Author: Ms. R.

The earthquake had already woken up Mario David García Mansilla, a Guatemalan cook, when he saw the “balls of fire” flying over his house. It was the night of May 27, 2010, and the Pacaya Volcano was having its biggest explosion in recent years. When García saw the burning rocks flying, he did what any reasonable person would do: look for the keys of his car, a ‘72 Volkswagen Beetle. With the volcano’s roars flooding the landscape, he talked……

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Billed as the “Pride of the Boardwalk” in Ocean City, Maryland, the magnificent, hand-carved Herschell-Spillman carousel bought by Daniel Trimper in 1912 is a hard act to beat. It is truly a hidden treasure—if not for the cheery organ sounds, people might pass right by this beauteous amusement ride. Located inside a large pavilion, the carousel is the crowning gem amid a number of historical rides including Allan Herschell airplanes, a miniature Ferris Wheel, kiddie carousel, and kiddie Whip……

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For months the waters around Istanbul, Turkey, have been coated with a gloopy film. Sometimes creamy, sometimes khaki, it can appear slightly dreamy or superlatively gross, depending on the vantage. From overhead, it’s almost romantic, like clouds glimpsed from space, white squiggles marbling Earth’s blue. Up close, the stuff is much more phlegmy. The shore-hugging substance is sometimes known as “sea snot,” and it’s easy to see why. It looks like the marine equivalent of a big, wet sneeze…….

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The Krio people of Sierra Leone are an ethnic group descended from liberated English enslaved peoples and free Blacks who settled in the country. One ethnic group responsible for cultural creations in Krio society were the Maroons. Maroons were descendants of the Kingdom of Ashanti peoples and were enslaved in Jamaica. Many escaped the plantations and rioted against the British. They were deported first to Nova Scotia, then onto Sierra Leone where they rapidly became an influential group in politics……

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Gloucester Waterways Museum presents the fascinating history of British inland waterways including both rivers and canals. It showcases canal boats from both narrow and broad canals and river barges, alongside machinery and artifacts that supported the waterways operations. The museum is based at Gloucester’s historic docks, formerly an important transport hub. The museum also contains a steam-powered dockside crane, a steam dredger, along with numerous steam and internal combustion engines. They were used for both motive power and pumping…….

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The Maitland Art Center at the Art & History Museums of Maitland was created in 1937 as a winter artist’s retreat. The labyrinthine compound was designed in an obscure Art Deco architectural style known as Mayan Revival. The winding pathways, hidden courtyards, and high walls are all richly adorned with thousands of hand-carved concrete sculptures, ranging from serene saints to defiant warrior goddesses. The complex is the dream vision of artist and architect Jules André Smith, a reclusive creative……

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Concealed in the recesses of the Thistles Shopping Centre lies the remnants of the town’s dungeon. Like many Scottish cities of this time period, there was a protective barrier, known as “The Burgh Wall,” that surrounded the environs. The current shopping complex just happens to have been constructed over this ancient defensive structure. Descending an iron spiral staircase, visitors will find themselves in what was once a mid-1500’s guard tower. Visitors will also find various artifacts with written descriptions……

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The Praire Observatory first opened in the 1960s and closed in the early 1980s. The observatory was once a place for astronomers from The University of Illinois to view the night sky far from bright city lights. Today, the building is covered with graffiti and overgrown vines. It looks more like something from a Hollywood postapocalyptic thriller than a place of science and research.  The site can be accessed from a nearby parking lot or by following the scenic……

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