Friday, July 24, 2015

Seven Million Wonders

Thought for the day:  There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.  [Walt Streightiff]

[courtesy of morguefile]
Do you think kids are more aware of the wonders in the world because they examine things more closely than adults? Nah, I think they just naturally have more leisure time to look, notice, and appreciate. Too many adults are wound up in chores and responsibilities, so noticing the seven million wonders (and then some) of the world kinda gets stuck with a low priority.




Have you ever hitchhiked? In the fifties, and into the sixties, it wasn't at all unusual for people to get from here to there by standing on the side of the road with a hopeful smile and a thumb out, and it wasn't unusual for vehicles to stop and give them a lift, either. Well, there's a somewhat unusual hitchhiker making his way across the united States right now. It's a humanoid kid-sized robot named hitchBOT. This little fella, designed by a couple of Canadian researchers, has already thumbed his way across Canada and Europe, and now, it's California or bust. As of this past Friday, he's making his way from Marblehead, Massachusetts to San Francisco. Like Blanche Dubois, this little dude is reeeeeally relying on the kindness (and curiosity) of strangers, because he's completely immobile on his own.  People have to pick him up, drive him for a ways maybe to do some sightseeing, (Take pictures, I'll bet... wouldn't YOU?) and then prop him up on his kickstand for the next good Samaritan who comes along. (And hopefully, he'll get his batteries recharged along the way, too.) Pretty cool.

Wouldn't it be fun to hitchhike around the world? We could see some of those seven million wonders... on the cheap. Alas, most of us are leery about hitchhiking these day, but how about if we take a look at some of the wonders together? Right here, right now, and definitely on the cheap. Don't worry. Not seven million. Not even close. These are just some of the more unusual things I've come across in my research. Who knows? Maybe you'll find a new-to-you wonder here.

[Wikipedia- credit: Dyhorus]
Okay, let's start with the Great Articulated Elephant of Nantes, France. This remarkable pachyderm is twelve meters tall, eight meters wide, and made from forty-five tons of wood and steel. Even cooler? He walks, and can carry up to forty-nine passengers at a time for a forty-five minute stroll.



[source: wikimedia]

How about this cool-looking place? It certainly hits all the right notes when it comes to originality, doesn't it? This music school/ conservatory, is located in Huainan City, China. You have to scale the steps inside of the violin to get to the grand piano building. Together, they make beautiful visual music.







You like roller coasters? How about this one... located in Yokohama, Japan? (Hang on!)


The Cave Hotel is located in the Cederberg Mountains in South Africa. Judging from the other pictures I saw, people who stay there aren't exactly roughing it. Except for maybe the brave souls who chose to sleep on one of the beds set outside on a ledge. You know, up close and personal with whatever wild creatures might wander by.


Check out this room. Rustic, yeah, but kinda cozy, too, and a little nicer than what Fred and Wilma had, I'm sure. The hotel lobby is reeeeally nice. Cavernous, you might say. And luxurious.


I took this picture at Bok Tower Gardens in Florida a couple years ago. At the time, I wasn't sure what kind of lily pads these were, only that they were the largest I'd ever seen. Turns out, they're Victoria Water Lilies. And as big as these are, they're small in comparison to the Victorian water lilies found in the Amazon River. Those monsters can hold up to seventy pounds!





I used to think I was a bad-ass for walking-running-dancing over the ol' swinging bridge at one of our state parks in Maryland. It was a little scary when someone (usually someone named Smarticus) purposely made the foot bridge rock and roll. But that was nothing compared to some of the Tibetan foot bridges around the world. Check out this one, located in Clavier, Italy. This bridge, one of three suspended over the San Gervasio Gorge, is 470 meters long.



This video gives you a better idea of what it's like to walk over this bridge:


[credit: AFP/Getty]

Obviously, this hanging restaurant in Brussels, Belgium, is intended for high dining. Twenty-two people are strapped into their chairs around a table suspended from a crane 180 feet above the ground. Obviously, it is also intended for high rollers, too. Would you believe it costs $340 a person? No potty up there, either. If someone's got the urge to go, the whole kit and kaboodle has to be lowered to the ground, and everyone has to wait while the needy person uses the facilities. Then they all get hoisted back up again. Impossible for someone to keep a low profile under those circumstances, eh?

