Incredible Dragon’s Eye View of Stunning Pictures Game of Thrones locations

The most spectacular drone footage has captured the unbelievable natural beauty of Game of Thrones locations from above. The majestic dragon’s eye views show a geyser shooting water high into the air in Iceland as well as the intricate patterns the land makes when looked at from a bird eye view. It's no small wonder in this spectacular landscape as implausible pictures show the contrast of the ash grey volcanic land against the lush green countryside. The Russian photographer took the pictures and videos in Norway and Iceland. The 26 year old photographer Dmitry Bubonets, took the stunning images in both countries, where locations are extremely beautiful, stunning fjords, mountains, and waterfalls captivate the heart of nature beauty.

The jaw-dropping experience is amazing when you are watching black sand beaches, nature without trees and stunning waterfalls. However, the mind-blowing landscape is not totally from this Earth. There are seemingly more volcanoes in Iceland than people! And that moss is so green compared to the gloomy cloudy weather outside that you may think that everything is Photoshopped.' The photographer used a DJI Phantom 4 drone to shoot the footage, ran into some problems due to the bad weather in Scandinavia, very windy indeed. Hence, as for piloting, you should be careful because of the wind once again. It won't turn your drone upside down, but once the wind was so strong that full throttle on my drone was only 0.2 meters/second when it should be around 24. Although the wind was much stronger close to the ground and I positively returned to the starting point. The talented Bubonets expectation is that his footage can motivate people to travel to parts of the world they wouldn't otherwise consider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Spectacular Glass Beach of Ussuri Bay

Well, there’ a 30 mins drive away from the city of Vladivostok, Russia, lies a spectacular bay surrounded by remarkable cliffs. Though, it has not been very long ago, the Russian beach here was used as dumping ground of old glass bottles by a local porcelain factory, or so the story goes. Therefore, according to another version, the waste glass products were washed away by the river and then swept into the sea. But many thanks to the tremendous power of Mother Nature, the bay, near Vladivostok, now boasts one of the most beautiful beaches you’ll ever see. As the years passes the seaside on Ussuri Bay has taken on a rare appearance.

The countless broken bits of glass, rounded smooth by the persistent pounding of the ocean waves cover every bit of the beach. While Ussuri Bay was once considered very unsafe, authorities have now deemed it a particularly protected area called Glass Beach that is popular with both tourists and locals. When on a sunny day, they sparkle like lighted candles, the Glass Beach of Ussuri Bay is not the only perfect example of nature correcting man’s mistake. However, the waves of the North Pacific have washed the broken beer, wine and vodka bottles into millions of smooth and colorful “pebbles” that have turned the area from a no-go zone to a tourist attraction that visitors pay to see. And looking at these stunning pictures, we’re really not surprised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Marvelous Engineering Feat “Tehachapi Loop”

The 1.17 km long Tehachapi Loop is an iconic spiral loop, that passes over itself as it expansions height on the railroad main line from side to side Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The Tehachapi loop was actually built in the 2nd half of the 19th century as part of Southern Pacific's main line through southern California, which had to cross the Tehachapi Mountain range. It was finished in less than 2 years’ time under the leadership of civil engineer J. B. Harris, Chief of Construction, a significant feat.

Therefore, over 3,000 Chinese immigrant laborers toiled for two years cutting through the solid and hard granite with blasting powder, and then clearing the wreckage using picks, shovels, and horse drawn carts, to lay the Tehachapi Pass Railroad Line. The line, which climbs out of the San Joaquin Valley and through the Tehachapi Mountains to Mojave in the Antelope Valley, was part of the last and final link of the first railroad line linking San Francisco to Los Angeles. Though, maybe no other time was more interesting on Tehachapi than during the steam and passenger era. However, before the 1971 one could witness trains such as Southern Pacific's overnight Owl.

The main purpose of constructing the Tehachapi Loop was to gain elevation at an adaptable gradient, and this has worked so well for closely 140 years that it continues to be used even nowadays. In fact, it one of the hectic single-track mainlines in the world with an average of almost 40 trains passing through the Loop every day. The repeated trains and the remarkable scenery makes the Loop a prime draw for trains potters in the country. The marvelous engineering achievement has earned the Loop the dual status of being a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark as well as a California Historical Landmark. During the course of the years there have been a number of inspiring photos taken capturing this marvel and the panoramic scenes are quite magnificent.

Rujm el-Hiri: The Ancient Israel’s Stonehenge

Well, the ancient megalith monument, comprising of concentric stone circles and a tumulus at the center. However, it looks extremely impressive from the air, and barely visible from the ground. The megalith monument walls are just 6 feet high; though the central mound is higher. The ancient place is located in the middle of a bare expanse of field in the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights. This is large stone monument went ignored for many centuries. The stone monument was captured from Syria in 1967, and then it was discovered by Israeli archeologists after territory was captured.

