The Wonders of the Earth: Magical Places
Last time, we explored the amazing creatures living in Madagascar and admired their diversity. This time, let us put our eyes upon nature itself.
Many places in this world seem almost impossible. Some look like they openly challenge Newton’s Laws, while others seem to belong to a different world. Here are just a few examples of some glorious sights all over the world that are less popular than the Himalayas or the Grand Canyon but deserve no fewer praises. Maybe you can pay them a visit someday.
1. Mount Roraima
Looks like a piece of cake landing at the triple border point of Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana.
This mountain is called Roraima tepui in the native Pemón language, meaning something as “the great blue-green house of spirits.” The cliffs on its sides are over 1,300 ft (400 m) high above the clouds, with waterfalls contributing to the Amazon river system. On top of this flat plateau, some species exist nowhere else in the world, such as the Roraima black frog. It rains almost every day up there in that hidden world.
Mount Roraima has inspired many works. It is said that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The Lost World was based on reports of this mountain. In the Pixar Movie Up, this is the Paradise Falls Plateau.
Most hikers enter from the Venezuela side, else you have to try rock climbing.
2. Kelimutu
From left to right: Tiwu Ata Bupu (Lake of Old People), Tiwu Ko'o Fai Nuwa Muri (Lake of Young Men and Maidens), and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake).
Typically, these three lakes are blue, green, and red; but they can also become white, turquoise, black, brown, and dark green. They are all located at the crest of the Kelimutu volcano and, in local religion, are a resting place for the dead before they go on to their afterlife. Scientists believe that the lakes’ color changes might result from chemical reactions between the minerals they contain.
There are no large life forms, such as fish, inside those three lakes. So even though you might be intrigued by its bright colors, do not attempt to swim in it!
3. Zhangjiajie
The name literally means "Zhang family homeland," but with a few wordplays, it can mean "Open the family door to welcome the world."
Those sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie National Park are not a result of karst terrain but are an example of physical erosion mostly due to streams. Many precious animals live inside this park, such as the Chinese Giant Salamander, forest musk, and pangolins, not to mention the dense forests and misty mountains. There is also a glass bridge for daring tourists to look down from 300 meters (980 ft) above the ground.
If you have never heard of Zhangjiajie before, note that Avatar drew inspiration from those pillars. In fact, one of the sandstone pillars was renamed "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain" after the movie.
4. Darvaza gas crater
The Gates of Hell
A popular origin story for this burning gas crater is that, in 1971, Soviet engineers planned to burn out the poisonous gases in this cavern and the fire went continuously on ever since. There were no records of how exactly this cavern came to being, but now it has become a popular tourist attraction in the desert.
In January 2022, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov ordered to close the site and to find methods to extinguish the fire. Maybe soon, the Door to Hell will be shut by science.
5. Stuðlagil
The best time to visit this valley is from June to early August.
As one of the newer tourist attractions, this valley is a hidden beauty in Iceland. The 30-meter-high rock cliffs and the blue Jökla river contrast each other like a gate leading towards heaven.
The basalt columns are formed when lava cools slowly and clusters into symmetrical shapes, and for a long time remain hidden under the water. The river Jökla used to be a strong glacial river that cut through the valley and isolated its two sides from each other. When a hydroelectric plant was built near the source of the river, it greatly reduced its volume. Jökla is tamed to a gentle stream, and this valley becomes a new stunning site.