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7 Most Beautiful Oases

Saturday, January 8, 2011

www.oddee.com/item_92692.aspx

7 Most Beautiful Oases

Published on 1/13/2008 under Cool Places - 197,697 views




Ubari Oasis (Libya)

Ubari is an oasis city in South-Western Libya, in the Targa valley. It lies between the Messak Sattafat plateau and Idhan Ubari sand dunes and lakes. The oasis is the second centre after Ghat for Kel Ajjer Tuareg. Neighbouring villages include Germa, and In Garran. The water is salted like the dead sea, but swimming into it is rather not a good idea as it is very dirty.




Huacachina (Peru)

Shimmering beneath the scorching sun of the Peruvian desert is an extraordinary sight - a tiny settlement, complete with lagoon, lush palm groves, carob trees, cafes, neatly clipped lawns, 100-strong population and even the odd swimming pool.

For thousands of years, Huacachina, otherwise known as the ‘oasis of Americas' - there is only one - has been a beacon of green, hidden deep amid hundreds of miles of barren desert.

Huacachina serves as a resort for local families from the nearby city of Ica, and increasingly as an attraction for tourists drawn by the sport of sandboarding on sand dunes that stretch several hundred feet high.


Ein Gedi (Israel)

En Gedi is the largest oasis along the western shore of the Dead Sea. The springs here have allowed nearly continuous inhabitation of the site since the Chalcolithic period. The area was allotted to the tribe of Judah, and was famous in the time of Solomon (Josh 15:62). Today the Israeli kibbutz of En Gedi sits along the southern bank of the Nahal Arugot.



Chebika Oasis (Tunisia)

Chebika belongs to the collection of unlikely desert oases of the mountains north of the great Tunisian chotts. Least famous, Chebika offers perhaps the most effective and dramatic experience among them. Where the mountains rise, Chebika lies. Most of the year it is so exposed to the sun that it once was known as Qasr el-Shams, Castle of the Sun.


Timia Oasis (Niger)

Timia Oasis, located on the Aïr Mountains (northern Niger), is billed as the most beautiful oasis in the country for a reason. It is not quite the image of a pool of water amidst the sand-dunes with a couple of palm-trees on either side. Instead it is a rich network of lush gardens in the middle of some of the most hostile terrain on earth- as true an oasis as you'll ever find. Oranges and pomegranates hang from branches and can be plucked (for a fee) and eaten on the spot. Date palms and citrus trees, and beneath the cool of the spreading leaves, any number of herbs, cereals and garden vegetables are grown. The Tuareg who tend the gardens export their produce all over the Aïr region- indeed in some cases all over Niger. After the searing heat of the Sahara, the Timia Oasis is the perfect rest-stop for a group of travellers, and time is well spent exploring the refreshing shade of the carefully-groomed orchards.


Gaberoun (Libya)

Gaberoun is an oasis with a large lake located in the municipality Sabha in the Libyan Sahara. The old Bedouin settlement by the western shore of the lake has been abandoned, and now lays in ruins. A rudimentary tourist camp is located on the northeastern shore, including an open patio, sleeping huts, and a souvenir shop (attended by a touareg in full costume) in the winter.

The lake is very salty, swimming can be pleasant despite the salt water crustaceans. Mosquitoes are abundant, especially in the summer. October to May is considered the best time to visit as the climate is milder.


Herðubreiðarlindir (Iceland)

On Herðubreið, situated in the Highlands of Iceland in the midst of the desert of Ódáðahraun --a very big lava field originating from eruptions of the volcano Trölladyngja--, lies an oasis called Herðubreiðarlindir with a camp ground and famous hiking trails. In former times, outcasts lived there who had been excluded from Icelandic society because of crimes they had committed.

10 Most Breathtaking Fountains in the World

www.oddee.com/item_96490.aspx

10 Most Breathtaking Fountains in the World

Published on 10/29/2008 under Cool Places - 74,748 views
TAGS: Fountains, Trevi Fountain, Water Fountains, outdoor fountains, Fountain of Wealth, Bellagio Fountains, Magic Fountain of Montjuic, Volcano Fountain, Big Wild Goose Pagoda Fountains, People’s Friendship Fountain, Trevi Fountai




Bellagio Fountains (Las Vegas): A Choreographed Water Show

The Fountains of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas (USA) are a vast, choreographed water fountains with performances set to light and music. The performances are visible from numerous vantage points on the Strip, both from the street and from neighboring structures. The fountain's show takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings, and every 15 minutes from 8 PM to midnight. The Fountains are set in a nine-acre man-made lake. The fountain display is choreographed to various pieces of music; current pieces include "Fly Me To The Moon" (Frank Sinatra), "Time to Say Goodbye" (Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli) and "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion).

