occasional broken glass.

The Hoh Valley, Washington state

Deep in the rainforests of Olympic National Park, the largest roadless area in the contiguous United States, the Hoh is home of the "One Square Inch Project", a fight to preserve just a single inch of landscape from human sound. Keep that one inch quiet, says founder Gordon Hempton, and the silence will radiate out for thousands of acres. And he’s right: the Inch offers few sounds louder than water dripping from leaves and the occasional clack of a grouse.

The Grand Canyon, Arizona

Some of the box canyons off the main river have been measured to be half as loud as human breath. But nobody can take that for long, so head back out to the Canyon proper, where the signature sound, says Mike Buchheit, director of the Grand Canyon Field Institute, “as it grows from the graveyard silence of any hike, is the roar of the Colorado River.” Of course, some people come just because they think all the red rocks are pretty.

Anzo-Borrego State park, California

So big it makes up roughly half of the entire California state park system, Anzo-Borrego is “only four hours from 20 million people,” says park interpreter Michael Rodriques. Yet “there’s no place where you’ll find solitude like this. This is a place where you can experience quiet—real quiet.” Anzo-Borrego is desert with a palm oasis where click of hooves from endangered Borrego sheep—a subspecies of bighorn—make the loudest sound.

Big Bend National park, Texas

Big Bend is a kind of acoustic greatest hits record. Because the park, located in southwest Texas, has such a diverse landscape—mountains, deserts, river, with more species of birds, bats, and cactus than any other park in the country—only a few minute’s change in location can dramatically change what you hear. And one of the best things about Big Bend? It’s not on very many airplane flight routes. In fact, the sound of planes is still very rare here. And that makes it one of the most unusual, noise-free environments anywhere in the world.

The Kalahari desert

Simple math: the greater the distance from people, the quieter a place is going to be. the Kalahari—which lies mostly in Botswana, but also spreads into five other African nations—may be one of the emptiest landscapes on the planet, over 350,000 square miles of low scrub and acacia trees, nibbled on by giraffes. But then, giraffes aren’t noted for being noisy. Photographer Jad Davenport says of the Kalahari, “No sound out there at all. Nothing.”

Victoria Falls, Zambia

The rumble of the falls—water dropping 350 feet—is audible more than a mile away. So why put it on a list of the world’s quietest places? Because the falls may be the most natural sound the world still contains; up close, you simply can’t hear anything else. “The Kololo tribe called these cataracts ‘The Smoke that Thunders,’” says Patricia Schultz, author of 1000 Places to See Before You Die. “But it should be called the Silence that Thunders—an oxymoron that makes sense to anyone enveloped by its mist.”

credited to forbestraveler.com

Badlands Guardian

2009-11-10T07:34:00.000+01:00

A natural topographic feature in Canada which, when viewed from above, looks remarkably like a human wearing a Native American headdress and earphones.

The Badlands Guardian is a geomorphological feature near Medicine Hat in the south east corner of Alberta, Canada. Viewed from the air, the feature bears a strong resemblance to a human head wearing a full native American headdress. Because of additional man-made structure, it also appears to be wearing earphones. The apparent earphones are a road and an oil well, which has been in place only a few years, and will likely become invisible once the well falls into disuse and its superficial features are eroded.

The head is a drainage feature created through erosion of soft, clay-rich soil by the action of wind and water. The arid badlands are typified by infrequent but intense rain-showers, sparse vegetation and soft sediments. The 'head' may have been created during a short period of fast erosion immediately following intense rainfall. Although the image appears to be a positive feature, it is actually a negative feature (a valley).

In 2006 Medicine Hat's CHAT-TV Reporter Dale Hunter did a short feature on the Badlands Guardian. It was the winner of the RTNDA National- TV - short feature award for that year.

Originally discovered by Lynn Hickox, suitable names were canvassed by CBC Radio One program As It Happens. Out of 50 names submitted, seven were suggested to the Cypress County Council. They altered the suggested 'Guardian of the Badlands' to become Badlands Guardian.

The Badlands Guardian was also described by the Sydney Morning Herald as a "net sensation". PCWorld magazine has referred to the formation as a "geological marvel". The Guardian was also covered by Canada's Global Television channel.

credited to wikipedia

Forest swastika - a gigantic Nazi swastika made of larch trees

2009-11-04T17:56:00.000+01:00

The forest swastika was a patch of larch trees covering 3,600 m2 (4,300 sq yd) area of pine forest near Zernikow, Uckermark district, Brandenburg, in northeastern Germany, carefully arranged to look like a swastika. It was probably planted near the height of Hitler's power, in the 1930s.

It is unclear why the trees were planted and arranged thus. It has been suggested that it was laid out in 1937 by locals to prove their loyalty after a businessman in the area was denounced and sent to a concentration camp by the Nazi Party for listening to the BBC. Another theory is that a zealous forester convinced local Hitler Youth members to plant the trees in commemoration of Adolf Hitler's birthday. One source maintains it was planted by a warden, either out of support for the Hitler regime, or due to an order from state officials.

For a few weeks every year in the autumn and in the spring, the colour of the larch leaves would change, contrasting with the deep green of the pine forest. The short duration of the effect combined with the fact that the image could only be discerned from the air and the relative scarcity of privately owned aeroplanes in the area meant that the swastika went largely unnoticed after the fall of the Nazi Party. During the subsequent Communist period, Communist authorities reportedly knew of its existence but made no effort to remove it. However, in 1992, the reunified German government ordered aerial surveys of all state-owned land. The photographs were examined by forestry students, who immediately noticed the design.

The Brandenburg state authorities, concerned about damage to the region's image and the possibility that the area would become a pilgrimage site for Nazi supporters, attempted to destroy the design by removing 43 of the 100 larch trees in 1995. However, the figure remained discernible with the remaining 57 trees as well as some tree which had regrown, and in 2000 German tabloids published further aerial photographs showing the prominence of the swastika. By this time, ownership of around half the land on which the trees sat had been sold into private hands, but permission was gained to fell a further 25 trees on the government-owned area on December 1, 2000, and the image was largely obscured.

credited to wikipedia

A town that's been on fire since 1962

2009-11-02T17:04:00.000+01:00

Centralia is a borough and ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population has dwindled from over 1,000 residents in 1981 to 12 in 2005 and 9 in 2007, as a result of a mine fire burning beneath the borough since 1962. Centralia is now the least-populous municipality in Pennsylvania, with four fewer residents than the borough of S.N.P.J.

Centralia is part of the Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Johnathan Faust opened Bull's Head Tavern in 1841 in what was then Roaring Creek Township. In 1854, Alexander W. Rea, a civil and mining engineer for the Locust Mountain Coal and Iron Company, moved to the site and laid out streets and lots for development. The town was known as Centreville until 1865. There was another Centreville in Schuylkill County, however, and the Post Office would not allow a second one, so Rea named his village Centralia.

Centralia was incorporated as a borough in 1866. The anthracite coal industry was the principal employer in the community. Coal mining continued in Centralia until the 1960s, when most of the companies went out of business. Bootleg mining continued until 1982. Strip and open-pit mining is still active in the area, and there is an underground mine employing about 40 employees three miles to the west.

The borough was also a hotbed of Molly Maguires activity during the 1860s and 1870s. The borough's founder, Alexander Rea, was one of the victims of the secret order when he was murdered just outside of the borough on October 17, 1868. Three individuals were convicted of the crime and hanged in the county seat of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania on March 25, 1878. Several other murders and arsons also occurred during this period.

The borough was served by two railroads, the Philadelphia and Reading and the Lehigh Valley, with the Lehigh Valley being the principal carrier. Rail service ended in 1966. The borough operated its own school district with elementary schools and a high school within its precincts. There were also two Catholic parochial schools in the borough. The borough once had seven churches, five hotels, twenty-seven saloons, two theatres, a bank, post office, and fourteen general and grocery stores. During most of the borough's history, when coal mining activity was being conducted, the town had a population in excess of 2,000 residents. Another 500 to 600 residents lived in unincorporated areas immediately adjacent to Centralia.

