Yungas Road, the Road of Death in Bolivia

The North Yungas Road also known as Grove's Road, Death Road or Road of fate is a road leading from La Paz to Coroico, 56 KM northeast of La Paz in the Yungas region of Bolivia.  In 1995 this is most dangerous road in the world as per American Development Bank Christened, about 200 to 300 travelers killed yearly along the road. The road was built in the 1930s during the Chaco War by Paraguayan prisoners. 

The risky road mention the cross markings on several points where vehicles have fallen. This dangerous route connects the Yungas region of northern Bolivia to the Captial City. This is one of the few routes that connect the Yungas region of northern Bolivia to the capital city. The road has no guard rails; width of single vehicle only 10 feet makes it most scary road in the world. The alongside cliffs up to 2,000 feet, make the horrible condition during rainy season from Nov to Mar. Driver visitiability is hamper during fog and rain and water runoff can turn the road into horrifying muddy track affecting traction. However, in the summer season, rockfalls are common scenario and vehicle dust limits the driver visibility.   

Moreover, the local road rule specifies that the downhill driver never has the right of way and must move to the outer edge of the road. This rule forces the downhill vehicle to stop and give the way to other vehicle. So, in that way passing can be negotiated safely. Therefore, the rest of Bolivia, vehicles are essential to drive on the left side of the road, to give the driver a better view of the vehicle's outside wheel and making passing safer.

The scary road made it more popular destination, enticing more than 25000 thrill seekers every year. However, motor biking enthusiasts made it exclusively favorite road for downhill biking, as 64 KM stretch of continuous downhill riding with only one short uphill section. Therefore, tour operators taking the benefit of it, and catering this activity, providing guide lines, information, transport and equipment. Nevertheless, the “Yungas Road” remains dangerous; about 18 motor cyclists have died on the road since 1998. The Yungas Road has been featured in BBC show “TOP GEAR” & many other TV programs.  However, a Mitsubishi Outlander TV commercial was the first ever filmed on the road.

Therefore, a new alternative route of Yungas Road was updated during the last 20 years or so, included enlarging carriageway from one to two lanes, constructing asphalt pavement, and building a new section between Chusquipata and Yolosa, bypassing to the north one of the most dangerous sections of the old “Death Road”.  This new route features modern construction consists of bridges, drainage, multiple lanes, pavement, guardrails and many other elements that make it significantly safer than the original route. The original “North Yungas Road” is presently much less used by traffic, even though an increasing number of adventure travelers bike it. A fatal accident happens there every couple of weeks, 100-200 people perish there every year. Source: Charismatic Planet

Guoliang Tunnel: The Most Dangerous Tunnel in the World

The Chinese Guoliang Tunnel is amazingly carved along the side of and through a mountain in China. This majestically beautiful tunnel connects the village of Guoliang to the outside through the Taihang Mountains which are located in Huixian, Xinxiang, Henan Province of China. The village name was driven when fugitive rebel during the Han Dynasty, used to fight an overwhelming imperial force to a standstill utilizing the risky local terrain. However, the access to village was extremely difficult on a path craved into the mount side; hence the life gets easy after the construction of Guoliang Tunnel. Therefore, the village is nestled in a valley surrounded by towering mountains cut off from outside civilization. In other words Guoliang was basically cut off from civilization.  The inhabitants were approximately 300 people.  It was unreachable to the outside world until a road was blasted into the cliff side.

Apparently the village is way up on a mountain.  The only way to reach it was to travel through valley surrounded by towering mountains, and then climb the Sky Ladder. The local peoples were in great trouble by transporting different in/out things to outside world. Even communication was another big issue, with no telephones, no electricity. Hence to get the villagers life ease, some villagers decide to find out a solution. In 1972, the group of villagers led by Shen Mingxin plans to carve a road into the side of the mountain.

