Phenomenal Djara Cave

The Djara cave is located in the midst of the Eastern Sahara Desert towards the Dakhla Oasis of Siwa, in the middle of the Western Desert, on a limestone plateau, next to an old camel track connecting Farafra and Assiut.

The cave is the natural result of immense amounts of water that have accumulated over an extended period of time, dripping through the desert sands creating an underground cave of geological Paradise.

As Rohlf said, The cave was formed by dripping fresh water in a desert that is now completely devoid of water!

The Djara region, an area with a size of almost 5 by 10km, was inhabited during this time. It was wetter, so life was possible, but there was not enough rain for the growth of flowstone.

The cave is easy to visit; many parts have a level floor, covered by the sand of the desert. Light is required and a helmet is a good idea too. The cave itself is about 30m wide and 8m high, and contains animal engravings dating back from the Neolithic Period.

This cave was rediscovered twice. After the climate changed, and the people had left the area, the cave was forgotten for millennia. It was rediscovered by the German explorer Gerhard Rohlfs during his famous expedition.

To the common visitor and resident of Egypt, the Djara cave is almost unheard of. The cave contains a ceiling of what appears to be fluted limestone formations that mimic the effect of frozen dripping water, almost like asymmetrical folds of drapery in stone and crystal that were made during the Holocene wet phase, when this area was occupied by early hunters.

The Magical Cango Caves

The Cango Caves are located in the Swartberg Mountains, 30 kilometers north of Oudtshoorn, in South Africa's Western Cape Province.

The caves were discovered in 1780 by a local farmer named Jacobus Van Zyl. The chamber he first was lowered down into (Van Zyl Hall, which is as long as a football field), is named in his honor. Further exploration was done and a second chamber discovered in 1792.

The Cango caves contain dripstone formations , some resembling real-life objects and even historical figures. Little wonder the caves have been a major attraction for more than 200 years. Cango Caves system consists of a series of hidden chambers cut deep into a thick limestone rock layer. 

They are a cultural and natural landmark in South Africa and from the very unique Natural Wonders of The World.

Photo Credit Andy Jou

Many of the significant discoveries of the caves were made by the first full-time guide, Johnnie van Wassenaar, who opened many of the side chambers and introduced thousands of people to Cango 1, which remains the only part of the caves open to the public.

The main chambers in the Cango Caves, called Cango 1, contain countless dripstone formations, and Van Zyl’s hall - named after its discoverer - is simply breathtaking it is so huge. 

Cleopatra’s Needle, which stands 9 meters high and is at least 150 000 years old, is one of the main attractions at the Cango Caves.

Cleopatra’s Needle - Dranujkiran on Flicker.com

Although the extensive system of tunnels and chambers go on for over four kilometers, only about a quarter of this is open to visitors, who may proceed into the cave only in groups supervised by a guide. 

There is an interesting assault course at the end of the tunnel that includes a steep ladder which you can climb as well as crawl through a narrow hole.

Rute Martins of Leoa's Photography

The Cango Caves are open 364 days of the year, closed only on Christmas Day (25 December). 

There are two available tours: Standard tours (60 minutes) and Adventure tours (90 minutes).

Photo Credit: John Charalambous

Creepy Jacob’s Well

Jacob's Well is one of the longest underwater caves and the most dangerous diving spot in Texas. From the opening in the creek bed, the cave descends vertically for about ten meters, then continues downward at an angle through a series of silted chambers separated by narrow restrictions, finally reaching a depth of forty meters.

It was first discovered in the 1850s when a couple of early settlers followed Cypress Creek to its source.

Since then, the location has been a beloved swimming hole and a a popular diving spot for thrill seekers despite the fact that at least eight divers have lost their lives here over the years.

It is a feature of the karst landscape of Central Texas and the headwaters of Cypress Creek. The extensive caving systems that are common in this region are the result of slightly acidic rainfall interacting with and eroding the limestone over millennia. The limestone caves and passage segments combine to form one of the longest underwater cave systems in Texas.

In 1924, Jacob’s Well was measured to have a flow of one hundred and seventy gallons per second (six hundred and forty liters per second) discharging water six feet into the air. Over the years, the well’s flow had diminished allowing divers to reach the deepest chambers. The spring ceased flowing for the first time in recorded history in 2000, and again in 2008.

The first time the spring stopped flowing, the event was considered by many as symbolic of the region's increasing water shortage and quality problems. “It was a wake-up call for everyone,” recalls landowner David Baker. “We don't want it to turn into Jacob's Cave." He has given up his home to form the Jacob’s Well Natural Area to restore and protect this sensitive area for future generations.

** Some of the photos are credited to Patrick Lewis

Balanced Rock - Utah

Photo by Gsgeorge on Flickr

Balanced Rock is one of the most famous features of Arches National Park, located in Grand County, Utah, United States. 

The total height of Balanced Rock is about 128 feet (39 m), with the balancing rock rising 55 feet (16.75 m) above the base.

The big rock on top is the size of three school buses!

Balanced Rock used to have a companion - a similar, but much smaller balanced rock named "Chip Off The Old Block", which fell during the winter of 1975/1976.

Photo from  fotowelt.chip.de

The shape of the balanced rock changes as you tour around it, but no matter how you look at it, the rock’s ability to stay put is impressive.

