Bottlenose Dolphins at Sunset, Honduras

 

Bottlenose Dolphins at Sunset, Honduras

“

You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,

Love like you'll never be hurt,

Sing like there's nobody listening,

And live like it's heaven on earth.

”

~ William W. Purkey ~

Aurora Borealis and Star Trails, Hammerfest, Norway

 

Aurora Borealis and Star Trails, Hammerfest, Norway

Each appearance of the northern lights is unique. Often you see three green bands across the night sky. Or the lights come as flickering curtains or rolling smoke. The colour is a luminous green, often with a hint of pink along the edge, and occasionally with a deep violet centre.

It is the sun that lies behind the formation of the auroras. During large solar explosions and flares, huge quantities of particles are thrown out of the sun and into deep space. When the particles meet the Earth's magnetic shield, they are led towards a circle around the magnetic North Pole, where they interact with the upper layers of the atmosphere. The energy which is then released is the northern lights. All this happens approximately 100 kilometres above our heads.

Dangriga, Belize

 

Dangriga, Belize

Dangriga is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast. It is home to the Garifuna, a cultural and ethnic group, descendants of shipwrecked slaves and native Caribs. The Garifuna have adopted the Carib language but kept their African musical and religious traditions. Dangriga is also where the Caribbean music, Punta Rock, originated and where some of Belize's folk bands can be found.

Bamboo Grove, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

 

Bamboo Grove, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Bamboo shoots are the sprouts that spring out beside the bamboo plant. These sprouts or shoots are edible and they are the largest and tallest in the grass family. Bamboo is also known to be one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. The fastest-growing species of bamboo is the Chinese Moso. It reportedly grows up to 100 cm per day.

The health benefits of bamboo shoots include healthy weight loss, control of bad cholesterol, strengthening of the immune system, possible cancer-fighting properties and anti-inflammatory properties. It is heart-friendly, contains protein, a sufficient supply of vitamins and minerals and a negligible amount of fat. It also contains a significant amount of dietary fibre.

Every part of the bamboo plant is put to use by Asian cultures and various ethnic groups. Bamboo is used for various other purposes ranging from construction, support for buildings, simple housing, bamboo furniture, musical instruments such as flutes, dizi, xiao, shakuhachi, and paper production. Thus, bamboo is one of the most utilized and versatile plants on the planet.

Pink Granite Coast, Le Gouffre, Brittany, France

 

Pink Granite Coast, Le Gouffre, Brittany, France

The Côte de Granit Rose or Pink Granite Coast is a stretch of coastline in the Côtes d'Armor department of northern Brittany, France. It stretches for more than thirty kilometres from Plestin-les-Grèves to Louannec, encompassing Trégastel. It has become a popular tourist destination due to its unusually pink sands and rock formations. This type of pink rock can only be found in two other places in the world, Corsica and China.