27 Surreal Places

[Mischka]

The planet is filled with gorgeous, surreal, thrilling, awe-inspiring vistas. Which of these 27 spots have you already seen, and which would be the next one you want to visit?

 

[Lancecastor]

Unless you find a way for these places to be linked to Iranian nukes or an Obama plan to socialize national parks, I see little chance in this thread succeeding.

 

[JohnnySavage]

8, 9, 14, 15, 19 and 24

 

[Mischka]

Alas, I'm afraid you're right. I've tried sex-related threads, and they die. I'm not terribly good at the drama and not interested in politics, so I thought I'd try a PG topic.

Humor me and answer, Lance. You have to have seen one or two of these places, right?

 

[Mischka]

8, 9, 14, 15, 19 and 24

Places you've been, or ones you want to see, in that order? If the latter, which was your favorite? Any even better in person than in these images?

 

[JohnnySavage]

Places you've been, or ones you want to see, in that order? If the latter, which was your favorite? Any even better in person than in these images?

Places I've been.

Cappadocia, Turkey - I tend to like historical sites more than natural ones, but that's just me.

Pictures are always better because (in most cases) the tourists are cleared out and the lighting is perfect


With respect to the natural sites... I can appreciate the beauty, but I'm a bit like Clark Griswald when he saw the Grand Canyon. A deep breath, a nod of the head, and then I start looking for something local to eat.

 

[Mischka]

Pictures are always better because (in most cases) the tourists are cleared out and the lighting is perfect

I'd heard the sunrise over the seaside Mayan ruins in Tulum, Mexico was breathtaking, but problem was, the place didn't open to tourists until 9 am, well after the sun was up and shining down. Going to the waterfront side wasn't an option, as it was a protected enclave and we didn't have a boat. So at 5 am, I grabbed a flashlight and Mr Mischka, and we walked the mile down the path towards the front gates. The chained, locked front gates guarded by a dour man wielding a machete. But after stumbling through my limited Spanish, smiling a lot, and bribing him with $30 (twice the normal entrance fee), we got full access to the ruins. He just warned us to be back by 7 am, which is when El Jefe arrived. Sunrise was at 5:45 am, so that was fine by us.

We had the place entirely to ourselves. And as the sun began to peak above the horizon, the crumbled stones of the fortress turned from dark charcoal gray to paler hues of blue and purple, mimicking the crashing waves below. The sunrise was simply spectacular. We sat atop the highest ruin and quietly bathed in the cool morning light.

One of my favorite memories. And I have a single picture of that sunrise to remind me of that experience.

 

[Lancecastor]

Alas, I'm afraid you're right. I've tried sex-related threads, and they die. I'm not terribly good at the drama and not interested in politics, so I thought I'd try a PG topic.

Humor me and answer, Lance. You have to have seen one or two of these places, right?

I've been to just five of them....interesting article, some of them I'd not heard of!

 

[JohnnySavage]

I'd heard the sunrise over the seaside Mayan ruins in Tulum, Mexico was breathtaking, but problem was, the place didn't open to tourists until 9 am, well after the sun was up and shining down. Going to the waterfront side wasn't an option, as it was a protected enclave and we didn't have a boat. So at 5 am, I grabbed a flashlight and Mr Mischka, and we walked the mile down the path towards the front gates. The chained, locked front gates guarded by a dour man wielding a machete. But after stumbling through my limited Spanish, smiling a lot, and bribing him with $30 (twice the normal entrance fee), we got full access to the ruins. He just warned us to be back by 7 am, which is when El Jefe arrived. Sunrise was at 5:45 am, so that was fine by us.

We had the place entirely to ourselves. And as the sun began to peak above the horizon, the crumbled stones of the fortress turned from dark charcoal gray to paler hues of blue and purple, mimicking the crashing waves below. The sunrise was simply spectacular. We sat atop the highest ruin and quietly bathed in the cool morning light.

One of my favorite memories. And I have a single picture of that sunrise to remind me of that experience.

Perhaps that's my problem: I'm ideologically opposed to being up before the Sun is.

 

[spacekowboy]

I'm ashamed to say that I have not seen any of these. I am surprised that Yosemite was not on that list though.


I suppose the most likely one I will next see is the Grand Canyon.

 

[Riles]

14, 19, 26 I have been to. I'm not sure where I would go next. My next trip is to a private estate in Goa, West India.

 

[doowdniw]

I've been to the tulip fields in the Netherlands. Not on your list here, but the lavender fields in the UK are pretty spectacular, too. Have not actually been to the Grand Canyon, but have flown over it several time. It's pretty amazing from the air. Have dived several of the cenotes on the Yucatan. Did not have a true appreciation for "air-clear" water until I did that. I'll be spending time in western Turkey on the turquoise coast this summer and will have an opportunity to pass through Cappadocia on a side trip from Antalya to Ankara. I would love to dive the blue hole in Belize.