If you don't like the idea of dangling from a crane while nibbling on hors d'oeuvres, maybe you'd prefer this. In Toronto, Canada, you can walk hands-free on top of the CN Tower, which is (gulp) a measly 356 meters high...


[wikipedia- credit: Artur Stizelczyk]

The Crooked Forest in Poland is made up of 400 pines, which were planted in about 1930. No one is certain why those trees have such sinuous trunks, but they sure are neat-looking.








[wikipedia- credit- Arnault]
Unlike the so-called Pink Forest in Ireland, which a photographer achieved through the use of Photoshop, Lake Retba in Senegal really IS pink, and its startling color is caused by bazillions of salt-loving algae. The algae's pink color offers it some protection from the intensity of light reflecting from the salt, and depending on weather conditions, the shade will vary, but it is always some shade of PINK.  Not only does this water post no health hazards, it's actually an anti-oxidant, and is used in some dietary supplements. Just the thing to make people feel... in the pink.

[Wikipedia- credit: Reinhard Jahn]
The Iquazu River forms the border between Argentina and Brazil, and there you'll find the Iquazu Falls, which are such an amazing sight, when first lady Eleanor Roosevelt saw them, she allegedly said, "Poor Niagara!" Indeed. Niagara is only about two-thirds the size of these falls, which range from 60-82 meters high, (197-269 feet) and 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) wide, with 275 (!) individual drops. Yowza. That must really be something to see. And hear. (Muffs might be helpful.)


I don't think you'll need those muffs in here. It's probably eerily quiet until someone speaks. This is the Waitomo Glowworm Caves in New Zealand. Mosquito-sized glowworms turn the cave into a magical wonderland.



[credit: Bruce hood]


It's just a short hop (kinda sorta) from New Zealand to Australia, so let's check out this Floating Forest while we're in the area. Let's just say the twentieth century shipwreck of the SS Ayrfield has grown in unexpected ways.



[wikipedia- credit: TerjeN]






Next stop... Norway, where we can hang out for a little while at Trolltunga Rock. (You aren't afraid of heights, are you?) See the teeny tiny people (relatively speaking) standing on the ledge? Kinda looks like the mountain is sticking out its tongue, which makes sense. Trolltunga means... troll's tongue. 




[wikipedia- credit: Myroslava Rakovets]
For a cozy escape from the wide open spaces and dizzying heights, how about a stroll through the Tunnel of Love in the Ukraine? It's five kilometers long, and a favorite place for peaceful walks. It's actually a tunnel for an amusement railway. I don't know if the railway is still active, but I, um, hope not, seeing as how people like to take romantic walks there. Nothing very romantic about running for your life from an approaching train.

[credit: Olivier Grunewald]



I saved my favorite for last, so we can stay a little longer to admire it before heading back home. This is the Dallol Volcano in Ethiopia. What vibrant color! Although some people claim it has blue lava, that isn't the case. The lava from this volcano is the same fiery color as any other lava. The electric blue color is caused by the combustion of deadly sulfuric acid. It must look absolutely amazing in person. (Might have to wear a gas mask, though.)


Okay, that's it. Have you seen any of these places in person? What's the most unusual place you've visited? Any unusual places you want to visit? Whether you're going someplace amazing and exotic this weekend, or staying close to home, I hope you see lots of wonders.

The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.  [Ralph W. Sockman]

To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.  [William Blake]

Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: thus is your time on earth filled with glory.  [Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn]

                                           Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

68 comments:

  1. Loved all of these. And would love to see rather a lot of them up close and personal. I have been to the Iguazu Falls. And they are incredible. And very loud.
    Fortunately my inner child keeps me wondering. And I think seven million wonders is a serious underestimate.