Contrary to a common urban myth that the lake is filled with treated greywater from the hotel, it is actually serviced by a fresh water well, that was drilled decades prior to irrigate a golf course which previously utilized the site. In fact, the fountains use less water at present than under its prior golf course use. They incorporate a network of underwater pipes with over 1,200 nozzles that makes it possible to stage fountain displays coordinated with over 4,500 lights. It is estimated that the fountains cost US$50 million to build.


S. Brightman and A. Bocelli - Time to Say Goodbye



Fountain of Wealth (Suntec): World's Largest Fountain

The Fountain of Wealth is located underground within the largest shopping mall of Suntec City in Singapore and is famous for being the world's largest fountain. A symbol of wealth and life, the Fountain's design was based on the Hindu mandala, and is a symbolic representation of the oneness in spirit, unity and harmony among the four races in Singapore. The fountain is made of bronze, and consists of a circular ring with a circumference of 66 metres supported on four large slanted columns. It occupies an area of 1683 metres (5521 ft), with a height of 13.8m (45.2 ft). Water from the fountain shoots up to 30 metres high.




Magic Fountain of Montjuic (Barcelona): A spectacular display of colour, light and motion

The Magic Fountain of Montjuic is a spectacular display of colour, light, motion, music and water acrobatics in Barcelona. Located between Placa d’Espanya and the National Palau, the magic fountain attracts thousands of tourists every night. Built by designer Carles Buigas in 1929 for the Great Universal Exhibition, over 3000 workers were commissioned to work on the project for less than a year.


Volcano Fountain (Abu Dhabi): Forever Lost

Sadly, on 2004 the Volcano Fountain --once an scenic landmark of Abu Dhabi and one of the world's most beautiful fountains-- was demolished to make space for a more picturesque development of the neighborhood. The 80-foot-high fountain was built like a circular pyramid, with a flight of steps from the four sides going up the six platforms to the fountain on the top. On the evenings, the fountain would turn into a pleasant spectacle with coloured lights on as the water cascades down.


Big Wild Goose Pagoda Fountains (Xian): Around Emperor Gaozong's Pagoda

Originally built in 652 during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. Located in the southern suburb of Xian City (China), the fountain is home to the largest musical fountain in Asia, with the longest light-belt in the world.


People’s Friendship Fountain (Moscow): A Gilded USSR Fountain

The People’s Friendship Fountain (also known as Friendship of Nations) on Moscow features 16 gilded statues of maidens in their national costumes, representing all the Soviet Union Republics. The fountain is framed by an octahedral bowl of red granite with a surface area of 4,000 square meters. The fountain is serviced by a complex system of eight powerful pumps that can shoot 1,200 liters of water from 800 jets to the height of 24 meters per second.


Trevi Fountain (Rome): World's Most Famous Fountain

Standing 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide, the Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) features one of Italy's most beautiful sculptures: Neptune or Oceanus in the middle and two tritons, one trying to tame a fiery horse symbolizing the rough sea, and one blowing a shell-horn symbolizing the quiet sea. It was ordered in 1732 by Clemens XII and thirty years later his predecessor Clemens XIII christened it.

Trevi became famous for a scene in Fellini's movie "La Dolce Vita", when Anita Ekberg takes a late-night bath in the fountain. There’s also a legend saying that, if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, you will return to Rome.


Oval Fountain (Tivoli): UNESCO world heritage site

The Fontana dell'Ovato (Oval Fountain), also called Fontana di Tivoli, is located in Villa d'Este, Tivoli, Italy. The fountain cascades from its egg-shaped basin into a pool set against a rustic nymphaeum. The design was made by Pirro Ligorio. The whole Villa was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2001.


