odd/fun places
Prehistoric Gardens:
Port Orford, Oregon, USA.
i mean, i have to respect that someone had a vision here. the execution however,,, a little less respect (i will still definitely go if i'm ever back in the area lol). i know that the big fun topic of debate is that dinosaurs were probably a lot more colourful than we've been
imagining them being over the decades/centuries, but i'm willing to bet that these guys aren't right either. my absolute favourite is the
icthyosaur just lying on the ground like a beached dolphin with giant empty eyes, looking like a massively scaled-up fishing lure. all in
all, it's giving early 2000s mall playpen area.
Dino Park:
Punjab, India.
another dino park!! but the dinosaurs here aren't quite so garish, so -points for fun, but +points
for realism (probably)
Marree cemetery:
Marree, Australia.
A little cemetery truly in the middle of nowhere. most graves seem to be marked by a slowly fraying post of wood, but some have a proper headstone. the headstones look out of place against the dry red dirt, and appear to be slowly losing their fight agaist nature as they sit crooked. there are only two up-close photos of tombstones, and one of which is the marker for Afchan Wahub, who died in August of 1895. i was surprised by the arabic text that takes up the top half of the tombstone, but then i rembered about the 'afghan cameleers' (not all were from afghanistan, but this is/was the general term) who were brought to Australia to work in the outback, as camels were the only way at that point (mid-late 1800's to the early 1900s) to transport goods across the desert. according to wikipedia, they introduced and spread Sufism across the country, which i would love to read more about.
Local Coal Company Cinema:
Barentsburg, Svalbard. There are multiple places in Barentsburg, the second-biggest town in svalbard,
that i think warrant some conversation. this cinema appears to not only show films, but showcases
traditional russian/ukrainian (apologies for being unsure) dance and music. Barentsburg has been settled by russians and ukrainians for the
most part, and it really shows. other sites in the town include a statue of lenin, a restaurant with a wall mural of classic fairytales, and an
absolutely beautiful orthodox church with an impressive though humble exterior and a glamorous icon-filled interior.
religious buildings
Saint Hovhannes Shrine:
Armenia.
A hilltop piled with amazingly intricate carved stone crosses. Not sure exactly what they are made from, but I find the red ones that look like clay to be the most beautiful. they just look so smooth and delicate. along with the crosses, there are some carved books and a small shrine that is packed with candles and icons. really pretty amazing to look at.
Lainingthou Sanamahi Kiyong Hongba:
Manipur, India.
A Sanamahi temple with a really great rainbow colour scheme, with each level of the pagoda-esque (maybe it is just a pagoda...)
tiered roof corresponding to the ol' ROY G BIV
Mikael Milhaizengi:
Negash, Ethiopia.
this rock-hewn church is approximately 1300 years old, and while only 2 photos have been uploaded to google maps,
i can lose myself looking at them. The doors are built into the cliff itself, and the painted wall is lit only by the
candle chandelier and a man holding a match. There seems to be a curtain pulled back to allow the viewers to see
the painted figures, but i would like to see what the curtain looks like too. the paint looks bright and fresh, but depicts
scenes in a medieval style.
Terlingua Church:
Terlingua, Texas, USA. I've loved the photos of this church for a while now, but after properly looking it up to
write this, i've learned that it's name is St. Agnes Church and that it was established in 1914. apparently, the abandoned town
of Terlingua was once a boomtown after the discovery of quicksilver in the 1880's. this church is the epitome of a wild west
ghost town. it's rugged, barebones, and absolutely beautiful. to think about how many people have passed through it,
how it saw the population dwindle with the waning resources. it's honestly hard to put into words how i feel about this place. Since
I first talked about this church on the previous version of this site, someone has uploaded a LOT more photos of this place!
Kovil Montagne Sri Sivs Subramanya Thirukovil:
Quatres Bornes, Mauritius.
I enjoy the mix of Catholic churches and Hindu temples in Mauritius. I think this temple is especially cool
because it is sorta built into this nice lush hill and it really pops out against the green with all its colours.