Every year during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (September / October), Thais celebrate the Vegetarian Festival. It is believed that the festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite.
During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays, such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as "Ma Song".
The festival started in 1825 and its paricipants are not allowed to eat meat or have sex at the time of the festival. For obvious reasons participants are asked to use only sterile blades, spears and guns.
Meet Thailand's Phuket Vegetarian Festival.
Every year during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (September / October), Thais celebrate the Vegetarian Festival. It is believed that the festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite.
During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays, such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as "Ma Song".
The festival started in 1825 and its paricipants are not allowed to eat meat or have sex at the time of the festival. For obvious reasons participants are asked to use only sterile blades, spears and guns.
The Wave Rock is a natural rock formationlocated in western Australia. It derives its name from the fact that it is shaped like a tall breaking ocean wave. The total outcrop covers several hectares; the "wave" part of the rock is about 15 meters high and approximately 110 meters long. One aspect of Wave Rock rarely shown on photographs is the retaining wall about halfway up the rock. This follows the contours and allows rainwater to be collected in a dam. It was constructed in 1951 by the Public Works Department, and such walls are common on many similar rocks in the wheatbelt.
The Wave (between Arizona and Utah - USA)
A red-rock stunner on the border of Arizona and Utah, The Wave is made of 190-million-year-old sand dunes that have turned to rock. This little-known formation is accessible only on foot via a three-mile hike and highly regulated.
Great Blue Hole (Belize)
Part of the Lighthouse Reef System, The Great Blue Hole lies approximately 60 miles off the mainland out of Belize City. A large, almost perfectly circular hole approximately one quarter of a mile (0.4 km) across, it’s one of the most astounding dive sites to be found anywhere on earth. Inside this hole, the water is 480 feet (145 m) deep and it is the depth of water which gives the deep blue color that causes such structures throughout the world to be known as "blue holes."
Hell Gate (Uzbekistan)
Called by locals The Door to Hell, this place in Uzbekistan is situated near the small town of Darvaz. When geologists were drilling for gas, 35 years ago, they suddenly found an underground cavern that was so big, all the drilling site with all the equipment and camps got deep deep under the ground. None dared to go down there because the cavern was filled with gas, so they ignited it so that no poisonous gas could come out of the hole, and since then, it has been burning. Nobody knows how many tons of excellent gas has been burned for all those years but it just seems to be infinite.
Eye of the Sahara (Mauritania)
This spectacular landform in Mauritania in the southwestern part of the Sahara desert is so huge with a diameter of 30 miles that it is visible from space. Called Richat Structure --or the Eye of the Sahara-- the The formation was originally thought to be caused by a meteorite impact but now geologists believe it is a product of uplift and erosion. The cause of its circular shape is still a mystery.
Crystal Cave of the Giants (Mexico)
Found deep inside a mine in southern Chihuahua Mexico, these crystals were formed in a natural cave totally enclosed in bedrock. A geode full of spectacular crystals as tall as pine trees, and in some cases greater in circumference, they are a translucent gold and silver in color and come in many incredible forms and shapes. The Crystal Cave of the Giants was discovered within the same limestone body that hosts the silver-zinc-lead ore bodies exploited by the mine and it was probably dissolved by the same hydrothermal fluids that deposited the metals with the gypsum being crystallized during the waning stages of mineralization.
Chocolate Hills (Philippines)
Composed of around 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills of about the same size spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi), this highly unusual geological formation, called Chocolate Hills, is located in Bohol, Philippines. There are a number of hypotheses regarding the formation of the hills. These include simple limestone weathering, sub-oceanic volcanism, the uplift of the seafloor and a more recent theory which maintains that as an ancient active volcano self-destructed, it spewed huge blocks of stone which were then covered with limestone and later thrust forth from the ocean bed.
Giants Causeway (Ireland)
An area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the Giants Causeway is a result of an ancient volcanic eruption. Located on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland, most of its columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12 meters (36 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 meters thick in places. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.
Blue Lake Cave (Brazil)
Mato Grosso do Sul region in Brazil (and especially the quiet town of Bonito) boasts many marvelous underground lakes: Gruta do Lago Azul, Gruta do Mimoso, Aquário Natural. The world famous "Gruta do Lago Azul” (Blue Lake Cave) is a natural monument whose interior is formed by stalactites, stalagmites and a huge and wonderful blue lake. The beauty of the lake is something impressive. The Blue Lake Cave has a big variety of geological formation but impresses mainly for the deep blue colored water of its inside lake.
Antelope Canyon (Arizona - USA)
The most visited and photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest, the Antelope Canyon is located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona. It includes two separate, photogenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as Upper Antelope Canyon --or “The Crack”-- and Lower Antelope Canyon --or “The Corkscrew.”
The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tse' bighanilini, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." Lower Antelope Canyon is Hasdestwazi, or "spiral rock arches." Both are located within the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.
If you want to celebrate your patriotism and stay fit at the same time, you can buy these 16.9 oz. plastic Barack Obama water bottles. Each bottle features a photograph of Barack Obama waving to the crowd at Grant Park. Available in packs of 6
Obama Underwear
For $8.99 you can have the US president under your paints. What a better way to show how ‘proud' you are than wearing this underwear with Obama's face on it?