Peterhof Fountain (Saint Petersburg): Along the Russian Versailles

Peterhof is an immensely luxurious and beautifully preserved Imperial estate, founded in 1710 by Peter the Great on the shore of the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea). It combines several ornate palaces, a number of beautifully landscaped parks and a dazzling array of magnificent statues and fountains, lending it the epithet "The Russian Versailles". The Grand Cascade flows spectacularly from beneath the palace towards the Baltic Sea and is one of the largest fountain ensembles in the world. From the Grand Cascade's largest fountain, decorated with a magnificent gold statue of Samson battling with the lion, a channel flows through the park to the pier, where hydrofoils and boats from St. Petersburg dock.


King Fahd’s Fountain (Jeddah): World's Tallest

Located in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the King Fahd’s Fountain is famous for being the highest fountain in the world, throwing water up to 1023-ft (312m) --that’s taller than the Eiffel Tower if you exclude the antenna. It uses 3 massive pumps that can deliver 625 litres of water per second at an amazing speed of 233 mph (375 km/h). Traveling to Jeddah, don’t forget to pay it a visit, it’s incredible.

7 Most Breathtaking Views of Bolivia

7 Most Breathtaking Views of Bolivia

Published on 12/8/2008 under Cool Places - 64,060 views
TAGS: Photos Bolivia, Views of Bolivia, Places in Bolivia




On July 2008, Oddee's crew went to one of the most beautiful countries in the world: Bolivia. Located in the Altiplano (spanish for "high plain"), it's the most extensive area of high plateau on earth outside of Tibet. Its height averages about 3,300 meters (11,000 feet), and unlike the Tibetan Plateau, the Altiplano is dominated by massive active volcanoes of the Central Volcanic Zone to the west. Along with photographer Robert Dam, we took some of the most surreal views of this fascinating country.

Illimani Mountain and the Milluni Valley

Illimani (from Aimara, meaning "golden eagle") is the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real (part of the Andes) of western Bolivia, next to La Paz. The best view you'll get is from the Milluni Valley, an hour from downtown La Paz. The valley itself is absolutely beautiful, full of llamas, rocks and fascinating lakes.
illimani
illimani
Milluni Valley



Uyuni Flats

Uyuni Flats
Uyuni Flats
Uyuni Flats
The Salar de Uyuni (spanish for Uyuni Flats) is the world's largest salt flat at 10,582 km2 (4,085 square miles). It took a 7 hour train from Oruro (3 hours from La Paz) to reach the city of Uyuni, and another 2-hour drive to the flats. Located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, it is 3,650 meters high. Some 40,000 years ago, the area was part of Lake Minchin, a giant prehistoric lake. When the lake dried, it left behind two modern lakes, Poopó Lake and Uru Uru Lake, and two major salt deserts, Salar de Coipasa and the larger Uyuni. Uyuni is roughly 25 times the size of the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States. The Salar is estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt, of which less than 25,000 tons is extracted annually.




Chacaltaya Mountain

Chacaltaya
Chacaltaya
It takes about an hour to climb up to the top, but the view is outstanding. The glacierial mountain of Chacaltaya is located near Lake Titicaca, with an elevation of 5421 m (17,785 feet). It's about 30 km from La Paz, near Huayna Potosí mountain, and it's one of the highest glaciers in South America. Although the glacier is over 18,000 years old, over 80% of it has melted since 1987 and it is expected to disappear by 2008.


Siloli Desert

Siloli Desert
Siloli Desert
Siloli Desert
Part of the National Reserve Eduardo Abaroa, the Siloli Desert is famous for its tree-like rock formations, specially the one known as the "Stone Tree", which was formed during the uprising of the Andes.


Moon Valley

Moon Valley
Moon Valley
Located on the outskirts of La Paz, the Moon Valley (Valle de La Luna) is an incredible rock formation caused by erosion, giving the sensation to be in a real lunar landscape. They say it was once visited by Neil Armstrong himself.


Red Lagoon

Red Lagoon
Red Lagoon
Red Lagoon
Not far from the Uyuni Flats, the beautiful Red Lagoon (Laguna Colorada) is a shallow salt lake in the southwest of the altiplano of Bolivia, close to the border with Chile. The lake contains borax islands, whose white color contrasts nicely with the reddish color of its waters, caused by red sediments and pigmentation of some algae.


Frozen Lake

Frozen Lake
Frozen Lake
Not far from the Red Lagoon we found this unidentified frozen lake; absolutely beautiful. www.oddee.com/item_96519.aspx
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