10.
Bailong Elevator
At 1,070 feet (326 meters) tall, the controversial Bailong (Hundred Dragons) Elevator in Hunan,
China is the world’s tallest outdoor lift.
Located in the Zhangjiajie National Forest, this impressive engineering feat was built
into a quartz sandstone cliff face starting in 1999 and it opened to the public in 2002.
It consists of three glass-faced double-deck elevators that run parallel to one another,
traveling inside the mountain’s walls for the lower 505 feet (154 meters) of the journey.
The upper 565 feet (172 meters) offers fascinating views of the surrounding forest and mountains.
The elevator cars hold up to 50 passengers each and make the steep ascent in just a minute
and 32 seconds, thanks to a 2015 upgrade.
In addition to being the world’s tallest outdoor lift, the Bailong Elevator is the
world’s tallest double-deck sightseeing elevator and the world’s fastest passenger
traffic elevator with the biggest carrying capacity, according to Atlas Obscura.
But it hasn’t been without its fair share of controversies.
The Bailong Elevator is in an earthquake-prone region, and for a 10-month period between
2002 and 2003, it was shut down to address safety concerns.
It’s also in a protected park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which stirred debate
about whether or not it was ethical to implement a massive steel structure.
Environmentalists argued that the elevator attracts tourists to an already overburdened
natural site, while those who disagreed claimed that the lift reduces wear and tear on footpaths
and roads that visitors were previously required to use to access the site.
Would you ride in this elevator?
Let me know in the comments below!!
9.
Giant’s Causeway
Along Ireland’s northern coast in County Antrim, there are around 40,000 polygonal
interlocking basalt columns, which make up what’s known as the Giant’s Causeway.
This seemingly otherworldly site was created between 50 and 60 million years ago during
the Paleocene Epoch, when a massive volcanic eruption spewed molten basalt and formed a
plateau.
As it cooled, the lava contracted and cracked similarly to drying mud, forming the geometric-looking
pillars that stand there today.
According to Gaelic mythology, the columns are a causeway built by an Irish giant named
Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool), who constructed the site across the North Channel to respond
to a fight challenge from Scottish giant Benandonner.
Fionn realized that his adversary was much larger than him and fled back over the causeway
to his wife, Sadhbh, who disguised him as a baby.
When Benandonner saw Fionn dressed as an infant, he believed it was Fionn’s child, and could
only imagine how huge Fionn must be.
Benandonner turned and ran across the causeway back to Scotland, destroying much of it along
the way so that Fionn could not chase him.
Whether you consider the Giant’s causeway to be a geological oddity or the scene of
a mythical battle, or if you want to see it firsthand before deciding for yourself, it’s
open to the public and guided tours are available.
8.
GLASS BEACH
The southern beach of MacKerricher State Park in Fort Bragg, California is filled with a
mix of pebbles and soft, colorful pieces of glass.
Nicknamed “Glass Beach,” it’s one of three sites in the area that were used as
trash dumps between 1906 and 1967.
When the dumping activities stopped, years’ worth of all sorts of garbage was piled at
the edge of the sea, including electronics, cans, bottles, and other items.
A major clean-up effort was undertaken in 1988, and in 2002, the Glass Beach was incorporated
into MacKerricher State Park.
Over time, the remaining glass and pottery fragments became weathered and polished, leaving
behind a colorful array of decorative-looking stones.
Tens of thousands of people visit the site every year.
To help maintain the beach’s unique look, park staff deter visitors from taking souvenirs.
But many, if not most people take some sea glass with them, and it seems only inevitable
that eventually, Glass Beach will look pretty ordinary.
It already looks much less colorful than it used to, and so far, campaigns to replenish
the sea glass have been unsuccessful.
Have you ever been here before?
Let me know in the comments and be sure to subscribe to American Eye for more videos
like these!!
7.
THOR’S WELL
Nicknamed the “drainpipe of the Pacific,” Thor’s Well is a natural gaping sinkhole
in Yachats, Oregon that seems to be draining the sea and which never seems to fill.
Located along the west coast near Cape Perpetua,Experts believe that it likely began as a sea cave
carved out by waves on the basalt shoreline.
Eventually, the roof collapsed, creating openings at the top and bottom.
The hole measures an estimated 20 feet (6 meters) deep, but this natural wonder is not
as bottomless as it appears.