This is also called Rujm el-Hiri (means "stone heap of the wild cat) is dated to about 3000 BC, which makes it contemporary to famous England's Stonehenge. The Syrian people also called it Rujm el-Hiri, in Arabic while Hebrew it is named “Gilgal Refaim” that means the “wheel of Refaim”, where “Refaim” is an ancient race of giants. It is also mentioned in the Bible that supposedly lived in Iron Age Israel. The word “Refaim” in Modern Hebrew also means "ghosts" or "spirits". This reference to “giants” and “ghosts” alludes to its huge size, however the stone circle is 160 meters across as well as to the secret of who built the multifaceted and the purpose behind it. This stone monument is often referred to as the "Stonehenge of the Levant."

The megalith structure consists of a large circle of basalt rocks, comprising four smaller concentric circles, each getting gradually thinner. Therefore, same as most megalith sites, there is no record of who built Rujm el-Hiri or for what purpose. The circles walls are connected by unevenly placed smaller stone walls perpendicular to the circles. Thus, at the center is a heap of rocks, recognized as a cairn. This cairn is just 5 meters tall, and their tallest part of the whole structure. Another theory believes that “Rujm el-Hiri” was an astronomical calendar. Although, it is projected that “Rujm el-Hiri” contains more than 40,000 tons of basalt rocks.

Moreover it seems that in the year 3000 BCE, the longest day, the first rays of the sun shone through the opening in the north-east gate. However, the shown alignment is not impeccable, that is assumed to be a sign of the lack of exact knowledge or the absence of precise architectural tools. Moreover, another theory is that the “Rujm el-Hiri” is built for a tomb purpose even though no human remains have been found. The incomprehensible site lies close to Israeli military camps and is so accessible only on holidays and weekends.

Pobiti Kamani: The Stone Forest of Bulgaria

Well, there’s almost 18 km to the west of Varna, Bulgaria, on the road to the capital of Sofia is an amazing natural area named “Pobiti Kamani” or the Stone Forest. In the first glance, it looks like the ruins of an ancient temple, but these broken stone pillars are all natural. The stone columns are scattered in lesser groups across an 8 km long belt along the northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast. 

Although they’re varying in height with some reaching 5 to 7 meters tall, and thickness ranges from 30 centimeters to 3 meters across. Therefore the most inquisitive thing about these pillars is that they are mostly hollow and filled with sand. They don’t have a firm foundation or attached to the bedrock. In its place, they’re insecurely stuck into the surrounding sand as if someone had hammered them into the earth. Moreover, these stones have been identified since the ancient times but in 1828, these were first documented by the scientific community.

Hence, since then, dozens of theories have attempted to clarify their formation, ranging from coral growth to Eocene bubbling reefs, to limestone concretions. Though, one of the most believable explanations comes from the Bulgarian geologist’s brothers Peter and Stefan Bonchev Gochev. The brothers trust that the columns date back to the Cenozoic Era, about 50 million years ago, when much of Eastern Europe was covered by oceans. Sediments and sludge settled to the bottom of the seabed, and were compressed into limestone. However, sometime later methane gases from ancient deposits taking place seeping from the sea bed. As the results they pressurized gases made their way up through the limestone layer, they left behind long tubes. 

Further, millions of years later after the sea receded away; the erosion process of the limestone layer left the tall columns stuck into the ground. The gas-seepage theory doesn’t explain everything, but it’s the best we have. The “Pobiti Kamani” was designated a natural landmark in the late 1930s. Therefore, it was nominated for the “UNESCO World Heritage Site” status in 2011, but hasn’t been able to make the cut.

The Frozen Ice Balls of Lake Michighan

Winter is just approaching to the Lakeshore, and with it, all of nature's cold-weather beauty. West Michigan is no stranger to naturally occurring spectacle in the winter months. In the every winter, on the shores of Lake Michigan and on Stroomi beach in northern Tallinn, Estonia, myriads frozen ice balls form naturally.

Ice caverns form along its several piers and lighthouses, gusting wind and ice form strange sand formations on its beaches, and waves repeatedly pummel the shoreline, freezing anything close by in place. Thus, the Ice balls range from a few inches to more than feet across. So, the ice balls form when chunks of ice break off the huge ice sheets that coat parts of the lake in the winter, and as the waves toss the ice blocks around the lake, additional ice forms around them in layers and the ice blocks gets bigger and bigger just like snowballs or hailstones.

The pounding of the waves shape the ice into spheres. Moreover, a related phenomenon is seen on Stroomi beach on the Gulf of Finland. The ice balls can be seen tumbling in the waves, and gradually merging with each other to form larger pieces. If the phenomenon continues, waves will ultimately push the larger, fully-formed ice balls to shore. According to the German news portal Spiegel Online, a very precise condition is required for ice balls to form. Because the sea must also be flat, and the base must not drop precipitously. These surroundings prevail on the Gulf of Finland against Estonia.