Madain Saleh: Monument of the Past [PICS]

These photos are parts of 132 chambers and tombs left by Tsamudis and Nabateans during their magnificent architecture era which is between 200 B.C and 100 A.D. The location is about 200km from north of Medina City. In July 2008, UNESCO has proclaimed the site as World’s Heritage. Below are some of the amazing photos of the monuments. Could you imagine how their looks in the past?

Why You Should Visit San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama is one of the most visited tourist places in all of Chile. It’s located in the Atacama desert which is the driest place on earth. Yet many unique plants and animals like flamingos, Llamas and Alpacas can be found there. The town is located close to many different and amazing archaeological, geographic and tourist areas. You can visit such tourist attractions as Pukara (prehispanic fortress) Quitor, Tulor village (over 3,000 years old), the Tatio geysers, the Atacama salt lakes, Moon Valley as well as the picturesque Inca towns of Toconao, Peine, Socaire, Talabre and Caspana.

There are many mummies, known as the Mummies of Atacama, which have been found in this area. The driest of the desert, as well as the isolation and the saltiness of the soil are just some of the factors that helped in the natural mummification of the bodies.

In the middle of the desert you will come across the giant salt lake of Salar de Atacama. It is the world’s third largest salt flat and is inhabited by beautiful pink flamingos. Even if water is present, you should realize that the water would be toxic to humans because it has so much salt.

Some of the highest volcanoes in the South America and amazing volcanic hot springs with falls and pools are also located in the Atacama area. El Tatio Geysers are located more than 4000 meters above the sea level and are spectacular at dawn. You can also dip in the thermal pools of Puritama.

Valle De La Luna, Moon Valley, is a must see for any tourist. You will see breathtaking scenery over the desert area as well as many fascinating canyons, caves and sand dunes. The sunsets of the Moon Vally are unforgettable. Yes, people do “sand board” down the dunes.

Stunning Chinese Fisherman Photos

The live of Chinese fishermen is so poor that they have to go out to sea everyday to catch fish to sell although there is an incoming thunderstorm on the way. The choppy waters and heavy rain made it very difficult to fish. The fishermen’s little boat swayed vigorously from side to side. As they are about to throw their net into the sea, a huge wave rocked their boat, causing them to lose their balance and fall into the sea. “God, please help us!” they screamed in the water, “Who is going to take care of our wife and children?”

I just want to share that the live of fishermen is not easy and very life-threatening. Please be grateful on what you have today. Anyway, please see following photos. Really awesome!

Tokyo’s “Underground Temple” – The Largest in the World

Tokyo, with a population of 12.4 million, is one of the largest cities in the world and still growing. It is known for not only having huge amounts of anime and robot fans, but also for its annual rainy and typhoon seasons that can flood the whole city. Because of this, there is a need to build a massive underground drainage system to counter the problem. In 1992, a plan called G-Cans Project or the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (drainage system) was approved and construction began. The G-Cans project was completed in 2004. Below are some of the pictures of “Tokyo’s Drainage System: The Largest in the World”.

To download of rain water, the complex is equipped with a turbopump 59. Their total capacity of 14 thousand horsepower, they can outrun the top 200 tons of water per second. It seems that this might certainly be designed for the most intense flooding. However, in this area in a heavy downpour falling on 200 millimeters of precipitation, and sometimes up to 400 (monthly rainfall for Moscow, for example, is 35 millimeters). Therefore, margin of safety facilities placed enormous. Let all the sea would rise in clouds and rain fall. Designers should consider a set of massive underground storage for many thousands of tons of water to the height of precipitation area upstairs is not to submergence.

Since its opening, the G-Cans has prevented floods from entering the metropolis, but “unfortunately” it can’t prevent many people, including celebrities and film makers from flooding the place. It is due to the G-Cans project is also meant to be a tourist attraction, and can be visited for free twice a day, from Tuesday to Friday. Unfortunately, the tour is conducted only in Japanese. 

Top 10 Most Magnificent Mosques in the World

Mosques are places where the followers of Islam worship. There are many of them around the world, ranging from very large Mosques that can seat 50,000 people to ones so small that they can only hold 10 people at a time. They are known for having amazing domes with crescents on top; tall and slender minarets that are usually situated at the corner of the building structure; amazing Art of Arabic Calligraphy and Quran verses in the Prayer Halls. Here is my list of the “Top 10 Most Magnificent Mosques in the World”. You may have been fortunate enough to have already visited some of them. 

No 10. Mosque of Dearborn, Michigan, USA

No 9. Shah Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, Pakistan

No 8. Muhammad Ali Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

No 7. Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran

No 6. Al Aqsa Mosque (Dome of the Rock), Jerusalem, Palestine

No 5. Putra Mosque, Putrajaya, Malaysia

No 4. Sultan Ahmed Mosque a.k.a Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

awan, Brunei

No 2. Al-Nabawi (Prophet) Mosque, Medina

No 1. Haram Sharif Grand Mosque, Mecca

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: The Most Creepiest Pool in the World

Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) or The Victoria Falls, which was named by Scottish explorer, David Livingstone, is located in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa. The height of the magnificent waterfalls is 108 meters, which can be considered among the highest waterfalls in the world.

The most popular location is known as the “Devil’s Swimming Pool” where during the months of September and December, visitors can swim as close as possible to the edge of the falls without falling over. Pretty cool isn’t it? Below are the brave and splendid photos of people who have visited the scariest pool.

Siege of Leningrad Blockade Now and Then Photos

History has told us all but frequently we forget about the hardship experienced by generations past, especially during certain wars. However, some people have a very creative and profound way of reflecting on times gone by, presenting their take on the world in a new light. Hopefully our children and future generation will still remember that comfortable life they get is coming from bloodshed of people in the past.

These haunting, hybrid images of past and present St Petersburg – formerly known as Leningrad – are the works of Sergei Larenkov. After studying old images of the city, Larenkov visited the same spots, capturing them on film. He then digitally superimposed the old image over new, producing these eerie and thought-provoking shots using remakable photoshop technique.

Like ghosts captured forever on film the scenes depict all too clearly a harshness that can result only from times of war. The 900-day Siege of Leningrad, also known as The Leningrad Blockade, lasted from September 9, 1941, to January 27, 1944 – just over 65 years ago – and was “one of the longest and most destructive sieges of major cities in modern history, and second most costly,” according to Wikipedia sources.

Although the blend of the two images seems natural, it’s hard not to ignore the colorful boundary of the present and focus totally on the black and white scene of the past. Each image demands the viewer to stop and contemplate what life must have been like in Leningrad during World War II. The difference between life now and then in these moving images is distinct, and deserves the attention of an undoubtedly more privileged audience. Thumbs up!