It is not known for certain how the fire that made Centralia essentially unlivable was ignited. One theory asserts that in May 1962, Centralia Borough Council hired five members of the volunteer fire company to clean up the town landfill, located in an abandoned strip mine pit next to the Odd Fellows Cemetery. This had been done prior to Memorial Day in previous years, when the landfill was in a different location. The firefighters, as they had in the past, set the dump on fire, and let it burn for a time. Unlike in previous years, however, the fire was not extinguished.

Other evidence supports this theory, as stated in Joan Quigley's 2007 missive, such as the fact that one of two trash haulers (Curly Stasulevich or Sam Devine) dumped hot ash and/or coal discard from coal burners into the open trash pit. The borough, by law, was responsible for installing a fire-resistant clay barrier between each layer but had fallen behind. This action allowed the hot coals to penetrate the vein of coal underneath the pit and subsequent subterranean fire. Quigley cites "interviews with volunteer firemen, the former fire chief, borough officials, and several eyewitnesses, as well as contemporaneous borough council minutes" as her sources for this explanation of the fire. Another theory of note is the Bast Theory. It states that the fire was burning long before the alleged trash dump fire. However, due to overwhelmingly contrary evidence, few hold this position and give it little credibility.

The fire remained burning underground and spread through a hole in the rock pit into the abandoned coal mines beneath Centralia. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful and it continued to burn throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Adverse health effects were reported by several people due to the byproducts of the fire, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and lack of healthy oxygen levels.

In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas-station owner and then mayor, John Coddington, inserted a stick into one of his underground tanks to check the fuel level. When he withdrew it, it seemed hot, so he lowered a thermometer down on a string and was shocked to discover that the temperature of the gasoline in the tank was 172 °F (77.8 °C). Statewide attention to the fire began to increase, culminating in 1981 when 12-year-old resident Todd Domboski fell into a subsidence four feet wide by 150 feet (46 m) deep that suddenly opened beneath his feet in a backyard.

In 1984, Congress allocated more than $42 million for relocation efforts. Most of the residents accepted buyout offers and moved to the nearby communities of Mount Carmel and Ashland. A few families opted to stay despite warnings from state officials.

In 1992, Pennsylvania claimed eminent domain on all properties in the borough, condemning all the buildings within. A subsequent legal effort by residents to have the decision reversed failed. In 2002, the United States Postal Service revoked Centralia's ZIP Code, 17927.

Today

Very few homes remain standing in Centralia; most of the abandoned buildings have been demolished by humans or nature. At a casual glance the area now appears to be a field with many paved streets running through it. Some areas are being filled with new-growth forest. Most of Centralia's roads and sidewalks are overgrown with brush, although some areas appear to be mowed. The remaining church in the borough, St. Mary's, holds weekly services on Sunday and is unaffected by the fire. The town's four cemeteries are maintained in good condition and now have a far greater population than the town, including one on the hilltop that has smoke rising around and out of it.

The only indications of the fire, which underlies some 400 acres (1.6 km²), spreading along four fronts, are low round metal steam vents in the south of the borough, and several signs warning of underground fire, unstable ground, and carbon monoxide. Additional smoke and steam can be seen coming from an abandoned portion of Pennsylvania Route 61, the area just behind the hilltop cemetery, and other cracks in the ground scattered about the area. Route 61 was repaired several times until its final closing. The current route was a detour around the damaged portion during the repairs and became a permanent route in the mid-1990s; mounds of dirt were placed at both ends of the former route, effectively blocking the road. Pedestrian traffic is still possible due to a small opening about two feet wide at the north side of the road, but this is muddy and not accessible to the disabled. The underground fire is still burning and will continue to do so for a predicted 250 more years.

Prior to its demolition in September 2007, the last remaining house on Locust Avenue was notable for the five chimney-like support buttresses along each of two opposite sides of the house, where the house was previously supported by a row of adjacent buildings before it was demolished. Another house with similar buttresses is visible from the northern side of the cemetery, just north of the burning, partially subsumed hillside.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania did not renew the relocation contract at the end of 2005, and the fate of the remaining residents is uncertain.

It is expected that many former residents will return in 2016 to open a time capsule buried in 1966 next to the veterans' memorial.

credited to wikipedia

America's 10 Most Dangerous Hikes

2009-10-29T06:40:00.000+01:00

Like your life and limbs intact? Then you'd better get skilled before visiting these trails.

Horseshoe Canyon, Utah

Horseshoe Canyon, formerly known as Barrier Canyon, is in a remote area west of the Green River and north of the Canyonlands National Park Maze District in Utah, USA. It is known for its collection of Barrier Canyon Style (BCS) rock art, including both pictographs and petroglyphs, which was first recognized as a unique style here. A portion of Horseshoe Canyon containing The Great Gallery is part of a detached unit of Canyonlands National Park. The Horseshoe Canyon Unit was added to the park in 1971 in an attempt to preserve and protect the rock art found along much of its length.

Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon, AZ

The trail originates on the south rim of Grand Canyon and descends 4380 feet in elevation to the Colorado River. It has an average grade of 10% along its entire length. At trail's end, the River Trail continues another 2 miles to the Bright Angel Campground and Phantom Ranch. These two trails combined are the most common method used to access Phantom Ranch by hikers and mules.

There are two trails that cross or join this trail. The first being the Tonto Trail at Indian Gardens which leads towards the Monument Use Area to the west (the east leads to the South Kaibab Trail 4.7 miles (7.6 km) from the junction), and the River Trail which officially begins when the Bright Angel Trail reaches the Colorado River at the River Resthouse, although some consider that the Bright Angel Trail officially ends after crossing the Colorado River at the Silver Bridge.

Pikes Peak, Colorado

Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, 10 miles (16 km) west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. It is named for Zebulon Pike, an explorer who led an expedition to the southern Colorado area in 1806. At 14,115 feet (4,302 m)[1], it is one of Colorado's 54 fourteeners. Drivers race up the mountain in a famous annual race called the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The peak is also the annual site of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent foot races on the Barr Trail. An upper portion of Pikes Peak is a federally designated National Historic Landmark.

Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft (1,917 m). It is famous for its dangerously erratic weather, holding the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, at 231 mph (372 km/h) on the afternoon of April 12, 1934. It was known as Agiocochook, or "home of the Great Spirit", before European settlers arrived.

The mountain is located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, in Coos County, New Hampshire. It is the third highest state high point in the eastern U.S. and the most prominent peak in the Eastern United States.

While nearly the whole mountain is in the White Mountain National Forest, an area of 59 acres (0.24 km2) surrounding and including the summit is occupied by Mount Washington State Park.

Mount Rainier, Washington

Mount Rainier is an active stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano) in Pierce County, Washington, located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle. It towers over the Cascade Range as the most prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and Cascade Volcanic Arc at 14,411 feet (4,392 m).

The mountain and the surrounding area are protected within Mount Rainier National Park. With 26 major glaciers and 35 square miles (91 km2) of permanent snowfields and glaciers, Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. The summit is topped by two volcanic craters, each over 1,000 feet (300 m) in diameter with the larger east crater overlapping the west crater. Geothermal heat from the volcano keeps areas of both crater rims free of snow and ice, and has formed the world's largest volcanic glacier cave network within the ice-filled craters. A small crater lake about 130 by 30 feet (40 m × 9.1 m) in size and 16 feet (5 m) deep, the highest in North America with a surface elevation of 14,203 feet (4,329 m), occupies the lowest portion of the west crater below more than 100 feet (30 m) of ice and is accessible only via the caves.

Mount Rainier has a topographic prominence of 13,211 feet (4,027 m), greater than that of K2 (13,189 feet (4,020 m)). On clear days it dominates the southeastern horizon in most of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area to such an extent that residents sometimes refer to it simply as "the Mountain." On days of exceptional clarity, it can also be seen from as far away as Portland, Oregon, and Victoria, British Columbia.

