Unusual places around the world

This abandoned structure is known to the locals as Geraja Ayam – meaning Chicken Church – and each year it attracts hundreds of curious tourists and photographers on the hills of Magelang. According to the person who built it – Daniel Alamsjah, the building is neither a chicken nor a church.

He’s saying that he was working in Jakarta when he received a message from God, who told him to build a “prayer house” in the shape of a pigeon. “People probably thought that because of my religion I’m building a church. But, it’s not a church. I’ve built a house of prayers… a place where people who believe in God can come and pray.”

 In 1989 he was in the Magelang area, the place where his wife’s family lives and he saw the perfect spot that he dreamt about. “I prayed there all night and I had a revelation that showed me that I must build there the house of prayer.”

 In present time, people of different religious beliefs – including Buddhists, Muslims or Christians travel so they can pray. The house of prayer closed its doors in 2000 because of high maintenance costs.

Over 160 miles away from the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, lies an incredible and unique place. The Darvaza Crater, also known as the “Door to Hell” or the Crater of Fire, is an underground cavern. It has been burning continuously for over 40 years and has become a surprisingly beautiful tourist attraction.

A team of Soviet engineers discovered the place back in 1971, as they were looking for oil. However, as they reached the site, they found out, that it was filled with gas. In order to prevent any unfortunate events from happening, they deliberately collapsed the ground. The result was a 200 feet wide crater with the diameter of 230 feet.

It didn’t take long, until researchers found out about the risk of crater’s poisonous gases, that could cause great damage to the nearby cities. Therefore, they set the whole place on fire to eliminate substances such as methane. The team was convinced, that the fire would end in a couple of weeks but, surprisingly, the crater has been burning for over 4 decades.

Every year, the location attracts thousands of curious tourists, from all over the globe. The crater filled with flames and burning mud, offers tourists an alluring view of “the Door to Hell.”

Playa Del Amor or Hidden Beach  it is a small paradise hidden by the rocks of the Marieta Islands in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This is one of the few places in the world, where a man-made mistake combined with the beauty of nature resulted in a breathtaking scenery.

 The main reason why the Hidden Beach, or Playa Del Amor, is such an interesting location, is that it’s literally hidden. The only way it can be seen is from up above. And the only way to get to the beach is through a water tunnel connecting the beach to the Pacific Ocean.

 Most of the Marieta Islands were never inhabited, thus leaving room for a nature to follow its course and create a fairy tale-like place. At the beginning of the 20th century, Mexicans began to create and test bombs to prepare for World War I and the only way to test them was by detonations in the ocean. It is believed that some of the bombs landed on the small Marieta Islands, including the Hidden Beach.

 Playa Del Amor is the ideal place for swimming and kayaking. Due to the massive hole that remained intact for over a century, there is enough sun and shade for laying on the sun or for taking a nap.

Since 2005, the Marieta Islands have been officially declared as a National Park, known as the Parque Nacional Islas Marietas. Even though islands cannot be inhabited, they can be visited any time by tourists, who dream of a unique getaway in nature.

Gnomes have been around since the 16th century, according to recent written history. They are described as small, earth­-dwelling creatures, often guarding mines and hidden treasures. These dwarf-­sized people are easily spotted in their red pointy hats.

There’s a legend that says a gnome was once wondering around the coast of Western Australia, when a strange magical force called him to this place, now known as Gnomesville, 30 minutes away from local city of Bunbury. It was not long until more and more gnomes followed in his footsteps. Now, thousands of gnomes quietly reside in this enchanted place.

 You too can be part of this ever-growing land of gnomes. Locals are encouraging tourists to bring their own gnome or even an entire family of these little fellows. You can place your gnome anywhere you like, but do be careful to not harm the other ones, as the folklore says it will bring you bad luck if you do so.

 If you do like gnomes, there’s nothing that can keep you from visiting Gnomesville! Gnomes of all sizes, shapes and colors are ready to greet you and share their wonderful stories.

60 miles from the first ever metropolis of the world, Rome , lies an enchanted place, less known by tourists: The Park Of Monsters (Parco dei Monstri).

 A one hour drive through northern Italy will literally transport you 500 years back in time, to the Italian Renaissance era, a period of great cultural change and achievement. The small town of Bomarzo hosts this unique monumental complex of giant sculptures dating back to the 16th century.

The park came to life in 1552 and it’s the only kind in the world. The legend says that Pier Francesco Orsini, a noble man who ruled the area and was the owner of the park, ordered the creation of this strange park in love of his lost beloved wife. It is said that, devastated by her death, he put all his grieves into the birth of these sacred gardens.

 More than 25 works of art will unfold their strange mythological shapes and scary looks. Huge mysterious ornaments, a leaning house (built like this deliberately, unlike the Tower Of Pisa), and many bizarre creatures will give you a ride of your life.

 Proteus – the son of the sea god Neptune, Orcus – a god of the underworld, Cerberus – a three-headed dog, Aphrodite – the Greek goddess of Love, Hannibal’s war elephant, these are just a few of the park’s main attractions. There’s a lot more than meets the eye.

Probably one of the most well known massive rock formations worldwide, Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is an incredible Australian sightseeing objective. Apart from the view it offers to those who visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park – particularly during sunsets – Uluru is over 600 million years old, which makes it one of the oldest rocks existing today.

Due to the climate of the area, it only rains a few times per year in that area. However, when it does start raining, those who are lucky enough to watch the show are amazed by its beauty. After each storm, the large quantities of water run off from the top of the rock, creating the illusion of small waterfalls. Furthermore, once the rock gets wet by the rain, its color turns from grey to various shades of red, dark red and brown.

