1. They say it’s easier to balance an egg when you’re right on the equator.

2. The town of Baños, also known as the “Gateway to the Amazon.” It’s set into the hillside of Tungurahua, or the “Black Giant,” Ecuador’s largest volcano.

3. El Manto de la Novia falls near Baños. It’s one of the many falls along the Ruta de Cascadas, a popular cycling trail.

4. Some hikers climb up from Laguna Quilotoa (elevation 12,841 ft), a water-filled caldera and the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadoran Andes. There are over 25 active and extinct volcanoes in Ecuador.

1. Uluru, Australia
The massive rock — a.k.a. Ayers Rock — is climbed by 250 every day, despite pleas from local indigenous groups to refrain from doing so.
Photo: Chris Harrison

2. Diving with whale sharks
The whale shark is the world’s largest fish species and can grow to be longer than 40 feet. This shot was taken off Christmas Island, Australia, in January 2005.
Photo: Rob Hughes

3. Cotopaxi, Ecuador
This volcano just south of Quito reaches an elevation of 5,897m (19,347ft) — often higher than the clouds.
Photo: david_rombaut

4. Redwood country, California
Taken in Stout Grove, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, this picture shows me (in red) straining my neck next to the Stout Tree.
Photo: Aya Padron

5. Sea Kayaking, solo
Big water, small boat. Shot taken walking the Southwest Coast Path from Land’s End to Plymouth, England.
Photo: nixwilliams

6. Great Ocean Road, Australia
The coast along one of the world’s most spectacular roads is also good for a walk.
Photo: Andrew Ferrier

1. Red Tide

Photo: catalano82

When ocean, air, and temperature conditions are just right, ocean phytoplankton reproduce like bunnies, creating a thick, visible layer near the surface. These algae blooms — a.k.a “red tides” — might look disgusting during the day, but in parts of California and other places where the bioluminescent variety of Noctiluca scintillans bloom, red tide nights look out of this world.

This particular variety of phytoplankton glows blue when agitated, transforming the dark ocean into a giant lava lamp. Watch as the waves light up as they crash, run across the sand to see the ground glow under your feet, or dive in to be surrounded by the bizarre Timex-y glow.

The N. scintillans is also the culprit behind the Bioluminescent Bays in Puerto Rico.

2. Foxfire

Photo: Ylem

Bioluminescence doesn’t just occur in the water. During the late summer months, a faint and eerie glow can also be seen from forests around the world, where bioluminescent mushrooms grow on moist, rotting bark.

Foxfire has been witnessed worldwide, but the greatest diversity occurs in the tropics, where moist forests encourage fungi growth. The newest varieties of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms were introduced to the world just last year, after being collected from Ribeira Valley Tourist State Park near Sao Paulo, Brazil.

To up your chances of seeing this one, hunt in the forest during its wettest season and move as far as possible away from any light sources that may outshine the faint glow. And if you do happen to come across a patch of glowing shrooms, don’t even think about it — they’re not that kind of mushroom.

3. Fire Rainbow

Photo: Jeff Kubina

Another summertime occurrence, fire rainbows occur when sunlight hits frozen ice crystals in high-altitude cirrus clouds. Because the fire rainbow actually involves no rain at all, scientists would rather we refer to this occurrence by its much less fun, but much more accurate title: the circumhorizonal arc.

Since the arc requires both the presence of cirrus clouds and for the sun to be extremely high in the sky, it’s much more likely to be seen at latitudes closer to the equator. Conditions might be right for a fire rainbow in Los Angeles six months out of the year, but in a more northern city like London, that window drops to a mere two months. The photo above was taken in West Virginia.

4. Nacreous Clouds

Photo: Thomas Larsen Røed

For those of you a bit farther away from the equator, there’s still plenty to see in the sky. Nacreous clouds (also called mother-of-pearl clouds) are extremely rare, but unmistakeable in the dark hours before dawn or after sunset. Because of their extremely high altitudes, they reflect sunlight from below the horizon, shining it brightly down onto viewers below, in stark comparison to the regular ol’ dark clouds in the troposphere.

The lower stratosphere, where nacreous clouds live, is so dry that it often prevents cloud formation, but the extreme cold of polar winters make this beautiful phenomenon possible. Captured best during winter at high latitudes, nacreous clouds have been spotted in Iceland, Alaska, Northern Canada, and very rarely, farther south in England.

5. Snow Rollers

Photo: jah~

Snow rollers are formed when a thick layer of snow falls on top of a layer of ice. If the temperature and wind speed are right, chunks of snow can break loose and start rolling. As they’re blown along the ground like wintry tumbleweeds, they pick up additional snow along the way. The inner layers are often weaker and less compact, allowing them to be blown easily away by the wind, leaving a large, naturally formed snow donut.