It is dangerous, however, as Atlas Obscura points out.
But not that dangerous, according to Siuslaw National Forest field ranger Vicki Penwell,
who told Oregon Live in 2016 that three people had been hit by unexpected waves so far that
year, with no serious injuries incurred.
The best views of Thor’s Well are at high tide and during storms, when visitors can
see the water funneling down at full-force.
There are several other fascinating similar features nearby, including a spouting horn
called Cook’s Chasm and Devil’s Churn, a narrow Pacific Ocean inlet that displays
dramatic waves crashing and water churning.
6.
GEORGIA GUIDESTONES
Nicknamed the “American Stonehenge,” the Georgia Guidestones are a series of six granite
tablets arranged in the shape of a star.
Located at the highest point in Elbert County, Georgia (USA), they are engraved with a collection
of rules that their anonymous commissioner believes mankind needs to follow in order
to restore humanity in the aftermath of the apocalypse.
A short message graces the top of the monument in four ancient languages -- Greek, Babylonian
cuneiform, Sanskrit, and Egyptian hieroglyphics.
The rules themselves are written in eight languages, including English, Spanish, Swahili,
Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.
Included among the 10 guidelines are rules such as “balance personal rights with social
duties,” “rule passion -- faith -- tradition -- and all things with tempered reason,”
and “be not a cancer on the Earth -- leave room for nature.”
So, what’s the story behind the Georgia Guidestones?
In 1979, a man wishing to conceal his identity hired a local granite finishing company to
build a monument containing instructions for the reestablishment of society.
Per the terms of a legal agreement, all of the structure’s plans were to be destroyed
upon its completion.
The strange man, who went by the pseudonym R.C. Christian and had seemingly limitless
money for the project, insisted on all information regarding his identity being strictly withheld
from the public.
Conspiracy theories about who he was abound, including rumors of the New World Order or
Satanists being behind the guidestones.
These far-flung ideas have led to extreme vandalism, but have not brought anyone closer
to identifying the monument’s commissioner(s).
To date, all that is known about the anonymous sponsor(s) is that they are, according to
a statement on the monument itself, “A Small Group of Americans Who Seek the Age of Reason.”
5.
LAKE HILLIER
Located on Middle Island off the Western Australian coast, Lake Hillier is a bright pink saltwater
lake that was first discovered in 1802 by cartographer and navigator Matthew Flinders.
To this day, scientists don’t know what causes Lake Hillier’s vivid hue.
Most experts believe it has something to do with the presence of Dunaliella salina microalgae,
which produce the carotenoid beta-caroene, a pigment commonly found in carrots.
These photosynthetic organisms are highly salt tolerant and generate energy using the
light spectrum, minus red and orange frequencies.
The water’s distinctively fuschia shade may also result from a reaction between salt
and sodium bicarbonate.
Another possible explanation stems from the halophillic bacteria found in its salt crusts.
Whatever the reason, Lake Hillier’s hypersaline water is safe for humans to swim in, but it’s
a protected nature reserve, and visitors are only permitted under special circumstances.
Anyway, the best views are from above by helicopter, which allows spectators to see the pink lake
contrasting against the blue ocean next to it.
4.
GGANTIJA
Located on the Maltesian island of Gozo, Ggantija is a megalithic temple complex made from enormous
stones, some which exceed 16 feet (4.9 meters) long and weigh more than 50 tons (45.4 metric
tons).
Older than the Egyptian pyramids, the two temples that make up the site were erected
at least 5,500 years ago (or around 3600 B.C.), during the Neolithic Age -- before the advent
of the wheel or metal stone cutting tools.
They’re among the world’s oldest religious man-made structures, second only to Göbekli
Tepe in southern Turkey.
Ggantija fell into disuse around 2500 B.C.and was reclaimed by nature.
The site wasn’t fully uncovered again until the 19th century.
One of the reasons the buildings have survived so long is because the outer walls are made
of a hard coralline limestone.
Inner furnishings such as doorways, decorative slabs, and altars were constructed using a
softer and smoother type of limestone.
The name “Ggantija” translates to “Giantess’s Tower.”
According to local legend, a giantess named Sasuna constructed the semicircular structures
by carrying the enormous stones to the site on her head.
It makes sense that later generations assumed that no amount of humans could have moved
the massive boulders on their own, but archaeologists and scholars, of course, do not accept this
explanation.
