2015-02-27

The Suez Canal, Egypt

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, it is an important international navigation canal Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Its considered to be the first artificial canal to be used in Travel and Trade. It was opened in 1859 and after 10 years it allow ships to travel between Europe and South Asia without navigating around Africa thereby reducing the sea voyage distance between Europe and India by about 7,000 kilometers. In the beginning it was 169 kilometers long and 8 meter deep, It is estimated that approx. 7-8 percent global maritime trade and after renovation it is 193.30 kilometers long, 24 meter deep and with amazing wideness of 205 meters. 500 ships navigated in its first full year of operation. Major improvements began in 1876, however the canal soon grew into the one of the world's most heavily traveled shipping lanes.

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, it is an important international navigation canal Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Its considered to be the first artificial canal to be used in Travel and Trade.

2015-02-26

Sverd i fjell | Swords in Rock, Norway

Sverd I Fjell or Swords in Rock, The Three Swords Monument is one of the most spectacular and imposing monuments. Three giant Viking swords are created in Hafrsfjord in memory of an ancient battle that united Norway into one kingdom. This Monument was created by sculptor Fritz Røed and inaugurated by King Olav in 1983. 

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2015-02-25

Steepest street in world | Baldwin street in New Zealand

Baldwin Street, Dunedin, New Zealand Urban Range is 35 percent or 19 °, meaning the 2.86-meter road rises by one meter. Baldwin Road is located in the North East Valley. The road is only 3500 meter long and climbs up Signal Hill with a beautiful view of the Otago harbor. Baldwin Road has a portable surface, not asphalt for better grip to facilitate care and safety in the winter Dunedin snow. Roads running parallel to Baldwin are all very narrow. In the mid-19th century the layout was surveyed by Charles Kettle. The road is named after William Baldwin, Otago Provincial Councilor and founder of the newspaper, who divided the area.

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Baldwin street Dunedin New Zealand

2015-02-24

Fort Jefferson | Dry Tortugas Islands of Florida, USA

Fort Jefferson is one of seven "Dry Tortugas Islands" located in the Gulf of Mexico. Fort Jefferson was built between 1845-1876. Fort Jefferson is named after the third President Thomas Jefferson. Fort Jefferson, a 19th-century third-system coastal fortification that occupies most of Garden Key. Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys. Fort Jefferson took nearly thirty years to build and was never fully armed. 

Fort Jefferson is one of the central features of the seven small "Dry Tortugas Islands" in the Gulf of Mexico. Fort Jefferson constructed between 1845 and 1876, Fort Jefferson named after the third President Thomas Jefferson, and Fort Jefferson is a 19th-century third system coastal fortification that occupies the majority of Garden Key in the remote Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys.
The largest masonry structure in America

2015-02-23

Pencil Drawings By Bengtern

Pencil artists Bengtern use several techniques to present their vision. According to ehow.com The art of contour - or focusing on the shapes of things and black and white spaces - is particularly important, in which the artist strives to get the form down without lifting his pencil. Shading, or the ability to distinguish between light and shade, is the next major building block for the pencil artist to master--primarily by manipulating erasure marks with a blending stamp to achieve the right balance. The final task involves the addition of lines and textures to provide greater definition and realism. The manipulation of these techniques forms the basic elements of any pencil drawing, while helping to distinguish one artist's style from another.

Pencil Drawings By Bengtern
Image © Bengtern

The Red Beach in Panjin, China

The Red Beach in Panjin-China — Panjin Beach is located in the Liaohe River Delta, 30 km southwest of Panjin City, Liaoning Province, China; it is regarded as a famous state-level nature reserve.  This place is called the Red Sea because every autumn, the whole beach turns into a distinctive red color. 

The Red Beach  is located in the Liao River Delta, Panjin, China, it is regarded as a famous state-level nature reserve.
Red beach China

The Balanced Rock | The Garden of the Gods, Colorado

Balanced Rock, the iconic 700-ton red sandstone ballerina perched on its tiptoes in the heart of the Garden of the Gods and Garden of the Gods is a public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, US. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. It is, after all, inevitable that the 290-million-year-old rock will fall. Too many factors are working against it. Maybe it will it be dislodged by erosion. Or wind. Perhaps it will succumb to Colorado’s notorious freeze-thaw cycles. Or even an earthquake. In 1936, an anonymous cousin of the Balanced Rock stood on a cliff about a half-mile to the south along the road to Manitou.

