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Baatara Gorge Waterfall: Why it’s Lebanon’s best-kept secret
Like Peru’s Waterfall of the Bride, the Baatara Gorge Waterfall is one of Lebanon’s best-kept secrets. Located in the Tannourine Cedars Nature Reserve, the waterfall is accessible via a short hike through the forest on the Lebanon Mountain Trail. The views from the top are breathtaking, and the waterfall is an impressive sight. This hiking
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The beauty of Madagascar’s giant Baobab trees
The Grandidier’s Baobabs (Palmate adansonia) are giant trees indigenous to Africa. Nicknamed the “mother of the forest,” this species of Baobab tree is predominantly found off Africa’s mainland in the island country of Madagascar. It joins the fiery flowering plant Delonix regia as native to the country. Baobabs can live up to 800 to 1000
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The beautiful yet feisty Lilac-breasted roller bird, Africa’s most colorful bird
The plumage on the lilac-breasted roller bird is gorgeous. The creature sports eight different colors to give it the impression of a mesmerizing rainbow. It may just be Africa’s most colorful bird. Native to sub-Saharan Africa and the national bird of Botswana and Kenya, the lilac bird is known to perch on treetops by the
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Why Autumn 2023 is the best season
As the air grows crisp and the days shorten, a collective sigh emanates from the natural world—one of relief, perhaps, or even contentment. This change heralds the arrival of autumn, a season that, despite its transience, leaves an indelible imprint on our senses and sensibilities. The virtues of autumn are many, transcending mere aesthetics to
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Ten best autumn landscapes in the USA
Autumn in the United States is a season of breathtaking transformations. The nation’s landscapes turn into vivid canvases painted with orange, red, and gold hues. Here are the ten best autumn landscapes in the USA, complete with the best times to visit and what you can expect to see. White Mountains, New Hampshire Home to
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Jatayu Earth Center: Home to the World’s Largest Bird Sculpture
Jatayu Nature Park in Kerala, India, holds the world’s largest bird sculpture, occupying about 15,000 sq feet and standing at the height of about 1200 feet above sea level. It is five times the size of the Pyramid of Giza. Opened in 2018 as a tourist destination, the 70-foot tall giant concrete figure pays tribute
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Rejected designs for the Eiffel Tower
When Gustave Eiffel and French designers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier unveiled their groundbreaking concept for the Eiffel Tower in the 1880s, the Parisian artistic community wasn’t impressed. Intellectuals like Charles Garnier and Guy de Maupassant criticized it as an eyesore, igniting the infamous “Artists Against the Eiffel Tower” petition. The Original Eiffel Tower Designs
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Why pirates wear an eye patch
An eye patch, a parrot, a wooden leg, and a limp; these iconic attributes paint the picture of a pirate in popular culture. However, there’s more to the eye patch than meets the eye—quite literally. Contrary to common belief, famous pirates didn’t wear an eye patch due to a missing eye. Instead, it served a
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The evolution of the Spacesuit: History, Layers, Functionality
As spacesuit design continues to become thinner, more intricate, and more dynamic — there are touchscreen-sensitive gloves, an attached helmet, and built-in ventilation in the latest uniform — it’s worth looking at how both US and Russian spacesuits have evolved over time. Start by looking at the original suit (the Marshmallow Moon-Suit) designed for the moon mission