Unusual places around the world

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.

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• 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

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