Photo by Angelo Ferraris

Christine Falls

Christine Falls is a waterfall on Van Trump Creek in Pierce County, Washington, located along the road to Paradise on Mount Rainier National Park's southwest side.

Christine Falls was named by John Hatrue of Yelm, Washington, in honor of Christine Louise Van Trump - daughter of P.B. Van Trump, first one to climb Mt. Rainier - who in 1889, at the age of 9, climbed to the 10,000 foot level on the mountain, despite nervous system disorder.

Christine Falls in Winter

The falls have two tiers, one above and one directly underneath the bridge. They drop 69 feet in drops of 32 and 37 feet, respectively. However, it is almost impossible to photograph them together! 

Since the lower drop of the waterfall is spanned by a bridge it most often photographed, The upper tier of the fall is not as easily viewed. You'll have to walk over the bridge and look upstream to see the rest of it.

Uluru: Heaven on Earth

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in central Australia, and one of the most recognizable natural landmarks of the country. It stands 348 metres high with most of its bulk below the ground. It is famous for it's stunning sight during sunrise and sunset where the sun reflection does the work.

The best time to visit Australia’s Uluru is between May and September. The weather is cooler, making it easier and safer to walk. At this time, the colours of the rock are more vibrant and you are more likely to see the hidden surprises of Uluru, plants and animals taking your breath away with their natural heavenly beauty.

Most of all, the one of a kind, rare sight of the waterfalls where occasional heavy rains cascade off Uluru, Australia's most iconic site. It is estimated that only 1% of visitors to Uluru get the chance to witness waterfalls flowing from the rock.

Shiprock: The Winged Rock

Shiprock is a 7,177-foot-high (2,188-meter) rock mountain located in northwestern New Mexico about 20 miles southwest of the town of Shiprock. It is on Navajo Nation land. 

The Navajo Nation is a self-governing territory of 27,425 square miles in northwestern New Mexico, northeastern Arizona, and southeastern Utah. 

Shiprock in Navajo means "rock with wings" or simply "winged rock." This name comes from an ancient folk myth that tells how the rock was once a great bird that transported the ancestral people of the Navahos to their lands in what is now northwestern New Mexico.

The Navaho ancestors had crossed a narrow sea far to the northwest and were fleeing from another tribe. Tribal shamans prayed to the great spirit for help. Suddenly the ground rose from beneath their feet to become an enormous bird. For an entire day and night the bird flew south, finally settling at sundown where Shiprock now stands.

Shiprock, when viewed from certain angles, resembles a large sitting bird with folded wings; the north and south summits are the tops of the wings.

Geologists tell us the rock was formed 12 million years ago during the Pliocene. The legend of the rock seems more likely to be a metaphor hinting of the site's magical power to lift the human soul above the problems of daily existence into an awareness of the great spirit.

Shiprock is illegal to climb. There were no access problems for the first 30 years of its climbing history but a tragic accident that resulted in a death in late March, 1970 caused the Navajo Nation to ban rock climbing not only on Shiprock but on all Navajo lands. Climbers have, however, continued to climb Shiprock since the ban, often obtaining permission from the local grazing holder.

Ruby Falls - Chattanooga

Approximately 1,120 feet below ground within the heart of Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga,Tennessee, lies the United States’ tallest and deepest waterfall, Ruby Falls.

It is located at the end of the main passage of Ruby Falls Cave, in a large vertical shaft that was eroded out of limestone rock by salt water millions of years ago.

Ruby Falls Cave had no natural openings and could not be entered until the 20th Century. In 1905 the natural entrance to Lookout Mountain Cave was closed during the construction of a railway tunnel.

In the 1920s a chemist and cave enthusiast named Leo Lambert thought that he could re-open the cave as a tourist attraction, and formed a company to do so. In 1928 began to drill through the limestone, they found the breathtaking waterfall. Lambert named the falls after his wife, Ruby, and opened the area as a public attraction in 1930.

Public tours began in 1930. Electric lights were installed in the cave, making it one of the first commercial caves to be so outfitted. Electric lights were installed in the cave,

making it one of the first caves in the world to be electrified.

In 1954, the pathway around the basin was cut in order to allow tourists a better view of the falls. This began the tour-related quip regarding not drinking the falls' water.

Though pure and thus safe to drink, it has large concentrations of magnesium from the strata of the mountain, which makes it a natural laxative.

Ruby Falls proved to be the most popular with its many unusual formations and of course the waterfall itself. It is believed to be 30 million years old and has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Eltz Castle, Germany

The 850 year-old Eltz Castle sits on a steep rock in one of the tributary rivers of the river Mosel – amidst one of Germany’s most unspoiled wooded ancient landscapes.

Encircled by the river Elz, which gave its name to one of Germany’s most eminent noble families, Eltz Castle has been the family home of the Lords and Counts of Eltz for more than thirty generations.

The inside of the castle is unique: the living and sleeping areas, the armoury and knights’ hall, the hunting room and kitchen – all have been well preserved and furnished essentially with original contents.

Owing to clever diplomacy, Eltz Castle has survived unharmed for centuries, making it one of the few European castles never to be destroyed. The castle represents 500 years of finest European secular architecture, resulting in its present shape at about 1600 A.D.

Its eventful history, unique architecture and picturesque setting make Eltz Castle the epitome of a German medieval stronghold. The vault of the castle contains one of Europe’s foremost treasure coves with its renowned collection of medieval goldsmith's work as well as many other precious objets d’art.