Huckleberry Mountain, MT

The Hike In Glacier National Park, you could spit and hit a grizzly. Well, almost–the park features the highest bear density in the Lower 48. One recent study counted 563 individuals, and researchers suspect the actual population may be even higher. That's .35 bears per square mile–or one bear within a one-mile radius of every backcountry campsite. Come summer and fall, aptly named Huckleberry Mountain becomes a magnet for hungry grizzlies, which are commonly found foraging the plump, purple fruit that ripens along the Apgar/Huckleberry Lookout Trail. "Large numbers of bears congregate there when there's a bumper crop," says supervisory ranger Gary Moses. In high huckleberry season, rangers often close the trail to dayhiking–but backpackers may still complete overnight trips in the area.

Kalalau Trail, Hawaii

The Kalalau Trail is a trail along the Nā Pali Coast of the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii. The trail is very strenuous and runs approximately 11 miles (18 km) along the island's north shore from Keʻe Beach to the Kalalau Valley. An experienced, very fit hiker can complete the trail in about a day, but most people require two days and will camp along the trail.

The trail is located in the Nā Pali Coast State Park and access is controlled in the cause of conservation. A limited number of permits are issued for camping in Kalalau Valley every year. In spite of the efforts of the state of Hawaiʻi, many people hike the trail without paying money to the State Park office.

The trail starts on the north shore of the island, where the main highway ends at Keʻe Beach. The first two miles (3 km) of the trail are moderately strenuous and open to the public. This portion of the trail leads to Hanakapiai stream and beach. The trail beyond Hanakapiʻai is open only to those with camping permits.

The trail continues for approximately four miles to Hanakoa Valley, which is a hanging valley with no beach access. After Hanakoa, the trail turns more toward the dry side of the island. About five miles (8 km) later is Kalalau Valley, a large, flat-bottomed valley almost a mile across.

Buckskin Gulch, Utah

The Buckskin Gulch in southern Utah is one of the main tributaries of the Paria River, which is itself a major tributary of the Colorado River. It is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the southwest United States and may very well be the longest in the world. As such it is one of the premier destinations for slot canyon hikers, and receives a high amount of foot traffic. At over 13 miles (21 km) in length it is often visited in conjunction with the longer Paria Canyon, although some prefer to make a long day trip out of the hike. With a distance of 20 miles (32 km), hiking this canyon in one day is do-able but not easy. Wire Pass, a short tributary to the Buckskin, is an ideal alternative for a short day hike that still takes hikers through the narrow, curving features that are the hallmark of slot canyons.

Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee-North Carolina

The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee-North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the Smokey Mountains, and the name is commonly shortened to the Smokies. The Great Smokies are best known as the home of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which protects most of the range. The park was established in 1934, and with over 9 million visits per year, it is the most-visited national park in the United States.

Half Dome, California

Half Dome is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, located in northeastern Mariposa County, California, at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley — possibly Yosemite's most familiar sight. The granite crest rises more than 4,737 ft (1,444 m) above the valley floor.

credited to wikipedia, backpacker.com and flickr users: wildintel, duroc2006

Top 10: Luxury Islands

2009-10-22T16:11:00.000+02:00

While city breaks, country retreats and resort getaways are all well and good, nothing beats the decadence of an island escape. Just ask Sir Richard Branson, who snapped up his own private island just to get away from the maddening crowds. With tropical palms swaying in the breeze and turquoise waters lapping at crisp white sand, luxury islands are a favorite vacation for the rich, famous and fabulous. Follow our lead and check out the world’s top 10 luxury islands; trust us, they’re out of this world.

No.10 - Cousine Island - Seychelles

Part luxury resort, part nature reserve, Cousine Island is one of the most visually stunning remote islands in the world, and it's just 62 acres in size. One of the 115 islands that make up the Seychelles, this tropical isle is like something out of Robinson Crusoe and can only be reached by helicopter. The five-star Cousine Island Resort and Spa is the perfect place to stay on the island for travelers looking for high-end creature comforts, while the stillness and natural beauty that surrounds it affords all-important peace and quiet so desperately sought by city slickers. Brimming with lush vegetation and all kinds of birds and turtles, Cousine Island is like the Garden of Eden of the modern-day world.

No.9 - Necker Island - British Virgin Islands

Second home to Sir Richard Branson, Necker Island is the Virgin entrepreneur’s very own private island in the heart of the British Virgin Islands. Spread across 74 glorious acres of tropical forest and fine sand beaches, this luxury island was snapped up by Branson in the late '70s and transformed into a glamorous, first-class island retreat for no less than $10 million. For $47,000 a day, well-heeled guests can have free reign of the island, which includes a Balinese-style villa with 10 bedrooms, two private beaches, a number of swimming pools, tennis courts, a personal chef, water sports, and amenities galore. Decked out with luxurious Brazilian hardwoods, antiques and authentic Balinese furniture and fabrics, it’s no wonder the likes of the late Princess Diana, Mariah Carey and Oprah Winfrey have stayed here. Fortunately for us, Branson is a man who likes to share -- and who can blame him?

No.8 - Mnemba Island - Indian Ocean

Although it’s a mere 2.8 miles off the eastern tip of Zanzibar, Mnemba Island is about as far from civilization as you’re ever likely to feel. Every vista here looks like a shot from a honeymoon brochure, with 10 romantic beachside lodges each with their own verandas overlooking the sea, untouched white beaches, shimmering blue waters, and the type of glowing sunsets only ever seen in the movies. The island is just one mile in circumference, with a conservation barrier that protects the coral reefs, giant turtles, ghost crabs, and tropical fish that surround it. It’s no wonder it was voted one of the top three most romantic islands in the world by trusty Condé Nast. Walk barefoot along the shore in your linen trousers, indulge in fresh fruit for breakfast and fresh lobster for dinner, enjoy a spot of windsurfing, deep-sea fishing or kayaking, and sink into crisp linen sheets all in one day at Mnemba Island.

No.7 - Cocoa Island - Maldives

The perfectly named Cocoa Island has it all: silky white sand underfoot, a lagoon that couldn’t be bluer if it tried, and a specifically built five-star resort that, for once, matches the pictures in the travel brochure. Set over water, 33 villas are available for guests to check into, while facilities include beautifully manicured gardens, shimmering swimming pools, an on-site spa, yoga pavilion, water-sport center, and an elegant restaurant offering lip-smackingly good Thai food. The actual island itself is about as eco-friendly as it gets, with a strict green policy that ensures its pristine natural environment remains pristine. Think Castaway, but with romantic teak decking.

No.6 - Barbados - Caribbean

While it may be one of the most prominent luxury islands out there, Barbados still hasn’t lost its exclusive appeal. Hundreds of celebrities still flock there each and every January, hoping to catch a ray or two of glorious winter sunshine. The 166-square-mile island is completely flat, meaning luxury hotels and fine-dining restaurants are aplenty along its stunning, white-sand coastline. Highly recommended is the Sandy Lane - Luxury Golf & Spa Resort at St James, the island’s most prestigious place to stay and much-publicized wedding venue to Tiger Woods a few years back.

No.5 - Bermuda - North Atlantic Ocean

While sailors may get mysteriously gobbled up trying to get to the island, Bermuda does offer old-world luxury for those who make it ashore. The second-oldest British settlement in the New World, Bermuda’s aesthetic is a mix of colonial-style architecture and paradisiacal settings -- a heady mix that has attracted the filthy-rich for years. The Fairmont Southampton is the best place to stay; from there you’ll be able to enjoy Bermuda’s iconic pink-sand beaches, smudged amber sunsets and lush green gardens. While away your day beneath a crisp white umbrella at the hotel’s private beach club, enjoy a game of tennis (very popular on the island), or indulge in the finest cuisine at The Newport Room, the only AAA five-diamond restaurant in the entire Caribbean/Atlantic. Breathtaking stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree.

No.4 - Palm Island - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Made up of 32 jaw-droppingly beautiful islands, it would be easy to miss Palm Island in the cluttered archipelago that makes up Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Nevertheless, once you’ve found it and taken the mile-long boat trip from Union Island, you’ll never want to leave; 135 acres of tropical paradise await you, with a private resort catering to your every whim no matter how frivolous. Casuarina Beach runs along the entire length of the western coastline, and is quite a sight to behold. Crystal clear waters swoosh against its sand beaches, coconut trees shimmy on its coast and general gorgeousness abound. The resort itself is small but perfectly formed, with just 40 guest rooms to maintain exclusivity, a Michelin-star restaurant serving up the best international fare, and a bar in which you and your loved one can grab an umbrella-free sun-downer at dusk. Wish you were here? We certainly do.

