Burger King in Japan Goes Black
Burger King employee Rumi Sekine shows the Kuro Diamond burger, right, and the Kuro Pearl burger at its Shibuya restaurant in Tokyo Tuesday, September 16, 2014. The international hamburger chain in Japan will launch the two new “kuro burger”, or “black burger” menus that sport buns, cheese and sauce all in black color, starting on Friday, Sept. 19, for a limited period. The buns and cheese are darkened with bamboo charcoal while the beef patties made with black-pepper are topped with the garlic sauce using squid ink. (Photo by Koji Sasahara/AP Photo)
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Luxury Hotel Creates ‘Shanty Town’ Slum for Superrich
Guests at South Africa’s Emoya Luxury Hotel & Spa who tire of the usual upscale amenities can ditch those digs for a more down-to-earth experience at the hotel’s own “Shanty Town”. Continue reading »
Let’s Travel from Toronto to Egypt, All within the UK
A road sign points the way on August 6, 2013 in Toronto, England. Originally called Newton Cap in the county of Durham, built for workers at the nearby colliery, owner Henry Stobart re-named the village Toronto after visiting Canada. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
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Queen Mary 2’s Captain Perches On The Bow Of His Vast Ship
Daring Captain Kevin Oprey is seen standing beneath the soaring hull of Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2. The Queen Mary 2 is the largest and most expensive Ocean Liner ever built.
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Color Madness: Jember Fashion Carnival in Indonesia
Models showcase a design on the catwalk during the eighth Jember Fashion Carnival on August 2, 2009 in Jember, East Java, Indonesia. World Unity was the theme for this year’s carnival, which featured more than 400 models parading along Jember’s longest street. (Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
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Fantastic Wave Rock in Hyden Wildlife Park, Australia
Wave Rock is a natural rock formation that is shaped like a tall breaking ocean wave. The “wave” is about 14 m (46 ft) high and around 110 m (360 ft) long. It forms the north side of a solitary hill, which is known as “Hyden Rock”. Continue reading »
Umbrella Sky in Agueda, Portugal
Agueda in Portugal is the setting for this wonderful installation by Sextafeira called Floating Umbrellas. This colorful creation is a part of the Agitagueda art festival. Due to the fact that the same idea was used last year this is the second time the streets of this town have been covered with loads of vivid umbrellas, providing shade, as well as a wonderful sight. The people loved it so much that the repetitive nature of the installation does not carry the risk of becoming boring, but rather turning into a wonderful tradition. Continue reading »
The South China Karst
The South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2007, spans the provinces of Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan. It is noted for its karst features and landscapes as well as rich biodiversity. The site comprises three clusters: Libo Karst, Shilin Karst and Wulong Karst. UNESCO describes the South China Karst as “unrivalled in terms of the diversity of its karst features and landscapes”. It contains the most significant types of karst landforms, including tower karst, pinnacle karst and cone karst formations, along with other spectacular characteristics such as natural bridges, gorges and large cave systems.
File photo taken on July 3, 2012 shows the scenery of karst landform in Dacai Township under Maonan Autonomous County of Huaijiang, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The World Heritage Committee on Monday inscribed an extension of South China Karst, a natural World Heritage Site since 2007, into the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. (Photo by Wang Xiufa/Xinhua)
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Bore Tide Surfing in Alaska
A general view of Cook Inlet before the Bore Tide at Turnagain Arm on July 12, 2014 in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaskas most famous Bore Tide, occurs in a spot on the outside of Anchorage in the lower arm of the Cook Inlet, Turnagain Arm, where wave heights can reach 6-10 feet tall, move at 10-15 mph and the water temperature stays around 40 degrees farenheit. This years Supermoon substantially increased the size of the normal wave and made it a destination for surfers. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
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Floating Snowflake Hotel in Norway that Offers the Perfect View of the Northern Lights
If you want to get the best view of Aurora Borealis, it is best to be as far away from light pollution as possible.
