It turns out possible to walk in heaven living on Earth. It is enough to go to the south of a small country of Bolivia, to one of the most extraordinary deserts of the world – Uyuni. When looking at pictures of tourists who had been there you can’t help asking: “Are you sure it isn’t Photoshop-made?”
Huge territory
located at the height of almost 4
km above sea level that occupies over 10 000 square
kilometers is nothing else but flat lake Uyuni. When here, you don’t entirely
get at first what have this enormous expanse arose from. It doesn’t really look
like sand and it is way too weird for snow that doesn’t melt under above-zero
temperature… So when your sight fails you should rely on other senses, in this
case – on taste. You only need to try what’s beneath your feet without any misgiving
and everything becomes clear at once – it is bog-standard salt.
On the outside
the place falls a long way short of common conception of a lake. But if a time
machine could have sent us about 40 thousand years back an ordinary water file
called Minchin would have burst upon our views. After a lapse of centuries it
got separated into already familiar salt depositary Uyuni, another similar one
– Salar de Coipasa as well as into two completely “normal” lakes with
interesting names Uru Uru and Poopó. Photo tripsavvy.com
But only the
first one managed to achieve global notoriety. To a certain extent huge
dimensions of the “dry” reservoir, which made it the biggest salt lake on the
whole planet, attributed to that. As a rule, walking “cruises” along Uyuni don’t
take place in fine weather (customary for all kinds of journeys), but in a
season when the sky is fully covered with storm clouds. It lasts from May till
November. In this period all the salt is flooded with around 30 cm thick water layer,
which produces an effect of an immense mirror that reflects in great detail
clouds drifting high above. An unusual illusion becomes a background for unique
pictures that are the main goal of the majority of trips.Photo worldatlas.com
“Spilt salt
doesn’t spell quarrels, it spells additional income” – that’s how inhabitants
of the vicinity decided to “rearrange” the meaning of the proverb and created
exotic hotels in the lakeside villages. All furniture from sleeping
accommodation to stools is made of huge blocks of the mineral. Moderate fare
within limits of 20 to 30 dollars – and you ensure yourself an overnight in a
salty hotel. Notices are diligently hung in every room and in all the corridors
with the only significant request from the establishment’s administration:
“Don’t lick anything!”
Inspired by
amazing pictures and delighted recalls of the unique place, everyone is trying
to get to Uyuni in rainy season. But should mother-nature refuse to flood
everything with water by the time you arrive, there is no point in accusing
yourself of bad luck and the weather of being unfavorable. Dry “climate” will
offer a chance to admire other distinctives of the lake, particularly its
wonderful fauna and flora. Domesticated alpacas walking around are the main live
stock species in nearby villages and they like to wander to the desert to
relish moss that grows here. Being accustomed to people they don’t mind posing
to cameras.Photo fodors.com
While it is better to watch flocks of long-legged flamingos from a distance – one false step and timid birds will take wings to create a pink cloud over salty expanse. Aside from them, among to feathered tribe, two extremes are seen here: massive ostriches and tiny hummingbirds. As to vegetable world, wet climate and specific ground do not constitute favorable conditions for diverse flora forms, instead, local many-meters-high cacti that surround the desert with a thorny fence can compete even with enormous Mexican ones.Photo exodus.co.uk
Watching mining
of the thing we daily consume is also possible in Uyuni. Utilization of local
salt reserves, that constitute about 10 billion tons, has been on for a couple
of centuries thus bringing in additional money to state treasury. But some
fifty years ago “digging” was far more sweeping and as a reminder about that
period an open-air museum called train cemetery is situated three kilometers
away from the lake. When in 1950s active mineral mining decreased drastically,
employees of the railway abandoned all transportation equipment here for it to
turn into another local place of interest with time. It was Bolivian
authorities who initiated “reformatting” of old rail-tracked cars into an
exhibition, when they started implementing a development program of such an
extraordinary region in 2006.
Perhaps, there is no such a person on the planet who did not hear about the unique Italian city on the water. During several centuries Venice with its amazing architecture, fantastic landscape and own atmosphere has been attracting people from all the corners of the world. So as to feel it and see under unexpected corner, one should swim on the legendary gondolas.
Very often nature tests people. From time to time we have to conquer and subjugate the elements. When men mastered construction of bridges, water obstacles have ceased to be a problem for humanity. However, what to do if a town is behind a pit, flatland or gorge? All-too-common "bridge" on pillars cannot be constructed everywhere.
People on holiday can be divided into two types: “tender creatures” and “adrenaline addicts”. Former ones will trade passive sunbathing and comfortable hotels for nothing. The letter ones prefer even cabins to annoying all inclusive and suites. “Cabins” are the conditions Guinea Bissau provides you with.
