March, 2011 Archives

Devoured By The Desert: Creepy Kolmanskop Ghost Town (21 PICS)

March 31st, 2011 Permalink

There is a slowly sinking city in the desert of southern Namibia, Africa, a ghost town called Kolmanskop. In the 1900s, diamonds were discovered just sitting upon the sand, waiting to be found, so people from all over the world with diamond fever flocked from the port of Lüderitz to the once desolated lonely desert. Kolmanskop became a mining town, but after the First World War when diamonds sales dropped, the sand-clearing squad failed to show up. That was the beginning of the end; Kolmanskop turned into a ghost town being buried by sand and trapped in time. The TV show Destination Truth visited this ghost town since it is highly rumored to be haunted. They were not disappointed, having captured EVPs of ghosts whispering, seeing shadows, hearing footsteps, and having the fluff scared of out them in Kolmanskop. [21 pictures]

Kolmanskop

In Namibia, Africa, not too far from the port city of Lüderitz, the ghost town Kolmanskop is slowly sinking, being buried by sand to be trapped in time. Photo #1 by Michiel Van Balen

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Multicolored Martian Landscape? Nope. Fly Geyser in the Nevada Desert

March 30th, 2011 Permalink

Mother Nature didn’t create this bizarre geothermal wonder located in the Nevada desert, but neither did aliens. The vividly multicolored Fly Geyser phenomena is the result of an accident by man. Since the 1960s, the volcano-shaped Fly Geyser has continuously spewed hot water, as if morphing the land and environment into its own ecosystem and desert habitat.

Fly Geyser Timed Exposure

Mother Nature didn’t create this geothermal wonder, but neither did aliens. In 1916, a rancher drilled a well in hopes of turning the desert into a fertile wetland, but accidentally hit a geothermal pocket of water. It wasn’t until 1964 that boiling water started to escape to the surface and that is how this geothermal wonder came to be. It’s located on private property, the Fly Ranch. This phenomena has been named Fly Geyser in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, located about 20 miles north of Gerlach. Photo #1 by wallpaperpimper

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In Memory of Polar Bear Superstar Knut (30 Pic Tribute)

March 25th, 2011 Permalink

When the polar bear cub Knut was rejected by his mother, Berlin zoo keeper Thomas Doerflein took over his care. Knut was an adorable white and fluffy baby which soon skyrocketed Knut to fame. Knut became a superstar polar bear and had a very special relationship with Doerflein. Yet recently Knut was found dead at the Berlin Zoo. He was only a little over 4 years old. Here is a 30 picture tribute in memory to a one-of-a-kind superstar polar bear. R.I.P. Knut.

Berlin zoo employee Thomas Doerflein plays with polar bear cub Knut

This is baby Knut, the polar bear that was rejected by its mother Tosca after Knut was born on December 5, 2006. He weighed only 19 pounds (9 kilograms). Berlin zoo employee Thomas Doerflein plays with polar bear cub Knut in this picture. Knut had to be reared by hand and bottle-fed by Doerflein at the Berlin Zoo in Germany. They had a very special bond that is almost never seen between human and polar bear. Photo #1 by Jeremy C. Munns

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Grand Canyon: Proof that Nature Rocks! (35 Pics)

March 22nd, 2011 Permalink

No matter how many times you gaze at the gorgeous Grand Canyon in Arizona, it will look slightly different depending upon the play of sunlight and shadows on the mutlicolored rock walls. Being 277 miles long, about a mile deep, and up to 18 miles wide, there are almost limitless places to take photos. The Colorado River is believed to have carved out the steep canyon over 17 million years ago. As one of the world’s most spectacular natural attractions, Grand Canyon National Park has more than 5 million visitors per year. It’s a finalist in the New 7 wonders of nature competition. The Grand Canyon is an outdoor adventurers delight and we highly recommend visiting it at least once during your life. Believe it or not, seeing the the power and grandeur of nature at the Grand Canyon can change your life. We love the Grand Canyon and we love these pics!

4 U.S. Air Force Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighters from the 58th Tactical Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona (USA), flying in an echelon left formation over the Grand Canyon

4 U.S. Air Force Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighters from the 58th Tactical Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona (USA), flying in an echelon left formation over the Grand Canyon. Photo #1 by Camera Operator: TSgt Bob Simons, USAF

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Live Dangerously & Ride the Lightning! [45 Wicked Pics]

March 18th, 2011 Permalink

Whammo! Zap! Strike! Yikes! Live Dangerously — Ride the Lightning! Spring is nearly here in the U.S. which means rain, but sometimes the rain doesn’t sweep in nice and gentle. Sometimes storms are wicked dangerous. One thing most all of us have in common worldwide is thunderstorms and the lightning that comes with those storms. The National Weather Service reports more than 3,000 deaths a year from lightning strikes, with 4-5 times many more people injured by lightning. Yet we are spellbound, staring at the awesome scary power of lightning. Some photographers are great at capturing that split second of nature’s zapping fury. Here are 45 wicked pics of lightning. We love these pics!

