THE MOST WEIRDEST AND MYSTERIOUS PLACES TO VISIT ON EARTH (PART III)

Our home planet "Earth" one of the unique and habitable planets in the universe and, surprisingly, it is also the home of some unique, weirdest, and mysterious places. We’ve all heard about some famous destinations like London, Paris, Hong Kong, New York, Los Angels, Dubai, Singapore, etc. However, there are so many unique and strange places that people don't talk about. If you’re an adventure-seeker and looking for a mysterious and strange place, here are some places that will amaze you. These places are worth traveling for their both uniqueness and absolute beauty.

(1) Fly Geyser– Nevada, USA

Fly Geyser, also known as Fly Ranch Geyser is a small geothermal geyser located on private land in Washoe County, Nevada, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Gerlach. Fly Geyser is located near the edge of Fly Reservoir in the Hualapai Geothermal Flats and is approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) high by 12 feet (3.7 m) wide, counting the mound on which it sits (Wikipedia).

There are two geysers on the Fly Ranch property. The first was created nearly 100 years ago as part of an effort to make a part of the desert usable for farming. A well was drilled, and geothermal boiling water (200 degrees) was hit. This second geyser, known as Fly Geyser, has grown substantially in the last 40 years as minerals from the geothermal water pocket deposit on the desert surface (Geology Page).

The source of the Fly Geyser field's heat is attributed to a very deep pool of hot rock where tectonic rifting and faulting are common. The first geyser at the site was formed in 1916 when a well was drilled seeking irrigation water. When geothermal water at close to the boiling point was found, the well was abandoned, and a 10–12-foot (3.0–3.7 m) calcium carbonate cone formed (Wikipedia).

(2) Socotra Island – Yemen

Socotra or Soqotra, located between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea, is the largest of four islands in the Socotra archipelago. The island is very isolated, home to a high number of endemic species; up to a third of its plant life is endemic. It has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth". The island measures 132 kilometres (82 miles) in length and 49.7 kilometres (30.9 miles) in width. In 2008 Socotra was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Socotra is considered the jewel of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea. In the 1990s, a team of United Nations biologists conducted a survey of the archipelago's flora and fauna. They counted nearly 700 endemic species, found nowhere else on earth. One of the most striking of Socotra's plants is the dragon's blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari), which is a strange-looking, umbrella-shaped tree. Its red sap was thought to be the dragon's blood of the ancients, sought after as a dye, and today used as paint and varnish (Wikipedia).

(3) The Baatara Gorge Waterfall – Lebanon

The Baatara Gorge Waterfall is easily one of the most beautiful sights on earth. This incredible waterfall flows through the Three Bridge gorge, an amazing vision on its own. Located in Tannourine, Lebanon, this natural feat has been a masterpiece in the making for millions of years (EARTH PORM).

The waterfall drops 255 metres (837 ft) into the Balaa Pothole, a cave of Jurassic limestone located on the Lebanon Mountain Trail. The cave is also known as the Cave of the Three Bridges (Wikipedia).

According to Geologists, the top bridge appears to be the oldest formation, and that the bottom two bridges were possible developed after that because of dropping rocks and collapsing limestone. , the water still falls directly on the limestone. Today this limestone is over 160-million years old, which means it was around back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Today the formation of this masterpiece continues to shift and change, sometimes large chunks of ice fall down and break off larger pieces of the limestone caves and bridges (EARTH PORM).

The Cave of Three Bridges attracts a lot of visitors from different countries. The best time to observe the waterfall in action is when the snow is melting from Mount Lebanon; this is usually between March and April.

(4) Stonehenge – England

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, two miles (3 km) west of Amesbury. It consists of a ring of standing stones, each around 13 feet (4.0 m) high, seven feet (2.1 m) wide, and weighing around 25 tons. The stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the densest complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred tumuli (burial mounds).

Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the first bluestones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC, although they may have been at the site as early as 3000 BC (Wikipedia).

(5) Uluru – Australia

Uluru also is known as Ayers is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia. It lies 335 km (208 mi) southwest of the nearest large town, Alice Springs. Uluru is sacred to Aboriginal people in the area. The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves, and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Uluru is an inselberg, literally "Island Mountain". An inselberg is a prominent isolated residual knob or hill that rises abruptly from and is surrounded by extensive and relatively flat erosion lowlands in a hot, dry region. Uluru is also often referred to as a monolith, although this is a somewhat ambiguous term that is generally avoided by geologists (Wikipedia).

The sandstone monolith began forming around 550 million years ago, and centuries of erosion and folding crafted its distinctive oval shape. Its red surface is due to oxidation, while “fresh” rock beneath is grey. It is a sacred spot for Anangu people, with theories that it was formed by ancestral beings that created the world (Love Exploring).

(6) Devil’s Bridge - Germany

There are dozens of so-called Devil’s Bridges located around Europe, each one with a local myth or folktale associated with it. Most of the devil’s bridges are stone or masonry arched bridges and became known as devil bridges due to their mythical qualities and tales of interactions with the Devil (The whole world is a playground).

Rakotzbrücke is a man-made bridge that was built over a lake in Kromalu Park, Germany. The arched bridge is designed to create a perfect circle when it reflects in the still waters below. It’s also known as the Devil’s Bridge due to the belief that the magical circle must be the hands of the devil.

Rakotzbrücke was relatively unknown until recently but is now instantly recognizable having becoming Instagram famous after some stunning images were shared online. The bridge itself is adorned with spiked rocks at either end which gives it an otherworldly feel and the architecture and leafy surroundings simply add to the devilish look!

(7) Great Blue Hole, Belize

The Great Blue Hole is a giant marine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 km (43 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, 318 m (1,043 ft) across and 124 m (407 ft) deep. It was formed during several episodes of quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower. Analysis of stalactites found in the Great Blue Hole shows that formation took place 153,000; 66,000; 60,000; and 15,000 years ago. As the ocean began to rise again, the cave was flooded. The Great Blue Hole is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (Wikipedia).

The actual name of “The Great Blue Hole” was created by British diver and author Ned Middleton after having lived in Belize for 6 months. He was so impressed with this natural feature that he reasoned in his book “Ten Years Underwater” that if Australia could have ‘The Great Barrier Reef’ then Belize could equally have ‘The Great Blue Hole’ – thus setting this feature apart from similar, albeit lesser in size, structures. The Blue Hole Monument is one of the seven wonders of Belize’s World Heritage site. The Discovery Channel ranked the Great Blue Hole as number one on its list of “The 10 Most Amazing Places on Earth” (Cahal Pech).

 FOR MORE PLACES VISIT - PART - I and II ↴  

THE MOST WEIRDEST AND MYSTERIOUS PLACES TO VISIT ON EARTH (PART I)

THE MOST WEIRDEST AND MYSTERIOUS PLACES TO VISIT ON EARTH (PART II)

Disclaimer

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Information on this site is purely for educational purposes. The materials used and displayed on the Sites, including text, photographs, graphics, illustrations and artwork, video, music and sound, and names, logos, IS Codes, are copyrighted items of respective owners. GEOFacts is not responsible and liable for information shared above and does not claim any copyright ownership.