Usually, anything falling from the sky that isn’t precipitation would be cause for concern. However, for residents in one Honduran city, it’s become a cause for celebration. In the capital region of Yoro, a local event has come to characterize the area as a one-of-a-kind destination for revelers. One where fish are believed to fall from the sky.
Deep in the heart of the West Texas desert, sitting conspicuously alongside a lonely and infrequently traveled highway is a Prada boutique. That’s right, a hyper-realistic art installation, built to replicate one of the luxury brand’s high concept stores, has stood in place, unstaffed and virtually inaccessible, for fifteen years. And despite the lack of transactional fashion available, the site remains a steady draw. So how exactly did this desert oasis come to be?
The Isle of Man, a tiny, self-governing British Crown dependency situated between Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales in the heart of the Irish Sea, features prominently in Britain’s history of scintillating storytelling. A proud population of around 80,000 Manx occupy this mythical territory, and most are keen to preserve its rich connection to traditional fairy folklore. And they’ve recently gotten some help from an outside source.
By now, you have seen reports on the news of once-thriving cityscapes and bustling urban areas reduced to stagnant wastelands as COVID-19 coronavirus infections spread. New York’s Time Square and Piccadilly Circus in London, two neighborhoods typically choked with throngs of people all day and every day, currently stand vacant. These images are not too dissimilar to the desolate views of Kolmanskop, a ghost town in southern Africa’s Namib Desert.
The fact that we live in a fast-paced and technologically advanced society becomes more apparent with each passing year. However, there are still some areas of the globe where the allure of creative thinking and the celebration of art—particularly, literature—is still a priority. Bibliophiles: take note!
Nestled deep in the hidden valleys of Yunnan, China, east of the Himalayas and abutting the blue waters of Lugu Lake, sits a community of inhabitants known as the Mosuo people. And like most members of this community, they collectively share several similarities—traits, ideals, morals, beliefs. What sets this group apart from the rest of their mainland counterparts is their surprisingly modern approach to Chinese tradition. In this mysterious and unspoiled region, known as the “Kingdom of Women,” men take a backseat.
In the quaint Romanian town of Săpânţa, the local Merry Cemetery features a colorful tableau of more than 800 grave markers that manage to elicit emotions that are uncharacteristic of traditional burial grounds. Somber slate and graphite mounds are replaced with colorful wooden crosses—each depicting, in almost playful detail, the life and death of each of the town’s former residents.
Near the English village of Witley, a sprawling, 9,000-acre estate plays host to one of Britain’s most unique structures. Hidden beneath one of the property’s three artificial lakes, lies an ornate underwater smoking room and parlor with an elaborate “ballroom” dome as its focal point. The only indication that something may rest below the surface is an ornate statue of Neptune that stands guard above the hidden structure.
Sarasota, Florida, can elicit many different images: sunny beaches, lush golf courses, groves of orange trees. The possibilities are endless – it’s a veritable paradise for outsiders looking to escape the year-round doldrums.
Nestled in the unincorporated community of Unger, West Virginia, lies an expansive parcel of property. A closer look at this property offers passersby a perplexing albeit familiar slice of Americana: the roadside attraction. Massive fiberglass figures, including a lumberjack, a couple of Muffler Men, even Yogi Bear, jut out from the landscape, greeting people from a long-forgotten era