Lightning - Living Dangerously

Lightning – Living Dangerously. Photo #1 by TED

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Fairytale Land: Beautiful Bled Island & Castle (20 PICS)

March 17th, 2011 Permalink

In Slovenia, there is a place that seems like something out of a fairytale. That place is beautiful Bled Island which is in the middle of an emerald green mountain lake, Bled Lake, with spectacular Castle Bled perched high on a cliff and overlooking this fairytale kingdom. We love these pics! [20 Pictures]

Bled lake and Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church

Bled Lake and Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church. You can see the fantastic snow-covered Julian Alps behind Bled Island’s church. Photo #1 by Mirci

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Ireland Now and Then (100 yrs ago) – Happy St. Patrick’s Day! (17 PICS)

March 13th, 2011 Permalink

Before St. Patrick’s Day last year, the Library of Congress asked for, and posted, more than 100 color photochroms of Ireland taken between 1890 – 1900. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day this year, here’s a look at some of those same spots in Ireland as captured in pictures over a hundred years ago, then again today. This post is sprinkled with a generous dose of Irish sayings and blessings to bless your little Irish heart and every other Irish part. Even if you’re not Irish, blessings never hurt anyone. [17 Pictures]

Many people have seen photos of the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in Ireland, but the Library of Congress took an interesting approach. Before St. Patrick’s Day last year, it asked for and posted more than 100 photochroms of Ireland taken between 1890 – 1900. Here’s a look at some of those same spots over a hundred years ago, then again today. ~ As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction. Photo #1 by Shiraz Chakera

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ESO: Stargazing the Majestic Milky Way (35 Pics)

March 10th, 2011 Permalink

When you were a kid, did you ever wish upon a star? Stargazing always seems to help put problems into perspective. Americans usually know more about and love NASA, but the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is cool too. The ESO operates the Paranal Observatory, located in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile at an altitude of 8,645 feet. The largest telescope on Paranal is called the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and it shoots a super cool laser into outer space. These incredible pictures were all taken at the ESO, featuring gazillions of stars in the majestic Milky Way, the VLT, Cerro Armazones, La Silla Observatory, or ALMA antennas. We love these pics! [35 Photos]

ESO Laser Towards Milky Ways Center

ESO: Pointing the Laser towards the Milky Way’s Center is helping researchers better monitor the galactic core, where a central supermassive black hole, surrounded by closely orbiting stars, is swallowing gas and dust. In mid-August 2010 ESO Photo Ambassador Yuri Beletsky snapped this amazing photo at ESO’s Paranal Observatory. Photo #1 by ESO/Y. Beletsky

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Easter Island: Mysterious & Hauntingly Beautiful (25 pics)

March 8th, 2011 Permalink

Easter Island, (Rapa Nui) Chile, is an extremely remote island and one of the world’s most famous yet least visited archaeological sites. It has perhaps more mystery and speculation in proportion to its size than any other prehistoric place on Earth — since about half of the 887 massive stone monuments remain unfinished in its main quarry. People have wondered why so many statues were left unfinished, when was the last one carved, and how were they transported in as early as 500 AD? The Rano Raraku quarry at Easter Island is where the incredible ancient relics called moai were cut out of volcanic rock and sculpted prior to transport to various sites on the island. At least 288 of the monumentally massive moai once stood upon massive stone platforms called ahu. The moai dotted Easter Island, the paradise turned wasteland which serves as a cautionary tale and poster child for ecological disaster. [25 Photos]

Chile, Easter Island

In Chile, the Polynesian name for this island is Rapa Nui, but many people call it Easter Island since a Dutch explorer found it on Easter Sunday. Here the horses are nibbling away apparently unimpressed by moai archaeological treasures at the Rano Raraku quarry. Photo #1 by Lieutenant Elizabeth Crapo, NOAA Corps & NOAA

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21 Stunning & Superbly Serene Chinese Gardens

March 4th, 2011 Permalink

China has population of around 1,331,460,000 people, but for such a crowded place, it offers many gorgeous and peaceful gardens. There is nothing left to chance in the design of Chinese gardens. They are meant to reflect a painting or a poem, to be a place of spiritual utopia to connect with nature and a person’s inner heart. Chinese gardens are socially and culturally important. They serve multiple purposes as an extension of the house, used for retreat, for festivity, for study of poetry, and for romance. Looking at the pictures, we feel peaceful. So relax and take a virtual tour through a few stunning and superbly serene Chinese gardens. We love these pics! [21 pictures]

Hupao (Dreaming of the Tiger) Spring in Hangzhou, China

“Dreaming of the Tiger” – Hupao Spring in Hangzhou, China. Chinese gardens are built not planted to be a solitary place or to be a place for “social contemplation of nature.” Chinese gardens are culturally important, serving as a semi-public extension of the house, meant for retreat, for festivity, for study of poetry, or even for romance. Photo #1 by Sh1019

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Petra: “Rose-Red City Half As Old As Time” (22 pics)

March 2nd, 2011 Permalink

Petra, “a rose-red city half as old as time,” is one of the world’s most famous rock-cut architectural sites. It was half-built, half-carved into the rocks and is surrounded by mountains dotted with passages and gorges. This ancient fortress is now in ruins and reportedly haunted with centuries worth of ghosts. Petra, Jordan, is situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, and inhabited since prehistoric times. In 1985, UNESCO designated Petra as a World Heritage Site. Petra is definitely on our bucketlist. We love these pics! [22 Photos]

Petra by Candlelight

Petra, Jordan, by Candlelight. If the gorgeous rock colors are dazzling during the day, imagine more than 1,500 candles flickering in the ancient city, through the Siq to the Treasury where Bedouin music is playing. Photo #1 by Paul Stocker

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