Krabi, Thailand – Photo Taken in 2000

The Scenery at Cappadocia

Weekly Photo Challenge: Edge ( between Lake and Mountain )

This week’s photo challenge theme is Edge.

Here are a couple of photos taken in Jiuzhaigou, China.

It shows a distinctly divided edge between the lake and the mountains.

Just like the Pamakule in Turkey, these are pools containing high levels of dissolved calcium contained within naturally formed levees of deposited limestone.

Unlike Pamakule, this is at a very high altitude where normal breathing could be a problem.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Creepy ( in a Cavern)

This week’ DP photo challenge is Creepy.

Here is a picture taken inside a limestone cavern with stalactites and stalagmites.

The series of stalactites hang from the roof, extending down to almost the water below.

The reflection created is equally interesting.

Given that the picture was taken some years ago, I can only remember it was a cave we passed by on our way to Zhangjiajie in China.

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Beneath Your Feet ( White Cotton Castle?)

Pamakkule is my favorite place for visiting in Turkey.

In Chinese, it is translated as White Cotton Castle.

From afar, the limestone terraces look like castles.

When we were there, we were allowed to walk inside the white terraces, provided you take your shoes and socks off.

What a one-off and interesting life experience with the white deposits under your feet!

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Under Your Feet ( Limestone Pavement)

This week’s DP challenge is Under Your Feet.

We had a good time on Hvar Island, Croatia.

Everyday, we walked upon limestone pavement on the seaside promenade.

It is interesting that the pavements are all paved in limestone blocks ( some said it was marble).

Here is a photo showing how the pavement looks, with a little cute puppy resting on it. To add to the otherwise plain background, I have got some pretty flowers.

The one below shows a bigger dog, walking slowly under the sun, by the sea.

The sun was fierce and he was sweating and panting. The picture, however, is a bit monotonic.

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Forces of Nature (Koh Samui)

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Here are two photos which show limestone in layers are raised up above the sea levels.

They now appear as islands, with stratified rock layers.

These islands have been subject to the action of wind, waves and tidal currents too!

Wordlesss Wednesday – Pamukkale , Turkey

Travel Theme: Mystical

Mystical is the theme for this week at Where’s my backpack?

Some of the mystical scenes that I have seen were high up in the mountains of Zhang Jia Jie, China where the mist is thick.

The mist is so thick and the mountains are so strangely shaped that they look almost surreal.

Even the leaves look mystical in the heavy mist.; the silhouette is just eerie.

Some limestone columns look as if they are floating in the air. What seems more mystical is how some trees can survive at the top of these columns.

Is this mystical or just “mistical” ? . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cappadocia – The Land of Fairies

It was awe-inspiring to visit the land of fairies, Cappadocia. … for its seemingly extraterrestrial landscape and underground cities.

The land of fairies is in a small area in Central Turkey which has a unique, almost surreal, landscape. This area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Travelling to Cappadocia is a lesson which teaches you what mother nature can do to the earth. It is also a dreamy journey into physical geography and geology.

Past volcanic activities formed a plateau of ash and the strange, rugged rock formations were created by the forces of erosion. These formations are known as “fairy chimneys” as the early inhabitants of the region believed that humans could not have built them, and as fairies lived underground, they must be the chimneys sticking out.

The unusual structures were created through erosion of rain, wind and temperature fluctuations. Various forms of rock formations such as cones were formed as the softer ash layers eroded faster than the harder layers of basalt which remained on top capping the conical structures underneath.

The tuff ash was easy to work with primitive tools and many cave dwellings and churches were cut into the cones and valley walls.

Starting 1968 when Eric Van Daniken, in his book “Chariots of the Gods”, alluded to the idea of aliens presence on earth,  authors have suggested that Cappadocia may have been formed as a result of a nuclear war waged by extraterrestrials in the area. It was also quipped that part of Star Wars was filmed with this area as a backdrop.

Yes, we can stretch our imagination  as much as we can. However, I rather want to leave Cappadocia with a memory that it is a land of fairies, not wars.