The Clearest Ponds and Pools of Huanglong Valley in China

Well, when you staring at a painting, photograph, or even a beautiful video, have you ever faced the feeling of wanting to dive into the world of that stunning piece? I’m sure; the term for this feeling is unrevealed but for the following photographs, is sure that you’re prepared to fight yourself in case your heart skips.

Off course, these are an exaggeration. Furthermore, blame it on the astonishing emerald-to-turquoise ponds of Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area, which can make us say, “Hey nature, you overdid it again. Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area is a UNESCO- certified World Heritage Site surrounded by gorgeous snow-capped mountains and contains a series of travertine lakes, waterfalls, forests, and majestic mountain scenery. The site is well located in the north-west of Sichuan Province, China, around 3 to 4 hours from Jiuzhaigou. Huanglong is actually the home of the valley, notorious for its intriguing ponds that scattered around the area, strewn with gold-colored limestone creating shimmering golden water.

When the sky most powerful thing, “sun” rays hit the narrow valley, it seems that a silhouette of a golden dragon mysteriously emerges from the valley; thus, the name “Huanglong” or “Yellow Dragon” in English was used for the surreal area. If you’re mentally and physically fit, and wanting to see, then you’ve to travel 3.6-kilometer valley, with two options on how you’d take this trip. Hmmm, you can take a cable car that’ll lead you up to the place where the main sights are located and back down to the entrance.

If you’re riding a cable car isn’t your favorite option, you can even go ahead and explore the park through foot. But you must be prepared to fall in love with the entire scenery from the blue sky, the reflection on the series of clear ponds, icy forests, and caves. The ponds you will see in the valley are the Yingbin ponds, actually comprises of 350 crystal clear ponds at the 3,230 meter level mirroring its surroundings to make its blue and green colors. Another pond belongs to the Zhengyan ponds. Which is located in the middle part of the valley, Zhengyan holds more than 500 ponds of different sizes. Though, the more colors can be visible here like yellow and white together with blue and green.

But make sure, these colors changing purely depending on the season and the weather in the area. Therefore the largest and highest cluster of travertine ponds belongs to Wucai Chi, also recognized as the Five Color Ponds. This group has almost 700 ponds and pools that have almost the same color as the ponds of Zhengyan but these can glow and reflect a rainbow of colors when hit by sunlight. The so-called “Fairy Land on Earth” isn’t only about its series of ponds.

Furthermore, as you walk along the valley, you will also see its other attractions such as the Feipuliuhui Waterfall, the Huanglong Temple, Huanglong Cave, the Xishen Cave, and more. However the best time is to visit the valley during fall when the trees and bushes are at their most colorful state with yellow and red leaves that affect the colors reflected by the clear ponds. It is highly recommended to have better visit of valley in morning time, when it is very quiet and peaceful, as compared to noon when this destination becomes more crowded. So, if you really want to enjoy this valley, then best dates, are in September, before the October national holidays.

Lake of Fire, Sao Miguel Island-Azzore

Indeed this lake is a paradise with magnificent views! Rising straight out of the Atlantic Ocean around 1,500Km off the coast of mainland Portugal is the Azores (Açores) archipelago. Though volcanic in origin the chain stretches approximately 600Km and comprises of 9 significant islands and 8 smaller islets recognized locally as formigas (ants!). The governmental authorities do not allow any modern construction around this lake. Lagoa do Fogo, which is Portuguese for Fire Lake, is so named because of the blazing 1563 eruption that could be seen from neighboring islands. There is also Sete Cidades in the west, and another watery crater toward the east at Furnas, each one a result of the island’s continuing volcanicity.

Sao Miguel Island is considered the capital of the Azores, and is the major, most diverse and most inhabited island among the nine islands. It’s recognized for its volcano-created lakes, its sulfur springs spa, its historic towns and its black sand beaches and mountains.  It is also called the “Green Island” because of its interior where good soil makes for productive agriculture.  All the roads leading around the island of Sao Miguel, offers views of the rolling hills, the ocean and the occasional cattle wandering on the road. However on the eastern side lies Lagoa do Fogo or “Lake of Fire” a deep Caldeira with a lake at the bottom.  Moreover nearby are two tea plantations and the only tea plantation in Europe.  Along the cobblestone streets of the town of Furnas, some 23 types of mineral water flow and geysers bubble. Please be sure that the roads are modern, not the old cobblestone found elsewhere on the island. Hence you can drive without any fear & much easier as well. Here you can view beaches around the lake, and quite surprisingly sand is quite soft here. Hence walk on in bare feet. You’d be tempted to walk all around the lake. 

Beyond Nature III: Winter of Iceland Time-lapse

Wow! This is the third part of Beyond Nature series. I truly believe that this’d be first time lapse in a while that has made you feel something. Great job awesome & inspiring and several followers don’t want to stop making such movie by April Garden. The earlier parts of these series have earned a big success. This movie has incredible images of some beautiful caves in the world.

BEYOND NATURE III from aprilgarden on Vimeo.

