Our world is such a beautiful and amazing place to live in. Mother Nature in itself is full of eye-catching surprises. You may think that you have been to all of the wonders of the world, well, maybe you need to think again.
Just to mention all the ‘water wonders’ throughout the world is not enough to blow your mind. To start with we have the Marble Caves (Cuevas de Mármol) in Chile. The patterns in the caves are so unique that it was believed to have been caused by 6000 years of wave erosion. Then there’s the Hierve el Agua ‘petrified waterfall’ in Mexico. The falls was formed by natural minerals that have built up over thousands of years. The excess minerals are deposited as the water scurries over the cliffs, similar to stalactites formed in caves. Another is the Thor’s Well situated in Oregon beside Cape Perpetua. They say it is the gateway to the underworld because it looks like a vast sinkhole in Cook’s Chasm. It is so beautiful but also dangerous. There are sharp rocks everywhere in the area and the energetic outpouring of water could push you down into the depth. A different kind of water formation is the Lencois Maranheses National Park in Brazil. The rain falls on the area at the beginning of the year causing the sand beside the lagoon to have blue, green, and black color desert-like sand. Then we have the Red Beach in China with unique varieties of alkali-tolerant seaweed that will turn from green to vibrant crimson red in the fall. The Great Blue Hole near Ambergris Caye, Belize with a 407 feet deep of water in a large submarine like vertical cave is declared to be one of the top ten scuba diving sites in the whole world. The Puerto Princesa Subterranea River National Park in the Philippines features an underground river with limestone karst landscape that has winds blowing through the cave before it flows directly into the South China Sea. A different kind of cave is the Waitomo Glowworm Caves in New Zealand. It has thousands of glowworms that glows inside the cave that when you look at them it’s like looking at the wonder of the universe. The Tri-Colored crater lake of Kelimutu, Indonesia has a different kind of beauty. The three lakes vary in color probably because of chemical reactions between the minerals and volcanic gas in the lakes according to geologists. In addition, there’s the Cano Cristales River located in Colombia. The river flares into dynamic colors between September to November because of an aquatic plant called ‘Macarenia clavigera’, which turns the river pink, red, orange, yellow, blue, and green. Jellyfish Lake in Palau is another thing. This place is home to over ten million jellyfish. Diving into this place should be done with careful consideration. Lake Myvtn in Iceland is a shallow eutrophic lake located near Krafla volcano. Its surrounding landscape was formed by volcanic landforms. Last of all water-like wonder is the Crescent Lake in China. The lake’s depth was filled in 2006 sincec sand encroached on the site, causing tourists to stop visiting. Last is the Champagne Pool, which is located in New Zealand, North Island, a Waiotapu geothermal area. The pool is 900 years old, an old hot spring that bubbles with carbon dioxide similar to a glass of glimmering wine. This pool is not for swimming or you will die for the minerals like orpiment and realgar, both sulfides of arsenic are in the pool. The place is amazing to look at but never safe to dive in.
As for the ‘dry or land’ wonders of the world, we have the following: The Chocolate Hills in Tagbilaran, Bohol in the Philippines, Cave of Crystals in Mexico, Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar, the 7 Giants in Russia, Bungle Bungles in Australia, the Devils Tower in Wyoming, the Spider Rock in Arizona, Fingal’s Cave in Scotland, the Mud Volcanoes of Azerbaijan, the Devils Postpile and Sailing Stones of Death Valley in California, the Hornocal Mountains in Argentina, Danakil Depression in Ethiopia, Zhangjiajie National Park in China, Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness and Shiprock in New Mexico, the Valley of Geysers in Russia, Crooked Forest in Poland, the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan, the Antelope Canyon and the Wave in Arizona, Giant’s Causeway in Ireland, Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the Deadvlei in Namibia, the White Desert in Egypt, the Shilin Stone Forest in China, the Dragon’s Blood Trees in Socotra, Göreme, Cappadocia in Turkey, Old Man of Hoy in Scotland, Uluru Australia and the Sounding Sands Desert in Mongolia.
Describing these wonders is different than experiencing them personally. Never despise these beauties for they never cease to make you feel calm.