Because of the precise temperature and wind speeds required to create this effect, snow rollers are a rare sight, but have made headlines with their appearances in parts of North American and the UK.

1. Route 66: West or Bust!

1. Vasco da Gama Bridge, Portugal
The longest bridge in Europe spans the Tagus River just outside of Lisbon.
Photo: F H Mira

2. Ponte Vecchio, Italy
This medieval bridge in Florence shows how it was once common to combine commerce with river crossings.
Photo: rayced

3. Gateshead Millennium Bridge, England
When boats need to pass under this pedestrian bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne, it tilts up to let them through.
Photo: ahisgett

4. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, USA
Boston’s Big Dig construction fest yielded this structure on Interstate 93 downtown. Pictured is one of the bridge’s two pylons, viewed from below.
Photo: David Salafia

5. Rio–Antirrio Bridge, Greece
This one crosses the Gulf of Corinth and is the “world’s longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge.”
Photo: stefg74

6. Chengyang Bridge, China
A 1916 covered bridge in the Dong Minority Region of Guangxi Province, it’s popularly known as the Wind-Rain Bridge.
Photo: Domminikki

7. Confederation Bridge, Canada
Linking the Maritime provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, the Confederation Bridge is 8 miles long and cost C$1.3 billion to build in the ’90s.
Photo: tuergeist

8. Penang Bridge, Malaysia
At 8.4 miles, this is the longest bridge in Southeast Asia. Construction is underway on a twin crossing just next to it over Malaysia’s South Channel.
Photo: Photoholic2009

9. Stari Most, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The “old bridge” in the city of Mostar is actually a recent reconstruction of the 427-year-old original, which was destroyed in the Balkan conflict of the early ’90s.
Photo: faceymcface1

10. Tsing Ma Bridge, China
The Tsing Ma connects two of Hong Kong’s islands and is an important piece in the expressway that runs from Lantau to the international airport.
Photo: FHKE

11. San Diego-Coronado Bridge, USA
This 2.1-mile bridge arcs over San Diego Bay and connects the two cities that give it its name.
Photo: Lee Sie

12. Hangzhou Bay Bridge, China
Currently holds the record for longest cross-sea bridge in the world, with a total length of 22 miles.
Photo: Mr ▪ Y

13. Pont du Gard, France
An old Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century A.D. and now a much-visited UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo: zak mc

14. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, Japan
This one takes the title for having “the longest central span of any suspension bridge, at 1,991m (6,532ft).”
Photo: roybuloy

15. Kapellbrücke, Switzerland
Lucerne’s wooden covered bridge is the oldest in Europe, built for defense purposes in 1333.
Photo: bigbirdz

16. Brooklyn Bridge, USA
Stretching for 6,000ft over New York City’s East River, this was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1883.
Photo: Cyril Abad

17. Öresund Bridge, Denmark/Sweden
Copenhagen and Malmö are connected by this 5-mile bridge over the Öresund Strait.
Photo: supermaskinen

18. Teak Bridge, Myanmar
Not far outside the Burmese city of Mandalay, in the town of Amarapura, this is the world’s longest bridge constructed from teak.
Photo: Nick Kuchmak

1. Panoramic view of the Jatiluwih rice paddies, a Unesco-protected site.

2. A young girl bathing in holy water at the Tirta Empul temple.

3. Balinese farmers planting rice in one of the many paddies of the island’s interior.

4. Portrait of a mask used in a traditional Balinese dance.

5. Sunset seen from Payangan.

6. Balinese farmer plowing the paddies in the traditional way.

7. Sun rays light up a dam in the middle of the jungle.

8. The temple of Ulun Danu at Bedugul.

9. Kids fishing in Lake Batur.

10. A traditional dancer performs during the Kuningan festival.

11. The ceremonial procession is a common sight in Bali.

12. A family bathes at Tirta Empul.

13. Three women present offerings during a religious ceremony.

14. A father enjoys a Balinese ceremony with his son.

1. Millau Bridge, France
From the photographer: “The new Millau Bridge is considered to be the world’s tallest. One of the pillars reaches more than eleven-hundred feet into the air, making it more than 50 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower.”
Photo: tibchris

2. Puente Nuevo, Spain
Three impressive bridges span the gorge that cuts through the southern Spanish town of Ronda. The “new bridge” is the most dramatic.
Photo: papalars

3. Runyang Bridge, China
Part of the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway, crossing the Yangtze River. Fourth-longest span in the world.
Photo: sjiong

4. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, USA
At just under 24 miles, this one goes deep into water world.
Photo: Joe Shlabotnik