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    1. How wonderful that you've seen those falls in person! I'm enamored by all of the much smaller waterfalls I've seen, so I'm sure the Iquazu Falls would be absolutely awe-inspiring. And loud.

      You're right. :)

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    2. Iguazu Falls has always been on my list of places I'd love to visit. I want to see it from both sides too! :)

      I love your list of wonders, Susan. I'd really like to orchestrate (hehe, coudn't resist) a visit to that violin/piano. That is pretty cool looking.

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    3. I'm tickled that you've even heard of those falls, you smarty. I hope you get to see them someday. Then you can sing: ♪ I've seen the falls from both sides now... from up and down, and still somehow... ♫)

      Good one. (I'm glad you didn't resist.)

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  2. Love all these photos, but I would really love to stay in that Cave Hotel in South Africa. The views from the windows must be fabulous. I wouldn't mind a slow boat through the glow worm cave either.

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    1. If you do a google search on that Cave Hotel, you can find a bunch more pictures of it. (Then you'll REALLY want to go!)

      The picture of the cave with the glow worms makes it really easy to imagine what it would feel like in there, doesn't it?

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  3. My writer brain keeps me wondering about this and that and the other thing. Never hitchhiked at my sea. There sure is a lot of wonders to see.

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    1. Yeah, I guess hitchhiking is a lost art. Too dangerous nowadays.

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  4. Your post contains so many incredibly interesting things that I read it twice - - and I'm still at a loss for the right words to make a logical comment.

    (Me? At a loss for words??)

    I could use a couple of those Victoria Water Lilies here in Tennessee because it rains so damn much. The hotel in South Africa reminds me of the Flintstones. You'll never catch me sleeping on a ledge. That foot bridge in Italy is tempting, but I know I'd get an anxiety attack when I was right in the middle of it.
    The volcano is spectacular.

    As for hitchhiking - I used to do it occasionally when I was young and I THOUGHT the world was safe. Hitchhiking was rampant in Southern California, but I think later there was a law against it (my memory is hazy on this).

    By the way, I love that music school in China!

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    1. That volcano really is spectacular. I'm not at all surprised you like the look of that music school. :)

      When we were young, I think the world actually WAS safer. Many servicemen relied on hitchhiking to get home for leave, or back to base. My friends and I usually hoofed it or took a bus, but we also hitchhiked on more than one occasion.

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  5. What a lovely tour I've just been on through your post! I'd probably skip the roller coaster and the up high restaurant. Oh and the bridges and the hands free hiking. But yes. It was normal practice to hitch-hike during college...but only three miles. We stood outside the campus drive and hoped for folks to pick us up and drive us to the small city next door which is where we found our fun. And once...my sister and I hitch-hiked in Tasmania, but after that, I gave it up as an unsafe practice.

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    1. I would definitely skip that roller coaster, too. I used to enjoy them somewhat until Smarticus kinda ruined it for me. He said, "Just think. This was built by the lowest bidder," Um, yeah. Besides, I once blacked out when a roller coaster we were on did a full high speed loop-de-loop. Come to think of it, I think that was the last time I got on ANY roller coaster...

      Oooh, hitchhiking in Tasmania! That sounds like quite an adventure.

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  6. Wow. Thanks for the tour around the world. My favorites were the Tunnel of trees, the Polish trees, the water lilies, the elephant, and the glow worm cave. (Not that I would go in the cave, but it's pretty to look at.) Oh, and the forest on the ship.

    I don't think I've ever been anywhere unusual except for Las Vegas. Lol.

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    1. Hi-ya, lady. Good to hear from you again.

      You cracked me up. Like me, it seems you have a lot of "favorites."

      I've never been to Vegas, but from what I hear, it sure counts as being unusual. And with the structures they have there, it's kinda like seeing other cities around the world right there in one place.

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  7. You really picked some outstanding wonders, and ones that I have never heard about before. It is hard to choose a favorite but I would like to be transported to that Floating Forest but would probably have to pack a ton of bug spray.

    Thanks for the ride, Susan, I'd travel with you anytime.