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2015-02-22

The Mysterious Fairy Circles of Africa

The Namib Desert of southwestern Africa, is home to a mysterious phenomenon called “fairy circles”– nearly circular barren patches within a sparse matrix of small short-lived grass species. Despite 30 yr of research their origin remains unknown. Fairy circles vary between 2 and 15 meters or 7 and 49 ft in diameter. They typically occur in essentially mono-specific grassy vegetation, especially in Namibia, where conditions are particularly arid. Associated grasses commonly are species in the genus Stipagrostis. The origin and history of fairy circles have long been a puzzle and their investigation has proved challenging. 

The Namib Desert of southwestern Africa, is home to a mysterious phenomenon called “fairy circles”– nearly circular barren patches within a sparse matrix of small short-lived grass species.

2015-02-21

Kibera, The largest urban slum in Africa

Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya, and the largest urban slum in Africa. In 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census reports Kibera's population as 170,070, contrary to previous estimates of one or two million people. Other sources suggest the total Kibera population may be 500,000 to well over 1,000,000 depending on which slums are included in defining Kibera. The Uganda Railway Line passes through the center of the neighborhood, providing passengers aboard the train a firsthand view of the slum. Kibera is heavily polluted by human refuse, garbage, soot, dust, and other wastes. The slum is contaminated with human and animal feces, due to the open sewage system and the frequent use of "flying toilets". The lack of sanitation combined with poor nutrition among residents accounts for many illnesses and diseases. 

Kibera, The Nairobi neighborhood of Kibera, Africa's largest urban slum, in which around 1 million people live in close-packed tin shacks.

2015-02-20

The Seven Coloured Earths, Mauritius

The Seven Coloured Earths, a geological formation and a major tourist attraction found in the Chamarel plain of the Rivière Noire District in south-western Mauritius. It is a relatively small area of sand dunes is covered in surreal stripes of blue, yellow, purple, red, brown, green and violet. The main feature of the place is that since these differently coloured sands spontaneously settle in different layers, dunes acquire a surrealistic, striped colouring. This phenomenon can also be observed, on a smaller scale, if one takes a handful of sands of different colours and mixes them together, as they'll eventually separate into a layered spectrum. Another interesting feature of Chamarel's Coloured Earths is that the dunes seemingly never erode, in spite of Mauritius' torrential, tropical rains.

The Seven Coloured Earths, a geological formation and a major tourist attraction found in the Chamarel plain of the Rivière Noire District in south-western Mauritius.

Rodovia dos Imigrantes, Brazil

Rodovia dos Imigrantes, officially known as "SP-160" — The road over the trees is a highway in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The highway connects the city of São Paulo to the Atlantic coast and with the seaside cities of São Vicente and Praia Grande. It follows the route of Rodovia Anchieta and is also one of Brazil's busiest highways, especially on weekends. Rodovia dos Imigrantes has 44 viaducts, 7 bridges, and 11 tunnels, along its 58.5 km stretch. The highway has recently been expanded, in one of the most audacious feats of Brazilian highway engineering, with extremely long tunnels and high strutting six-lane bridges constructed over the tropical rain forest which covers the steep faces of the Serra do Mar, the cliff range that separates the São Paulo plateau from the seaside lowlands. During sunny weekends, more than 1 million automobiles commonly cross its near 60 km run, separating the city of São Paulo from the sea.

