Tiny Treasures

Enchanted River, Surigao, Philippines

2011-12-11T00:50:00.000-08:00

The Province of Surigao del Sur is indeed full of surprises and the Enchanted River is the best of them.

Hidden in Barangay Cambatong, 30-45 minutes away from the town proper is the Enchanted River with color like the pepsi-blue..very deep and very clear. VERY MAGICAL!

Why enchanted?

Locals talk about the river being watched by spirits that is why no one swims there by 6 pm. In 1935, there were sightings of two strange women with long blonde hair and a man in green, who walked on the waters and disappeared. Occasionally, they appear before strangers or unwary locals and tongues would wag in quiet disbelief. (thanks SunStar :)

It was said that once an American diver tried to dive the depths but never reach rock bottom.

What was amazing also, and this even the locals cannot fathom why, was that although you can see many many big fishes in different varieties because of the clear waters, NO ONE has ever catch one - not by hand, by spear, or even by dynamite, or so they say.

Well, it would be up to us to believe in the stories. What's sure (and I know this for a fact having been to the place many times in the past) is that you wil truly be enchanted with the beauty of the river..

Another great thing about it is that the enhchanted river is actually very near the Hinatuan sea - which will explain its pepsi-blue color.

The Municipality of Hinatuan is 8 hours from Davao City and 4 hours from Butuan City passing thru Municipalities of San Francisco, Bagobo and Tagbina.

For those visiting the river and Surigao del Sur, never miss other wonderful places the province can offer also like Tinuy-an Falls in Bislig (the widest falls in the country), the surfing sites and beautiful places in Lanuza, cold springs in Cantilan, and the sooo delicious seafoods in the floating restaurant of Carrascal...

Surigao (whether the north or the south part) is one of the best places to visit in the country. :)

Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia

2011-12-11T00:45:00.001-08:00

In this town in northern Sumatra there is miles of forest which is inhabited with many orangutans, the treks here are great with some of the best guides I have ever used. After only 4 hours into the trek. Bukit Lawang is a small tourist village at the bank of Bahorok River in North Sumatra province of Indonesia. Situated approximately 86 km north-west of Medan, Bukit Lawang is known for the largest animal sanctuary of Sumatran orangutan (around 5,000 orangutans occupy the area), and also the main access point to the Gunung Leuser National Park from the east side.

Hoi An, Vietnam

2011-12-11T00:31:00.000-08:00

Hoi An or rarely Faifo, is a city of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in Quang Nam province and is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants. It is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. is located on the coast and has a pretty decent beach. It is the also the place to come for tailor-made clothes. There are too many tailors to mention here with the main road pretty much consisting of them. You can get literally anything made here all you need to do is take a photo of the item you want and they will make it for you. or rarely Faifo, is a city of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in Quang Nam province and is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants. It is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The Provisional New 7 Wonders of Nature.

2011-11-13T04:55:00.000-08:00

Amazon
The Amazon Rainforest, also known as Amazonia, the Amazon jungle or the Amazon Basin, encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.7 billion acres), though the forest itself occupies some 5.5 million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres), located within nine nations. The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by volume, with a total flow greater than the top ten rivers worldwide combined. It accounts for approximately one-fifth of the total world river flow and has the biggest drainage basin on the planet. Not a single bridge crosses the Amazon.

Halong Bay
Halong Bay is located in Quáng Ninh province, Vietnam. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. The bay has a 120 kilometre long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size with 1969 islets. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves, other support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Another specific feature of Halong Bay is the abundance of lakes inside the limestone islands, for example, Dau Be island has six enclosed lakes. All these island lakes occupy drowned dolines within fengcong karst.

Iguazu Falls
Iguazu Falls, in Iguazu River, are one of the world's largest waterfalls. They extend over 2,700 m (nearly 2 miles) in a semi-circular shape. Of the 275 falls that collectively make up Iguassu Falls, "Devil's Throat" is the tallest at 80 m in height. Iguazu Falls are on the border between the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones, and are surrounded by two National Parks (BR/ARG). Both are subtropical rainforests that are host to hundreds of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.

