🦩 3 Places on Earth That Feel Surreal

“I need a vacation of 6 months. Twice a year!”

Hello there,

What comes to your mind when I tell you “Surreal places”? Space, Mars, Bottom of the sea? While these surely have a surreal element to them, there are a few others more accessible. Unless you already have you own rocket or deep dive submersible, in which case the below may seem a bit too accessible 😅

A few elements in store for you today:

• 3 Surreal places worth a trip

• Xela’s most terrifying 15 minutes flight following an electrical fire

• Useful info if you have a U.S. passport and plan to go to Brazil

3 SURREAL PLACES WORTH A TRIP

Have you heard of any of these?

• Danakil Depression, Ethiopia: lowest point of land in Africa, home to several volcanoes

• Huacachina, Peru: who said amazing looking oasis have to be mirages?

• Fairy Chimneys, Cappadocia, Turkey: sculptures are nice, especially when giant, natural, and looking like mushrooms

 May you be passing by or just going for these, all three are worth the snapshot.

Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

I mean, if these colors aren’t surreal, what is? On top of its particularity of being the lowest point on land in Africa, the zone is populated with volcanoes, extreme colors, and otherworldly landscapes.

And yes, for those wondering, there was a slight bias for it to be number #1 since it’s home to flamingos. But except that, the place seems like from another planet and both the oppressive heat as well as the weird feeling of dryness (surrounding salt doesn’t help) are a price worth paying to see such wonderful sights.

Huacachina, Peru

When we think of Oasis, most of us probably think of the desert mirage that we see in movies for thirsty (mostly lost) people. But not all are mirages, especially Huacachina in Peru. And on top of being very real, it’s sincerely wonderful.

The contrast between the desert and the trees makes it a bit magical, especially when the sun sets, displaying really nice mixes of colors in the sky. And if the sights aren’t enough, the place offers quite a few diverse activities; from sandboarding the dunes to the active nightlife, Huacachina is not all about the scenery and can be a great destination for a romantic getaway, or a trip with friends.

Fairy Chimneys, Cappadocia, Turkey

The fairy goes well in front of the chimneys. Formed over millions of years thanks to erosion and volcanic activities, the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia are a quite unique result of nature’s forces.

While the chimneys are quite epic, Cappadocia is also home to an incredible network of underground cities, some even dating back to the 7th century BC. Lots of elements to explore and discover there, especially if you take your time to delve into the place’s history and culture. Latter which is very strong and remains; traditional cuisine, handicrafts, music, whether you are a history buff, a nature lover, or an adventurer, Cappadocia is a must-see.

TRAVEL DIARIES

Electrical fire on a plane, Xela’s most terrifying 15 minutes

“I was on a night flight 15 years ago. Suddenly, the cabin lights come on full blast and the captain makes an announcement.

"You may be smelling a foul odor. We have an electrical fire on board and we don't know how fast it could spread. We will be diverted to the nearest airport and make an emergency landing in 15 minutes. Please pay attention to your flight attendants who will instruct you on the procedure to follow in the event of a crash landing."

How to tell you that it’s not the typical kind of announcement you expect during a flight. But great to realize you should have listened to the early flight instructions 😅

But while I would have thought there would be hysteria, everyone fell completely silent. I had my 11-month-old with me then and was advised to hold him. I was also told to follow the crash-landing procedure as best as I could to protect his body.

To be honest, I think everyone on the plane thought we were going to die. I whispered to my baby, showing him the earth through the window and telling him how beautiful it was. I didn't want him to die scared despite being terrified myself.

After ten minutes, with no catastrophic failures and hopes of landing, we all began to relax slightly, thinking the fire was contained or spreading very slowly.

We all positioned ourselves for a crash landing - the tarmac was ablaze with the flashing lights of fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles, all prepared for the worst-case scenario.

But thanks god, we landed smoothly and without incident. The fire was then shortly contained. It was a really, really bad quarter of an hour, one of the worst of my entire life without a doubt.”

LATEST NEWS

Brazil anticipated to require a visa from U.S. travelers to enter the country.

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VASCO-SNAP OF THE DAY

Sao Tomé-et-Principe, Central Africa