Category: Travel

• Explore Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave, the largest known cave in the world

  

  Son Doong Cave, or “mountain river cave,” is the largest known cave in the world. It’s located in the Quang Binh Province of Vietnam as part of the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park near the border of China.

  The incredible scale of Son Doong Cave

  Five miles long, the gargantuan cave stands 660 feet fall, 575 feet wide — making it larger than a 50-story New York skyscraper and then some! In fact, the cave is so large it hosts its own weather system and rainforest. It’s also home to various plants and 500+ vertebrates, including exotic animals like the flying fox.

  A local man initially discovered the 450 million-year-old cave in 1991. But British explorers rediscovered it in 2009, making it one of the last unexplored parts of the Earth.

  It opened up to boutique tourism in 2013, with the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince one of the first to visit the cave in 2014. The park allows only a few thousand visitors annually to help preserve its uniqueness and stunning beauty.

  How Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave formed

  The magnificent cave formed about 5 million years ago through the slow decay of limestone by continuous river water.

  The ceiling collapsed, leaving gaping skylights and drips of water in the persistent 73 degrees Fahrenheit cave. The simulated rain created beautiful formations over thousands of years.

  The Son Doon cave features downward-hanging stalactites and 10-story stalagmites, some of the world’s largest.

  

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  January 12, 2023

  Nature, Travel

  caves, Nature, Travel, Vietnam

• Driving Los Caracoles on Ruta 60 in Chile

  

  You’ll need to go at a “snail’s pace” if you’re riding through Los Caracoles on Ruta CH-60.

  The highway, also known as Los Libertadores International Pass or Cristo Redentor, treads through a 10,105-foot tunnel in the Andes Mountains. The mountain pass connects Santiago de Chile to Mendoza, Argentina, and stands a remarkable 10,500 feet high.

  29 hairpin turns in the Andes

  Yet, the altitude is not the only scary part. The road bends in a series of 29 switchbacks on the Chile side to help cars make a safe incline or descent.

  Given the steepness of the route running through Andes Cordillera, it is also one of the most challenging, especially when navigating snowy and frigid temperatures. Thankfully, the roads are wide enough to accommodate both trucks and cars.

  While Los Caracoles is open 24 hours a day, any significant congestion could leave cars stranded for 12 hours. Unhindered, it usually takes 10-30 minutes to get up and through the road.

  Despite the nerves, don’t forget to look around at the unreal views and likely some goats.

  

  

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  December 8, 2022

  Travel

  Andes, Chile, mountain, road trip, Travel

• Meet Mexico’s hidden beach, Playa del Amor of the Marieta Islands

  

  There’s a hidden beach deep in the Marieta Islands of Mexico known as Playa del Amor (Lover’s Beach).

  Like Portugals’ stunning Benagil Sea Cave, the beach is concealed inside a hinged cave and can only be reached by swimming or kayaking through an extensive water tunnel during low tides.

  But first, to get to Playa del Amor, visitors must take a 22-mile boat ride from Puerto Vallarta’s coast and then decide how to navigate the Pacific Ocean and the cave’s ceiling level to the sandy beach.

  The romantic beach, however, has a gruesome past that’s not all attributed to geology. The gaping crater in the center and the surrounding odd rock formations resulted from military bombing exercises in the 1900s.

  Jacques Cousteau’s conservation efforts in the 1960s helped preserve the uninhabited islands from further military destruction.

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  November 16, 2022

  Travel

  beach, caves, Mexico, Ocean, Travel

• Ireland’s impressive Dún Briste Sea Stack

  

  Dun Briste is a 150-foot sea stack off County Mayo on the western coast of Ireland, at Downpatrick Head.

  According to the legend, this impressive landmark broke off the mainland during a massive sea storm in 1393. Ships rescued those living on the cliffs who’d fallen into the water.

  During the 1980s, scientists discovered remnants of a medieval house on the property. The discovery supports the theory that an arch leading to the rock once existed. After all, Dun Briste translates to “The Broken Fort” in Gaelic.

  The Dún Briste Sea Stack sits approximately 260 feet from the shore. Now, we get to see thousands of years of geological formation caused by rough wave erosion and the molding of sandstones, limestones, and even seashells in one chunky layered tower of rock.