They were really lack of funds to implement this plan, finally they decide to make a big scarify to sold out their livestock to raise funds to buy material and construction tools.  As the project gets popularity, the nearby villages also involved to start the project with one dying during construction. The peoples were lack of construction facilities, which result in to use the hammers and chisels to make the plan successful. Even though at some certain difficult stage, the tunnel progressed at a rate of one meter every three days. The Guoliang Tunnel is 1.2 KM long, 16 feet tall and 13 feet wide, and it took six years to finish. The tunnel is wide enough to surpass two vehicles easily. The motivations level becomes the project successful. Hence the tunnel was opened for public on Ist May 1977. This massive effort has turned the village into a popular tourist attraction. The area has also been used as a film location.

 Guoliang Tunnel is very distinctive from other road tunnels; because it is quiet, secluded and mysterious, bright in one minute and dim in the next minutes, full of twists and turns. Moreover, tunnel wall is uneven as more than 30 windows of different sizes and shapes. You will see different sizes of windows, some are round and some are square, however the range of dozens of meters long to standard window size. No doubt, the windows are frightening to look down where strange rocks hanging above from sheer cliff. It is not recommended to walk through twisted tunnel is like walking through a labyrinth. You’ll face problem in hearing the sound of vehicles coming from behind. Finally, considering the villagers efforts by using their own technology, the Chinese government will take some steps to make the tunnel safe for future life. Source: Charismatic Planet

Belogradchik Fortress Bulgaria

Belogradchik Fortress is located on the north slopes of the Balkan Mountains, nearby to the northwestern Bulgarian town of Belogradchik.  Belogradchik Fortress is also famous as Kaleto Fortress. The fort is nestled on the base of a remarkable rock formation belonging to the “Belogradchik massif” which comprises of oddly shaped sandstone and conglomerate rock formation that are believed to resemble shapes of objects and people. Therefore, some of the rocks reach up to about 200 meters in height; however the ones serving as the backdrop to the fort are 70 meters tall.

Although this fort existed here since the Roman times. Because in the 1st to the 3rd century AD, the Romans were used to constructed roads across the new provinces of the empire on the Balkan Peninsula, as well as some fortresses to guard them. So, the mission of Belogradchik Fortress was to control the road. At that time they built the highest part of the fortress, famous as the Citadel, using the rocks as natural protection. Moreover fortified walls were built only on the northwest and southeast sides, with the rest of the sides around the yard being surrounded by rocks.

Furthermore, as the time passes with several centuries, Belogradchik Fortress has been used by a succession of not the same forces including the Byzantines. However, in the 14th century, the Bulgarian tsar of Vidin Ivan Stratsimir stretched the old fortress, building fortified garrisons before the existing rock massifs. Thus, fort became one of the most significant strongholds in the region. So, by the end of 14^th century, Belogradchik Fortress was take control by the Ottomans, who extended it further and used it to overpower local uprisings. 

Besides, Belogradchik Fortress continued to be used for military and defensive devotions, so until the 19th century. In the mid of 18^th century, Belogradchik Fortress played a vital role in the Ottoman suppression of the Belogradchik uprising, being the place where decapitation of captured activists was performed. Therefore, the fort was last used in warfare during the Serbo-Bulgarian War in 1885, so after that the Belogradchik Fortress is now one of the best-preserved strongholds in Bulgaria, and together with the Belogradchik Rocks, it is the town's main cultural and historical sightseer attraction.

Rio Celeste, The Most Prominent Natural Jewels in Costa Rica

Nature is such a powerful inspiration to every human being on earth. When we saw something special, suddenly we say wow without any intention. The similar natural inspiration is the Blue River in Cost Rica, winding through the verdant rainforest of Tenorio Volcano National Park. The turquoise tones of Río Celeste is one of Costa Rica’s most prominent natural jewels actually an optical phenomenon, not a chemical effect in the water.

The special beauty of Blue River is vivid blue water formed by the confluence of two smaller rivers called the Sour Creek and the Good View River. The bright blue river is also called “Rio Celeste” actually carries significant amount of whitish mineral famous as aluminosilicate, composed of aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. Moreover, at a certain point, the water of two completely transparent rivers meets, where the blue colors originate. Due to this reason the point is called El Teñidor, which means “The Dyer” in English.

