PAVAN MICKEY: June 2015

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

The Ghost Tower of Bangkok

The Sathorn Unique, A skyscraper of unfinished 49-storey building “ghost tower” is a very different kind of attraction of Bangkok, During Thailand’s economic boom in the 1990s, it became a towering addition to the city’s skyline. It is located at the edge of old commercial town of Charernkrung meets the new international business zone of Silom-Sathorn roads. It considered as the best place for overlook at the Bangkok’s grand cityscape and the amenity of the Chao Praya river. A luxury residential skyscraper of over 659 residential homes and 54 shops. But it construction work stopped dramatically in 1997-98, The country’s economy contracted 10% in 1998 and many of the building projects came to a crashing halt, including this 49-story tower. Many towers have finally come to completion and construction is continuing, however many broke developers are still unable or unwilling to take action. Abandoned tower stands empty and dreary, Locals are convinced the building is haunted.

The Sathorn Unique, A skyscraper of unfinished 49-storey “ghost tower” is a very different kind of attraction of Bangkok.

Photo credit IMP1

Photo credit Earth-Bound Misfit, I

Bangkok Abandoned Skyscraper. Photo credit Axel Drainville

Bangkok ghost building, Photo credit IMP1

Photo credit Jonathan Burr

Photo credit Mes aventures aux Philippines ... et ailleurs !

Photo credit Florian Blümm

Photo credit Jérémie Clos

The World's Most Dangerous Bridge

Hussaini suspension bridge crosses the lake Borit upstream of Hunza river in northern Pakistan. A 2,600 m altitude, in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan is the world's most dangerous bridge. It is an important point of connection of the routes that go to the north of the country, belongs to the people of Pasu and other neighboring villages and ends at the lake itself in Giglit-Baltistan. Since 1978 is relatively isolated by the lack of roads and infrastructure, the only possible way is through the mountains to Rawalpindi, or traffic of aircraft but only for the richest people, Internal insulation between regions is offset by the construction of the Karakoram Highway, which crosses the region from outside. The view from the Hussaini-Borit Lake Bridge is picturesque, not to mention precarious and potentially lethal.

Photo credit Jawad Bhatti

The six main cables are hung from one bank to another. Massive gaps between the wooden planks, Many planks are missing, and strong winds shake the bridge. It does little to ease nerves that a previous, older, broken bridge hangs in tatters next to the "new" one. It is very dangerous to cross the Borit Lake and rapidly flowing Hunza River is particularly frightening, reason for being named world’s most dangerous suspension bridge and also world's most attractive bridge. The new Hussaini hanging bridge as the tattered remains of the previous bridge still hangs next to it. The deadly poor maintenance of Hussaini Bridge is also one of the most Oldest Bridge of Pakistan.

The truly death-defying thrills and fears associated with crossing this bridge where sudden gusts of winds can hit travelers off their feet to face to face with death. Despite its dangerous looks, however, the Hussaini is is a relatively safe bridge and has become something of a tourist draw, with hikers testing their nerves as they carefully work their way across.

picturesque Bridge; Hussaini suspension bridge; Hunza river bridge; Giglit Baltistan bridge

Photo credit sazam

Hussaini suspension bridge, Passu - Pakistan. Photo credit Roger McCarthy Follow

Photo credit oswaldt

Photo credit oswaldt

world’s most dangerous suspension bridge

Photo credit CGLangereis

Photo credit sazam

Photo credit sazam

Photo credit elise and matt

Photo credit Gulbtur

Photo credit Musofer

The Eyes of the Salt Flat, Chile

The Ojos del Salar “The Eyes of the Salt Flat” Two perfectly round pools in the middle of a wide expanse of cracked earth, sand and brittle clumps of grass. Ojos del Salado - a miracle of nature on the border between Argentina and Chile or we can say located in the salt flats of Chile. The eyes of the salt plain are perfectly round, freshwater lakes, about 20 miles from the town of San Pedro de Atacama. They are accessed from a sandy road, and these two freshwater lakes connect with distant rivers through underground caves, are commonly visited as part of a larger trip to two other lakes in the area, a little south of the Laguna de Cejar and Laguna Tebenquiche are surrounded by spectacular mountains.

