parr72's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Burj Al Arab

A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The World Islands

This artificial archipelago was supposed to resemble a map of the world.
Montenegro

Our Lady of the Rocks

A tiny church on a man-made island in the Adriatic.
Kisoro, Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

The home of half the world's population of critically endangered mountain gorillas.
Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Lost Third Column

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.
Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio)

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.
Venice, Italy

The Mad Colored Houses of Burano

This community on a small Venetian island has taken to painting their houses in bright neon hues.
Venice, Italy

Libreria Acqua Alta

This Venice bookstore has resigned itself to constant flooding by keeping its books in bathtubs and boats.
Washington, D.C.

House of the Temple

This imposing Masonic temple a mile from the White House was the first public library in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Secret Entrance to the White House

The winding route passes through an enclosed alleyway, two tunnels, and leads to the White House basement.
Washington, D.C.

Zero Milestone

A monument in Washington D.C. marks the spot from which all other roads were supposed to stem.
Vancouver, British Columbia

'Girl in a Wetsuit'

What happens when a sculptor has to find a way around a 100-year-old copyright.
Karatsu, Japan

Hikiyama Float Exhibition Hall

The floats housed in this hall are more than 100 years old, and are brought out for an annual celebration.
Nagasaki, Japan

Fukusai-ji Temple

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.
Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima's Hypocenter

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.
Tokyo, Japan

Gotokuji Temple

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.
Tokyo, Japan

Hachiko

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.
Tokyo, Japan

Godzilla Head

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.
Hatsukaichi, Japan

Itsukushima Shrine

This Japanese national treasure was originally built in 593.
Kyoto, Japan

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The 10,000 Torii shrine.
Tokyo, Japan

Odaiba Statue of Liberty

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.
Tokyo, Japan

Giant Unicorn GUNDAM Robot

A 20-meter (65-foot) robot towers over Tokyo Bay.
Tokyo, Japan

The Giant Ghibli Clock

Tokyo’s only Vaudeville-cuckoo clock–steampunk-Victorian curio cabinet time piece.
Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Bamboo Forest

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.