Jeju Island
Jejudo is a volcanic island, 130 km from the southern coast of Korea. The largest island and smallest province in Korea, the island has a surface area of 1,846 sqkm. A central feature of Jeju is Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea and a dormant volcano, which rises 1,950 m above sea level. 360 satellite volcanoes are around the main volcano.

Komodo
Indonesia’s Komodo National Park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones, for a total area of 1,817 square kilometers (603 square kilometers of it land). The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. Later, it was also dedicated to protecting other species, including marine animals. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin.

Table Mountain

Table Mountain is a South African icon and the only natural site on the planet to have a constellation of stars named after it - Mensa, meaning “the table.” The flat-topped mountain has withstood six million years of erosion and hosts the richest, yet smallest floral kingdom on earth with over 1,470 floral species. Table Mountain boasts numerous rare and endangered species. It is the most recognized site in Cape Town, the gateway to Africa, owing to its unique flat-topped peaks which reach 1,086 m above sea level.

And last, but never the least.

Puerto Princesa
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world's longest. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.

Little-Known Man-Made Wonders of the World.

2011-11-13T04:18:00.000-08:00

Sichuan, China

A Buddha so large it took 90 years to build

It took 90 years to carve the 233-foot-tall
Leshan Giant Buddha out of a remote
Chinese mountainside in the 8th century.

It took almost the entire 8th century to carve the 233-foot-tall Leshan Giant Buddha out of a mountainside in central China—about 1,400 miles west of Shanghai (and far out of sight and mind for most travelers)—but the result still stands as one of the world's largest Buddhas. Its ears alone are more than 23 feet in length (that’s the height of a two-story building), and even its smallest toe is large enough to sit on comfortably. But it’s not only the Buddha’s giant scale that’s impressive. On its head are 1,021 intricate, twisted hair buns hiding a complex drainage system that helps preserve the statue. The Mount Emei area itself has enormous religious significance; Buddhism was first introduced to China here. Thrill seekers can get up close to witness the Buddha’s sheer size by navigating down a steep, 250-step zigzag path along its side; those looking to take in the statue from a distance (and see additional figures carved into the cliff) can opt for a boat ride—the statue sits at the confluence of where three rivers meet.

Karelia, Russia

An open-air museum of elaborate wooden churches

The Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior on Kizhi Island, Russia.

It requires a flight or overnight train ride from Moscow or St. Petersburg and then a ferry ride to reach Kizhi Island, part of the 1,650-island chain on northern Russia’s remote Lake Onega. Your reward is becoming one of the choice few to explore the one-of-a-kind State Kizhi Museum, made up of nearly 90 wooden structures, including chapels, windmills, and granaries. Its most remarkable portion, set on a narrow strip of land on the island’s southern tip, is Kizhi Pogost, a walled enclosure that houses an octagonal bell tower and two 18th- century wooden churches. Twenty-two cascading bulbous cupolas fashioned from aspen shingles top the 121-foot Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior. Amazingly enough, this masterpiece was built without a single nail. Legend has it that a sole axe was used to carve the shingles and the interlocking corner joinery that hold the majestic structure up, and after its completion, was tossed into the water so a similar marvel couldn’t be built.

Lalibela, Ethiopia

Medieval churches made out of volcanic red rock

The belowground church of St. George in Lalibela, Ethiopia.

Unless you're from Ethiopia, chances are you don't know about these 11 medieval churches in the small mountain village of Lalibela. The destination is first and foremost a place of worship, which explains why the Ethiopians haven't done more to market it to tourists. You don't have to be devout, however, to marvel at the churches' unusual design. Legend has it that a visit to Jerusalem after its fall to a Muslim general in the 13th century inspired King Lalibela to rebuild the holy city in Ethiopia. He commissioned workers to dig these churches out of the area's red volcanic rock. One remarkable group of four—the House of Emmanuel, House of Mercurios, House of Gabriel, and House of Abba Libanos—was created from the same massive piece and connected by underground passageways. Light filters into the cruciform structures through cross-shaped windows. Another church, the Beta Medhane Alem (House of the Saviour of the World), rests some 35 feet below the surface of the desert.

Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia

Cambodia's oldest temple complex

Cambodia's little- known hidden temple complex of Sambor Prei Kuk, whose structures were built during the 7th century and predate those at Angkor Wat by some 600 years.