Another world that is always sunny and green. The world, where it never snows; and it seems like there are no problems. And it is so distant – even mapwise. This is how I picture New Zealand. My long-distance acquaintance with the country began some five years ago. Back then a prominent ENT expert tried and failed to cure me from an allergy that was bugging me every spring.
The Times newspaper edition recognized Ålesund as the most beautiful town in Norway. It is not without reason: wayward sea, mesmerizing northern nature, famous fjords, fabulous multi-coloured houses in the Art Nouveau style and the legendary Trolls' Path, beckon those wishing to see the stunning wild landscapes.
Today our story is about one of the most amazing combinations one can imagine, that is Italians and Englishmen, so we expand number of our articles dedicated to the ethnic ghettos of the world. Get ready to follow us to the cold and rainy Bedford, where we will plunge into the warm Mediterranean atmosphere.
Ordering coffee, we usually refer to it just as Americano, Espresso or Latte... However, good coffee shops that offer really high-quality coffee, would ask you to specify a type of coffee beans and the country of origin. And at this point many visitors usually feel at deadlock.
Experienced travelers tell that one could watch the ruins of ancient settlements in the Andes during several months, moving from one region to another. Particularly, the richest one in archaeological complexes of is the western coast of the Southern continent. A long time ago, some of them, such as Machu Picchu, have become popular with tourists, others are just beginning to open their doors to curious people.
First thing that comes to mind on hearing a phrase ‘Chocolate Hills’ are cacao bean plantations, candy villages or some kind of sweets festival. However, we’ll have to disappoint sweet teeth and make happy those who appreciate unusual views – chocolate is nowhere near here, instead there’s a unique work of nature.
Despite ongoing development of air transport, many people across the Earth still love to travel by train for various reasons. Though the majority of passengers associate trains with a rather slow way to travel compared with airplanes, and are concerned with low comfort which can be still at the level of last century, reading through our selection below...
Today OUTLOOK travels along the cities and countries that are considered as the most interesting from the point of view of geography and administrative management. Moreover, they are enclaves as they are located within the territories of other states.
Among tourists, especially those from Europe, it is difficult to find people who have not enjoyed vacation in sunny and hospitable Turkey at least once, so the prices at holiday destinations are more or less known. However, what awaits those who opted for "another Turkey" and went to see the magnificent Istanbul, we would like toexplainwith the example of 10 dollars.
Residents of Queenstown, like all New Zealanders, are among the first on the planet to meet the dawn. There are no children's homes, homeless animals. People are resistant to cold, so much so that at zero degrees go in T-shirts. Each of them has an average of nine sheep, and in nature there are practically no such dangers as mosquitoes and snakes.
Have you ever noticed how parks attrack us when it gets warmer outside? And what happens when you suddenly get there? Time stands still, something starts pulsating inside you, and your body seems to plant out fresh sprouts. OUTLOOK encourages you to visit the most beautiful arboreta of Ukraine, which you will exit feeling double alive.
Only an abandoned artificial archipelago with traces of extinct civilizations can better than a deserted island! Cadent splash of oars that plows blue dreams of the Pacific Ocean quells drumroll of ecstasy in your temples while preparing will and mind to the meeting with the greatest mystery of Micronesia. Nan Madol lies empty for more than one hundred years...
Its sounds penetrate the heart, stop the flow of thoughts and cause the blood to move in some kind of magical rhythm. It's a roll of thunder. It gives the shivers. It's a secret. Japanese drums in their homeland are elevated to the rank of cult. Without them, not a single official event is possible, their melodies delight the hearing during joy and help to experience sadness.
Today in our review dedicated to the most interesting streets of the planet we are going to talk about Brivibas. The old city of Riga is truly magnificent and finely preserved part of Latvian capital. Verily here there are more tourists and less local citizens, however, 350-400 years ago around it there was nothing and city resembled inaccessible medieval fortress in semi-Scandinavian and semi-European style. All of its population could place here…
Six million years ago, in faraway Mongolia a deep crater of an extinct volcano was gradually filled to the brims with water, turning into a wonderful lake. Water ran high with gusts of wind, and sparkled in the sun like precious jewel, so no wonder that along with the official name of Hövsgöl Lake, this nature wonder has a more poetic name of the Dark Blue Pearl.
The Senegalese capital of Dakar is not only the most important city of West Africa, but also a city of extremes, a fascinating introduction if purpose of the trip is to "get acquainted with the Black Continent, but gently and smoothly". In addition to many civilizational and habitual to modern people attributes of life, every moment you feel spirit of Africa, at once both intimidating, romantic, off-beat and deeply alluring.
Baltic States are a good destination for inexpensive tourism in Europe, they are well known for various attractions and changeable weather. Local waters and winds come up with unexpected rainfalls, but that is not a reason to hide in the hotel since there are many amazing museums around, and it is not much of a problem to visit all three countries within just a few days.
Photo worldatlas.com
Photo fodors.com
Photo exodus.co.uk