 

[Liar]

http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2014-07/26/14/enhanced/webdr10/grid-cell-25421-1406399437-11.jpg

A friend of mine base jumped from that thing last summer.

While I sat nowhere near it, hugging a rock and having vertigo by proxy.

 

[domroger]

I have only seen the tulip fields in Holland , they are like a flower rainbow .Every 10 years they hold an exhibition called the Floriad which goes on for most of the year and is well worth seeing .
As for the others I would like to see them all , but I have not enough money to do it .

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

I couldn't help wondering how many of those lovely places have remained unscathed by war or unrest of some kind, Ukraine or Turkey for instance.

I've visited Fingal's cave and the glow worm caves.

 

[JohnnySavage]

No offense to the journalist, but that list represents the opinion of one single person. It should be titled: "27 surreal places in MY OWN opinion" rather than sounding so...imperative 0_0.

So in my opinion, I can count 10 or so that have impressed me as beautiful or surreal:

The fjords - Norway
Dubai - just...everything about it, couldn't care less about their tall buildings
Iceland - the "hot pools"
Australia - koalas are surreal lol
France - the Louvre

And on my must-see-list:

Dracula's castle, Romania.
The abandoned communist building, Bulgaria,
Those Greek Islands that look "too rocky" (like big rock surrounded by sea...)
Versailles, France
The Angel Falls - Venezuela
Meiji, Japan
That big castle in Osaka, Japan...forgot its name


Hmmm among many others!

Dracula's castle is a disappointment. It was built for the tourist trade. The places Dracula actually lived are very remote, small, and in disrepair. I spent a couple of weeks in Romania last year.

 

[domroger]

Thanks for the warning

But I am not expecting to see real vampires over there anyway, I know it was a story made up by a British writer.

But still...he saved Europe from the muslim invasion! (will i get banned for saying something like that? lol...).

He is still a folk hero there .
Despite his habit of impaling people for various crimes.
His Draconian methods seemed to work , as it was said a naked woman carrying a bag of gold could walk the length of the country without being touched .

 

[SkAoUt]

I've only done one on the list. The Waitomo Caves in NZ.

I do think that the end of the world swing is reaching as a surreal place. Or maybe the pics don't do the site justice. Also why would the article limit it to 27 places?


This place is in my "back yard" and I've never visited. But its sorta surreal. Spotted Lake near Osoyoos B.C.

http://whenonearth.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/spotted-lake-canada-woe1-690x480.jpeg

 

[Mr Noone]

Thanks for the warning

But I am not expecting to see real vampires over there anyway, I know it was a story made up by a British writer.

But still...he saved Europe from the muslim invasion! (will i get banned for saying something like that? lol...).

Bram Stoker was from Dublin. The Irish consider him one of their own.

I think the term you're looking for is "Ottoman". More accurate and less fraught with modern baggage.

 

[jomar]

http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2014-07/26/14/enhanced/webdr10/grid-cell-25421-1406399437-11.jpg

A friend of mine base jumped from that thing last summer.

While I sat nowhere near it, hugging a rock and having vertigo by proxy.

No shit, how do you get stomach flip flops from a picture! I do.

I've done the Tom Brady cliff jumping thing and it was good, but those super heights with hard landings...nah.

Have you seen the swing at the edge of the world? Ay yai yai.

 

[Miles Long]

I have been to none of those places but would enjoy seeing them all. I'll probably wait a while to visit Ukraine though.

 

[Not Normal]

I've been freaking nowhere. I'd like to see and and all of those places.

 

[warrior queen]

There are a lot of places in the world that are similarly spectacular, but didn't make the list.
One off the top of my head is a beach in Western Australia where the sand is so clean and evenly-shaped it 'squeaks' loudly when you walk on it!
Another is the sinkholes of the Nullabor Plain - filled with fossils and eerily cold in one of the hottest, dryest parts of Oz.
Then there's the Okavango in Africa, Madagascar Island, the Nazca Desert... the list could go on.

 

[Likes_Them_Kinky]

Been to.... 2,3,4,8,9,10,11,13,14,18,19,24

Warrior Queen... Okavango Delta (Botswana), Madagascar are both fantastic places. You should try and visit them both. Travelling around Okavango is easier in dry season.

 

[DesEsseintes]

Not on the list but the Northern Lights seen from Svalbard, sunset over the Santorini caldera, Venice in winter and the Amalfi coast in late spring are all deathbed memories.