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    1. Yeah, I'd need a bunch of bug spray to visit the Floating Forest, too. Then again, I need bug spray to go just about anywhere. I may be getting old, but the bugs still find me plenty attractive. :)

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  8. Most interesting places I've been to seem plain vanilla after that photo show.

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    1. No place is plain vanilla if you're there with the right people and having fun.

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  9. Very interesting places. I'm quite happy to enjoy the roller coaster, bridge,and all the other high, open places right here from the safety of my desk chair instead of in person! Haha! I'm a big chicken when it comes to such things. Neat post!

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    1. HA! Yeah, I know what you mean. Thanks to the powers of the Internet and the Travel Channel, it's possible to visit places we would never have the nerve (or moolah) to visit in person. Much safer, too.

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  10. that roller coaster looks wicked. The bridge could be fun, but it is awfully high and long. I've been to the glow work caves in New Zealand - talk about eerie and way cool. I want to walk in the curved tree area in Poland and the tunnel in the Ukraine. Very fun Friday post. Have a great weekend

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    1. Oh, how cool that you were in those glow worm caves! Did you take any pictures? (Fall out of the boat...? HA!)

      You have a super weekend, too.

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  11. I would go up into space, if it were possible, but NOT on several of the things in this post!!

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    1. What can I say? You're just one of those outta this world kinda people. :)

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  12. There are some amazing places in the world. I would stay in the cave hotel for sure. And hope the robot makes it to California.

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    1. Yeah, I hope the robot makes it, too. Especially since he was successful in Europe and Canada. I don't want "us" to mess up the experiment.

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  13. Would love to visit all of these places except the disturbing pink lake and the swinging bridge. Not a fan of swinging bridges. Had to cross a dilapidated wooden one as a kid to reach a friends house. After her foot went through one of the rotted boards as she was walked ahead of me, I refused to cross it again. I’ve been to Nantes, but it was a year before the elephant was launched.

    I met hitchBot! He started out his American jaunt from the Peabody Essex here in Salem. FYI: he wasn’t particularly communicative. Probably because I told him I didn’t drive.

    VR Barkowski

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    1. HA! Not a fan of pink water, huh? I think it'd be kinda neat to see. Certainly different. Too bad you missed seeing the elephant in Nantes. (Heck! What am I SAYING??? Girl, you've been to Nantes!!! Way cool!)

      Also way cool that you met hitchBOT. Even if he didn't have much to say...

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  14. Such awesome and adventurous pictures. I'd love to see these things, except for the roller coaster. I hate being upside down. When I was a kid, I enjoyed certain things more than I do now. Adults get caught up with the hustle and bustle of real life.

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    1. Yeah, there were quite a few things I enjoyed more as a kid than I do now, too. I think that's because I have more sense now. HA!

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  15. Wonderful, beautiful and charming post today.
    Thank you. I was in such a bad mood today. This is just so pretty to stay mad.
    I would love to see the blue volcano but I will settle for the Northern lights !
    Been to some strange places and had some fun times. But no roller coasters. They make me sick !
    You have the best header photos for your posts, very talented !

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Thank you!

      I'd love to see the Northern lights, too. I'd even settle for an IMAX movie of them... I hope someone thinks to make one! I think it would be amazing.

      Cheers!

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  16. Those were awesome, especially the glowworm caves. Not walking on that way too long way too high bridge though. I have been to Bok Towers and have a ton of great pics from my visit but I don't remember those giant lily pads! Do you remember the brass doors?

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    1. I'm glad you liked them.

      I took a bunch of pictures at the Bok Tower Gardens, too. Loved it there! I sure do remember the doors. Gorgeous! The entire tower was,

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  17. Wow, you've got a LOT of cool things here.
    Sadly, many of which I would NEVER do (because I'm a wuss).
    Starting with...no WAY do I pick up a robot hitchhiker. I'd be afraid he was an alien and would want to do a little probing.
    If you know what I mean.