No.3 - Turtle Island - Fiji

Although Lost is actually filmed in Hawaii, it’s supposed to be set in Fiji -- meaning that a real Fijian island is going to be even more beautiful than the sets on the TV show. Turtle Island lives up to that promise, with more than 500,000 trees planted over 30 years by its entrepreneurial owner, Richard Evanson, dozens of private beaches and a stunning resort comprising 14 eco-friendly villas -- it’s no wonder The Blue Lagoon, the 1970s film starring Brooke Shields, was filmed here. If this place doesn’t take your breath away, then we’re afraid nothing will. And this is the place to honeymoon if you’re serious about your marriage.

No.2 - Mustique - West Indies

There’s a very good reason rock stars and royal family members jet across the globe to vacation on the private island of Mustique. Spreading across 1,400 acres of tropical paradise, Mustique is located in the southern Caribbean and is owned and operated by the Mustique Company (made up of the island’s privileged homeowners). Upholding its exclusivity and protecting its natural beauty, the firm allows only a select group of people to stay on the island, with visitors ranging from Prince William to Mick Jagger. While there, designer-clad guests can frolic in the aquamarine surf, sprawl on its pristine white beaches or party the night away at Basil’s Bar, a favorite haunt of the jet-set vacationers.

No.1 - Musha Cay - Exuma Cays

You’ll have to be friendly with famous magician and owner David Copperfield to pay a visit, but once you’ve touched down in Musha Cay with your Louis Vuitton bags in tow you’ll never want to leave. Comprising four private islands, 85 miles southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas, the mini-archipelago offers some of the best diving on the planet, with transparent waters and miles of jaw-dropping coral reef. There are five houses in which to hunker down for the night, with every conceivable luxury found inside, and more than 30 staff members to cater to your every whim. Copperfield also claims to have found the Fountain of Youth on the island, but even if you don’t find it while you’re here, you’ll still return home looking 20 years younger.

credited to askmen.com

World's Most Stunning City Skylines

2009-10-15T07:55:00.000+02:00

What makes a skyline great? It has to be more than merely memorable, it must have some exceptional characteristics: It not only should be instantly recognizable but, from the traveler’s perspective particularly, it should be an enticing view of great buildings and monuments. If it’s really special, you want to be a part of it.

Chicago

From modern skyscrapers like the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower—the world’s tallest high-rise building for more than 23 years ending in 1997—to earlier icons such as the 1895 Reliance Tower and 463-foot-tall Chicago Tribune Tower, completed in 1925, Chicago boasts a skyline of monumental proportions. Says Andres Lepik, “As far as great American skylines go, for me it’s mostly New York and Chicago.”

Sydney

More people recognize the glorious Sydney Opera House than have probably ever been to an opera. A protected park behind the iconic structure serves to frame the modern skyline behind it, and there’s the expansive blue of Sydney Harbor in the foreground. “Sydney has one of world’s most fascinating skylines,” according to Andres Lepik, author of Skyscrapers. Star architect Renzo Piano added the 44-story Aurora Place to Sydney’s downtown mix in 1996.

Dubai

It was clear with the erection of the 1,053-foot-tall Burj al Arab Hotel in 1999 that the sheikdom of Dubai was bent on stealing the global skyline spotlight. Lest there be any doubt, consider that this year Dubai will be home to the tallest skyscraper in the world: the 1,900-foot Burj Dubai tower. It already soars above the rather dismally named Business Bay district. Though Andres Lepik, author of Skycrapers and architecture curator at MoMA, says he wouldn’t call Dubai’s skyline beautiful because “it’s grown too fast, without a general idea of what they’re trying to achieve,” Dubai makes it on this list by dint of sheer boldness. In the pipeline: Zaha Hadid’s “Dancing Towers,” the Da Vinci Rotating Tower and 0-14 Tower.

Seattle

Seattle’s location between Puget Sound and Lake Washington lends an impressive backdrop to its central skyline, of which the Space Needle has been the most recognizable feature since its completion in 1962. Though it isn’t the city’s tallest structure—that distinction goes to the 76-story Columbia Center—it often appears so because of its position on a hill some four-fifths of a mile northwest of most of the skyscrapers downtown. With Mount Rainier in the distance, Seattle’s skyline comes with a romantic frontier feel.

Paris

It’s an absence of skyscrapers that defines the French capital’s skyline (with no usable surfaces, the Eiffel Tower doesn’t count). Thanks to its concentration of historic slate gray-roofed six and seven-story buildings, many of which date from the mid-19th century and before, Paris has a remarkably uniform skyline for a city of its size. Lending romance to the cityscape are the familiar historic monuments such as Notre-Dame, the domes of Sacre-Coeur and the Sorbonne and the grandiose roof of the Palais Garnier opera house.

London

London’s Parliament and Big Ben “were skyscrapers in their time,” say architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat. “And today London has some amazing modern buildings, such as The London Eye and the Norman Foster-designed ‘Gherkin’ building, which looks like a giant pickle. So you have these contemporary pieces punctuated against the fabric of an old city that make it recognizable and also very romantic.”

Houston

“Houston has the Transco Tower and also Pennzoil Place, two towers that kiss,” say New York architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, “and all three are Philip Johnson buildings.” They add, “the bizarre thing about Houston is that you can have a 50-story building next to a one-story building, for an entire city block, so you have these sort of large holes that exist between the towers.”

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh has one of America’s great unsung skylines. The reason? According to architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, it’s because Pittsburgh is “right at the intersection of three fairly large rivers, and you approach it through a mountain, so you arrive completely deprived of a view, through a tunnel. And then you’re on a bridge looking at the city. It’s very beautifully proportioned the way it starts fairly low at the river and then climbs to the U.S. Steel building, which is the tallest there.”

Hong Kong

Whether you’re gazing at Hong Kong’s brash skyline from Victoria Peak or across the harbor from the Kowloon side, you’ll be taking in one of the most spectacular urban landscapes in the world. Says Andres Lepik, author of Skyscrapers, “Hong Kong decided in the ‘80s to redesign the image of the city. In the run-up to Hong Kong’s reversion to China, it was decided to give the city a strong image to command world attention and make it an attraction. It started with Norman Foster’s Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters, then I.M. Pei’s Bank of China building, which was a reaction to that one.”

Toronto

The Canadian metropolis on the shore of Lake Ontario is recognizable around the world thanks to the presence of the CN Tower, which soars 1,815 feet above the city. (As a freestanding structure, the only thing taller in the world today is the Burj Dubai). It has neither office nor living space, but there is a restaurant with a killer view near the top. With more than 2,000 towers that exceed 300 feet, verticality is a distinguishing feature of the varied Toronto skyline. Canada’s largest aggregate of skyscrapers is located in downtown’s Financial District.

San Francisco

“San Francisco can be easily recognized by the the mountainous topography and the Transamerica Pyramid,” say Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, partners in Stamberg Aferiat Architecture in New York. Its skycrapers are nowhere near as numerous or tall as Manhattan’s, but in light of the waterfront setting, famous bridges and interplay of old and new, the City by the Bay is easily one of the world’s most photogenic.

Frankfurt

They call it “Mainhattan,” a reference to the River Main and the high-rises of Frankfurt’s city center. “You can hardly talk about skylines in Europe except maybe for Frankfurt, which started in the ‘80s and ‘90s to develop a skyline,” says Andres Lepik, author of Skycrapers and architecture curator at MoMA in New York. “It was a political act to allow high-rise buildings in the center, for the economic and business image of the city,” he adds. Landmark towers in the German financial powerhouse include the pyramid-capped Messeturm and the Norman Foster-designed Commerzbank building.

