The Petrified Waterfalls of Hierve el Agua Mexico

One of the most eye-catching natural attractions in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Hierve el Agua provides an unusual and off-the-beaten-path travel experience. It’s a top ecotourism destination in Oaxaca, particularly popular among naturalists, hikers and photographers. Hierve el Agua is located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, about 70 km east of Oaxaca City, and 14 kilometers southeast of the town of Mitla. In Spanish Hierve el Agua means “the water boils”, and the name derives from the bubbling natural mineral springs that are originate here, that run into bathing pools on a gorgeous cliff-top location. When you see Hierve el Agus from some distance you’ll feel that a massive waterfalls frozen on the side of the mountain. But ice is impossible in this hot climate. 

These’re actually mineral deposits formed over thousands of years as a result of the mineral-laden water spilling over the edge of the cliff and trickling down the rocky mountain side. As the water runs down the rock face, it forms large stalactites similar to the structures to those found in caves. It is difficult to resist a soak in the springs at Hierve el Agua, because the minerals in the water are believed to be beneficial for the skin and the views from the two cliff-top bathing pools, both of which offer extensive panoramas of the valleys below, are some of the most spectacular in Oaxaca. 

Hierve el Agua is just like a rock formation and consists of two waterfalls. These’re formed on cliffs that rise over 50 meters from the valley floor, with one “Waterfalls” reaching down 12 meters and the other reaching down 30 meters. The 12 meter one is called "Cascada Chica" which means small waterfall and "Flows" off a base which is about 60 meters wide. However the other is called "Cascada Grande" which means large waterfall, and spreads down from a base with which is around 90 meters wide and 80 meters above the valley floor. Moreover the more straightforwardly accessible and more often visited of the two waterfalls is the "Cascada Chica". It is also called the Amphitheatre. 

In springs; the waters are over saturated with calcium carbonate, which is what gets deposited forming the waterfalls-like rock structures. The waters, with their high mineral content, are reputed to have healing qualities, and you’ll see tourists soaking in the waters in one of the natural pools at the top of the rock. Hiking is considering a great favorite activity at this place, there’re lot of trails and walking paths at Hierve el Agua. Most of hiking tracks in less than an hour, including the central trail that leads down the side of the mountain to the base of the petrified falls where it is possible to get a close view of the mineral formations and even do a bit of climbing as well. Therefore; Hierve el Agua is a best visited on day trips and guided tours from Oaxaca City. Some basic cabanas and a few small restaurants cater to overnight visitors.

There’re large impressive traditional swimming pool, and dining facilities above the actual Hierve el Agua site. A lot of small well maintained restaurants alongside the shady, palm leaf palapa; there's an equal number of row-house hotel suites close by, constructed years earlier. It is not known when any of it will be operational. There’re basic washroom facilities adjacent, and more down at Hierve el Agua itself, adjoining rudimentary change rooms. Moreover; the village where Hierve el Agua is located, San Isidro Roaguía, has a few small stores and a restaurant. If you’re really nature lover, then you select the scenic rout of Highway 190, passing by a few quaint roadside mezcal factories, as well as El Tigre, a combined comedor and mezcal palenque about ½ kilometer before the San Lorenzo turnoff, from where Hierve el Agua has traditionally been accessed.

Source: Charismatic Planet 

Rodovia Dos Imigrantes Highway in Sao Paulo Brazil

The busiest highway of Brazil Rodovia Dos Imigrantes is a highway in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The beautiful highway connects the city of São Paulo to the Atlantic coast and with the seaside cities of São Vicente and Praia Grande. The highway has 44 viaducts, 7 bridges, and 11 tunnels, along its 58.5 kilometer stretch. It is extremely busy at weekends, as over one million vehicles commonly cross the 60 kilometers run, separating the city of Sao Paulo  from the sea.

Rodovia Dos Imigrantes is one the most daring feats of Brazilian highway engineering, with really long tunnels and high strutting six-lane bridges constructed over the tropical rain forest which covers the steep faces of the Serra do Mar, the cliff range that separates the São Paulo plateau from the seaside lowlands. The highway was inaugurated in 1974, is nowadays busier due to its building standards, which license higher speed limits, and its more direct path to the cities of Santos and Guarujá, the northern coast with Bertioga, as well as the southern coast with cities Praia Grande, Mongaguá, and Itanhaém.

The highway Rodovia dos Imigrantes was so named as a way to remember the contribution of immigrants to the cultural, economic, and social development of Brazil. It is managed by a state concession to the private company, Ecovias, which also maintains Rodovia Anchieta; it is, therefore, a toll road. The two carriageways of Rodovia dos Imigrantes are both fully reversible and traffic is managed to flow either bidirectionally or unidirectionally, simply depending on demand. In the unidirectional mode, the opposing traffic is diverted to Rodovia Anchieta.

Source: Charismatic Planet 

Hansraj Lake Pakistan

Hans Raj Lake (The Majestic Swan or Shakara Lake), is much unknown lake located between Ratti Gali Lake and Noori Nar Top in the Neelum Valley Azad Kashmir Pakistan. It is not popular as much as Ratti Gali Lake, but its beauty is not much far behind that.  It took three hours from Ratti Gali Lake, and it looks like a lake which is large in size and majestic beauty of true nature. The Lake water is crystal clear and offering a stunning reflection, which is mostly photograph like for remarkable photography. Several tourists really don’t know about this lake, because its beauty is entirely different from Ratti Gali. At Hans Raj Lake you can see & feel real God’s nature with stunning flowers in the surrounding area. In winter the lake is covered with snow and difficult to reach there. But in the clear weather it is extremely difficult to define the beauty of Hansraj Lake. If you like travelling then it’s a must see place in Pakistan.

Traffic Jam Stuck in Belgium Forest For 70 Years

Chatillion is a small village in Belgium, actually to be home of vintage abandoned and beautiful rusty cars graveyard. This “Car Graveyard” has since been cleaned up, but photographer Theo van Vliet had the chance to explore the forest and photograph the cars beforehand.

These frightening apocalyptic photos are not a view of “Walking Dead”, they were actually taken at one of the biggest car cemeteries in the world the Chatillion Car Graveyard, Belgium. According to an urban legend these cars were left behind by US soldiers after World War II, who could not ship them back to the United States due to the high cost of having all those cars shipped was way too expensive, so they decided to hide them in a forest until they could come back and save them.

Finally the ranking officers decided to leave all the cars in Belgium and these cars were driven up a hill, one by one, nicely parked and somehow hidden from the outside world. Once back home in the US, the soldiers who wanted to retrieve their car had to take personal responsibility for all costs of the shipping but unfortunately not a single car was retrieved.

But on the other side, the local inhabitants totally deny the facts and say it is simply an old car dump of vehicles made after the WWII. At one point there were four car graveyards in Chatillion with as many as 500 retro vehicles. Unluckily, most of the cars were stolen by car collectors or removed by the locals and due to environmental issues the whole graveyards was cleared in 2010.

Source: Charismatic Planet