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.