Rodovia dos Imigrantes, officially known as "SP-160" — The road over the trees is a highway in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

2015-02-19

Life-size animals made of wire mesh by Kendra Haste

The beautiful and very realistic galvanized wire sculptures by British artist Kendra Haste. Inspired by nature, Kendra gives life to all kinds of animals joining layers of galvanized wire, sculpting creatures large and small for both public installations and private collections around the world. A graduate of the from the Royal College of Art, Haste says she is fascinated by how such a seemingly ordinary medium, chicken wire, is capable of suggesting “the sense of movement and life, of contour and volume, the contrasts of weight and lightness, of solidity and transparency—values that I find in my natural subjects.” She continues about her work with animals: What interests me most about studying animals is identifying the spirit and character of the individual creatures. I try to create a sense of the living, breathing subject in a static 3D form, attempting to convey the emotional essence without indulging in the sentimental or anthropomorphic.

Realistic galvanized wire sculptures by British artist Kendra Haste. Inspired by nature, Kendra gives life to all kinds of animals joining layers of galvanized wire, sculpting creatures large and small for both public installations and private collections around the world.

The USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor

The USS Arizona Memorial is built over the sunken wreckage of the USS Arizona, the final resting place for many of the 1,177 crewmen killed on December 7, 1941 when Japanese Naval Forces bombed Pearl Harbor. The memorial is part of World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center includes two museums that tell the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II. Outdoor exhibits on the visitor center grounds continue the narrative. The USS Arizona Memorial tour includes a National Park Service movie on the attack on Pearl Harbor and the boat ride to the memorial. The Navy placed the first permanent memorial, a ten-foot-tall basalt stone and plaque, over the mid-ship deckhouse on December 7, 1955. 

The USS Arizona Memorial is built over the sunken wreckage of the USS Arizona, the final resting place for many of the 1,177 crewmen killed on December 7, 1941 when Japanese Naval Forces bombed Pearl Harbor.

2015-02-18

Chimney Rock, The most picturesque landmark along the Oregon trail in Nebraska, California

Chimney Rock, located in Morrill County in western Nebraska, California. A prominent geological rock formation Rising nearly 300 feet above the surrounding North Platte River valley, the peak of Chimney Rock is 4,226 feet above sea level. During the middle 19th century it served as a landmark along the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Mormon Trail, which ran along the north side of the rock. It is visible for many miles from the east along U.S. Route 26. It was first recorded mention of "Chimney Rock" was in 1827 by Joshua Pilcher, but in 1813 it was first non-natives to see the pillar were probably the Astorians of Robert Stuart in their eastern journey from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Chimney Rock" probably originated from early fur traders. It went through a variety of names before becoming Chimney Rock such as Chimley Rock, Chimney Tower, and Elk's Peak, but Chimney Rock had become the most commonly used name by the 1840's. 

Landmark along the Oregon Trail in Nebraska.
Landmark along the Oregon Trail in Nebraska. Image credit Dan Segers

2015-02-16

Social Media Culture on Street Art

In a time where a lot of people are glued to their phones, this rings true, especially when you see people head down, walking into lamp posts on the way home from work because they can’t take their eyes off of their mobile device. iHeart a street-artist based in Vancouver, has created a series of street compositions in which each image examines our relationship to contemporary culture, social networks and their connection to a whole generation of children. Artist’s work is receiving a major boost from Banksy, the elusive yet famous British artist, after it was republished on his Facebook page and Istagram.

iHeart a street-artist based in Vancouver, has created a series of street compositions in which each image examines our relationship to contemporary culture, social networks and their connection to a whole generation of children.
Image credit © iHeart

2015-02-15

The Rainbow Bridge, Texas

The Rainbow Bridge is a cantilever bridge stand on Neches River in Southeast Texas just upstream from Sabine Lake. It allows State Highway 87 and State Highway 73 to connect Port Arthur in Jefferson County on the southwest bank of the river with Bridge City in Orange County on the northeast bank. Construction on the bridge began in 1936 under the guidance of the Texas State Highway Department. The bridge was completed on September 8, 1938. The nearby town of Prairie View took on the name "Bridge City" in response. Due to concerns by the upstream city of Beaumont about the bridge posing a threat to ship navigation, the south’s tallest bridge, spanning 176 feet above and 680 feet across the Neches River. Adjacent, is the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge, the sister span to the Rainbow Bridge.