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  November 2, 2022

  Nature, Travel

  Ireland, Nature, Ocean, Rocks, Travel

• The fairy tale beauty of Slovenia’s Bled Island

  

  Bred Island is a small tear-shaped island floating in the middle of Lake Bled in northwestern Slovenia.

  On the island sits the 170ft tall Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, a Baroque church established in 1534. The church on the island is a popular place for locals to wed, with the requirement that the groom carries the bride up the 99 stone steps leading from the boat dock to the church door.

  Tourists enjoy hiking around the lake and rowing in its peaceful waters during the summer. One can also reach the island by Pletna boat or, dare we say, by swimming there.

  During the winter, the frost over the island looks like a scene from a Disney movie. The mountains and forests surrounding the lake add to the picturesque view of the church.

  Bled island is the only natural island in Slovenia. It’s also the country’s most famous destination, along with the nearby medieval castle built on a steep cliff above the lake.

  Straight out of a fairy tale, we can see why this little island is a real treasure.

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  October 15, 2022

  Nature, Travel

  church, island, Nature, Slovenia, Travel

• See South America’s Triple Frontier where three countries meet

  

  There is a river point in South America where three countries — Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay — come together to form the Triple Frontier.

  The confluence of the two rivers, the Parana River (7th biggest in the world) and the Iguazu River, create a fascinating image. Unfortunately, the triple point is also a major traffic point where drug and human trafficking occur.

  There's a point in South America where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay's borders meet called the Triple Frontier. https://t.co/4ti92rLHHE pic.twitter.com/u7NASHdGfK

  — Discvr.blog (@DiscvrB) October 16, 2022

  The geographic area is on the Pentagon’s radar for being a hotspot for terrorist organizations, with money allegedly flowing from Lebanese Arabs in the region to Hezbollah overseas.

  The Triple Frontier area is a fascinating but potentially dangerous place where the so-called “map is not the territory.”

  A convergence of obelisks

  The three countries host obelisks at the borders’ convergence, allowing visitors to view all three countries simultaneously.

  Each monument comes painted in the national colors of each country.

  Interestingly the three countries also share the same top attraction, the majestic Iguazu Falls.

  275 separate waterfalls make up the natural wonder, which sits primarily on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Parana.

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  October 14, 2022

  Travel

  Argentina, brazil, Nature, Travel, waterfall

• Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world

  

  The high-altitude salt flat of Salar de Uyuni in southwest Bolivia creates the world’s biggest natural mirror. The flat sits near the crest of the Andes at an elevation of 11,995 ft above sea level.

  Considered one of the flattest surfaces on Earth (4,086 sq mi), the salt flat, also known as the “Mirror of God,” is so big it can be seen from outer space. In fact, space satellites often use the flat’s intense reflections to calibrate their sensors.

  It’s remarkable to think that the Salar de Uyuni was once an ancient lake before it dried up. While Uyuni is extensive, remember that most dry lakes are small.

  Mind-bending reflections of Salar de Uyuni

  During the winter, a thin layer of water from the summer rains hovers calmly over the salt creating the reflective mirror effect. The entire landscape reflects onto the ground, giving the impression of where Heaven and Earth meet.

  As the salt crystallizes from the saline oozing out of the mud cracks, the ridges in the salt flat also become hexagonal (see images 1 and 5 below). The bright white salt is up to 32 feet thick at the center of this prehistoric lake.

  Visitors to the location are known to take pictures that play with the perspective of the viewer’s depth. Check out some of the photoshop-looking optical illusions after the jump.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  September 30, 2022

  Nature, Travel

  Bolivia, Nature, Travel

• The famous Zlatni Rat beach on Bol Brac Island, Croatia

  

  Zlatini Rat, or Golden Cape, is one of Croatia’s most unique and popular beach destinations. It’s not hard to see why.

  The magnificent horn-shaped beach resides on the southern coast of the Croatian island of Brac, outside the resort town of Bol.

  The 1700-foot white-pebble beach formed by the collision of two currents also runs perpendicularly out like a tongue stretching into the Adriatic sea.