New York

Take iconic skyscrapers from the 1920s and ‘30s such as the Chrysler Building, Empire State Building and American Radiator Building, add plenty of sleek new ones, and splay them all out on a long narrow island, and you’ve got the world’s most famous skyline. Says Paul Aferiat of Stamberg Aferiat Architecture, “the agglomeration of New York skyscrapers has as its centerpiece the Empire State Building, which is such an iconic romantic building, and through the accidents of economics and zoning, it stands alone.” Manhattan’s skyscrapers are clustered around lower Manhattan, Midtown and Midtown South.

credited to forbestravel.com

Autumn in Germany

2009-10-10T10:37:00.000+02:00

Germany culture is rich in traditions all the year round. Each season features main events in German daily life, cultural background and holidays which keep traditions of Germans for centuries. Autumn is featured by numerous holidays, mostly devoted to harvesting and German music heritage. Harvesting is the most significant event in autumn in Germany, therefore, it created a vast variety of traditions and celebrations. But most of them are aimed to celebrate the only thing which is most important for people – good and rich harvest – which feeds the whole nation during winter. [on first picture - The Herrenbach artificial lake]

Beutelsbach - Region Stuttgart

Somewhere between Fröndenberg and Ardey

Saxony - Hannover

Bavaria

Düsseldorf

Eifel

Hesse

North Rhine-Westphalia

Unknown Location

credited to germanculture.com.ua and flickr users: batiks, publik-oberberg, DasMatze, dreamysoul, hagens_world, iprinke, tobi0406, heimatiater, 4bernd, peterknoop, tudorka, axel-d, munichboy20, kimbar

Verdon Gorge - France

2009-10-09T10:13:00.000+02:00

The Verdon Gorge , in south-eastern France (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), is a river canyon that is considered by many to be Europe's most beautiful. It is the world's second largest gorge, at about 25 kilometers in length and up to 700 meters deep. It was formed by the Verdon River, which is named after its startling turquoise-green colour, one of the canyon's most distinguishing characteristics. The most impressive part lies between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, where the river has cut a ravine up to 700 metres down through the limestone mass. At the end of the canyon, the Verdon river flows into the artificial lake of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon.

Because of its proximity to the French Riviera, the canyon is very popular with tourists, who can drive around its rim, rent kayaks or hike. The limestone walls, which are several hundreds of meters high, attract many rock climbers. It is considered an outstanding destination for multi-pitch climbing. There are routes encompassing cracks, pillars and seemingly endless walls. The climbing is generally of a technical nature, and there are over 1,500 routes, ranging from 20m to over 400m.

The Verdon Gorge is renowned as forming the most beautiful canyon in Europe, and attracts numerous tourists, especially during the summer period. It is easily accessible on its right bank from the North (via route D952 from Castellane to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie), and on its left bank from the South (via routes D71, D90 and D995 from Aiguines to Castellane).

The southern route offers views of the Col d'Illoire, the summits of Plein Voir, le Pavillon (1624 m), la cime de Barbin (1560 m) and le Mourre de Chanier (1930 m), and the Saint-Croix reservoir. The "Sentier de l'Imbut" hike begins from this side of the gorge. When the road passes through the Tunnel du Fayet, there are openings cut into the tunnel to afford a view. The road then crosses the Artuby River over a bridge known either as Pont de l'Artuby or Pont de Chaulière; soon after, at the relais de Balcon, the Artuby flows into the Verdon. This area is also known as the "Mescla," meaning "mixture" in Provençal.

On the D90 in the direction of Trigance, another bridge spans the Jabron river (another tributary of the Verdon) and then the Pont des Soleils. Just below Rougon there is the Couloir Samson (Samson's Corridor), the entrance to the part of the fluvial landscape designated as "gorge." From there one can hike along the Verdon and take the famous "Sentier Martel." La Palud-sur-Verdon, a village with museum and tourist bureau, is nearby; the "route des Crêtes" (Crest Route, linking various panoramic viewpoints) proceeds from here. The Sentier Martel also is accessible from this route, beginning at the French Alpine Club or "châlet de La Maline." This path covers over 100 km of not always easy roads.

The Verdon Gorge is an appreciated destination for rock climbers, since they include more than 1,500 climbing routes on good limestone rock. The Verdon and her Gorge is also a favoured destination for fishermen, particularly for fly fishing. Hiking, Canoeing, paragliding, rafting, climbing and of course Canyoning are some of the numerous sports practiced in the region.

credited to wikipedia and flickr users: loutraje, pl_photo, glosters, muora_lycia, schseb, kunstturner, felixgein, elcantar, andrequylaine2, koen_photos

10 Most Fascinating Tombs in the World

2009-10-07T14:42:00.000+02:00

Throughout the history of human civilization, different cultures mourn and treat the dead differently. Some, like Tibetan Buddhists, have no use for burials as they dispose the dead by feeding corpses to vultures or by burning them in funeral pyres. Most cultures, however, show their respect by burying the dead, sometimes in complex and ornate tombs, crypts, and catacombs.

This article takes a look at ten of the most fascinating final resting places around the world, from the largest prehistoric burial mound in Europe to the the tombs of pharaohs to the most beautiful mausoleum in the world:

Newgrange (Ireland)

Newgrange is a passage tomb of the Brú na Bóinne complex in County Louth. It is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, and indeed the most famous of all Irish prehistoric sites. Newgrange was built in such a way that at dawn on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, a narrow beam of sunlight for a very short time illuminates the floor of the chamber at the end of the long passageway.

Newgrange was originally built between c. 5500 and 2900 BC, which means that it is over 5,000 years old. According to Carbon-14 dates, it is more than 500 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, and predates Stonehenge by about 1,000 years.

The Newgrange mound is 76m (250ft) across and 12m (40ft) high, and covers 0.4 hectares (one acre). Within the mound, a long passage, stretching approximately one third of the length of the mound, leads to a cruciform (cross-shaped) chamber. The passage itself is over 18m (60ft) long. The burial chamber has a corbelled roof which rises steeply upwards to a height of nearly 6m (20 ft). A tribute to its builders, the roof has remained essentially intact and waterproof for over 5,000 years.

Tana Toraja (Indonesia)

Tana Toraja Regency is a regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, home of Toraja ethnic group people. The local government seat is in Makale, where the center of Toraja culture is in Rantepao. But now, Tana Toraja has been divided to two regencies that consist of Tana Toraja with capital is Makale and Toraja Utara with capital is Rantepao.

Tana Toraja boundary was determined by the Dutch East Indies government in 1909. In 1926, Tana Toraja was under the administration of Bugis state, Luwu. The regentschap (or regency) status was given on October 8, 1946, the last regency given by the Dutch. Since 1984, Tana Toraja has been named as the second tourist destination after Bali by the Ministry of Tourism, Indonesia. Since then, hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors have visited this regency. In addition, numerous Western anthropologists have come to Tana Toraja to study the indigenous culture and people of Toraja.

Westminster Abbey (United Kingdom)

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) monarchs of the Commonwealth Realms. It briefly held the status of a cathedral from 1546–1556, and is a Royal Peculiar.

Westminster Abbey is governed by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, as established by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1560, which created it as the Collegiate Church of St Peter Westminster and a Royal Peculiar under the personal jurisdiction of the Sovereign. The members of the Chapter are the Dean and four residentiary Canons, together with the Receiver General and Chapter Clerk. One of the Canons is also Rector of St Margaret’s Church Westminster Abbey (who currently also holds the post of Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons). In addition to the Dean and Canons there are at present two full time minor canons, one precentor the other succentor. The office of Priest Vicar was created in the 1970's for those who assist the minor canons. Together with the Clergy and Receiver General and Chapter Clerk various Lay Officers constitute the College, including the Organist and Master of the Choristers, the Registrar, the Auditor, the Legal Secretary, the Surveyor of the Fabric, the Head Master of the Choir School, the Keeper of the Muniments and the Clerk of the Works, as well as twelve Lay Vicars and ten of the choristers and the High Steward and High Bailiff. There are also forty Queen’s Scholars who are pupils at Westminster School (the School has its own Governing Body). Those most directly concerned with liturgical and ceremonial matters are the two Minor Canons and the Organist and Master of the Choristers ...