The project for The Krystall hotel was initiated with a cooperation between Dutch Docklands International and Norwegian entrepreneurs. After a long intensive research on location and regulations the design has started. Key for the design was that it should be a simple glass building that would allow the guests to get the most view on the Northern light from there beds. Continue reading »
Stunning Milky Way Formation Above the Isle of Wight
“Stunning Milky Way formation above the Isle of Wight : The Milky Way shines in mesmerising colourful patterns above the Isle of Wight in these stunning photographs. Photographer Chad Powell used a DSLR camera to capture images of the spectacular constellation above the familiar beach scenes of England’s largest island. The 22-year-old, who shot the pictures over a year of stargazing on the island, often stayed up until dawn to catch the most dramatic sky-scapes. Continue reading »
Fantastic Landscapes of Tuscany, Italy
A building emerges from the early morning fog in Belvedere farm in San Quirico d’Orcia, Tuscany, Italy. The beautiful pictures were taken by Alberto Di Donato who has a huge passion for the Tuscan landscape and is inspired by the Renaissance artists who painted the same landscapes. (Photo by Alberto Di Donato/HotSpotMedia) Continue reading »
Travel Photographer of the Year Contest Exhibition
Pokot tribe, Amaya village, East Pokot, Kenya. (Photo by Roberto Nistri)
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Amazing Scenery of “Rotten Sea”
Photographer Sergey Anashkevych captures the incredible images of salt flats in Crimea. Lake Sivash is also known as the “Rotten Sea”, it’s unique dazzling red colours caused by rapid propagation of Dunaliella algae in an abandoned mine. Continue reading »
Rare Photos of Angola’s Tribal People
Photographer Eric Lafforgue travelled to Angola and met some of the fascinating tribal peoples living there.
Men, by contrast, leave jewellery and elaborate hairstyles to the women, instead choosing to wear a simple loin cloth paired with a dagger or, in some cases, old 1990s football jerseys. The jerseys are a symbol of changing times in Angola; a country where huge oil wealth is concentrated in the hands of a privileged few while the rest of the country struggles to come to terms with the aftermath of the Angolan Civil War – a conflict that lasted for more than 30 years and left the countryside littered with landmines.
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Giant Underground Trampolines Tipped as Next Big Tourist Attraction in Wales
Photograph: B White
Blaenau Ffestiniog’s slate mine has been turned into a trampoline theme park for the summer. It’s a marvellous installation – and a long way from your average cave tour. Continue reading »
Beautiful Scenery of Hulun Buir Grassland
The livestock graze on the grassland of Hulun Buir, North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, June 16, 2014. Grass has been flourishing in Hunlun Buir due to sufficient rainfall and warm weather since June. (Photo: Xinhua)
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Girl Travels Europe with Cardboard Cutout of Late Father
Jinna Yang, a 25-year-old Chinese girl born in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A., went on a trek through Europe carrying a cardboard cutout of her father, who died from cancer two years ago.
She quit her fashion job in New York City, gave up her apartment, sold most of her clothes and brought her “father” with her as she traveled across Europe, in order to take him to all the countries he wanted to visit, while he was alilve. She put the pictures online in hopes of spurring others to follow their dreams and aspirations.
“I want the world to know who my dad was,” Yang explains. And, thanks to her creative homage, people approached her as she traveled, asking about the cutout and wanting to know more about her and her project. It led to strangers sharing their own stories of grief and loss. “That’s the great thing about traveling,” she says. “It really was healing for me.”
Now, Yang is planning her next trip, this time to Spain and Croatia. And, of course, dad will be right there with her.
Le Louvre, in Paris, France; according to Yang, her father ran a dry-cleaning business in Norfolk, Virginia, where he worked for 12 hours a day for six days per week. (Photo: CFP)
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Man Takes the World’s Most Impressive Selfie. You Gotta See How Far He Climbed.
British travel company boss Lee Thompson has made a name for himself in the online fight to take the most awesome selfie by taking one from the top of the iconic Cristo Redentor (Christ The Redeemer) statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Continue reading »
“Dwarf Empire” in Kunming, China
Thirty-five kilometers outside Kunming, in China’s Yunnan province, lies a butterfly ecological garden nestled on an artificial hill created by a Chinese entrepreneur. The main attraction on the hill though is not the butterflies but a group of performers taking part in a production called “Dwarf Empire” or “The Empire of the Little People”. Chinese entrepreneur Chen Mingjing opened the theme park in mid-2009, employing a number of dwarves to create the show, and he says to help the less fortunate by creating jobs for them. Despite criticism from diverse groups calling the whole idea “barbaric” and an “exploitation of less fortunate people”, both Mr. Chen as well as the employees, see it as a positive initiative which allows them to earn a living while not worrying about what others around them think.
