What's the most unusual place you have been to?
Apr 18th, 2001, 02:22 AM
#23
Guest
Posts: n/a
The Ice Hotel in Sweden. Sleep in an igloo, drink vodka cocktails from ice glasses, husky dog sleigh rides, fantastic food, get married in an ice chapel, and the chance to mix with the stars. Not much chance of a suntan, but an incredible winter-wonderland experience. <BR> <BR>www.icehotel.com <BR> <BR>A once in a lifetime trip.
Apr 18th, 2001, 06:28 AM
#24
Guest
Posts: n/a
Not Europe, but in Mexico. Visited the very small village of San Juan Chamula in Chiapas. The highlight of the village is an old Catholic church that is now occupied by the local indigent people. They've turned the church into more of a pagan temple with straw on the floor and their own "saints" idolized around. Very interesting.
Apr 18th, 2001, 12:01 PM
#25
Guest
Posts: n/a
To date the most beautiful place has been the Leper Colony on the island of Molikai, Hawaii. The emerald green mts against the azure blue ocean and vibrant double poinsettas blooming everywhere.Father Damien's little chapel was so quiet and tranquil. The only sound was the surf far below the cliffs and the sea birds.
Apr 18th, 2001, 01:24 PM
#27
Guest
Posts: n/a
The Skellig Rock off the coast of Valentia,County Kerry in south-west Ireland is an ancient settlement about 600 feet above sea-level where monks lived in bee-hive huts up to about 1000 years ago.About 12,000 are allowed to visit the site every year where you can still shelter from the rain in those ancient buildings and imagine the Vikings invading the island all those long years ago.An Italian woman on the trip with me described it is "magnifico"
May 2nd, 2001, 08:42 AM
#29
Guest
Posts: n/a
Not the most unusual place, perhaps, but a highly unusual occurrence. On the beach in Southern Morocco. We were the only ones on the beach and as we sat there, a man leading a camel came walking slowly by the water, with his wife (I assume) and daughter following, all dressed in black djellabas and the woman's heads covered. As we watched, they stopped a ways down the beach from us. The women slowly took of their veils and laid them on the sand. Then they slowly took off their djellabas and laid them down. They had white cotton shifts underneath, which they also removed......to reveal black string bikinis! They ran out into the water while the man stood there with the camel, frolicked for a good 20 minutes or so, then came back and just as slowly as they had removed their clothing, they put it back on and continued down the beach.
May 2nd, 2001, 09:16 AM
#30
Guest
Posts: n/a
I recommend the Santa Maria della Concezione right on the Via Veneto in Rome near the piazza barberini. This is the Capuchin church crypt which contains the skeletal remains of 4000 dead Capuchin monks. This is not just a crypt. The bones are neatly and artistically arranged in various displays, and best of all, entry is free!!! Of course, contributions are welcome.
May 2nd, 2001, 10:00 AM
#31
Guest
Posts: n/a
St.Cirq, great story, too bad you didn't have a video of that! Steve I would have to agree with you on the Capuchin Crypt, it was completely bizarre! Apparently it houses 4,000 dead monks, I wonder if someone will make a chandelier out of me when I die?
Jun 19th, 2004, 01:48 PM
#36
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 422
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When my family lived in El Salvador in the late 50's, my Dad took us to a cave in Guatemala which scared us kids nearly to death.
From what I remember of the story, a volcano erupted above the small seaside village. Hundreds of the horrified inhabitants who managed to outrun the lava flow were subsequently drowned in the tidal wave that followed.
My little brother and I descended into the cave down narrow steps cut into the earth, holding on to our flashlights for dear life. Suddenly, we were surrounded by stacks and stacks of skulls and bones. There was no air to breathe. All the eye holes seemed to be staring right at us, looking straight into our wicked little souls.
Stunned, we whirled around and scrambled back up the steps, basically clawing our way past one another to daylight and a second chance to behave FOREVER!
From what I remember of the story, a volcano erupted above the small seaside village. Hundreds of the horrified inhabitants who managed to outrun the lava flow were subsequently drowned in the tidal wave that followed.
My little brother and I descended into the cave down narrow steps cut into the earth, holding on to our flashlights for dear life. Suddenly, we were surrounded by stacks and stacks of skulls and bones. There was no air to breathe. All the eye holes seemed to be staring right at us, looking straight into our wicked little souls.
Stunned, we whirled around and scrambled back up the steps, basically clawing our way past one another to daylight and a second chance to behave FOREVER!
Jun 19th, 2004, 04:02 PM
#37
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,943
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Whilst driving from Kathmandu to Chitwan National Park in Nepal, my group and I stopped in a small town that seemed to be locked in the 19th century. I saw no technology of any kind (it may have behind closed doors), no American products (you even see street urchins in Cambodia with cans of Coke), no cars. People's shoes looked hand-made, as well as all of their clothing. Nothing looked like it was made in a factory. It was all so strange. It was probably the remotest place I have ever been to. There was another village we stopped at, but even there the children had Bic inkpens and were wearing factory-made trainers. There was also a satellite dish on the roof of a hut.
Even when I was in China, I visited villages were people lived in huts, but there would be a TV inside. That village in Nepal spooked me.
Even when I was in China, I visited villages were people lived in huts, but there would be a TV inside. That village in Nepal spooked me.
Jun 19th, 2004, 06:44 PM
#38
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 510
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Don't know if this counts as unusual, but it was interesting to me. When I took a university Biology class in the mid 70's, our professor often talked about the only 2 places in America where there were still "leper colonies" (please forgive me for forgetting the proper name of the disease) We were studying this disease and, at that time, the two homes for folks with leprosy were in Hawaii and Louisiana. Fast forward 25 years--I'm now living in south Louisiana and a friend has come to visit. We're sightseeing along the Mississippi River and take a wrong turn--and find ourselves on the grounds of an old plantation home which is currently a school for troubled youth. It was in it's first year as the school because, up until the year before, it was the Louisiana leper colony. That was fascinating to me. Beautiful place, actually. Many of the former residents are still living there, as they don't have families to live with after the home was closed and turned into a school.
Jun 20th, 2004, 03:12 PM
#39
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 25,035
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What a fascinating thread!! The most unusual place I ever went was on a boat ride into some very remote parts of the Amazon jungle. At first I was scared because there were pirhanas and gators in the water and snakes in the trees. Also the driver and navigator of this boat were a boy and girl around 12 years old each. But before too long I realized that these kids knew the jungle quite well so I was able to relax and enjoy a most exciting day.
The second most interesting place would be the market place in Fez. That was also a bit scary and very hard to find my way around, but it was interesting to see such a place that is so untouched by time. Of course, the same could be said about my Amazon boat ride.
The second most interesting place would be the market place in Fez. That was also a bit scary and very hard to find my way around, but it was interesting to see such a place that is so untouched by time. Of course, the same could be said about my Amazon boat ride.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
theworldaheadofus
Asia
1
Dec 28th, 2019 08:34 AM