5. Tower Bridge, England
The Tower Bridge, just one of 214 connectors to be built across the River Thames, is the most photographed landmark in the most photographed city in the world.
Photo: Trodel

6. Kawazu Loop Bridge, Japan
A bridge in a Japanese mountain valley with spiraled entry and exit ramps.
Photo: TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋)

7. Incheon Bridge, South Korea
Providing new road access to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, the bridge is both long (13 miles) and tall (756 feet). It’s shown here before its October 2009 completion.
Photo: Ryan Wick

8. Khaju Bridge, Iran
The Khaju Bridge, made up of 23 stout arches, was built in 1650 and connects two quarters of the old dynastic capital of Isfahan.
Photo: jeffmcneill

9. Donghai Bridge, China
For two years after its completion in late 2005, the Donghai Bridge was the longest cross-sea bridge in the world.
Photo: Wikipedia

10. Puente de la Mujer, Argentina
The condo-ified Buenos Aires port barrio of Puerto Madero is home to this artistic pedestrian bridge.
Photo: Jorge Lascar

11. Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia
A good place to watch Sydney’s New Year’s fireworks display, with the harbour bridge as its focal point, is from Cockatoo Island.
Photo: coquetboy

12. Forth Railway Bridge, Scotland
Dating to 1890, the first British bridge to be constructed of steel, and still the second-longest cantilever bridge in the world.
Photo: Brian Forbes

13. Rialto Bridge, Italy
The oldest and most famous bridge across the Grand Canal in Venice.
Photo: llamnudds

14. Bosphorus Bridge, Turkey
This bridge spans the Bosphorus Strait, connecting Asia and Europe in Istanbul.
Photo: Tambako the Jaguar

15. Erasmus Bridge, Netherlands
Pictured above is the large main pylon of “The Swan” bridge in Rotterdam.
Photo: on1stsite .

16. Kintai Bridge, Japan
A 5-arch wooden bridge, built in 1673 below the mountaintop Iwakuni Castle.
Photo: Kyle T. Ramirez

17. Golden Gate Bridge, USA
Tilt-shift of the iconic Golden Gate in San Francisco.
Photo: TenSafeFrogs

1. A woman carries a load of fish from the edge of the sand bar to town where she’ll sell them at the market.

2. A group of kids shows me that life isn’t so bad in a remote coastal fishing village about 80km south of Morondava.

3. The long but spectacular walk home down from the main road to Morondava via the Avenue du Baobab.

4. Fishermen and their wives divvy up the day’s catch at the tip of the sand bar in Morondava.

5. Women in Western and Northern Madagascar often wear a daily “mask” called “Masonjoany.” This paste is made from a plant by the same name and is worn to protect the skin from the hot sun and keep it smooth and clear. It’s applied first thing in the morning and removed at night.

6. A “pirogue” (Malagasy for outrigger canoe) captain leans against a wall at the mouth of a cave in Le parc national Tsingy. The park is famous for the spectacular formations of limestone which have been eroded by thousands of years of heavy rain.

7. A group of young girls in Belo Sur Mer perform a rendition of a Malagasy pop song for my camera.

8. A woman prepares the fish her three young boys caught in the Manambolo River earlier that morning.

9. Six men haul the sails of a massive boat heading from the sleepy beaches of Belo Sur Mer south to Toliara.

10. A fisherman on a remote, unnamed island 65km off the coast of Belo Sur Mer applies a black tar used to seal a crack in the hull of a pirogue that struck reef on a fishing expedition.

11. Three sisters wait for their brother to pick them up in a cattle-drawn cart on the way back to their village, somewhere east of Morondava.

12. A woman from a Vezo village getting ready to feed her children dinner as the sun sinks low in the sky and temps drop on an island 60km off Madagascar’s west coast.

13. A heavy (and stinky) load. A fisherman takes a full basket of the day’s catch 2km through the hot sand and into town, where he’ll sell it at the market.

14. A boat builder chopping wood for repairs on his ship at low tide in Belo Sur Mer.

15. A girl selling fruit on a remote road about 60km east of Morondava. The large, round fuzzy ones are fruits from the famous baobab tree. You crack them open like a coconut and eat these strange, fuzzy little seeds inside. I tried them but was not a fan. An acquired taste…

16. An octopus racked out to dry in the sun and relentless wind on an unmapped island 65km off the coast of Belo Sur Mer.

17. A boy just before sunrise, starting out a long day of shepherding his herd of “zebo” (cattle) through the massive groves of baobabs east of Morondava.

