Supposedly these are the Best Hotel Restaurants, although with these lists I often wonder how many the writer has actually been to. My personal favorite fine dining in Washington DC (certainly the most beautiful restaurant space) belongs to Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt, not on this list. And it’s hard to imagine leaving […]
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The scorched moonscape of Atacama stretches for hundreds of miles on both sides of the Pan-American Highway, undisturbed by any sign of human activity. About 75km south of the town of Antofagasta, its monotony is shattered by a sight even more alien then the desert itself, and yet undoubtedly human: an 11-meter-tall hand protruding out of the sand.
Mano de Desierto is a work of the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal, built in the early 1980s. It was financed by a local booster organization called Corporación Pro Antofagasta.
The motion of hands rising from the ground is an obsession of Irarrázabal's. His other famous works include another over-sized sculpture exploring the same idea: "Monument to the Drowned" is located on Parada 4 at Brava Beach in Punta del Este, a popular resort town in Uruguay. Another large sculpture, "The Awakening," by American artist John Seward Johnson II expresses a similar idea and is located at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Hidden in the Norwegian mountains, Kjeragbolten is a place that looks like something from Middle Earth.
Kjeragbolten is a boulder wedged in a mountain crevasse by the edge of the Kjerag mountain in Lysefjord, near Stavanger. You might have seen it in one of the "Where the Hell is Matt" videos, which feature a man doing a crazy dance in dozens of locations around the world.
The boulder itself is a five-cubic-meter large block of stone suspended above 984-meter deep abyss. Despite its impressive appearance, it is easily accessible on foot without any special equipment. The whole of Kjerag mountain is a popular hiking area, and Kjeragbolten is a favorite photo spot.
Apparently, for some the thrill of standing on a boulder suspended between two cliffs isn't quite enough, as Kjeragbolten has become a very popular spot for base jumpers to use when launching themselves into the air.
The hike up can be somewhat challenging for non-experienced hikers. It is not appropriate for small children. Good hiking shoes/boots are recommended. Also, bring plenty of water and sunscreen, as there are no trees to shelter under on the mountains.