Eye of Sahara, A Marvelous Geological Phenomenon in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania

This is also called, The “Eye of Africa”, a marvelous geological phenomenon in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania, a country in northern Africa, peers up in this satellite image. The Richat structure, as it is also recognized, and very much resembles to bull's-eye peering out of the sand. The magnificent structure is 30 miles in diameter, very large in the featureless Sahara that the earliest space missions used it as a landmark.

This was well believed, that eye was formed by a meteor impact, but with the passage of time, it is believed to be result of geological uplift that has been exposed over time by wind and water erosion. Therefore, different rates of erosion on the varying rock types have formed concentric ridges, and then further erosion resistant rocks form high ridges while the non-resistant rocks form valleys. A plateau of sedimentary rocks forms the darker regions surrounding the Richat structure, which is roughly stands 656 above the surrounding sand.

Mauritania’s (The Kediet ej jill Mountain) highest peak is a magnetic mountain standing almost 3281 feet can be seen here. It appears very composed in blue colors a true natural magnetic substance. Whenever you’re flying over Mauritania, or passing above Africa, you must have a visit out the window and see if you can spot the Richat Structure. It shouldn’t be too difficult the thing is 30 miles wide. A lot of scientists truly believed that the Eye of the Sahara was first spotted from space in the mid-'60s. The Richat Structure, or blue eye of Africa, is a prominent geological circular feature in the Sahara desert in Mauritania near Ouadane. 

Milford Sound New Zealand

Nioselandahi island country in the southwest Pacific Ocean, which is comprises of two beautiful islands (The North Island and South island) and a quite number of small islands, especially Stewart Island / Rakiora and the Chatham Islands. However the original name of the New Zealand Maori language is Aotearoa, which actually means the land of the long white cloud. You know, New Zealand also have one of world’s best Cook Islands and Niue (autonomous but the attachment is free) and Tokelau and vassals Ross (New Zealand's territorial claims in Antarctica).

New Zealand highlights the geographical Bazltha located around 2,000 kilometers to the south-east of Australia across the sea Altasmana, and they’re the nearby neighbors to the north of New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. Therefore during the long isolation New Zealand established a distinguishing animals mainly dominated by birds, several of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and mammals, which they entered. Well, Milford Sound is erroneously named, as a sound is in fact a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bright, and wider than a fjord, while Milford Sound is came into existence by the actions of glaciers. Milford Sound is recognized as the wettest populated place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world. Rainfall can reach 250 mm (10 in) during a span of 24 hours. The rainfall produces plenty of temporary waterfalls cascading down the cliff faces, even some reaching a thousand metres in length. Smaller falls from such heights may never reach the bottom of the sound, drifting away in the wind.

Milford Strait southwest of the South Island of New Zealand is located within Vuordland National Park. Extends 15 kilometers inside the country from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by substantial rocks descent raises 1200 meters or more from each side. Hence among the most noticeable are characterized by Mitre summit which height 1692 meters above the strait, Elephant summit at the head of an elephant shape up 1517, the top of Lion Mountain Lion in the form of a lion perched up in 1302 AD. And stick to the slopes this rainforest abundant greenness, abound seals, penguins and dolphins in the waters of the Straits. Moreover majestic beauty of lush rain forests cling dangerously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins, and dolphins frequent the waters and whales can be seen sometimes. The sound has been recognized as a Vital Bird Area by BirdLife International because it is a breeding site for Fiordland penguins.

The remarkable beauty of this landscape draws thousands of tourists each day, and touching the significant numbers each year, which has been estimated around between 550,000 and 1 million visitors per year. These figures make the sound one of New Zealand's most-visited tourist place, and also the most famous tourist destination, although even with its remote location and the long journey from the nearest population centers. Almost all sightseers going to the sound also take one of the boat tours which usually last one to two hours. They’re offered by more than a few companies, departing from the Milford Sound Visitors' Centre. There is also the option of extended overnight cruises on Milford Sound.

Tramping, canoeing, and some other water sports are possible. A small number of companies also offer overnight boat trips. Although limited accommodation at the sound, and only a very small percentage of tourists stay more than the day. Numerous tourists visiting Milford Sound generally stay in Te Anau to the south or Queenstown to the east. Well, an underwater tourist observatory found in one of the bays of the sound provides viewing of black coral, generally found in much deeper waters. A dark surface layer of fresh water, stained by tannins from the surrounding forest, lets the corals to grow close to the surface here. Furthermore in rainy and stormy days travelers can appreciate the play of the wind with the plentiful waterfalls in Milford Sound. When meeting the cliff face the powerful wind often goes upward and waterfalls with a vertical drop get caught by wind, producing the water to go upwards.

Wander in Turkey

“WANDER IN TURKEY" is one of travel series video of Hang Gab Lee, who has directed this magnificent travel video. This is really like having no plans when i'm in unfamiliar place. I just wander which makes me face unplanned situations and people. Sometimes I can melt into their daily life and have a deep relationship. I was fascinated by Turkish culture and natural scenery. Also, I could feel that there is a various cultural sensibility from Asia and Europe. I mostly captured videos in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Hope you enjoy my video.

WANDER IN TURKEY from Hang gab Lee on Vimeo.