Giza Necropolis (Egypt)

The Giza Necropolis stands on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramids known as the Great Pyramids, along with the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx. It is located some 8 km (5 mi) inland into the desert from the old town of Giza on the Nile, some 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Cairo city centre. One of the monuments, the Great Pyramid of Giza, is the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Great Pyramids consist of the Great Pyramid of Giza (known as the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Cheops), the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren) a few hundred meters to the south-west, and the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinos) a few hundred meters further south-west. The Great Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex, facing east. Current consensus among Egyptologists is that the head of the Great Sphinx is that of Khafre. Along with these major monuments are a number of smaller satellite edifices, known as "queens" pyramids, causeways and valley pyramids. Also associated with these royal monuments are the tombs of high officials and much later burials and monuments (from the New Kingdom onwards), signifying the reverence to those buried in the necropolis.

Of the four major monuments, only Menkaure's Pyramid is seen today without any of its original polished limestone casing, with Khafre's Pyramid retaining a prominent display of casing stones at its apex, while Khufu's Pyramid maintains a more limited collection at its base. Khafre's Pyramid appears larger than the adjacent Khufu Pyramid by virtue of its more elevated location, and the steeper angle of inclination of its construction – it is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume. The most active phase of construction here was in the 23rd century BC. It was popularised in Hellenistic times when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today it is the only one of the ancient Wonders still in existence.

Due largely to 19th-century images, the pyramids of Giza are generally thought of by foreigners as lying in a remote, desert location, even though they are located in what is now part of the most populous city in Africa . In fact, urban development reaches right up to the perimeter of the antiquities site. The ancient sites in the Memphis area, including those at Giza, together with those at Saqqara, Dahshur, Abu Ruwaysh, and Abusir, were collectively declared a World Heritage Site in 1979.

The Giza pyramids have been recorded in the Giza Plateau Mapping Project run by Ancient Egypt Research Associates, directed by Dr. Mark Lehner. In addition, Lehner's team undertook radiocarbon dating on material recovered from the exterior of the Great Pyramid. AERA's 2009 field season was recorded in a blog.

Valley of the Kings (Egypt)

The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis. The wadi consists of two valleys, East Valley (where the majority of the royal tombs situated) and West Valley.

With the 2006 discovery of a new chamber (KV63), and the 2008 discovery of 2 further tomb entrances, the valley is known to contain 63 tombs and chambers (ranging in size from a simple pit to a complex tomb with over 120 chambers), and was the principal burial place of the major royal figures of the Egyptian New Kingdom, together with those of a number of privileged nobles. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. All of the tombs seem to have been opened and robbed in antiquity, but they still give an idea of the opulence and power of the rulers of this time.

The area has been a focus of concentrated archaeological and egyptological exploration since the end of the eighteenth century, and its tombs and burials continue to stimulate research and interest. In modern times the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (with its rumours of the Curse of the Pharaohs), and is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. In 1979, it became a World Heritage Site, along with the rest of the Theban Necropolis. Exploration, excavation and conservation continues in the valley, and a new tourist centre has recently been opened.

Catacombs of Paris (France)

The Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris are a famous underground ossuary in Paris, France. Its entrance is located near the Denfert-Rochereau station of the Paris Métro. Organized in a renovated section of the city's vast network of subterranean tunnels and caverns towards the end of the 18th century, it became a tourist attraction on a small scale from the early 19th century and has been open to the public on a regular basis from 1867. Following an incident of vandalism, they were closed to the public for an indefinite amount of time in September, 2009.

The official name for the catacombs is l'Ossuaire Municipal. This cemetery covers a portion of Paris' former mines near the Left Bank's Place Denfert-Rochereau, in a location that was just outside the city gates before Paris expanded in 1860. Although this cemetery covers only a small section of underground tunnels comprising "les carrières de Paris" ("the quarries of Paris"), Parisians today popularly refer to the entire network as "the catacombs".

Terracotta Army (China)

The Terracotta Army are the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China. The terracotta figures, dating from 210 BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures vary in height (183–195 cm - 6ft–6ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include strong warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

Capuchin catacombs of Palermo (Italy)

The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo are burial catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. Today they provide a somewhat macabre tourist attraction as well as an extraordinary historical record.

Palermo's Capuchin monastery outgrew its original cemetery in the 16th century and monks begun to excavate crypts below it. In 1599 they mummified one of their number, recently-dead brother Silvestro of Gubbio, and placed him into the catacombs.

The bodies were dehydrated on the racks of ceramic pipes in the catacombs and sometimes later washed with vinegar. Some of the bodies were embalmed and others enclosed in sealed glass cabinets. Monks were preserved with their everyday clothing and sometimes with ropes they had worn as a penance.

Originally the catacombs were intended only for the dead friars. However, in the following centuries it became a status symbol to be entombed into the capuchin catacombs. In their wills, local luminaries would ask to be preserved in certain clothes, or even to have their clothes changed at regular intervals. Priests wore their clerical vestments, others were clothed according to the contemporary fashion. Relatives would visit to pray for the deceased and also to maintain the body in presentable condition. The catacombs were maintained through the donations of the relatives of the deceased. Each new body was placed in a temporary niche and later placed into a more permanent place. As long as the contributions continued, the body remained in its proper place but when the relatives did not send money any more, the body was put aside on a shelf until they continued to pay.

Sedlec Ossuary (Czech Republic)

The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic. The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, many of whom have had their bones artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel.

Henry, the abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Sedlec, was sent to the Holy Land by King Otakar II of Bohemia in 1278. When he returned, he brought with him a small amount of earth he had removed from Golgotha and sprinkled it over the abbey cemetery. The word of this pious act soon spread and the cemetery in Sedlec became a desirable burial site throughout Central Europe. During the Black Death in the mid 14th century, and after the Hussite Wars in the early 15th century, many thousands of people were buried there and the cemetery had to be greatly enlarged.

Around 1400 a Gothic church was built in the center of the cemetery with a vaulted upper level and a lower chapel to be used as an ossuary for the mass graves unearthed during construction, or simply slated for demolition to make room for new burials. After 1511 the task of exhuming skeletons and stacking their bones in the chapel was, according to legend, given to a half-blind monk of the order.

Between 1703 and 1710 a new entrance was constructed to support the front wall, which was leaning outward, and the upper chapel was rebuilt. This work, in the Czech Baroque style, was designed by Jan Santini Aichel.

In 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family to put the bone heaps into order. The macabre result of his effort speaks for itself. Four enormous bell-shaped mounds occupy the corners of the chapel. An enormous chandelier of bones, which contains at least one of every bone in the human body, hangs from the center of the nave with garlands of skulls draping the vaults. Other works include piers and monstrances flanking the altar, a large Schwarzenberg coat-of-arms, and the signature of Rint, also executed in bone, on the wall near the entrance.

Taj Mahal (India)

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

The Taj Mahal (also "the Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."

While the white domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.

credited to wikipedia and flickr users: phitar

Spectacular Fall Foliage Cruises

2009-10-05T17:01:00.000+02:00

New England: Ed Hamilton & Co

For sophisticated sea dogs, elegant staterooms and crystal chandeliers aboard a five-star cruise might be the height of luxury; for others, there's nothing so luxurious as the freedom to set sail when and how you please. Ed Hamilton & Co. has specialized in luxury yacht charters for more than 30 years, with crewed boats plying the Atlantic seaboard from Maine to Martha's Vineyard. Based in the coastal town of Wiscasset, the company has its finger on the pulse of the New England charter scene. With most boats setting sail from the Northeast as the summer winds down, Hamilton & Co. will know which boats and which crews are still afloat in the area come autumn.

British Columbia: Cruise West

British Columbia might not offer the dramatic colors of its East Coast counterpart, but leaf-peepers in western Canada will be rewarded with stunning scenery around the San Juan and Gulf Islands. The hills are painted gold with the turning leaves of the region’s native alpine larch and cottonwoods, while animal encounters with majestic moose and bighorn sheep beckon in the surrounding wilderness. Cruise West’s intimate, award-winning cruise ships include expert guides for onshore explorations, as well as stops at quaint seaports like Port Townsend and Friday Harbor.

