World’s Freakiest Airports

Ever felt butterflies tickling your stomach while take-off or landing? If you’re afraid of flying, its highly recommended that you skip to the next post. Once you board an aircraft, all you do is hand over your life to the cockpit crew. But ever wondered how “easy” it is to maneuver the aircrafts? Read through and find out what it take to land and take-off at few of the world’s freakiest airports.

Princess Juliana International Airport

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Photo By: Angie Vo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/angievo/403964247/)

If you come across a photograph of an aircraft flying dangerously low, be sure that its going to land at the Princess Juliana International Airport. The third busiest airport in Eastern Caribbean, the Princess Juliana International Airport is, unfortunately, also one of the most dangerous airports as the runway strip is just over 2 kilometers! So if you happen to land at this airport, make sure you say hi to the fellow tourists soaking up the sun at the Maho Beach!

Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport

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Is it a drag strip? Is it a platform overlooking the sea? No, that’s where you would land if you’re visiting the Island of Saba! The only airport on the island, the Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport is proudly shoved into the list of world’s most dangerous airports. With it runway stretching to a mere 396 meters, landing and take-off at this airport is a tricky situation. Although it has been certified as “non-commercial”, airlines can operate flights with a special waiver from Netherlands Antilles' Civil Aviation Authority.

Lukla Airport

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Photo By: Simon Deutsch (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035725700@N01/3015512844/)

While Lukla experiences fleeting tourists packed with adventure and determined to conquer the Everest, they get a taste of teeming adventure opportunities, right at the airport! With a majestic mountain in the backdrop and thousand meter drop on the other, landing at the Lukla Airport is no child’s play. The airport is equipped with limited facilities and is open only for short winged aircrafts such as Dorniers and Otters. So if you plan an adventure trip to Lukla, be prepared for a “short runway ride”.

Barra International Airport

 
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Image By: prajpix (http://www.flickr.com/photos/whosthatcharlie/526385468/)

What are the most common activities at a beach? Relaxation, lounging, sunbathing etc? However, if you plan a vacation in Barra Isldna of Scotland, add to it aircrafts landing and taking off frequently. You read it right. This is the only airport in the world where a plane lands on a beach! So keep off the beach when the warning “Keep off the beach when the windsock is flying and the airport is active” is displayed. Don’t laugh it off when you find a few cars with their headlights lit so as to help the crew to land safely!

Courchevel Airport

 
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Image By: pr1001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pr1001/2253966708/)

You must have heard about this airport if you’re a ski enthusiast. While the world is running behind ski adventures, why would the aircrafts lag behind! This airport offers you to land on few of the shortest runway coupled with a gradient of 18.5%.

World’s Freakiest Foods

Does your mouth water at the sight of a tasty looking meal? Do you think about tasting it without even knowing what is it made up of? If you wish to brave the conventional, read through and find out what people in the other parts of the world got for you. Following are only a few of the (believed to be) mouthwatering delicacies that will freak your bones off, enjoy!

Escamoles

A popular delicacy in Mexico, Escamoles consists of the eggs of giant black Liometopum ant. While the Liometopum egg itself is slightly buttery and nutty, collecting them is a nasty job all together. The delicacy is generally served with guacamole in a taco. Beware when you’re in Mexico! You might be salivating upon the Liometopum egg unknowingly!

Balut

Now it’s time to enjoy a cooked duck! But wait, what you are about to read might make you eyebrow go way up the eye. A popular delicacy in Cambodia and Philippines, Balut is a boiled duckling, still inside the egg! You, read it right, mostly sold by the street vendors in Philippines, Balut is a boiled duck-egg incubated until the chick is feathery and beaky. After that, its boiled and served hot over the plate!

Casu Marzu

For all those cheese enthusiasts who’ve tasted few of the most delicious cheeses in the world, this is for you. Don’t be surprised if you find a maggot jumping up from the cheese, there’re drooling over the entire piece. And why shouldn’t they, after all, the milk was “deliberately” infested by the “cheese fly”. The strong taste, enough to burn the tongue and the larvae addicted to survive in the intestines make it an “illegal” edible commodity in its “birthplace”, Italy.

Dried lizard soup

Are you afraid of that lizard crawling over the wall? Well, had it been in China, that lizard would be floating over the delicious soup. Yes, Dried Lizard Soup is a favorite amongst Chinese. The delicacy is believe it to be good for heart and lungs. Available at most medicine shops across China, this lip smacking (or is it?) delicacy is prepared by boiling the lizard with Chinese yams and dates in a broth. So next time you’re visiting China, make sure you try this soup!

Monkey Brain

This is something surely not for the faint hearted. Unless you’re a wildlife enthusiast or an animal activist, tasting Monkey Brains should not bother you. And if you’re brave enough, you can savor this delicacy right from monkey’s head, while the animal is still alive. Best had with alcohol, consuming Monkey Brains can be sometimes hazardous. People consuming monkey brains are at a risk of getting spongiform encephalopathy, a brain disease that can be fatal.

So, how was it reading about the lip smacking delicacies from across the globe? If you think you’re brave enough, go on and enjoy what only a few do!

A Journey To Heaven: Khardung La Pass

If you hear the vroom and buzz of thumpers and dirt bikes, do not get surprised, you’re at the Mecca of Indian Bikers! Welcome to the world’s highest motorable road. Standing tall at 5,602 m, the Khardung La pass is the gate way to extreme and a completely different biking experience. Every year many bikers make their way to achieve glory and bring along the pride and honor.

Maintained by the Border Roads Organization, the Khardung La Pass is a high mountain pass located in the Leh region of Jammu and Kashmir. It’s extremely strategic location makes it a complete must for India as it is used to carry essential supplies to the Siachen. Whitewashed with snow during the winters, the mighty Khardung La pass thumps to life as the silence is broken by countless tourists making their way to one of the highest accessible elevations in the world.

If you are one of those looking for some time to relax under the lap of sweeping vistas, this is definitely the place for you. Do not expect lush mountains, swift rivers, bright sun and the regular hilly stuff enroute Leh. Instead, buckle up for a tough time ahead. Barren landscapes, bright sunny, yet chilly days, no sign of vegetation are only a part of the entire experience! After all, this is what makes it so popular amongst biking enthusiasts in India.

Leh is an ideal point for your journey through the extremes. However, each passing minute on the Khardung La comes as a reward for every hardship face. The Scenic beauty of Hunder and Nubra Valley, the calm Pangong Tso Lake and a great feeling of an accomplishment takes you in a completely different world. As already mentioned, reaching Khardung La is a no child’s play.

While many bikers come and go via Manali, a popular hill station, some of them opt to ride via Kashmir making it a whooping 3500+km ride! So if you’re not one of the faint hearted and are not afraid of slushy roads, unexpected road blocks, undesirable technical breakdowns and tough days ahead, you have just the right personality to ride to the highest road in the world.

So crank you bike and vroooooooom, a great time awaits you ahead!