Built during the 7th century, the 52 standing temples of Sambor Prei Kuk are part of the remains of the former capital of Chenla, an ancient kingdom that once ruled much of present-day Cambodia. Spread across three square miles of jungle in Cambodia's Kampong Thom province, the complex predates even the oldest temples of Angkor by some 600 years. Amazingly, it's also far beneath the radar of most travelers—a meager 5,000 annual international visitors make it out to this destination, compared to the million-plus tourists who visit Angkor Wat (that may have something to do with the fact that getting to Sambor Prei Kuk entails a three-hour drive from either Siem Reap or Phnom Penh along the bumpy, stray-dog-ridden National Route No. 6). If you do want to visit, the new Isanborei community tourism project provides local English-speaking guides who will take you around the temples on a tuk tuk. If you’re looking for a truly authentic experience, opt for one of their homestays—you can live with a family, learn how to cook traditional dishes, and even help harvest rice.

Choquequirao, Peru

The truly lost Incan city

A 15th-century wall at Choquequirao, whose nearly 200 slope terraces were built about 6,000 feet above the glacier-fed Apurímac River.

These 15th-century ruins, which consist of a central plaza and dozens of slope terraces built some 6,000 feet above the glacier-fed Apurímac River, received fewer than 7,000 visitors in 2006. That’s just a little more than 1 percent of those that made the trek to its far more famous sister site, Machu Picchu, whose nickname “The Lost City of the Incas” seems misleading given its typical tourist crowds. But at its height, Choquequirao was no less significant: It was roughly the same size as Machu Picchu and believed to be the last main religious center of the Incan Empire before its fall. From the tiny town of Cachora (about 100 miles away from Cuzco), getting to Choquequirao is an arduous 20-mile trek. You’ll pass arid country full of cacti and agave before the vegetation turns lush. Take a breather to spot the occasional condor, and exhale with the jagged, snow-capped Vilcabamba Range in the distance.

Source: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-38952444

Underground Wonders of the World: Lost Caverns and Buried Cities.

2011-11-13T00:56:00.000-08:00

Kapadokya, Turkey is home to hundreds of linked rooms that, together, form an ancient system of underground cities over 2,500 years old. Areas are separated by narrow corridors lit once lit by oil lamps as well as other architectural devices for maximizing the defensibility of the spaces. Settlement initially started on the surface, then slowly moved underground over time.

Pembrokeshire, Wales is home to a family with a house straight out of The Hobbit. This amazing architectural wonder is created virtually completely from the natural materials found around the residence. The walls are made out of stone and mud and water enters the house by gravity from a nearby spring. Non-natural materials, such as windows and plumbing, were recovered from trash.

Edinburgh, Scotland has a long and strange history, though perhaps the oddest story of all is the tale of a bridge that was buried underground. After this bridge was built, superstition following a prominent death led to its disuse. As property values in the area grew, however, people first built under and then even on top of the bridge. Eventually leaks forced the abandonment of the spaces below, which were subsequently filled in. They were recently rediscovered and opened for tourists!

The Persian Gardens in Iran

2011-11-13T00:32:00.001-08:00

Dotted with historic pavilions and walls, as well as sophisticated irrigation systems, the Persian Garden has inspired garden design as far away as India and Spain.

Water was an important metaphor for looking into oneís soul. As the calm waters reflected oneís image, so too was the garden a place of spiritual reflection.Water was also a sign of wealth. Wealthy people would incorporate narrow courtyards to create zones of artificial shade from which relatively cooler air could be drawn into the structure. These courtyards sometimes would have fountains to provide humidity which would aid evaporative cooling. Fountains also provide background sound which can be a focus for meditation purposes.

In 711 A.D. the Syrian Arabs invaded Spain. They continued to rule Granada when the northern provinces were lost to them. They maintained control of southern Spain until 1492.
The nomads from the desert soon fell in love with the less harsh climate of Spain. The Arabs brought with them their respect for Persian gardens.The Spanish inherited many aspects of the Persian gardens including the concern for the conservation of water. They too enjoyed the cool environment surrounding a quite pool of water. The Spanish were able to create the same conjured songs of running water.

Source: http://trip.worldtravellist.com/2011/08/hidden-wonders-of-the-world-the-persian-gardens-in-iran/