Category: Reveal

So, you want to experience Oia Santorini with the white houses and blue roofs, but not really into the crowds there?

The Island of Folegandros is also in the Cyclades with stunning views, crystal blue water, and warm inviting people. What it is missing, besides the blue domed churches, is the throngs of tourists, and, of course, the donkeys. You won’t find large commercial cruise ships stopping here 3-4 at a time and unloading 15,000 or more day-trippers here.

Those who journeyed here instead of the beaten path before the hint:

• hhgygy
• Eloy Cano
• Paul Voestermans
• Phil Ower
• Lighthouse
• Martin de Bock
• Garfield
• Angie CF

and after the hint:

• Bas van Limpt
• Graham Hedley

By Laurenmcl – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

When in Iceland, most tourists head for the Blue Lagoon, the largest and most familiar geothermal pool in the nation. However, located closer to Reykjavik, with amazing views of glaciers, mountains, and an infinity pool that looks out to the ocean, Sky Lagoon is a newer location which hasn’t been descended on yet by throngs of tourists.

By Laurenmcl – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Those who partook in the 7 step Ritual experience for 2 points before the hint:

• Martin de Bock
• Glenmorren
• hhgygy
• Paul Voestermans
• Phil Ower
• Garfield
• bernd
• Graham Hedley
• Eloy Cano
• Lighthouse
• Ashwini Agrawal
• Angie CF
• Bas van Limpt

And those who simply paid the entry package after the hint for 1 point:

• Kent Pearso

By Niagara – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

The Drake Well Museum is a delightful journey back in time to the birth of the American oil industry. Imagine stepping into a world where the clanking of machinery and the smell of oil were the sounds and scents of progress. This museum, located on a sprawling 240-acre site, is not just a collection of artifacts but a vibrant storytelling hub that brings to life the momentous events of 1859 when Colonel Edwin Drake struck oil, forever changing the course of history.

Drake invested his life savings ($200) into the venture, using a salt-well driller and lining the hole with cast iron pipes once he hit groundwater. On August 27, 1859, when he hit the maximum depth o 69.5 feet and nothing happened, he went home disheartened, but when he returned the next day, he found oil visible on top of the water column near the top of the well.

The original well burned to the ground in October 1859 and was rebuilt. The drill was rebuilt again in 1945 for the Pennsylvania legislature in a “board-by-board” fashion using photographs taken of the first rebuild.

Those who struck correct answer before the hint and will be showered with 2 points were:

• hhgygy
• Martin de Bock
• Paul Voestermans
• Eloy Cano
• Lighthouse
• Angie CF

And after the hint for 1 point:

• Bas van Limpt
• Phil Ower
• Garfield
• Graham Hedley
• bernd

And a hearty congratulations to Lighthouse with the only perfect 20 points this series!!

Bởi Lưu Ly tại Wikipedia Tiếng Việt – Chuyển từ vi.wikipedia sang Commons., Phạm vi công cộng, Liên kết

Nestled in the heart of Hue, Vietnam, the Tiger Arena, or Hổ Quyền, is a fascinating relic from the Nguyen Dynasty. This unique colosseum, built in the early 19th century, was the stage for dramatic battles between tigers and elephants, a spectacle designed to entertain the royal family and their guests. The arena’s circular stone walls still stand today, offering a glimpse into a bygone era where such events were a testament to the power and grandeur of the ruling class.

Visitors to the Tiger Arena can wander through the ancient ruins and imagine the roaring crowds and the tense atmosphere of the gladiatorial games. Though the arena is now a quiet historical site, it remains a symbol of Hue’s rich cultural heritage. The site is open 24 hours, allowing travelers to explore at their leisure and soak in the history that permeates this unique landmark. Whether you’re a history buff or simply curious, the Tiger Arena offers a captivating peek into Vietnam’s imperial past.

Those who found it before the hint (I’m not going to assume whether they were rooting for the tigers or the elephants):

• Paul Voestermans
• hhgygy
• Martin de Bock
• Garfield
• Lighthouse
• Eloy Cano
• Ashwini Agrawal
• Phil Ower
• Felix Bossert
• Angie CF
• Graham Hedley
• Bas van Limpt
• bernd

And after the hint:

• Andy McConnell

The year is 1030 AD. Olaf Haraldsson is trying to reclaim the throne as King of Norway. With the help of Swedish king Anund Jacob, he and 3600 soldiers traveled from Dalarna through the Norwegian countryside, and comes to Sticklestad, about 80 KM north of the modern city of Trondheim. Here he met some farmers.

Or, more precisely, an army of farmers.

About 15,000 of them, all opposed to the idea of the Christian king returning to the throne.

At the end of the day, Olaf was dead. But that was not the end of the story. Olaf’s followers dug up his body from near the battlefield about a year later. They found the body incorrupt. More miracles followed, and in 1164, he was declared St. Olaf. By that time, he had become a symbol of Norwegian independance and pride, and is credited for the Christianization of Norway.