“Dwarf Empire” cast members perform at the Dwarf Empire theme park outside Kunming, China’s Yunnan province, 04 April 2013. The Dwarf Empire theme park opened in mid-2009, employing a number of dwarves to create the show. Depending on what type of job they do at the park, employees earn between 800-2,000 CNY (100-250 Euros) per month, most of which goes towards their savings as lodging is provided, and their living quarters are equipped with kitchens where they prepare their own meals. (Photo by Diego Azubel/EPA)
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Edible Insects in Thailand
Thai edible insect farmer Udom Sanart, 44, (R) sells crickets, edible insects at a fresh market in Khonkaen province, northeast of Thailand, 08 July 2013. Insects have long been on the menu in Thailand, but academics and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) officials are hoping they will become a more common global source of protein and nutrients to meet the need for growing world food requirements in the future.
In both Asia and Europe, edible insects have increasingly been used as ingredients in processed foods, removing the squeamish factor of directly eating the bugs, while in many Asian countries vendors sell the fried whole insects in markets to eager less-squeamish customers. Thailand’s pioneering advances in commercial insect farming over the past 15 years has focused on three insect species seeing the annual production of crickets, palm weevils and bamboo caterpillars rise to an average of 7,500 tons of insects a year for domestic and export consumption.
Insect farms are located in about sixteen northeast provinces of Thailand. The UN agency estimates that world food production will need to increase 60 per cent from current levels to meet global food requirements by 2050, and has become a keen advocate of insect consumption. Not only does this type of farming have less impact on the environment than many other meat source farming, the insects are also very high in protein, vitamins and minerals necessary for a good diet. (Photo by Narong Sangnak/EPA)
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Giant Crystal Cave in Naica, Mexico
Cave of the Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave is a cave connected to the Naica Mine 300 metres (980 ft) below the surface in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. The main chamber contains giant selenite crystals (gypsum, CaSO4·2 H2O), some of the largest natural crystals ever found. The cave’s largest crystal found to date is 12 m (39 ft) in length, 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The cave is extremely hot with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C (136 °F) with 90 to 99 percent humidity. The cave is relatively unexplored due to these factors. Without proper protection people can only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time.
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Indonesia’s Medical Mannequin Industry
A craftsman works on making human anatomy mannequins on April 23, 2014 in Depok, West Java, Indonesia. The mannequins are made from fiberglass and will be used in schools, hospitals and laboratories. (Photo by Nurcholis Anhari Lubis/Getty Images)
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What the World Eats By Peter Menzel And Faith D’Aluisio
A stunning photographic collection featuring portraits of people from 30 countries and the food they eat in one day. In this fascinating study of people and their diets, 80 profiles are organized by the total number of calories each person puts away in a day. Featuring a Japanese sumo wrestler, a Massai herdswoman, world-renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adria, an American competitive eater, and more, these compulsively readable personal stories also include demographic particulars, including age, activity level, height, and weight. Essays from Harvard primatologist Richard Wrangham, journalist Michael Pollan, and others discuss the implications of our modern diets for our health and for the planet. This compelling blend of photography and investigative reportage expands our understanding of the complex relationships among individuals, culture, and food.
Oswaldo Gutierrez, Chief of the PDVSA Oil Platform GP 19 in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela with his typical day’s worth of food. (From the book What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets.) The caloric value of his day’s worth of food on a day in December was 6000 kcals. He is 52 years of age; 5 feet, 7 inches tall; and 220 pounds. Gutierrez works on the platform for seven days then is off at home for seven days. While on the platform he jogs on its helipad, practices karate, lifts weights, and jumps rope to keep fit. His food for the seven days comes from the platform cafeteria which, though plagued with cockroaches, turns out food choices that run from healthful to greasy-fried. Fresh squeezed orange juice is on the menu as well and Gutierrez drinks three liters of it a day himself. His diet changed about ten years ago when he decided that he’d rather be more fit than fat like many of his platform colleagues. PDVSA is the state oil company of Venezuela.
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Silent Hill
Jonny Joo, 23, visits derelict malls, stations, towers and other places because they remind him of Silent Hill – a psychological horror video game which was made into a film. “When I first started exploring places, so many would remind me of the game. It was a world I was kind of obsessed with because of how dark and eerie it looked”, Joo said. His book, titled “Empty Spaces”, will feature 116 images and is being released this week.
An abandoned old grain silo, described by the photographer as “peaceful”. (Photo by Jonny Joo/Barcroft Media)
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