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1. PAMUKKALE - TURKEY
The strange and weirdly beautiful terraced pools
of Pamukkale have been appreciated for over two millennia and yet still
remain a little known wonder of the world. Thousands of years ago
earthquakes, which are common in Turkey, created fractures that allowed
powerful hot springs to bring water rich in calcium carbonate to the
surface. As the water evaporated the chalky material condensed and
formed layer-upon-layer of Travertine and thus slowly built up the walls
over time in the same way that a stalactite forms in a cave. Apparently
Pammakale means Castle of Cotton but the Greco-Romans built a town
above it called Heirapolis – meaning “Holy City” or “Sacred City”. They
too recognised it as a rare and important place attributing healing
powers to the milky-white waters.
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THE TRAVERTINE POOLS OF PAMUKKALE
Pamukkale is now a UNESCO World Heritage
Site and the pools have been closed to the tourists that once bathed in
their waters to save them from further damage. |
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THE MOERAKI BOULDERS OF NEW ZEALAND
It is said by the Maoris that some of the
surviving crew of the Araiteuru canoe were turned into stone and became
mountains. The Moeraki boulders are said to be the pots and chattels
from the canoe. |
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2. MOERAKI - NEW ZEALAND
These large, spherical, alien and strangely
beautiful boulders are mainly located on Koekohe Beach, part of the
Otago coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Known as “Moeraki Boulders”
they were originally formed on the sea floor from sedimentary deposits
that accreted around a core in the same way that a pearl will form
around a particle of sand. The erosion of the cliffs often reveals these
boulders from the surrounding mudstone allowing them to join those
already on the beach. Some of the larger boulders weigh several tonnes
and can be up to three metres wide.Maori legend attributes their origin
to the arrival of the first ancestors / giants who came in the great
Araiteuru canoe which was sunk by three great waves at nearby Matakaea.
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3. NINE HELLS OF BEPPU
Beppu, located on the Japanese island of Kyūshū,
is the second largest producer of geothermal water in the world. Located
in the same area are the “Nine Hells” or ponds that each has its own
remarkable character and colour thanks to the variety of minerals in the
outflows. These “Hells” are a popular tourist attraction in Japan but
are little known outside of the country. Seven of the strange geothermal
springs are located in the Kannawa area and are known as: Sea or Ocean
Hell (Umi Jigoku), Shaven Head Hell (Oniishibozu Jigoku), Cooking Pot
Hell (Kamado Jigoku), Mountain Hell (Yama Jigoku), Devil or Monster
Mountain Hell (Oniyama Jigoku,) Golden Dragon Hell (Kinryu Jigoku) and
White Pond Hell (Shiraike Jigoku).
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THE NINE HELLS OF BEPPU IN JAPAN
Further away in the Shibaseki District are
Blood - Pond Hell (Chinoike Jigoku) - shown above - and Waterspout Hell
(Tatsumaki Jigoku). |
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THE HUGE CRATER OF MOUNT TEIDE
Las Cañadas caldera, Mount Teide – Not dead
just sleeping! The UN Committee for Disaster Mitigation has listed Teide
for close observation due to its history of powerful eruptions and its
location near several large towns. . |
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4. LAS CAÑADAS - TENERIFE
At the summit of Mount Teide, one of the largest
Island volcanoes in the World is the Las Cañadas caldera. The crater,
which is an enourmous sixteen kilometres across, is a picture of what
Hell might look like if it cooled a little. Sheer walls that formed when
the caldera first collapsed encircle this dry and alien place. And,
with an arrogance than can only be accepted as typical, humanity has
built roads and observatories across this no mans land that is little
more than a plug over a sleeping yet still active and very large
volcano. When we visited it some years ago we were standing in the
viewing gallery when the ground beneath our feet trembled and several
windows suddenly cracked. The sleeping giant was grumbling in its
sleep. The land mass created by the volcano is Tenerife in the Canary
Islands.
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5. GREAT BLUE HOLE - BELIZE
Found on both land and in the ocean throughout the
Bahamas and the national waters of Belize are deep circular cavities
known as Blue Holes which are often the entrances to cave networks, some
of them up to 14 kilometres in length. Divers have reported a vast
number of aquatic creatures some of which are still new to science. In
addition, they’ve recorded chambers filled with stalactites and
stalagmites which only form in dry caves. For the explorers this was
proof that at one time, nearly 65,000 years ago, when the world was in
the grip of the last major ice age, the sea level of the Bahamas was up
to 150 metres lower than it is today. Over time the limestone of the
islands was eroded by water and vast cave networks created. When sea
levels rose again about 10,000 years ago some of these collapsed inwards
and the Blue Holes were formed.
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THE GREAT BLUE HOLE OF BELIZE
The Great Blue Hole is located in the Light
House Reef aproximately halfway between Long Caye and Sandbore Caye.