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2015-02-13

The Chatillion Car Graveyard, Belgium

The Châtillon Car Graveyard, The middle of a small forest the collection of vintage cars in the woods near Chatillon, located in Wallonia, Belgium. The branches and vines of surrounding foliage had grown down into the cars, twisting around the rusted, broken down metal. The cars left here resembled skeletons of the shinny toys they once were. The eerie part is that the cars appeared to have been left behind in a hurry. The cars sat for so long, nature took over, causing moss to grow like a new style paint job from doors and bumpers. As creepy as The Chatillon Car Graveyard appeared, the true story behind the car cemetery’s origin makes it all the more intriguing. In fact, the real story behind these abandoned cars remain a complete mystery.

The Châtillon Car Graveyard, The middle of a small forest the collection of vintage cars in the woods near Chatillon, located in Wallonia, Belgium.

2015-02-11

Sea of Plastic by Bernhard Lang

" Aerial View of Plastic Sea " , a wonderful series of aerial photographs taken in November 2014 by Bernhard Lang, of the "Sea of Plastic" -  Agriculture Greenhouse in the region of Almería, southern Spain. Campo de Dalías, some 30 km southwest of the city of Almería in southern Spain. Almería has become Europe's market garden and grow fruit and vegetables all year, the land is shaded in plastic sheet. There are now an estimated 40,000 hectares of greenhouses in the Campo de Dalías,where every year millions of tons of fruits and vegetables are exported, the largest concentration in the world. Over 2.7 million tonnes of produce are grown on the plain each year, accounting for over €1.2 billion in economic activity.

" Aerial View of Plastic Sea " , a wonderful series of aerial photographs taken in November 2014 by Bernhard Lang, of the "Sea of Plastic" -  Agriculture Greenhouse in the region of Almería, southern Spain. Campo de Dalías, some 30 km southwest of the city of Almería in southern Spain. Almería has become Europe's market garden and grow fruit and vegetables all year, the land is shaded in plastic sheet.
Image credit © Behance

2015-02-10

Mud Bath in El Totumo Mud Volcano, Colombia

El Totumo Mud Volcano is a mud volcano located in Santa Catalina of northern Colombia. A local tourist destination, popular for its alleged healing mud-bath, it receives most of its visitors from nearby Cartagena. The mound itself raises at about 15 meter and it is serviced by an accessible staircase that leads to the crater, which can accommodate about 10 to 15 people at a time; there, tourists bathe in the dense warm mud and have the option of receiving personal massages from the attendants. The experience is then followed by a bath to remove the mud in a nearby lagoon.

El Totumo Mud Volcano is a mud volcano located in Santa Catalina of northern Colombia.

2015-02-08

Bouctouche Dune | La dune de Bouctouche, Canada

Bouctouche, a Canadian town in Kent County, New Brunswick. The town is located at the mouth of the Bouctouche River on the coast of the Northumberland, Canada. Bouctouche Dune or Sandbar is connected to the mainland at a point roughly three-and-a-half miles north of Pointe à Jérôme and extends southeast for over seven miles, providing protection for the waters of Buctouche Bay. The southern tip of the sandbar lies about a mile off of Saint-Thomas-de-Kent, near where the Point Dixon Range Lights were established in 1881 to assist vessels in finding the entrance to the bay.

Bouctouche Dune or Sandbar is connected to the mainland at a point roughly three-and-a-half miles north of Pointe à Jérôme and extends southeast for over seven miles, providing protection for the waters of Buctouche Bay.

2015-02-07

Bingham Canyon Mine, The Largest Open-Pit Mines in the World

The Bingham Canyon Mine, also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, is an open-pit mining operation extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in the Oquirrh Mountains. The Bingham Canyon Mine is one of the largest open-pit mines in the world, measuring more than 4 kilometers or 2.5 miles wide and 1,200 meters or 3,900 feet deep. Since 1906, when the first steam shovels began removing waste rock from the sides of the mountain to reach the low-grade copper ore deposits, Bingham Canyon Mine has yielded more than 19 million tons of copper, 23 million ounces of gold, 190 million ounces of silver, plus other minerals. The value of the resources extracted from here is greater than the Comstock Lode, Klondike, and California gold rush mining regions combined!