18. A fisherman of the Vezo tribe takes shelter behind a wall of dead coral on a remote island 75km south of Morondava.

19. Women sort out the fishing nets of their husband’s boats while another boat comes in to land just before low tide.

20. A vendor selling dried fish in the main market in Morondava.

21. Three brothers showing me “where the wild things are” on a backstreet of a village near Belo Sur Mer.

22. Just after sunrise on an island off the coast of Belo Sur Mer, a man sorts out the fishing line while his wife comes to collect the night’s catch. These guys let me go out with them to fish for 6 hours in the middle of the night, 80km off the coast, in the middle of the Mozambique Channel.

1. Traditional homes of the region are called “tongkonan.” They can be neither bought nor sold and are passed down through the generations. These tongkonan make up the village of Kete Kesu, near Rantepao, one of the most commonly visited villages by tourists.

2. Locals are always wiling to share a smile or a wad of chewing tobacco. This lady is the head of a village near Kete Kesu.

3. Rice is the chief source of food for most of the villages of Tana Toraja, with many harvesting just once a year.

4. The tourists who visit Tana Toraja generally concentrate on the cave graves and show villages south of Rantepao. Head north on foot or by guided motorbike and the villages become much more traditional, the pace of life more leisurely. This was taken in the village of Baruppu.

5. Meeting the Torajan people is certainly a highlight of a visit to this part of Indonesia. Any chance for a home stay or visit to a remote village should be accepted.

6. Numerous rivers and streams flow from the mountains into Sulawesi’s lowlands, providing plenty of irrigation for the rice paddies. Streams also offer a source of food — carp, tadpoles, and eel often make the menu.

7. Even though for most of the year the climate is very temperate, during the dry season of July and August the river is the community swimming pool, with children as well as buffalo using it to cool off.

8. Torajans had elaborate ceremonies for just about everything until the Dutch missionaries began to outlaw traditional practices in the 1900s. Many beliefs have changed, but the Torajan obsession with death and funerals remains, despite pressure from the church.

9. Family members from surrounding villages as well as those who’ve found work as far away as Papua or Australia all return home for the most important day of someone’s life — their funeral.

10. Funerals generally last a total of three days. The first involves the receiving of guests, which provides a chance to meet and greet the family over coffee and biscuits. On the second, the sacrifices are carried out, followed by a feast.

11. One of the buffalo seemed to know what was coming and made attempts to escape. All in vain, as the village men spent the better part of an hour dragging the beast back up the mountain, where it would be sacrificed.

12. Throughout July and August, just after the harvest, the biggest funerals are held. At this time, as many as 50 buffalo may be slaughtered, depending on the wealth of the family and size of the funeral. One quick swipe of a sharpened machete is all it takes.

13. It’s believed the buffalo will guide the deceased through purgatory and into the afterlife, and without this sacrifice the spirit may become lost. Many families go into debt just to pay for the slaughter animals. Within minutes, the buffalo is butchered. Certain cuts of meat will go to the village elders, while others will be divided up equally. Literally nothing is wasted.

14. It can be difficult to watch for visitors, but the sacrifice is the most important event of the funeral ceremony. To Torajan children, it is a way of life, and some enjoy it with loud cheers and screams of encouragement when the buffalo is laid to rest.

15. Due to the importance of the buffalo in Torajan Society, homes are decorated with the horns of animals previously sacrificed to indicate status.

16. Unlike the buffalo, pigs are sacrificed privately. Despite Indonesia being predominately Muslim, most Torajans are Christian and it’s usually pork for lunch at the funeral ceremony.

17. While not as significant as the buffalo, the remains of pigs previously slaughtered adorn the homes of locals.

18. A man enjoys a smoke after the hard work has finished. Cigarettes are the preferred gift when tourists attend ceremonies.

19. Human remains lie around burial sites high up on limestone cliffs, where graves are hammered into the rock by hand.

20. Not all graves rest on cliffs. Others lie inside caves and are reachable with the help of a guide.

1. Milford Road, New Zealand
Not to be confused with the famous Milford Track trekking route, the Milford Road State Highway 94 passes through the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s South Island.
Photo: macronix

2. Stelvio Pass, Italy
48 hairpin turns up to a 2757m (9045ft) pass in the Italian Alps, and Top Gear’s pick for “greatest driving road in the world.”
Photo: Damian Morys Foto

3. Great Ocean Road, Australia
This coastal road in Victoria runs for 241km, between Torquay and Warrnambool. The car-less might consider the Great Ocean Walk as an alternative.
Photo: Stas Kulesh

4. Chalus Road, Iran
Tehran is connected to the northern city of Chalus via this road through the Alborz Mountains. Check this site for more images.
Photo: ninara

5. Cabot Trail, Canada
Wrapping around northern Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island, the Cabot Trail is mountainous and windy with near-constant ocean views. I recommend biking it.
Photo: kennymatic