Photo credit © Haroldo Horta Tricallotis

Photo credit Si

Photo credit Carlos Varela

Photo credit Ana Elisa Ribeiro

Photo credit © Haroldo Horta Tricallotis

Photo credit Carlos Varela

Photo credit Osmar Valdebenito

Ojos de Agua, Atacama Desert, Chile Photo credit Mike Brcic

Ojos del Salar, San Pedro de Atacama. Photo credit Karla Lopez

Photo credit © Haroldo Horta Tricallotis

The Island of the dolls, Mexico

A Spanish name “La Isla de la Muñecas”, means The Island of the dolls, Located on Teshuilo Lake in the Xochimilco canals, Mexico. Mostly uninhabited and which together make up a small paradise for wildlife, fishermen and, in recent times it is a tourists destination, but it was never intended to be a tourist area. This interesting small island is home to hundreds of scary dolls. Hanging on the trees branches and on the roof, decapitated heads and eyes. The dolls are frightful, even in day light of midday, but in the dark, its shocking. The island is known as "Island of the Dolls" and these dolls are there for an attempt to protect themselves from evil, and to reassure a particular spirit.

Photo credit Esparta Palma

Don Julian Santana Barrera was the curator of the island. The story goes that Julian found a little girl drowned in mysterious circumstances while he was not able to save her life. Shortly thereafter, Julian saw some floating dolls near the canals. Scared, Don Julián started collecting dolls to protect himself from her ghost. He collect them from trash heaps and hung them around the island just like creepy Christmas decoration. Over 50 years, he collected more than 1,500 of these little horrors. The oldest is still there, hanging in a shed by the entrance. From afar, it looks like the decaying corpse of a child, day by day these dolls are look more terrifying.

Island of the Dead Dolls. Photo credit Kevin

Mexico doll island, Photo credit Alejandro De La Cruz

Photo credit Alejandro De La Cruz

Photo credit Alejandro De La Cruz

Photo credit Kevin

Photo credit German Freiberg

Photo credit Jen Wilton

Photo credit Kevin

The Borobudur Temple Complex, Indonesia

Borobudur one of the world’s largest Buddhist temple, as well as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. The Borobudur temple complex is located at the center of the island of Java, Indonesia. This temple compounds consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues,covering a total surface area of 2,520 m2. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues each of which is seated inside a perforated stupa.

The Hidden Buddhist Temple of Borobudur. Photo credit Trey Ratcliff

Borobudur was likely founded around 800 CE. Built in the 9th century during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty. the temple was designed in Javanese Buddhist architecture. The temple also demonstrates the influences of Gupta art that reflects India's influence on the region, yet there are enough indigenous scenes and elements incorporated to make Borobudur uniquely Indonesian. Evidence suggests Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century and abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam.bThe name Borobudur was first written in Sir Thomas Raffles's book on Javan history, because the origins of the name Borobudur, however, are unclear, although the original names of most ancient Indonesian temples are no longer known.

Borobudur is located in an elevated area between two twin volcanoes, Sundoro-Sumbing and Merbabu-Merapi, and two rivers, the Progo and the Elo. There is no written record of who built the Borobudur or of its intended purpose. The construction time has been estimated by comparison between carved reliefs on the temple's hidden foot and the inscriptions commonly used in royal charters during the 8th and 9th centuries. But Borobudur was mysteriously abandoned by the 1500s, Eruptions deposited volcanic ash on the site and the lush vegetation of Java took root on the largely forgotten site.

Fortunately, the decline of Borobudur was arrested by tighter regulations and one of the most ambitious international preservation projects ever attempted. The “Save Borobudur” campaign was launched in 1968 through the government of Indonesia and UNESCO. The monument was restored with UNESCO's help in the 1970s.