It is about 60 miles east from the mainland of Belize (city).
In 1997 it was designated as a World Heritage site. |
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THE GIANT FIRE CRATER OF DARVAZ
It is most impressive at night and the glow from its flames can be seen miles away.
The inside of the crater is black from carbon build up and the heat is
so intense that it is only possible to stay near the edge for a few
minutes. |
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HELL'S DOOR TURKMENISTAN
Located in the Kara-Kum desert of Turkmenistan is
the village of Darvaza (Derweze) near to where, in 1971, a team of
Soviet prospectors allegedly drilled into a large chamber filled with
natural gas. The roof of the cavern collapsed leaving a crater-like
sinkhole some 25 metres deep with a diameter of approximately 60 - 70
metres. It soon became evident that natural gas was still rising into
the crater from even deeper sources and the story goes that the decision
was made to ignite the emissions rather than risk either a concentrated
build-up of gas or local poisoning. According to various sources it has
burned continuously since then and has apparently been named “The Gate
to Hell” by the local people. However, another source that spoke with
the guides from the region claims that it is a wholly natural
phenomenon.
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7. SANQINGSHAN - CHINA
Sanqingshan is a relatively small National Park
near the city of Shangrao in the Jiangxi province of China. What it
lacks in size it makes up for in shear natural beauty. It is officially
the 7th World Heritage Site designated in China and has been noted for
its exceptional scenic attraction. The key mystique of this remarkable
place is the combination of extraordinary granite geology in the form of
weird outcrops and pillars combined with seasonal climate variations
than often cause mists, fogs and striking sunsets. Those that have
visited this place describe a feeling of overwhelming peace and
tranquility. This effect is enhanced by the profusion of natural
waterfalls, pools and springs. If you allow yourself, it is truly
possible to see Earth, Water, Wind and Fire joined in time.
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SANQUINSHAN - GARDEN OF THE GODS
A story that is told is that Mu-Go the “Lord
of the East” wished to create a garden for the amusement of his consort
“Yin” and persuaded the four elements to fuse together and create
Sanqingshan as a private garden for her amusement.
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THE STRANGE EYE OF AFRICA IN MAURITANIA
Currently scientists believe that they know
what caused this formation. Hey! It's a Ri chat structure ... whatever
that really means. A more Bizarre theory is that it is the impact site
of an ancient but very powerful bomb.. |
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EYE OF AFRICA - MAURITANIA
From space this mysterious depression in the
Sahara Desert of Mauritania really does look like a human eye. The image
to the left is the "pupil" but a visit to Google Earth zoomed out a
little will reveal the cliffs that make up the rest of the eye. This
natural phenomenon is actually a richat structure caused by the dome
shaped symmetrical uplifting of underlying geology now made visible by
millennia of erosion. Please note that this explanation is not wholly
accepted by the scientific community. There still remain academics that
believe it is the sight of a meteor impact and yet others still that
believe it resembles the formations caused by underground nuclear
blasts. By the way, we estimate that the detonation would have had to be
in the gigaton range. Currently no country in the world has a weapon
even close to this destructive yield.
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9. SUQATRA ISLAND - YEMEN
This enchanting and little known island also known
as Socotra is located off the coast of Yemen in the Middle East.
Isolated from the rest of the world its plants have evolved into many
bizarre shapes and forms that are unknown in other parts of the world.
One of the most famous of these is the Dragon's Blood Tree the sap of
which is used to make crystals that can be used as a dye or as an
alleged aphrodisiac. The plant depicted on the right is the strange
Desert Rose (Adenium obesium) but sometimes more popularly called the
Elephants Leg Tree. The Island is slowly becoming known to the world and
has great potential for eco-tourism as long as the visitors don't do
more damage than good. Other species include the Cucumber Tree and the
Socotran Fig. Suqatra was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2008.
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THE DESERT ROSE
The incredible bio diversity of Suqatra has
been compared to the Galapagos Islands and it is listed as one of the
top ten most endangered island ecosystems. A perect example of nature left to its own evolution. |
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THE SAILING STONES OF RACETRACK PLAYA
The Sailing Stones add mystique to Death
Valley but the real strangeness of this place is its desperate
isolation, heat and incredible flatness. |
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10. RACETRACK PLAYA - USA
Located in one of the flattest places on the face
of this planet are the strange and unexplained Sailing Stones of
Racetrack Playa - Death Valley - California - USA. Once a year the
"Playa" or flat desert pan experiences short winter rains and becomes
slippery as the hexagonal desert floor turns back to mud. During this
time the boulders and rocks move leaving clearly visible tracks behind
them. Although scientists believe that high winds are responsible, some
of the rocks will suddenly change directions and move at almost perfect
right angles to their previous direction. All the evidence suggests that
this is not a hoax although it is also said that the movement of these
rocks has never been captured on film or video. In this technological
age we wonder why time lapse photography hasn't been used?
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