The Bingham Canyon Mine, also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, is an open-pit mining operation extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in the Oquirrh Mountains. The Bingham Canyon Mine is one of the largest open-pit mines in the world.

2015-02-06

Colorful Houses in Smögen, West Coast Of Sweden

Smögen is situated in Västra Götaland County of Sweden. It is one of the liveliest "summer towns" of the Swedish West Coast. Smogen is an small island that is connected with the mainland and the neighboring town Kungshamn with a bridge. Several islands that lay so close together that the space in between has since been filled, and is now considered as a single island. The southern part consists mostly of Smögen Island, which lies in the center of 450 square kilometers that form Sweden’s first marine national park. Sweden’s longest boardwalk and a half-mile stretch of brightly colored sea huts. Smögen lies in Hållö Island with its pink granite rocks and crystal clear waters making it an ideal place for swimming, water sports. The islands are also reputed to be the sunniest in Sweden.

Smogen is situated in Västra Götaland County of Sweden. It is one of the liveliest "summer towns" of the Swedish West Coast.
On the south of the Smögen's island, the fisherman's coloured houses with coloured boats are impressive. Image credit Magnus Karlsson

2015-02-05

The Lakes of Ounianga in the Sahara Desert, Chad

Lakes of Ounianga are series of  18 lakes in the Sahara Desert, in North-Eastern Chad. They are found in a basin between the mountains of Ennedi East and West Tibesti. Names of nearby villages are used to name the lakes. It was created as an addition to the original. The lakes were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012. 

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Lake in the Ounianga Serir, northern Chad (© George SteinmetzCorbis). 

2015-02-04

Mawgan Porth Beach in north Cornwall, England

Mawgan Porth means cove of the Gluvian river,  a beach and small settlement in north Cornwall, England. Located in mid way between Padstow and Newquay on the rugged north Cornish coast, on the Atlantic Ocean coast. The picturesque village is positioned at the seawards end of the Vale of Lanherne. The sandy beach, backed by dunes with cliffs at each end, is quality-assessed and supervised by lifeguards during the summer. It is a popular surfing location. The South West Coast Path passes behind the beach and the area attracts holiday-makers.

Mawgan Porth means cove of the Gluvian river,  a beach and small settlement in north Cornwall, England. Located in mid way between Padstow and Newquay on the rugged north Cornish coast, on the Atlantic Ocean coast. The picturesque village is positioned at the seawards end of the Vale of Lanherne.

2015-02-03

The Skull of St. Valentine, The patron protector of lovers

The flower-adorned skull of St. Valentine is on display in the side altar on the left side of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, one of the most spectacular sights of the Italian capital, which are usually on display in a glass reliquary and brought out for his feast day on February 14. The Church of Santa Maria is famous for the Bocca della Verita - the mouth of truth. The name Valentine comes from the latin 'valere' which means 'feel good' and the Saint was famous among his contemporaries its healing powers through faith. However the many anecdotes linked with Saint Valentines explain well the reason way he has been chosen later by the Church as the patron protector of lovers.

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2015-02-02

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe also known as the Holocaust Memorial, is a memorial in Berlin to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, designed by American architect Peter Eisenman, was dedicated on May 10 2005 in central Berlin, Germany. The memorial is located 100 meters away from Berlin´s main architectonical symbol, the Brandenburger Gate, on a 19.073 m2 large field. It is composed of 2.711 stelae in high quality  gray stone slabs. Each stelae is 0,95 m wide and 2,38 m long. The height varies from 4,7 m down to 0,2 m. There are no inscriptions on the stelae. An underground information center at the eastern side of the field houses an information center and an exhibition about the Holocaust which includes records from the Yad Vashem database about 3.5 millions of the Jews that were killed in the Holocaust. 

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe also known as the Holocaust Memorial, is a memorial in Berlin to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, designed by American architect Peter Eisenman, was dedicated on May 10 2005 in central Berlin, Germany.

Zone of Silence – Mapimí Silent Zone

Zone of Silence is a place full of mystery and legends. A desert where radio signals were not found, and the compass stopped working. This ...