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  18. Your pictures would make a nice bucket list. Well, a nice bucket list for a person with a bucket full of money... :-)

    I've been to Bok Tower Gardens a few times - what a great place! - and to the CN Tower in Toronto (though I did not walk on the outside). I'd love to see Ayers Rock in Australia someday. And a number of places from your post, though I'll pass on the roller coasters, too.

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    1. Yeah, visiting some of these places would take a bucket load of money, and in some cases, a bucket load of nerve.(A wee bit more than I have...)

      We really like Bok Tower Gardens. I bet you took a bunch of really good pictures there.

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  19. Fascinating, fun post! As an old gardener, I'll confine comment to The Crooked Forest in Poland. We've all seen a seedling grow around an overlying log --same principle. Tree-shaping is done just under the growing tip --the shaping zone-- of saplings, which are guided by tube, frame and/or cable (and pruning vertical suckers) as the tree grows, until there's enough heartwood to hold the cast. Takes years of regular attention, sometimes many years. You can see similar contrived deformities in orchards where soft fruit is grown. Fig trees most conspicuously, because you don't want a tall fig tree (long drop ruins the fruit), so they're pruned and cabled into the most unearthly shapes. It's a fun sort of living sculpture because you have to think many years ahead.

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    1. Now, that makes sense! Some of the stuff I read said so-called experts weren't sure if the trees were shaped like that due to some force of nature, or because of some form of human manipulation. I thought the nature theory didn't hold much water, because it would have to be a sustained force to make all of those trees curve. Your explanation makes perfect sense, although I can't help but wonder why people did that with 400 pine trees... maybe to confound the "experts" some day? (Sheesh... all the experts had to do was ask a gardener!) Thanks, dude.

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  20. Those pictures are absolutely stunning. And those water lilies, wow!
    Would love to ride pachyderm and would gladly sell a kidney to be able to stay at the Cave Hotel. In fact I'd sell the Spawn just so that I could visit any of those places. And although beautiful visually, the ones featuring bridges and heights are a no no. I get nosebleed just standing at the top of my stairs.

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    1. Well, now, we can't let your pretty nose bleed, so we'll just have to keep you close to the ground. And what the heck... take Spawn with you. If you're gonna dream, might as well dream big. :)

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  21. Now this was a fun post. Thanks for sharing! Blue lava how cool is that, regardless of the deadly sulfuric acid.

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    1. Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, I know. I LOVE that blue lava. What's a little sulfuric acid between friends...

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  22. I still have the sight of Niagara Falls in my head (and the noise). Now I'll have all these pictures in my head as I try to go to sleep. And that's lovely. :) Thank you for reminding me to look at things like a kid!
    x

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    1. I think it's a good thing for all of us to look at things like a kid; the only problem is, some adults still think and act like them, too. :)

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  23. I'm down for everything except the rollercoaster. I hate those things. Heights I can do... I just don't like being forcefully dropped from said height.

    Meanwhile, the horror writer in me is just intrigued by Aokigahara - the Japanese Suicide Forest. It's said to be connected with ancient demons, and roughly 100 people go there specifically each year just to kill themselves. There's even a sign at the trailhead urging people to think about their families and the ones they love. I bet that has to be quite the experience to visit that place.

    On that dark note... thank you thank you for the kind review of Slim! Silly as it may be, we're both delighted to hear that you liked it. And him. Slim was one of those characters whose infectious optimism made us both feel great for months after finishing that story. You know, which is probably a stark contrast from if we wrote a story about a haunted suicide forest. :)

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    1. I'm not a huge fan of roller coasters, either, especially since my hubby oh-so-sweetly reminded me that they're built by the lowest bidder.

      I never heard of that Japanese forest before. Sounds kinda creepy. I wonder if people who leave there alive are looked down upon...

      You're welcome. I'm glad you liked the review. Not silly at all; reading good reviews for my book always makes my day, and I suspect every writer feels the same.

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  24. Oh my! These were all wonders for me too! My eyes are still shining!