The discovery of small stone spheres at the site, which may have been used as ball bearings
for moving the giant stones, provides one clue for explaining how mortals could have,
in fact, built the temples on their own.
Researchers believe that Ggantija served as a ceremonial site for fertility rituals, which
likely involved animal sacrifices.
A large terrace at the front of the temples, as well as animal bones and the presence of
stone hearths, lend credibility to this theory.
3.
BADAB-E SURT
Over the course of thousands of years, a series of travertine terraces known as Badab-E Surt
developed in what is now northern Iran’s Mazandaran Province.
Travertine is a type of limestone formed from the deposits in flowing water; in the case
of Badab-E Surt, as the carbonated water from two mineral hot springs cooled, it deposited
carbonate minerals in the mountainside.
Originally formed during the Pleistocene and Pliocene Epochs, the terraces have an unusual
reddish color, owing to one of the springs’ high iron oxide content.
Located at 6,040 feet (1,840 meters) above sea level, each of the two springs has different
natural characteristics.
The water in the first spring has an unusually high salt content, as well as alleged medicinal
properties that help to cure rheumatism and a host of other skin ailments.
The second spring is sour to the taste and orange in color, and is the one with a high
iron oxide content.
As a result, the terraced pools boast an array of red, orange, and yellow pools that take
the form of a natural staircase of sorts.
Regardless of the mechanisms behind what formed Badab-E Surt, it’s certainly a breathtaking
sight.
2.
CHOCOLATE HILLS
In the Bohol province of the Philippines, there’s a series of 1,260 or more hills
known as the Chocolate Hills spread over an area of 20 square miles (50 km2).
Normally covered in green grass, they’re named for the brown shade that the grass turns
during the dry season, turning them into seemingly endless rows of “Hershey’s Kisses.”
These conical, symmetrical hills are made from limestone.
Most of them measure between 98 and 164 feet (30-50 meters) high, with the tallest measuring
390 feet (120 meters) high.
Bohol’s hills are dispersed by the hundreds throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan, and
Sagbayan.
Legend has it that two feuding giants brought the hills into existence by hurling rocks
and boulders at one another.
Their back-and-forth culminated into the mess of peaks known today as Chocolate Hills.
A conflicting story claims that the hills were formed from a crying giant’s tears.
Scientists, on the other hand, believe that limestone erosion and tectonic processes created
the Chocolate Hills.
Those who want to experience the sight in person should visit during the dry season,
between November and May.
1.
SALAR DE UYUNI
One of the most extreme environments on Earth can be found across a 4,050-square-mile (10,490
km2) stretch of the Altiplano, or Andean Plateau, in modern-day Bolivia.
Known as the Salar de Uyuni, or Bolivian Salt Flats, it’s the world’s largest salt flat.
It sits at 11,995 feet (3,656 meters) above sea level.
Between 30,000 and 42,000 years ago, the salt flats were part of a giant prehistoric lake
called Lake Minchin.
Ultimately, two modern lakes -- Poopó and Uru Uru -- were left behind, as well as two
salt deserts, known as Salar de Coipasa and the larger Salar de Uyuni.
The site is perhaps best known for the stunning mirror-like effect that’s produced during
certain times of year, when a thin layer of water from nearby lakes overflows onto the
flats.
This fascinating scenery not only attracts tourists, but is a lucrative extraction site
for salt and lithium, which is used for powering laptops, smart phones, and electric cars,
according to National Geographic.
Nights are cold year-round, usually ranging between 15 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 to
5 Celsius), while daytime temperatures average between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (13-20
Celsius).
Salar de Uyuni is home to the world’s first salt hotel, Palacio de Sal, which first opened
in 1995.
It was located in the middle of the salt flat, but was closed down in 2002 due to environmental
pollution resulting from mismanagement.
Today, there are a handful of salt hotels, including one in the town of Uyuni and two
that are out on the salt flats.
The structures themselves and almost everything within them are carved from salt.
Because the rain wears them down over time, the hotels have to be rebuilt every 10 to
15 years.
In addition to the natural splendor of Salar de Uyuni and its boutique hotels, there’s
a train graveyard filled with old trains that once carried salt to Pacific ports.
Thanks for watching!
If you’d like to learn about more of the strangest places on Earth, let me know in
the comments below, and be sure to subscribe.
Bye for now!