Category Amazing Places

               Machu Picchu that stands in the mountains of south-central Peru is a deserted city of the Inca people.

               It is one of the very few American Indian sites that still remain mostly undamaged. Historical sources indicate that the dwellings at the site were built and occupied probably during the mid-1400s and 1500s. In Quechua, the language of the Incas, Machu Picchu means the ‘old peak’.

               The ancient city lies between two sharp peaks in the eastern Andes Mountains at a height of 2350 metres. There were two sections in Machu Picchu, one for farming and the other one, urban. Step-like fields called terraces constituted the farming section. In the urban section, there were houses, temples and a cemetery.

               It is believed that Machu Picchu remained hidden from the Spanish when they conquered the Incas in the 1500s. The city was covered by plants and remained known only to a few people living there, for hundreds of years.

               In 1911, when a local farmer led US archaeologist Hiram Bingham to the ruins of this ancient city, it started getting global attention. 

            The Iguazu Falls are a series of scenic waterfalls located on the stretch of the Iguazu River. Extending for 2.7 kilometres, they form the border between Brazil and Argentina. They are almost three times wider than the famous Niagara Falls in North America.

            The name Iguazu has come from the Guarani Indian word meaning ‘great water’. The falls are known as Iguacu, or Iguassu in Brazil.

            The Iguazu Falls are situated where the Iguazu River tumbles over the edge of the Parana Plateau. There are numerous rocky and wooded islands that lie along the edge.

            Depending on the water level, the numbers of the falls too change from 150 to 275. It has been found that almost half of the river water falls into what is called the Devil’s Throat, a U-shaped narrow chasm close to it. Breathtaking views of this section can be obtained from the Brazilian as well as Argentine sides.

          The Galapagos Islands are a famous cluster of volcanic islands spread on the either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean.

          It consists of 13 major islands, six smaller islands and a group of islets, lying about a 1000 kilometres west of the mainland Ecuador. The archipelago covers a total land area of 8,010 square kilometres which scatters over 59570 square kilometres of ocean. The Galapagos National Park forms a part of the islands.

          Isabella Island is the largest of the islands in Galapagos. It is around 132 kilometres long and constitutes more than half of the archipelago. Mount Azul, which is the highest point of Galapagos, is situated in Isabella.

          History says that the scenic island cluster was discovered by the bishop of Panama, Tomas de Berlanga in 1535. It gained international attention after the visit of the English naturalist Charles Darwin in 1835. It was the unique fauna of the islands that contributed to the groundbreaking theories on natural selection presented in Darwin’s work ‘On the Origin of Species’ in1859. 

          The Amazon rainforest is a large tropical rainforest that covers most of Amazon basin in South America. Spread over an area of 6,000,000 square kilometres, the rainforest comprises about 40 per cent of the total area of Brazil. The region includes territories belonging to other eight more nations- Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. In short, Amazon comprises the largest and the most diverse biodiverse tract of tropical rainforests in the world.

          The rainforest is guarded by the Guiana Highlands in the north, the Andes Mountains in the west, the Brazilian central plateau to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

          The lush vegetation includes a large variety of trees including species of myrtle, laurel, palm, and acacia, rosewood, Brazil nut, and rubber tree. Considering the wildlife, the Amazon is very rich with jaguars, manatees, tapirs, red deer, capybara and many other types of rodents, and several types of monkeys. 

          The Torres del Paine National Park is a national park in southern Chilean Patagonia. It covers an area of around 242,242 hectares and is one of the largest and most-visited parks in Chile. In 1978, it was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

          Part of the National System of Protected Forested Areas of Chile, the Torres del Paine national park promises many spectacular views and moments to a visitor. One of the main attractions here is a small mountain group called the Cordillera Paine. Besides, the region also encompasses glaciers, lakes and rivers. The Dickson Lake, Nordenskjold Lake, Pehoe Lake, Grey Lake, Sarmiento Lake, and Del Toro Lake are some of the famous lakes here. Another water body flowing through the park is the beautiful Paine River.

          In addition to these, the Torres del Paine national park is noted for its flora and fauna. It has documented a wide variety of plant species including 85 non-native ones. It is also home to many animals like Guanacos, pumas, foxes and the endangered Chilean Huemul.

               Lake Atitlan is a magnificent lake in southwestern Guatemala, lying in the central highlands. It is said to be the deepest lake in Central America with a maximum depth of about 340 metres. The three cone-shaped volcanoes of Atitlan, Toliman, and San Pedro lie on the borders of the lake.

               There are many reasons why Lake Atitlan remains a global attraction. On the shores of this lake are situated numerous villages that still have the Mayan culture.

               As it is known to the rest of the world, the Atitlan Lake is very attractive. It stands out for its immense and picturesque setting, surrounded by mountains, volcanoes and wildflowers. According to German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, it is ‘the most beautiful lake in the world’. In 1955, the region around the lake became a national park. Corn, onions, beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers and pitahaya fruit are the major crops in the area on which the indigenous people depend.

            The Geiranger Fjord is one of many inlets from the sea along Norway’s western coast. It is located in the Sunnmore region of More og Romsdal County and is one of the most visited tourist sites in the country.

            What makes the Geiranger Fjord special is its scenic beauty. There are a number of abandoned farms that lie along the sides of the fjord. Skagefla, Knivsfla, and Bloomberg are the most visited among these today. Close to them lies the beautiful village of Geiranger, which is thought to be one of the best travel destinations in Europe for its scenery.

            Another feature that adds to the charm of the fjord is the impressive waterfalls called ‘Seven Sisters’ and ‘Suitor’. Both the falls face each other across the fjord. An interesting story about them is that the ‘Suitor’ is trying to woo the sisters opposite. There is one more attractive falls here – the Bridal Veil.

            For its splendour, the Geiranger fjord has been the subject of many films. The famous animated movie by Disney named ‘Frozen’ was inspired by the fjord. 

            The Stonehenge is a prehistoric stone circle monument, cemetery, and archaeological site located on the Salisbury Plain in England. It is believed to have been built between 3000 and 1520 BC, in six stages.

            There are many stories on why the Stonehenge was built. Many scholars hold that it was a place of worship or a burial ground.

            However, it is unique for its artificially shaped sarsen stones, arranged in a peculiar way. There were two groups in which the large stones were arranged – one was a circle of flat stones that rested on top of stones standing upright. The other was a group within the circle – a horseshoe shaped group of five pairs of upright stones.

            There is a straight path called the Avenue that leads away from the circles. An upright stone named the Heel Stone stands near the centre of the Avenue.