Planet Kewl

Tree Root Bridges

2011-09-12T12:13:00.002-04:00

I wish all of our technology was so harmonius with the natural world.

Dryads

2010-02-17T22:35:00.002-05:00

makes you wonder about some ancient Greek myths....

Unseen Sahara

2009-10-22T14:50:00.007-04:00

My close friend Alf Seegert sent me this one:

Unseen Sahara
A rare aerial look at Libya's remote Fezzan region, where ancient societies thrived and collapsed as the rains came and went.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/10/fezzan/steinmetz-photography

Russian Bridge

2009-02-10T21:41:00.004-05:00

I have no idea what this bridge is called or where exactly it is (somewhere in Russia I'm pretty sure), but apparently you are supposed to pray 3 times before you cross it. I can see why!

Batu Cave Temple

2008-11-21T09:58:00.004-05:00

Batu Cave Temple near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia

Cummins Lakes

2008-10-28T09:49:00.004-04:00

Cummins Lakes in British Columbia, Canada, are two lakes fed by an upper waterfall and then connected by a waterfall in between them. Pretty darned kewl, I'd say (and I do).

Nachi Shrine and Waterfall

2008-10-12T10:35:00.009-04:00

Nachi Falls (那智滝, Nachi no Taki) in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, is one of the best-known waterfalls in Japan.

The three Mountain Shrines of Kumano, including Hongu, Nachi, and Shingu, are part of the Kumano Kodu path.

Angkor Wat

2008-09-30T10:21:00.005-04:00

The ruins of the ancient city of Angkor Wat in the forests of Cambodia.

Tikal

2008-09-30T10:03:00.004-04:00

The evocative ruins of the Mayan city of Tikal in the forest of Guatemala, shrouded in mist. (These were used in the film Star Wars).

Chebika Oasis

2008-09-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Chebika Oasis, Tunisia

Another Roger Dean kind of place.

Seoraksan

2008-09-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

Seoraksan, South Korea

This image in particular is very evocative. I can't help but imagine dragons nesting in these peaks....

Hall's Bay Arch Waterfall

2008-09-22T00:42:00.007-04:00

Hall's Bay Arch Waterfall, Utah

(Yeah, ok, so I like waterfalls with arches over them. :-)

Richat Structure

2008-09-16T11:07:00.013-04:00

The Richat Structure in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania is a nearly circular formation almost 50 kilometers in diameter (30 miles). It was once thought to be an impact crater, but is now thought by some to have been caused by uplifted rock sculpted by erosion. For those who care, it lies pretty close to 19.5 degrees latitude. Nevertheless, the Richat Structure remains a mystery.

Val Verzasca

2008-09-16T08:43:00.011-04:00

Val Verzasca, Switzerland

Ófærufoss

2008-09-11T12:00:00.000-04:00

Ófærufoss is a waterfall situated in the Eldgjá chasm in central Iceland. Until 1993 a natural bridge spanned the top of the falls, but it collapsed after a violent storm.

Bandiagara - Land of the Dogon

2008-09-11T00:59:00.006-04:00

Bandiagara, in Mali, is the home of the Dogon. The escarpment has its own waterfall, cliff dwellings, and meandering paths into the oasis-like valleys. It's hard to imagine a place that combines more beautiful features in one scene than Bandiagara.

Kumano Kodu

2008-09-09T11:07:00.007-04:00

The Kumano Kodu is an ancient footpath between shrines in Japan that wanders through beautiful forests and mountains, and was paved with stones and logs to keep the rain from washing away the trail.

Goðafoss

2008-09-05T22:18:00.005-04:00

A waterfall in Iceland that pours around and between two massive rock outcrops.

Malis al Jinn

2008-09-02T11:59:00.004-04:00

Even though Malis al Jinn (in Oman) is only a name given to this cave by westerners, by any other name it is still impressive. It is not the largest cave room in the world, but it's close, and it's certainly the largest one that you can actually get a well-lighted view of.

In some of these pictures you can see people and/or the tiny glow from their headlamps.

Tushuk Tash a.k.a. Shipton's Arch

2008-09-01T09:00:00.010-04:00

Tushuk Tash (天洞), a.k.a. Shipton's Arch, China, the tallest natural arch in the world at 1200 feet.

Discovered in 1947 by famed british explorer Eric Shipton, then dropped from the Guinness Book of World Records because it's existence could not be verified. Rediscovered in May 2000 by National Geographic.

Catedrales de Marmol

2008-08-31T16:00:00.007-04:00

Catedrales de Marmol, Chile

These caves remind me of art by Roger Dean.

Tuang Kalat

2008-08-31T15:43:00.003-04:00

Tuang Kalat, Myanmar (Burma)