19 June 2025

Ischigualasto – The Valley of the Moon

The name is old – from the native Quechua tribe and it means the place where you put the moon. Ischigualasto is an extraordinary almost off world experience. Geologists have been visiting the valley in Argentina for more than one hundred years. It doesn’t take long to see what attracts them.

Read article →

14 June 2015

Calbuco: A Volcano Erupts


If you are a timelapse photographer, like Martin Heck, you must dream of something like a volcano erupting when you just happen to be in the vicinity with all your equipment.  I wouldn’t like to calculate the odds but that is exactly when happened. Located in southern Chile the volcano picked April 22 2015 to pop off, just when Heck was traveling away from the neighboring volcano Osorno.  The footage he captured is simply stunning.

2 September 2012

Patagonian Chile – A Land of Contrasts


Patagonia is a region situated at the southern end of South America, with territory belonging to both Argentina and Chile. This superb short film shows the lesser known Chilean part of Patagonia and once you finish watching it you will be scratching your head as to why – the landscapes are simply stunning.

The main locations used here were the Torres del Paine National Park, the Cerro Castillo National Park, Tamango Reserve, Queulat National Park and Chacabuco valley among others. The film was created by Raúl Tomás Granizo, who was raised in Spain but fell in love with Patagonia – and you can see why. He is the founder of wildglimpses, and is a freelance wildlife filmmaker and nature photographer always looking for the essence of nature. We think he has captured it supremely here!

15 May 2011

The Marble Cathedral of General Carrera Lake

Shared by Argentina and Chile the deepest lake in South America is famous for its trout and salmon fishing. The waters of General Carrera Lake are beautiful, a glittering combination of emerald, turquoise, aquamarine and azure. The sky may be blue but the waters seem bluer still. 

However along its banks, directly below the Andes, sheer marble cliffs present themselves to further astound the visitor.  Over the millennia they have been weathered and folded to create a stunning cathedral of marble.

From a distance the lake looks magnificent, although when you get closer its dazzling beauty becomes ever more apparent. The passageways and caverns formed over vast stretches of time are sometimes large enough for small boats to glide through. Albeit precariously.  It does not take long to become enchanted by Las Cavernas de Marmol as this exquisite labyrinth is known locally. Perhaps even the most cynical jaw might drop at this majestic sight.

As well as being the deepest lake in South America, General Carrera Lake is the biggest lake in Chile with a surface area of almost a thousand square kilometers.  It is 200 km long, at an altitude of 350 meters and has a maximum depth of 590 meters. It is known as Lake Buenos Aires by the Argentineans.

The marble protrusions stretch along a beachside and are around 300 meters in length. The waters of the lake have slowly impacted upon the marble and, in their infinite patience, have created something of enormous, almost bewildering beauty, like gigantic walls and caverns of marble medallions. The rock manifests different tones which are dependent upon the natural impurities within the marble. Although the white banks, of immense purity are predominant blue and pink marble banks can also be seen due to the presence of other minerals within the rock.

Strictly speaking, although the Marble Cathedral is spoken of as one formation, in truth it is three. The largest is El Catedral – the Cathedral. There are two smaller formations which are known as La Capilla – the Chapel which rise from the lake, and La Cueva - the Cave.

It has been estimated that these vast sections of marble weigh 5000 million tonnes and consist of 94% calcium carbonate. The area is not in the one of the most hospitable areas of the world but it is lucky.  Although the region is cold and humid the lake enjoys a sunny microclimate. So although you may be cold getting there, once you are there you should be warm!

Although the lake has been known by Europeans for little over a hundred years, they were not the first to discover the beauties of the lake. The indigenous people of the region, the Tehuelches, a once nomadic tribe also known as the Patagons have inhabited the region for thousands of years.  Their name means the fierce people. They must have been to make their way through the isolated strips of plains through which the lake can be accessed on the Argentinean side.

These stunning pictures represent quite an achievement on behalf of the photographers.  Not only are the caves difficult to reach but the lake itself, being so large, can develop swells and waves which make photography quite a challenge. Often, as only small boats can navigate the caves, the journey becomes impossible after a certain point.  Although this would, perhaps, be one of the most beautiful places on earth in which to expire, most photographers are somewhat reluctant to embrace this destiny.

However, it is easy to imagine how the traveler may be inclined to stay in this amazing place much longer than they had originally anticipated. However, there is a problem in this particular paradise.  The Hidroaysen company intends to build five mega hydroelectric facilities in the basins of Baker and Pascua rivers in Chilean Patagonia, destroying the banks of its reservoirs, the original ecosystem, rich fauna and local culture.  To find out more, please visit the Save Patagonia or Patagonia Without Dams websites.