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  25. No way I'd cross that bridge! I'll probably have nightmares after looking at it!
    I *would* stay in that Cave Hotel, but I'd really like to stay in a Norwegian Ice Hotel. Have you seen those?

    The most unusual place I've ever visited is Teotihuacan in Mexico, where I climbed the Pyramid of the Sun as research for my book and saw a lot of amazing ruins -- the only remnants of a mysterious civilization that pre-dated the Aztecs. It was a trip of a lifetime.

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    1. Yes! I have seen pictures of an ice hotel. Very cool... um, no, make that very cold! And very beautiful.

      It is totally totally cool that you made that awesome trip to the Pyramid of the Sun while researching your book. (Sure beats my trip to a hotel in Baltimore!)

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  26. Susan, those were some pretty amazing wonders... those ones with the heights are ones I would skip out on... much to scary for me... I've been working on that fear but I don't think those would help me... ;-) ... Have an awesome week ahead xox ♡

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    1. I'm glad you liked them. I've never had a real fear of heights, but since some of my meds tend to make me a little dizzy at times, I should probably stay back from the edges of those ledges. :)

      You have a super week, too!

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  27. A very interesting places. I like to enjoy a roller coaster, bridges, and all the high, other open places.
    Teh Penurun Kolesterol

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    1. Ah, an adventurer! I hope you get to do some of those things, then. :)

      Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

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  28. Looking at the pictures and videos of the spooky high places is enough for me, thank you. I feel as if I am in a minority, though because so many people do love the thrill of being high off the ground with their survival depending on their own balance and stability. The crooked trees in Poland is more my style.
    It sound like you've walked over a rope bridge....yipes.

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    1. There's some fun to be found in being high off the ground, but there's more security in being ON the ground. :)

      The bridge I walked over was suspended by ropes, but we walked on boards. Not too bad, except for the bridge swayed a bit. (Especially when my husband jumped on it...)

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  29. Thank you for the WONDERful post! I'd love to see these places in person someday.

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  30. If I still drove and still lived in the US, I would totally give the robot dude a lift and take photos. You've listed some cool places.

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    1. Yeah, we'd give the robot dude a lift, too. No worries about him talking about politics or robbing us, eh?

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  31. Oh, I love traveling and this post just brought me to a new adventure this morning! I love experiencing as much as I can when traveling and I always make a list of all the things/foods/places I want to see/try/visit prior to my travel date. I just like to make sure I don't miss anything! ;)

    I invite you to check my latest post: “How to Save Money Today”. Please feel free to share with family and friends about my life coaching blog! I am trying to spread the word about living a happier and balanced life and I would love if you were part of it! Thanks love and let's stay in touch! <3

    Diana Bryant
    Blog: www.ManhattanImageandStyle.com
    Web: www.DianaBryant.com

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the adventures here today. We like to research areas before we visit them, too, but we also enjoy going wherever the road may lead us, and enjoy whatever we happen to find along the way.

      Okeydoke, I'll come check out your post right now. Who doesn't like to save moolah? Um, me. Or at least that's what I tell cashiers when they offer me a credit card. "Would you like to save money today?" they ask me. "No, thanks," I say. "I'd rather waste it." HA! (Just don't want any credit cards!)

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  32. There are so many awesome things out there to see! Now I want to drop the day to day and hop on a plane. =)

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    1. There's an endless number of awesome things out there in the world to see, and who knows? Some day, you may have the opportunity see a bunch of them. Research for a book, maybe...?

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  33. I have got to move your blog feed up on my list - I keep missing these wonderful gems. Kids are so open, hope they soak it up and enjoy it while they can, I know I tried too. Now, I'm lucky I realize my I'm barefoot.
    Wow, such amazing places, and that blue flame, AWESOME! I need to remember these for an upcoming FF challenge. So cool, but for anything up high, no thanks, can't stand heights in my old age. :)

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    1. Nuh-uh... you didn't miss it! You're here, aren't ya?

      Yeah, that blue flame has got to look amazing, especially in the dark. Old age??? Pbbbbbbt. You aren't old.

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