  Strong winds and waves constantly modify the beach’s tip, but the overall spit of land stays intact. The soft sand and blue seas of the famous Zlatni rat beach make it one of the best windsurfing and diving spots in the Mediterranean. And no, there are no rats!

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  August 24, 2022

  Travel

  Croatia, Travel

• The life-saving wildlife crossings at Canada’s Banff National Park

  

  Banff National Park, Canada, is home to a series of bridges and tunnels created for wildlife, commonly known as the Banff Wildlife Crossings. These car-free pathways are quickly becoming a conservation inspiration across the world.

  The overpass structures, implemented by Parks Canada 26 years ago, were designed to reduce the number of animal-vehicle collisions on the Trans-Canada Highway.

  Look at how the passageway’s uninterrupted greenery has helped over 200,000 animals get on with the business of living.

  Crossings designed to protect wildlife

  These animal-specific routes have been a major rewilding success in the area.

  There are now seven overpasses and 41 wildlife underpasses that stretch from Banff National Park to the British Columbia border. The wildlife tunnels contain sand traps that make it easier to identify the footprints of any animal, including bears, beavers, cougars, foxes, sheep, and even toads.

  The structures, combined with highway fencing to keep animals off the road, have decreased collisions in the area by more than 80% — nearly 99% for elk and deer!

  

  

  Wells Baum

  August 3, 2022

  Animals, Travel

  animals, Canada, national parks, Nature

• The Wave in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

  

  The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in North Coyote Buttes of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument on the Arizona and Utah borders.

  The swirling stone waves combine water and wind eroded sandstone dunes, calcified vertically and horizontally, and fossilized over 190 million years. The rich red-vermilion rocks get their colors from iron oxide pigments.

  Only 20 people can visit The Wave in Vermilion Cliffs daily, reachable exclusively by foot through a challenging 6.5 mil round-trip terrain. The distinct rock formation rests 3,000 feet above the benchland below. 

  The scene offers some of the best photography of public lands in the United States.

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  July 8, 2022

  Nature, Science, Travel

  Arizona, Ecology, Nature, Rocks, science, Travel

• Germany’s “Devil’s Bridge” makes a spectacular optical illusion

  

  The Devil’s Bridge (Rakotzbrücke) is a 19th-century stone bridge located in the 200-acre Rhododendron Park in Kromlau, Saxony, Germany. 

  Legend says that not only did the devil build the structure, but Satan himself should be the only one to cross it. After all, it looks like a passageway to another world or, even more mysteriously, a massive serpent’s eye.

  The bridge’s reflection paints an eerie picture

  With a perfect parabola and basalt spires, no wonder Hollywood decided to use the legendary bridge in the 2021 film Matrix Resurrections.

  The arched bridge reflects a perfect circle over the water of Lake Rakotzsee below. The resulting optical illusion makes the bridge fit flawlessly into the surrounding picturesque nature. Perhaps they should rename the ancient bridge “fairy-tale bridge.”

  No one’s allowed to walk the bridge, nor even touch it. But it doesn’t hurt to look if the gigantic diabolical eye isn’t already staring at you.  

  

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  July 1, 2022

  Nature, Travel

  Bridge, Devil’s Bridge, Germany, Nature, Travel

• The brilliantly colorful Fly Geyser of Nevada

  

  Located in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada is a small Geothermal geyser that looks like an alien-form bursting with life: The Fly Geyser.

  The Fly Geyser resulted from a man-made drilling accident in 1916 when someone went drilling for a water source. Instead, they penetrated a pool that spewed 200°F of scalding hot water that flowed from a group of conical rocks.

  A marvel born of multiple human errors

  Another nearby drilling incident in 1964 created the multiple fountain cones today. Calcium carbonate and silica deposits built up over time to give the sprout its imaginary shape with psychedelic green and red-colored thermophilic algae.

  The conic openings are about 6 feet high, buttressed on a 12-foot wide mound.

  Tours for the Fly Geyser operate on private land owned by the Burning Man Project. Be reassured that boiling water still shoots over 5 ft into the air. 

  

  

  

  Wells Baum

  June 17, 2022

  Nature, Travel

  geology, Nature, Nevada, Travel