Sonoma Valley: Lindblad expeditions

With California’s wine country clogged with traffic during the fall harvest, a wine cruise offers the perfect chance to escape the crowds and sample some of the Sonoma Valley’s finest flavors afloat—all while taking in the fall foliage. Lindblad Expeditions offers adventurous cruises that include kayak and Zodiac tours of Sonoma’s scenic waterways, hikes through miles of rolling vineyards, and a gourmet coup de grace from executive chef, Gary Jenanyan. Leaving the car at home gives you an added excuse to tipple, with tours including exclusive tastings at two of Sonoma’s boutique wineries.

Mississippi River: Dubuque river rides

For foliage fans and history buffs alike, nothing quite conjures the spirit of an all-American adventure like a float down the mighty Mississippi. Channel your inner Huck Finn as you take in the cascading colors along the river’s scenic bluffs aboard the Spirit of Dubuque. The boat is a pitch-perfect replica of the century-old steamships that once crowded America’s most famous waterway, paddlewheels churning up a sea of foam. Sitting beneath the canopy on its open-air deck, you’ll have the perfect vantage point to admire the fall colors onshore.

New England: Crystal cruises

The opulent Crystal Symphony is a throwback to the glory days of luxury cruising, and it's ideal for the aspiring Astors who want some extra flair with their fall colors. Elegantly appointed staterooms, luxuriant lounges and fine dining add a dash of decadence to the foliage—perfect if you prefer to do your leaf-peeping from the privacy of your own verandah. Unwind in the full-service spa, try your luck in the casino, admire the views from the handsome teak promenade. There's nothing modest about the 940-passenger ship, which weighs in at a hefty 50,000 tons, but personalized touches like butler service and customized excursions make for an intimate experience.

Hudson River: American Canadian Caribdeann Line

The Empire State's stunning foliage flanks the historic Hudson River, as the iconic New York City skyline quickly gives way to a scenic landscape aflame with reds, oranges and golds. The friendly, family-run American Canadian Caribbean Line specializes in intimate cruises along the river, stopping in picturesque towns en route to the Erie Canal and the majestic St. Lawrence River. Explore the coastlines of the Thousand Islands before hitting the Old World outpost of Quebec City. While the ACCL boats are modest by the standards of today's mega-yachts, the relaxed vibe is perfect for family foliage getaways.

Rocky Mountains: Waterton cruise

Waves of gold sweep across northern Montana each fall, with the abundant maples, larch and aspen typically hitting their peak colors in early October. To explore by boat, hop aboard the venerable M.V. International for a scenic tour of the Rocky Mountain landscape. Built in Goat Haunt, Mont.—the northern gateway to Glacier National Park—the International has been plying area waterways for 80 years. During its historic run, the wood-hulled ship has shuttled more than 1.5 million passengers past the picturesque peaks, with cruises hugging the colorful coasts of Waterton Glacier International Peace Park. After the cruise, disembark in Goat Haunt for a bit of rugged exploration.

Chesapeake Bay: American Cruise Lines

Set sail from Baltimore to explore the eye-popping colors around "Charm City" and the Chesapeake Bay, where some of the best leaf-peeping in the Mid-Atlantic takes center stage. Aboard the fleet of American Cruise Lines, you'll explore the Lilliputian ports of the James River and the Intracoastal Waterway—most of which are inaccessible to larger cruise ships. Stops in Jamestown and Williamsburg are steeped in the country's colonial heritage, while St. Michael's and Annapolis bring the region's maritime history to light. While the riverbank foliage provides plenty of pleasant scenery, it's the evocative glimpses of the past—lonely lighthouses perched atop rugged outcrops; schooners and skipjacks bobbing in picturesque harbors—that are invariably the highlight.

Pacific Northwest: American Safari Cruises

Along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, the hills display vibrant deep golds and ruby reds—an enticing reason to leaf-peep in the Pacific Northwest. With American Safari Cruises, a small-ship specialist that plies the region's rivers, you'll get an intimate glimpse of the foliage aboard one of the company's luxury yachts. The emphasis is on active exploration—expect to kayak the Columbia River Gorge, or hike along trails pioneered by Lewis & Clark. Gourmet chefs might make it hard to leave the boat behind, but with Washington's wine season hitting its stride with the foliage, onshore tastings offer their own temptations.

credited to forbestraveler.com

“Duga”, the Steel Giant Near Chernobyl

2009-09-28T16:27:00.000+02:00

The Russian Woodpecker was a notorious Soviet signal that could be heard on the shortwave radio bands worldwide between July 1976 and December 1989. It sounded like a sharp, repetitive tapping noise, at 10 Hz, giving rise to the "Woodpecker" name. The random frequency hops disrupted legitimate broadcast, amateur radio, and utility transmissions and resulted in thousands of complaints by many countries worldwide.

The signal was long believed to be that of an over-the-horizon radar (OTH) system. This theory was publicly confirmed after the fall of the Soviet Union, and is now known to be the Duga-3 system, part of the Soviet ABM early-warning network. This was something that NATO military intelligence was well aware of all along, having photographed it and giving it the NATO reporting name Steel Yard.

The Soviets had been working on early warning radars for their anti-ballistic missile systems through the 1960s, but most of these had been line-of-sight systems that were useful for raid analysis and interception only. None of these systems had the capability to provide early-warning of a launch, which would give the defenses time to study the attack and plan a response. At the time the Soviet early-warning satellite network was not well developed, so work started on over-the-horizon radar systems for this associated role in the late 1960s.

The first experimental system, Duga-1, was built outside Mykolaiv in the Ukraine, successfully detecting rocket launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 2,500 kilometers. This was followed by the prototype Duga-2, built on the same site, which was able to track launches from the far east and submarines in the Pacific Ocean as the missiles flew towards Novaya Zemlya. Both of these radars were aimed east and were fairly low power, but with the concept proven work began on an operational system. The new Duga-3 systems used a transmitter and receiver separated by about 60 km.

Starting in 1976 a new and powerful radio signal was detected worldwide, and quickly dubbed the Woodpecker by amateur radio operators. Transmission power on some woodpecker transmitters was estimated to be as high as 10 MW EIRP. As well as disrupting shortwave amateur radio and broadcasting it could sometimes be heard over telephone circuits due to the strength of the signals. This led to a thriving industry of "Woodpecker filters" and noise blankers.

One idea amateur radio operators used to combat this interference was to attempt to "jam" the signal by transmitting synchronized unmodulated continuous wave signals, at the same pulse rate as the offending signal. This idea was considered, but abandoned as impractical. Simple CW pulses didn't appear to have any effect. However, playing back recordings of the woodpecker transmissions sometimes caused the woodpecker transmissions to shift frequency leading to speculation that the receiving stations were able to differentiate between the "signature" waveform of the woodpecker transmissions and a simple pulsed carrier.

Triangulation quickly revealed the signals came from Ukraine. Confusion due to small differences in the reports being made from various military sources led to the site being alternatively located near Kiev, Minsk, Chernobyl, Gomel or Chernihiv. All of these reports were describing the same deployment, with the transmitter only a few kilometers southwest of Chernobyl (south of Minsk, northwest of Kiev) and the receiver about 50 km northwest of Chernobyl (just west of Chernihiv, south of Gomel). Unknown to most observers, NATO was well aware of the new radar installation, which they referred to as Steel Yard.

Even from the earliest reports it was suspected they were tests of an over-the-horizon radar., and this remained the most popular theory during the cold war. Several other theories were floated as well, including everything from jamming western broadcasts to submarine communications. The broadcast jamming theory was debunked early on when a monitoring survey showed that Radio Moscow and other pro-Soviet stations were just as badly affected by woodpecker interference as Western stations. More speculative explanations were also offered, claiming it was a system for weather control or even an attempt at mass subconscious mind control.

As more information about the signal became available, its purpose as a radar signal became increasingly obvious. In particular, its signal contained a clearly recognizable structure in each pulse, which was eventually identified as a 31-bit pseudo-random binary sequence, with a bit-width of 100 μs resulting in a 3.1 ms pulse. This sequence is usable for a 100 μs chirped pulse amplification system, giving a resolution of 15 km (10 mi) (the distance light travels in 50 μs). When a second Woodpecker appeared, this one located in eastern Russia but also pointed toward the US and covering blank spots in the first system's pattern, this conclusion became inescapable.