Scientists have come up numerous theories where the Río Celeste gets its color. So, until in recent times; researchers were trying to find the exact reason of why Rio Celeste has distinctive turquoise coloration. Although several, hypotheses were put forward such as the water contained copper or calcium carbonate and sulfur, or that the river’s proximity to the Tenorio Volcano caused it have the blue color. Therefore, this is recognized that the blue color comes due to a physical phenomenon well-known as Mie scattering triggered by the presence of definite minerals in the river’s water that causes sunlight to reflect in such a manner that it gives the water an unbelievable hue.

As we’ve explained above, that Rio Celeste is fed by Sour Creek and Good View River, which minerals is actively responsible for reflecting the vivid blue color in sunlight. However, if the mineral is also contained in the Good View River, then why doesn’t it appear blue like Río Celeste? The answer lies in the size of the particles. Further, researchers were trying to found Good View River particles have a size of 184 nanometers, although in the Río Celeste the particles are much larger at 566 nm. Thus, the increase in size causes the scattering of sunlight and occurs principally in the blue region of visible spectrum. So that’s why we have that spectacular light blue color of the Rio Celeste” said Dr. Max Chavarría Vargas, lead investigator. Therefore, during the investigation, The UNA and UCR scientists took a number of samples of water from the two rivers and concluded there is no copper or any other metal dangerous to humans.

Another question comes to in mind that why‘re the “aluminosilicate particles” in Río Celeste bigger than those in Good View River, when the particles itself came from the Good View River? On the other hand it so happens that Sour Creek, the 2nd river to link Good View River, is extremely acidity due to volcanic activity that is why it’s called Sour Creek. Therefore, when these two streams join to form Río Celeste, the drop in pH causes the “aluminosilicate particles” to combined and enlarge creating Mie scattering which gives the river a robust turquoise color. As a result, it is one of those quirks of nature where one of the rivers is responsible for mineral material with one size and the other river keeps the acidic environment so that those particles grow. 

The Ring Shaped Laguna Garzon Bridge in Uruguay

The modern day’s technique of building bridges is really awesome, because engineers and architects always looks something unique to benefit public. They don’t rely on shortest possible crossing. The new ring shaped bridge across Laguna Garzon in Uruguay’s Southern Coast is perfect example of marvelous engineering. It is located near popular resorts Punta del Este and José Ignacio home to a new development of concrete holiday homes by Adamo-Faiden.

It’s a concrete bridge, consists of two semi-circular bridges, attached at either end to make a ring and was built to replace a raft crossing between the cities of Rocha and Maldonado. Therefore, the stunning circular design and its architect Rafael Vinoly have a perfectly logical and functional explanation. One of best known designer of London's Walkie Talkie building, which was nicknamed Walkie Scorchie after the glare from its curvy glass facade, melted the bodywork of nearby cars. The bridge used more than 450 tons of formed steel 40,000 meters of post tensioned cables and over 3,500 cubic meters of concrete, has proved controversial provoking protests from environmental groups.

Normally, it is common behavior, drivers gets speed the car when they crossing the straight bridge, however this curved design will push drivers to slow down the speed of their cars. Moreover, the curve bridge provides the opportunity to relish the panoramic views of adjacent landscapes. The magnificent aerial view offers an exclusive scene of engineering marvel. Furthermore, they’ve also taken care of pedestrian with a lovely walkway. Before the bridge, it was a narrow escape for cars, because the raft crossing is allowed only two cars to cross at a time.

Although, the raft operated only at certain times of the day, and during stormy/windy days it remained closed. Moreover the meager connection has kept the region of Rocha away from more developments compared to what Maldonado has been experiencing in the last decades. Moreover, the new bridge lets easy the way of some 1,000 vehicles to cross the lagoon, and is expected to help drive the development of Rocha’s coastline. The Laguna Garzon Bridge took a year to complete and opened in late 2015.