29 March 2019 - SOME RARE PHOTOGRAPHS

SOME 
RARE PHOTOGRAPHS

G'day folks,

Welcome to some rare photographs from around the world.

Clancy's comment: Wow, that's one mean-looking grannie.

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28 March 2019 - RIO CELESTE IN COSTA RICA

RIO CELESTE 

IN 

COSTA RICA

G'day folks,

This neon blue river gets its color from a unique mix of bacteria and volcano minerals. 

 Nestled in the Costa Rican wilderness, the Rio Celeste is a stunning tropical gem whose iconic blue hue has turned it into a popular nature spot. 

Located amidst the forests of the Tenorio Volcano National Park the long river twists and turns through the wilderness maintaining its bright cerulean color all the way. The river gets its coloration from a mixture of sulfur and calcium carbonate which are seeded into the water from the nearby volcano. 

Along the river there are multiple hot springs and an impressive waterfall, all the same, seemingly unnatural blue. Pictures of the waters are regularly accused of being photoshopped or invented, but the simple chemistry in the river’s depths is very real, as countless hikers experience each year.  

 Rio Celeste is located within the Tenorio Volcano National Park. The closest airport is Liberia International Airport. Many of the surrounding guesthouses/hotels have walking paths that lead directly to Rio Celeste (typically 1-2 miles). Some of guesthouse/hotel trails can be closed due to inclement weather, but the park's main entrance is usually reliable. Entrance for non-residents is $12. A 4x4 is STRONGLY recommended for getting to the park entrance, and for Costa Rica in general. 

Locals will try and convince you to rent galoshes at the entrance, but you will be fine in sensible shoes.

 

Clancy's comment: Wow. I'd love to see it.

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27 March 2019 - OLD MONTEREY GAOL

OLD MONTEREY 

GAOL

G'day folks,

Now, here's a nice looking building with an interesting record. This remarkably simple jail went over a century without an escape. 

In its 100 years of use, no one ever escaped from the Old Monterey Jail, probably owing to the copious amounts of granite and iron used in its construction.

After California achieved statehood, the town of Monterey was the county seat and as part of its growing pains the town began to see the need for a substantial jail. Accordingly, in 1854 a stout stone building was constructed next door to Colton Hall, which had become the county courthouse. The new jail was built of solid granite, and using the firmest iron work they could produce at the time. So concerned with sturdiness, the builders used almost no wood in the jail’s construction. The cells each had a window, but they were covered with perforated iron plates that provided the bare minimum of light and air to nourish the inmates.

The jail was modernized in 1935 with the addition of a heating and ventilation system and concrete floors. It continued in regular use until 1956, just over a century after its construction. The last entry in the jail log was made on July 31, 1959, and the jail was officially closed. The following year it was opened to the public as part of the Colton Hall museum, the function it continues to serve today. Visitors can now see the conditions the original prisoners endured via recreated scenes in each of the cells.   

 

 

Clancy's comment: They may not have escaped, but did they come out alive? Then again, the food might have been delicious, hence the prisoners had no desire to escape.

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