In 1988, the Federal Communications Commission conducted a study on the Woodpecker signal. Data analysis showed an inter-pulse period of about 90 ms, a frequency range of 7 to 19 MHz, a bandwidth of 0.02 to 0.8 MHz, and typical transmission time of 7 minutes.

Starting in the late 1980s, even as the FCC was publishing studies of the signal, the signals became less frequent, and in 1989 disappeared altogether. Although the reasons for the eventual shutdown of the Duga-3 systems have not been made public, the changing strategic balance with the fall of the cold war in the late 1980s likely had a major part to play. Another factor was the success of the US-KS early-warning satellites, which entered preliminary service in the early 1980s, and by this time had grown into a complete network. The satellite system provides immediate, direct and highly secure warnings, whereas any radar-based system is subject to jamming, and the effectiveness of OTH systems is also subject to atmospheric conditions.

According to some reports, the Komsomolsk-na-Amure installation in Siberia was taken off combat alert duty in November 1989, and some of its equipment was subsequently scrapped. Google Maps photography of the area shows that the antenna has been removed. The original Duga-3 site lies within the 30 kilometer Zone of Alienation around the Chernobyl power plant. It appears to have been permanently deactivated, since their continued maintenance did not figure in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine over the active early warning radars at Mukachevo and Sevastopol. The antenna still stands, however, and has been used by amateurs as a transmission tower (using their own antennas) and has been extensively photographed.

credited to wikipedia and englishrussia.com

10 Most Amazing Temples in the World

2009-09-24T05:11:00.000+02:00

More than a quarter of all people in the world belong to Eastern religions, which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism. These people worship in temples, which are architecturally as diverse as the religions are different from each other. From the ancient ruins of Ankor Wat to the distinctly modern Wat Rong Khun, there are hundreds if not thousands of amazing temples in the world. Here they are, in no particular order:

Tiger’s Nest Monastery

Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched precariously on the edge of a 3,000-feet-high cliff in Paro Valley, is one of the holiest places in Bhutan. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche , the second Buddha, flew onto the cliff on the back of a tigress, and then meditated in a cave which now exists within the monastery walls.

The monastery, formally called Taktshang Goemba, was built in 1692 and reconstructed in 1998 after a fire. Now, the monastery is restricted to practicing Buddhists on religious retreats and is off-limits to ordinary tourists.

Wat Rong Khun

Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, Thailand is unlike any Buddhist temples in the world. The all-white, highly ornate structure gilded in mosaic mirrors that seem to shine magically, is done in a distinctly contemporary style. It is the brainchild of renowned Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat.

Actually, the temple is still under construction. Chalermchai expects it will take another 90 years to complete, making it the Buddhist temple equivalent of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain!

Prambanan

Prambanan is a Hindu temple in Central Java, Indonesia. The temple was built in 850 CE, and is composed of 8 main shrines and 250 surrounding smaller ones.

Nearly all the walls of the temple are covered in exquisite bas relief carvings, which narrate stories of Vishnu’s incarnations, adventures of Hanuman the Monkey King, the Ramayana epic and other legends.

Though not the biggest temple in Indonesia , Prambanan makes up in beauty and grace for what it lacks in size.

Shwedagon Pagoda

No one knows exactly when the Shwedagon Paya (or Pagoda) in Myanmar was built - legend has it that it is 2,500 years old though archaeologists estimate that it was built between the 6th and 10th century.

Now, when people say "golden temple" they usually mean that the structure is golden in color. But when it comes to the Shwedagon Pagoda, golden literally means covered in gold! In the 15th century, a queen of the Mon people donated her weight in gold to the temple. This tradition continues until today, where pilgrims often save for years to buy small packets of gold leafs to stick to the temple walls.

As if all that gold wasn’t enough, the spire of the stupa or dome is covered with over 5,000 diamonds and 2,000 rubies (there’s even a 76 carat diamond at the very tip!). And oh, the temple housed one of the holiest relics in Buddhism: eight strands of Buddha’s hair.

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is a Taoist temple in Beijing, the capital of China. The temple was constructed in 14th century by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (who also built the Forbidden City) as his personal temple, where he would pray for good harvest and to atone for the sins of his people.

The Temple’s architecture is quite interesting: everything in the temple, which represents Heaven, is circular whereas the ground levels, which represent the Earth, are square.

Chion-in Temple

Chion-in Temple was built in 1234 CE to honor the founder of Jodo (Pure Land) Buddhism, a priest named Honen, who fasted to death in the very spot. At one point in time, the complex had 21 buildings but due to earthquakes and fire, the oldest surviving building is from the 17th century.

Visitors to the Chion-in Temple must first pass through the largest gate in Japan: the two-story San-mon Gate. The temple bell is also a record setter: it weighs 74 tons and needs 17 monks to ring it during the New Year celebrations.

Another interesting feature of the Chion-in Temple is the "singing" floor of the Assembly Hall. Called a uguisu-bari or nightingale floor, the wooden planks were designed to creak at every footstep to alert the monks of intruders!

Borobudur

In the 19th century, Dutch occupiers of Indonesia found a massive ancient ruin deep in the jungles of Java. What they discovered was the complex of Borobudur, a gigantic structure built with nearly 2 million cubic feet (55,000 m³) of stones. The temple has nearly 2,700 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

Until today, no one knows for sure when and why it was built, nor the reason for its complete abandonment hundreds of years ago. Some scholars believe that Borobudur is actually a giant textbook of Buddhism, as its bas reliefs tell the story of the life of Buddha and the principles of his teachings. To "read," a pilgrim must make his way through nine platforms and walk a distance of over 2 miles.

Golden Temple

The Harmandir Sahib (meaning The Abode of God) or simply the Golden Temple in Punjab, India is the most sacred shrine of Sikhism. For the Sikhs, the Golden Temple symbolizes infinite freedom and spiritual independence.

The site of the Temple began with a small lake that was so peaceful that even Buddha came there to meditate. Thousands of years later, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism also lived and meditate by the lake.

Construction of the Golden Temple began in the 1500s, when the fourth Guru of Sikhism enlarged the lake that became Amritsar or Pool of the Nectar of Immortality, around which the temple and the city grew. The Temple itself is decorated with marble sculptures, gilded in gold, and covered in precious stones.

Vishnu Temple of Srirangam

The Temple of Srirangam (Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple), in the Indian city of Tiruchirapalli (or Trichy), is the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world.

The temple is dedicated to Vishnu, one of three Gods in Hinduism. Legend has it that a long time ago, a sage rested and put down a statue of Vishnu reclining on a great serpent. When he was ready to resume his journey, he discovered that the statue couldn’t be moved, so a small temple was built over it. Over centuries, the temple "grew" as larger ones were built over the existing buildings.

The temple complex is massive: it encompasses an area of over 150 acres (63 hectares) with seven concentric walls, the outermost being about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long! The walls demarcate enclosures within enclosures, each more sacred than the next, with the inner-most enclosure is forbidden to non-Hindus.

The Temple of Srirangam is famous for its gopurams or entrances beneath colorful pyramids. The temple has 21 gopurams total, with the largest one having 15 stories and is nearly 200 feet (60 m) tall.

Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Bayon

Last but definitely not least is the largest temple in history and the inspiration to countless novels and action movies of Hollywood: Ankor Wat.

Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century in what is now Cambodia. The world famous temple was first a Hindu one, dedicated to Vishnu. In the 14th or 15th century, as Buddhism swept across Asia, it became a Buddhist temple.

The Western world’s got a glimpse of Angkor Wat when a 16th century Portuguese monk visited the temple and eloquently described it as "of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of." His words still rang true today.

Tourists visiting Angkor Wat usually also visit the nearby ruins of Angkor Thom and Bayon , two fantastic temples that serve as the ancient capital of Khmer empire.

credited to wikipedia, docstoc.com and flickr users: wufgaeng, trekdiary, utzivan, LannaInfoMedia, faiyus, tianyake, dominiqueb, marcohk, colourlines, nightshade_valerian, cor_lems, sftrajan, jjjjjjj, balihotels-tours, punjabiassassin, mrsikhnet, geetesh, rameshtr, rehancool81, thaths, leochimaera