Unfortunately, the show doesn’t last for long, so each time it happens, tourists hurry up to take photos and enjoy the event. As most of them claim, it is an unforgettable experience, as there are dozens of seemingly thin waterfalls flowing to the bottom of the rock.

In order to get to Ayers rock, one must travel for over 300 kilometers from the nearest large city, Alice Springs – and, unless it starts raining, extreme temperatures in the area can go up to 40 degrees Celsius. But even so, the number of tourists who come to visit the place is constantly increasing due to local animals such as the rock-wallaby, unique plants and even petroglyphs.

Although many tourists visit Greece for the sea, somewhere above 400 meters higher lies an unforgettable sightseeing objective. Holy Trinity Monastery has a history of over 6 centuries and offers a breathtaking view.

 The Monastery of the Holy Trinity provides visitors with impressive history. The first Holy location of this type dates back to the 11th century. Later on, John Uros, who used to be the emperor of Greeks, became a monk and rebuild the monastery along with other 23 such buildings. However, only 6 of them are still occupied by monks.

 Another interesting specification of the church is its architecture. Its form resembles a cross and it has the small chapel of St. John the Baptist carved into rock maintains. The wide range of detailed frescos have been well preserved and they delight those who appreciate art and history.

 Holy Trinity Monastery became popular tourist destination, after scenes displayed in 1981 James Bond movie “For your eyes.” As for the monastic life, the Eastern Orthodox monastery used to be the home of over 50 monks, but now, only 5 monks live there. The location can be visited any time by tourists, who want to get a taste of the European history, landscapes as well as unique works of art and architecture.

Somewhere in the Atacama Desert of Chile lies a surprising monument Mano del Desierto, or the Hand of the Desert. What initially seems to be a science-fiction item, is in fact a 36 feet high sculpture. Mano del Desierto is a symbol of the contrasting ideas. It shows how small, vulnerable and helpless humans are. Creator of the sculpture is the Chilean artist Mario Irarrazabal. He is a well known artist in the domain of sculpture. Weird as they may seem, his works are acclaimed all over the globe due to their originality and the emotion they express.

 The closest town Antofagasta is 75 km away from this incredible monument. Even though there’s a long way until visitors can reach the sightseeing objective, Mano del Desierto is surprisingly popular and it attracts thousands of tourists every year.

 Although it was built over 20 years ago, back in 1992, and looks just as if it was made of sand, the sculpture is very resistant. The hand is made on a surface of iron and cement and the project was supported by a local organization “Corporacion Pro Antofagasta”.

 Mano del Desierto can be visited any time of the year by curious visitors, who are passionate about original artworks.

The Golden Rock Temple, or Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, is a pagoda located in Mon State, Burma, in the Southern Asia. A pagoda is a tower built on multiple levels, in honor of saints and gods. The temple is among the most uniquely built pagodas. Located at 3609 feet above the sea level, 23 feet tall pagoda is laid on a giant rock, which is entirely covered with gold. The rock below the pagoda is merely stuck, with the larger one below it. This makes it look as if the rocks were levitating. Apart from defying gravity rules by nature, the Golden Rock Temple also hides a religious tradition worth venerating by Buddhists worldwide.

 As the legend says, the Buddha was visiting various Asian locations, when he met a Taik Tha; a hermit, who chose to spend his life in loneliness and to follow God. Apparently, Buddha gave Taik Tha a strand of his hair and the hermit gave it to the king of that time. The king, who supposedly had supernatural powers, found a rock at the bottom of the sea which resembled the hermit’s head shape. The put it on top of another one and, along with Buddha’s hair strand, covered the entire rock in gold and built a pagoda on top of it.

 With or without the legend, the Golden Rock Temple is among the most popular destinations for tourists, who want to get a taste of the Asian culture and religion. Furthermore, the square right next to the pagoda provides visitors with an incredible view of the city and the sea.

Spotted Lake is a saline endorheic alkali lake located northwest of Osoyoos in British Columbia. Spotted Lake is very highly concentrated with numerous different minerals. It contains some of the highest quantities (in the world) of magnesium sulfate, calcium and sodium sulphates. It also contains extremely high concentrations of 8 other minerals as well as some small doses of four others such as silver and titanium.

Most of the water in the lake evaporates over the summer, leaving behind all the minerals. Large “spots” on the lake appear and depending on the mineral composition at the time, the spots will be different colors. The spots are made mainly of magnesium sulfate, which crystallizes in the summer. In the summer only the minerals in the lake remain, and they harden to form natural “walkways” around and between the spots.

 Originally known to the First Nations of the Okanagan Valley as Khiluk, they considered it a sacred site, primarily as they regarded the lake’s waters as possessing therapeutic value. The lake’s minerals were also put to use in the manufacture of ammunition for World War I.

 The lake and its surrounding land were not actually owned by the first Nations; it was owned by the Ernest Smith Family for about 40 years. Despite this, the First Nations were very protective of the lake; so protective that when, in 1979, Smith attempted to have a spa at the lake, they attempted to buy the lake so they could keep it as a sacred site

 A fence keeps people from reaching the lake’s shore by walking down there from the highway. One can easily see the lake while driving by at high speeds in their car. A lot of people stop on the side of the road for a longer look. At a gate of a driveway that leads to a house near the lake, there is a small sign telling visitors about the lake’s healing powers.

• Početna strana
• Arhiva
• Fascikle
• Linkovi
• Administracija

• Chicken Church
• The Door to Hell
• Hidden Beach
• Gnomesville
• The Mystifying Park of the Monsters
• The Uluru waterfalls
• Monastery of the Holy Trinity
• Hand of the Desert
• The Golden Rock Temple
• Spotted Lake

• Generalna [10]

• RSS 0.90
• RSS 1.0
• RSS 2.0
• Atom