Nick Vujicic: a man with no limbs who teaches people how to get up (Amazing)

  Nick Vujicic was born in Melbourne, Australia with the rare Tetra-amelia disorder: limbless, missing both arms at shoulder level, and having one small foot with two toes protruding from his left thigh. Despite the absence of limbs, he is doing surf and swimming, and playing golf and soccer. Nick graduated from college at the age of 21 with a double major in Accounting and Financial Planning. He began his travels as a motivational speaker, focusing on the topics that today's teenagers face.

Nando Parrado: survived airplane crash and 72 days in the Andes(Amazing)

72 - Days of ordeal, Nando Parrado and other survivors of a plane crash in the Andes had to endure before being rescued. Flying over the mountains on a Friday the 13th, the young men and their families who boarded the charter plane joked about the unlucky day when the plane's wing hit the slope of the mountain and crashed. On impact, 13 passengers were instantly dead while 32 others were badly wounded. Hoping to be rescued, the survivors waited in the freezing -37C temperature, melting snow for drinks and sleeping side by side to keep themselves warm. Food was so scarce, everyone had to pool whatever food they can find for a rationed pool.

9 days after the crash, due to dire desperation and hunger, the survivors called for an important meeting. One member proposed that they eat the dead. The 2 hours meeting ended with a conclusion. If any of them died in the Andes, the rest had the permission to use the corpse as food. After 2 weeks, their hope of being found dashed when they found out via their radio transistor that the rescue effort was called off.

On the 60th day after the crash, Nando Parrado and 2 other friends decided to walk through the icy wilderness for help. By the time they left, Nando Parrado said, the crash site was “.. an awful place, soaked in urine, smelling of death, littered with ragged bits of human bone and gristle”. Wearing 3 pairs of jeans and 3 sweaters over a polo shirt, he and his friends trekked the mountains with human flesh as their ration.

Knowing that they must search for rescue, the team endured frozen snow, exhaustion and starvation, walking and climbing for 10 days before finding their way to the bottom of the mountain. The team was finally helped by a Chilean farmer who called the police for help. Parrado then guided the rescue team via a helicopter to the crash site.
On the 22nd December 1972, after enduring 72 brutal days, the world found out that there were 16 survivors who cheated death, in the mountain of Andes. 8 of the initial survivors died when an avalanche cascaded down on them as they slept in the fuselage.

During the ordeal, Nando Parrado lost 40 kg of his weight. He lost half his family in the crash. He is now a motivational speaker.

Jessica Cox: became the first pilot with no arms, proving you don't need 'wings' to fly (Amazing)

Jessica Cox suffered a rare birth defect and was born without any arms. None of the prenatal tests her mother took showed there was anything wrong with her. And yet she was born with this rare congenital disease, but also with a great spirit. The psychology graduate can write, type, drive a car, brush her hair and talk on her phone simply using her feet. Ms Cox, from Tuscon, Arizona, USA, is also a former dancer and double black belt in Tai Kwon-Do. She has a no-restrictions driving license, she flies planes and she can type 25 words a minute.

The plane she is flying is called an Ercoupe and it is one of the few airplanes to be made and certified without pedals. Without rudder pedals Jessica is free to use her feet as hands. She took three years instead of the usual six months to complete her lightweight aircraft licence, had three flying instructors and practiced 89 hours of flying, becoming the first pilot with no arms.

Sean Swarner: first cancer survivor to complete the 7-summits, the highest peaks of the 7 continents (Amazing)

The 29,035-foot giant known as Mount Everest tortures its challengers with life-threatening conditions such as 100 mph winds, the dramatic loss of oxygen, snowstorms, and deadly avalanches. Climbers of Everest are faced with incredible dangers, but for Sean Swarner the obstacles he overcame prior to his summiting make his story even more compelling.

Sean isn't just a cancer survivor; he is truly a medical marvel. He is the only person in the world ever to have been diagnosed with both Hodgkin's disease and Askin's sarcoma. He was diagnosed in the fourth and final stage of Hodgkin's disease at the age of thirteen, when doctors expected him to live for no more than three months. He overcame his illness only to be stricken a second time when a deadly golf ball-sized tumor attacked his right lung. After removal of the Askin's tumor, Sean was expected to live for less than two weeks. A decade later and with only partial use of his lungs, Sean became famous for being the first cancer survivor to climb Mount Everest.

After the summit of Everest, Sean had the desire and dream to continue moving forward and reaching people around the world. Climbing the highest mountain on each continent became his next goal. Proving to others that anything is possible, Sean successfully summited Mt. McKinley, to be the first cancer survivor to complete the seven summits. You can read more about Swarner's story on his 2007 book.

Randy Pausch: inspired thousands of people with his dying speech

Randolph Frederick "Randy" Pausch (October 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008) was an American professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pausch learned that he had pancreatic cancer, a terminal illness, in September of 2006. He gave an upbeat lecture entitled "The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon, which became a popular YouTube video and led to other media appearances. He then co-authored a book called "The Last Lecture" on the same theme, which became a New York Times best-seller. Pausch died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008.

In his famous speech, Pausch showed a list of his childhood dreams, and explained how he achieved each of them. His dreams were: being in zero gravity, playing in the National Football League, being the author of a World Book Encyclopedia article, meeting and being Captain Kirk, being "one of the guys who won the big stuffed animals in the amusement park", and becoming a Disney Imagineer.