Obama Toilet Paper
Oh sh*t! Unfortunately, this Obama Toilet paper is for display only, not actual use, and costs only $10. According to its website “this roll would look great on the desk of any Democrat”.
Obama Sushi
This yummy sushi was created by Japanese chef Ken Kawasumi.
Obama Hot Sauce
Old Pueblo Sauces created the "Barack Obama Inauguration Hot Sauce", a collectable sauce commemorating the Inauguration Day of the new president.
Obama Restaurant & Café
Newsweek's D.C. bureau chief, Jeff Bartholet, was traveling in Africa and stumbled upon the "Obama Restaurant & Café"... yes, named after that Obama, in Hargeisa, Somaliland
Obama Mobile Phone
Look at this Barack Obama branded mobile phone commercialized in Kenya. Handset vendor, Mi launched the handset dressed in the colours and logo of the new president. Kenya –the home country of the president's father– is booming with an Obama fever ever since he won the elections. The stylish and charming mobile phone costs $30.
Obama Haircut
Kwame Boyce-Deacon, a 14 year old kid became the first person ever to get a "Barack Obama Haircut." It took Clint Rainford, a barber from Montsho's hair salon in Leicester, about 45 minutes to make the image and write the name.
Obama Nesting Doll
The Russian folk welcomed Barack Obama to the international spotlight with this most unique creation: Obama on a Russian nesting doll, dressed in Russian folk costumes. Hand painted and decoupaged at the Golden Cockerel workshop in St. Petersburg, this peculiar doll was created as a limited edition of 5000 units, each individually numbered on the bottom of the largest doll.
Obama Dildo
Bet you didn't see this one coming. The Obama "Head Of State" dildo is 7.5 inches tall, weighs 14 ounces is waterproof and made from fine TPR, Phthalate-free rubber. It comes in two colors: democratic blue and presidential gold. How's that for a Change?
Obama Chia
You can get this Limited-Edition Obama Chia (a handmade decorative planter) for $20
Obama Barrettes
The audacity to have a good hair day? Change has come... to your hair!
In the dining room of the Salt Hotel of Bolivia, the salt is always on the table. In fact, the salt is the table.
Along with photographer Robert Dam, Oddee's crew went on July 2008 to this unique hotel located over the Uyuni Flats --world's largest salt flat--, in the southwestern part of the country.
The hotel was built in 1993 by a salt artisan who saw a mint in the number of tourists looking for places to stay while visiting the flats. The lodge has 15 bedrooms, a dining room, a living room and a bar.
The buildings's roof, and bar are built of salt and even the floor is covered with salt granules. The walls are made of salt blocks stuck together with a cement-like substance made of salt and water. During rainy seasons, the walls are strengthened with new blocks, while the owners ask the guests to avoid licking the walls to prevent deterioration.
One of the newest body modifications to hit the scene is tongue splitting, or tongue bifurcation. The process involves literally cutting the tongue in half directly down the center. Once the tongue is split it is possible to move both sections independently of one another.
Body Suspension
Body suspension is the act of suspending the human body via temporary piercings made just before the suspension process. The body is then raised either partially or completely from the ground by especially modified fishing hooks.
Pointy Ears
New York plastic surgoen Dr. Lajos Nagy created a surgical procedure to make human ears pointed, like a mythological creature. According to the doc, "ears becoming pointed as a result of plastic surgery not only enhance the attractiveness of the face, but also improve the experience of listening to music."
3D-Art Implant
A 3D-Art implant is any object implanted fully under the skin for the purpose of affecting a sculptural change of the surface. The "invention" and popularization of implants as 3D-Art is credited primarily to Steve Haworth. Implants can be stretched just like piercings. A good example of this are horn implants—they start as smaller implants, and are then taken out when healed and replaced with slightly larger ones. This process is repeated to achieve the final size. There are some risks of irritation to the skin above the implant if this process is pushed too fast, as with all stretching.
Eyeball Tattoo
Corneal tattooing is not only possible, but it has been known and done now for over 2,000 years — it became almost commonplace in the late 19th century and into the 20th century to correct defects such as cornealscarring and leucomas. These days, it is done less often because contact lenses are very effective at covering these defects, and prosthetic technology is also more accessible. However, not everyone can wear contact lenses, and not everyone wants their eyeball popped out even if it is blind; hence cosmetic tattooing of the eye.
Corset Piercings
One of the newest trends in body modification comes in the form of corset piercings. They are a series of surface piercings arranged up the back in two vertical columns. The piercing is located in the spot where the eyelets would be if one was wearing a corset. It is a symmetrical piercing with an equal number of holes on each side. As few as four holes can be used (two on each side) up to as many as the expanse of skin will allow.
Branding
The Human Branding is, perhaps, the most painful of all body modifications. In full-scale branding, the iron is heated hot enough and applied long enough that the resulting wound is a third degree burn, which destroys the nerve. These third-degree burns never regain sensitivity. It will make a silver scarred area in the shape of the third degree burn, due to destruction of the entire dermis layer of the skin. The surrounding skin will eventually fill in areas that haven’t been severely damaged, which takes years.