Those who fought through the Norwegian fjords to find this place before the hint:

• Martin de Bock
• Paul Voestermans
• Garfield
• hhgygy
• Lighthouse
• Graham Hedley
• Eloy Cano
• Bas van Limpt
• Angie CF

and after the hint:

• bernd
• Phil Ower

By 25or6to4 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

In the latter half of the 1800s, as settlers traversed westward across North America, many worked their way towards California and Oregon territories, or attempted to settle in lands friendly to thier religion, moving along well established paths called the The California Trail, The Oregon Trail, and The Morman Trail. All 3 of these trails passed this point on their way to Fort Bridger, Wyoming. At this point, each wagon train would need to make a decision — either continue west-south-west across land with relatively easy access to water, or go the shorter path due west, saving about 85 miles, but which travelled through the Little Colorado Desert, and would involve 50 miles (3-4 days travel) without any access to water.

The amazing detectives who found this spot before the hint:

• Lighthouse
• Graham Hedley

And the hard working folks who deciphered the clue and found it after the hint:

• Bas van Limpt
• hhgygy
• Phil Ower
• donaaronio
• David Kozina
• Martin de Bock (with a bad internet connection!!)

This factory is the largest supplier of surströmming. What is this canned delight you ask? Our friends at Wikipedia describe it as “lightly salted, fermented Baltic Sea herring traditional to Swedish cuisine since at least the 16th century.” Similar to durian, It is said to be one of the worst smelling dishes available anywhere, and has generated a LOT of truly hilarious videos from non-Swedes trying to eat it. Just a few of these gems include:

Americans Try Surströmming
TRYING SUSTROMMINGS! (opening it in a closed car)
Top Gear – Sustromming
Complements of Paul Voestermans – Röda Ulven Surströmming – Fermented Baltic Herring. | Let’s ‘Dine About it! #14

Those who smelled what the Red Wolf (röda ulven) was cooking before the hint:

• Eloy Cano
• Martin de Bock
• Lighthouse
• Phil Ower
• hhgygy
• Turriant
• Paul Voestermans
• Bas van Limpt

And after the hint:

• Graham Hedley
• bernd
• Garfield

São Miguel is the largest and most populous of the 9 islands of the Azores archipelago. The chain encompasses the Terciera Rift, and each island therefore is quite volcanically active. Furnas, in the eastern part of the island, is one place where this activity is at the surface and visable. Geysers, hot springs and fumaroles are numerous in the area surrounding the villiage.

The local residents have embraced the action, encouraging tourism and creating Cozido das Furnas, a stew that is cooked by placing the covered pot in the ground near a vent where it can be cooked by the volcanic steam.

Those who found the site before the hint:

• Martin de Bock
• Garfield
• Lighthouse
• Paul Voestermans
• hhgygy
• Phil Ower

And after the hint:

• Angie CF
• Graham Hedley
• Bas van Limpt
• Eloy Cano
• BX29

CC BY 2.5, Link

Janti Ramage was helping to clean up the beaches of Union Island and found himself with a problem. Most of the trash he was picking up wasn’t something he could just throw away, it was shells and randomly encrusted rocks that had washed up on that beach. He started carrying them out to a shallow reef just offshore and piling them up there. Once he had a significant collection of them, he evened them out to form a platform on the shallow, then he built himself a bar on that platform.

20 years later, Janti is still there, mixing up rum punch and, if he happens to have obtained any lobsters that day, grilling those up for his customers.

Those who stopped by for a rum before the hint:

• Martin de Bock
• Graham Hedley
• Paul Voestermans
• Garfield
• Eloy Cano
• Phil Ower
• Lighthouse
• hhgygy
• Bas van Limpt
• Angie CF

And those who got there after the lobster ran out:

• Ashwini Agrawal

What once was a thriving shopping mall built in the early 1960s found itself dying by the mid 1990s. The anchor stores had all left, and what was still around was mostly cafes, small independant stores, and a ton of empty space.

Then, at 9:02am on April 19th, 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City was bombed by domestic terrorists. 168 people were killed and another 680 injured. A third of the building collapsed within seconds of the blast.

The occupant agencies in that building had to go somewhere, and they found a willing and accomodating landlord in the management of Shepherd Mall. The empty stores were quickly converted into office space, and federal agencies moved in and were up and running in weeks. Secret Service, ATF, even Federal Court proceedings could be managed in the mall while plans were made to replace the federal building, which would take several years.

After the federal agencies moved out, the space was still available for state agencies, as well as commerical entities such as Insurance companies. This place, which had been destined for the wrecking ball before the bombing, was now thriving in a new life.

Those who found this site included:

• hhgygy
• Garfield
• Eloy Cano
• Paul Voestermans
• Martin de Bock
• Graham Hedley
• Phil Ower
• Lighthouse

And after the hint:

• Turriant