Kuriositas would like to thank Flickr Users Jorge Leon Cabello, Orlando Contreras López, and Ricardo Gallardo for their kind permission in allowing us to share their marvellous photographs with you.  Please visit their Flickr Photostreams.

24 October 2010

Hands in the Sands

All over the world sculptures have used terra firma is a visual metaphor for water.  Hands reach out from the sands in the most unexpected places.  We thought we would show you a selection. We will start with The Awakening which can be found on the Maryland shores of the Potomac.  The creation of J Seward Johnson Jr it consists of five separate parts, made from aluminium.

It had been the large statue rising from the ground in residence in the East Potomac Park since 1980 but was moved to the National Harbor in George's County in 2007.  At the time many people objected to its going, particularly the male members of the community who had been unable to resist, when boys, clambering in and out of the gian't mouth.

They still get to play with the statue in its new home however.  The overall impression we get from this statue is one of panic - it is as if the giant (who would be 100 feet high if he was standing) is drowning, a theme which many hands in the sands share.  The right foot and left hand are barely above the surface.  The right art, however, reaches out further - 17 feet all told.  Some think that the statue is of the sea god Neptune, others think it's just a great big aluminium impression of a man being buried alive.  The former explanation is best for the squeamish.

It also gives photographers the opportunity for some trick photography.

In Uruguay the sculpture Monument to the Drowned (Monumento al Ahogado) is know locally simply as La Mano or The Hand.  It is just that - a single hand protruding from the sands on Brava Beach in Punta del Este - one of the country's popular beach resorts.

The hand is the creation of Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal and was made during a competition on the beach in 1982.  The competition was held on the public square but there were no places left so Irarrázabal decided to create his on the beach.  It serves as a warning that the waters at La Barra (part of the beach) are not safe for casual swimmers.

Irarrázabal completed the sculpture in only six days.  It is made from plastic and concrete reinforced with bars made of steel.  Although it occasionally falls foul of graffiti artists it is enjoyed by most (including it seems the local dogs) and is the only sculpture from the competition still in situ.

Irarrázabal  returned to his home country of Chile and to the Atacama Desert for his next project.  Entitled simply Mano del Desierto (Hand of the Desert) it is simply a hand protruding from the sand, but perhaps not quite human.  Is it a sign of greeting?

div style="text-align: center;">Image Credit Flickr User Teosaurio
It looks like something Fox Mulder may have used to claim that the truth is out there.

The scultpure is not in danger of being stolen.  It stands eleven meters (or 36 feet) and is too heavy to be taken away in the night unless by the most organised of art thieves.  Inuagurated in 1992 this statue too has been the victim of graffiti (which must be annoying, disappointing and perhaps distressing when you reach it).

It is near Route 5 which is part of the Pan-American Highway.  As such it has become a focal point or meeting place for on the road tourists, including these bikers from Compass Expeditions.  The guys certainly enable us to get a real feel for the sheer size of the Hand in the Desert.

Homigot in Korea is home to The Hand of Harmony. Not only is this hand on the beach but each day the waves lap around it.  Made of bronze and granite it is one of a pair, the other being safely on land.  However, to this writer it looks suspiciously like something Charlton Heston might find at the end of a film featuring talking apes.

It has proved difficult to discover the originator of this work.  Korean websites maintain that it was a gtoup effort and is a symbol of the pursuit by all Korean citizens of a better quality of life.  It certainly looks impressive in the light of dawn. Waving or drowning?

Help!
Do you know of any sculptures that would fit in with the others in this post?  If so, either leave a message below or contact Kuriositas using the Contact and Submit Links tab at the top of the page.  If we can find good quality Creative Commons pictures, we will add on to this and make it an ongoing 'project'.  Thanks!

First Reply!

Kuriositas reader Axton Nichols dropped me a line with a picture of the sculpture above.  He says "Your Hands in the Sands post reminded me of a statue here on campus at the University of Oklahoma.  Obviously it's not a hand, or in the sand, but I see it everyday when I go to class and have always thought it was neat."

It certainly is that. - OK it isn't quite hands in the sand but it is magnificent. It is called Pastoral Dreamer and is a triple life size bronze sculpture by David L Phelps originally commissioned in 2003.  Phelps is an internationally collected sculptor known for monumental contemporary figurative artwork in bronze, cast concrete and fabricated steel. He also creates small and medium sized sculptures as unique pieces and in editions of bronze castings.  Thanks, Axton for the picture.