He was given 3 months of life, he lived 3 more years

Ben Underwood: the boy who could “see” with his ears

Ben Underwood was a remarkable teenager, who loved to skateboard, ride his bicycle and play football and basketball. For the most part, the Californian 14-year-old was just like other kids his age. What made Underwood remarkable was his ability to master these activities despite the fact that he was blind. Underwood had both eyes removed after being diagnosed with retinal cancer at age two. To most people's amazement upon meeting him, he seemed completely unfazed by his lack of sight, defying common stereotypes about blindness as a disability. So how did he do it? The answer is echolocation: the sonar navigation technique used by bats, dolphins, several other mammals and some birds. As Underwood moved about, he habitually made clicking noises with his tongue; these sounds bounced off surfaces and, with each return, added to Underwood's perception of his surroundings.

He was so good at it that he could tell the difference between a fire hydrant and a rubbish bin, distinguish between parked cars and trucks, and — if you took him to a house he had never been to before — he would tell you he could 'see' a staircase in that corner and a kitchen in the other. He could even distinguish between different materials.

An unflinching faith in God guided Ben and his mother during his last few months as cancer spread to Ben's brain and spine. He eventually died on January 2009 at the age of 16.

Liz Murray: from Homeless To Harvard

  Elizabeth "Liz" Murray was born September 23, 1980 the Bronx, New York, to poor, drug-addicted, HIV-infected parents. She became homeless just after she turned 15, when her mother died of AIDS, and her father moved to a homeless shelter. Murray's life turned around when she began attending the Humanities Preparatory Academy in Chelsea, Manhattan. Though she started high school later than most students, and remained without a stable home while supporting herself and her sister, Murray graduated in only two years. She was awarded a New York Times scholarship for needy students and accepted into Harvard University, matriculating in the fall semester of 2000. She left Harvard in 2003 to care for her sick father; she resumed her education at Columbia University to be closer to him until 2006 when he died of AIDS. As of May 2008, she was back at Harvard working towards her degree with plans to graduate with a degree in Psychology in June 2009.

Her life became a movie in 2003 and she now works as a professional speaker, representing the Washington Speakers Bureau. That same gutsy strength that pulled her from the streets now transforms the lives of others, from student groups to business audiences in need of inspiration to overcome their own obstacles

Iceberg B-15 Antarctica (Amazing)

Iceberg B-15 was the largest ever recorded iceberg. It had an area of 3,100 km², making it larger than the island of Jamaica, and was created when part of the Ross Ice Shelf broke off in March 2000. In 2003, it broke apart, and one of the larger pieces (called B-15a) drifted north, eventually smashing into a glacier in 2005, breaking off an 8-km² section and forcing many antarctic maps to be rewritten. It drifted along the coast and eventually ran aground, breaking up once again. In 2006, a storm in Alaska (that’s right, Alaska) caused an ocean swell that travelled 13,500km, over 6 days, to Antarctica and broke up the largest remaining part even more. Almost a decade on, parts of the iceberg have still not melted, with the largest remaining part, still called B-15a, having an area of 1,700 km². The picture above shows B-15a (top left) in 2005, after drifting west into the Drygalski Glacier (bottom), breaking the end off into several pieces.

Guaíra Falls Brazil-Paraguay border (Amazing)

Located on the Parana river the Guaíra Falls were, in terms of total volume, the largest waterfall on earth. 1,750,000 cubic feet of water fell over this waterfall each second on average, compared to just 70,000 cubic feet per second for Niagra Falls. However, the falls were flooded in 1982 when a dam was created to take advantage of this massive flow rate. The Itaipu Dam is now the second most powerful hydroelectric dam in the world, after the Three Gorges Dam. The Itaipu Dam supplies 90% of the power consumed by Paraguay, and 19% of the power consumed by Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Don Juan Pond Antarctica (Amazing)

With a salinity of over 40%, Don Juan Pond is the saltiest body of water in the world. It is named after the two pilots who first investigated the pond in 1961, Lt Don Roe and Lt John Hickey. It is a small lake, only 100m by 300m, and on average 0.1m deep, but it is so salty that even in the Antarctic, where the temperature at the pond regularly drops to as low as -30 degrees Celsius, it never freezes. It is 18 times saltier than sea water, compared to the Dead Sea which is only 8 times saltier than sea water.

Rotorua New Zealand (Amazing)

Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is known for its geothermal activity, with a number of geysers, notably the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa, and boiling mud pools (pictured above) located in the city. This thermal activity owes itself to the Rotorua caldera on which the city lies. Rotorua is also a top adventure destination and is New Zealand’s Maori cultural heartland. Rotorua city is renowned for its unique “rotten eggs” aroma, which is caused by the geothermal activity releasing sulphur compounds into the atmosphere. If you are ever visiting New Zealand – this is a city you must see. It was once home to the famed Pink and White Terraces and you can visit thermal wonderlands with sights that are truly astounding.

83-42 Greenland (Amazing)

This is more of a curiosity and not visually impressive, but 83-42 is believed to be the northernmost permanent point of land on earth. It is tiny, only 35m by 15m and 4m high, but is about 400 miles from the north pole. It beat the previous record holder, ATOW1996, when it was discovered in 1998, and lichens were found growing on it, suggesting it was not just one of the temporary gravel bars that are found in that region, which are regularly pushed around by the rough seas. The picture above features what is currently the northernmost point on land, one of the temporary gravel bars, photographed in 2007, as I could find no photos of 83-42 (For some reason, nobody feels the need to produce a photograph of a tiny rock in the middle of nowhere, which only five people have ever stepped foot on).

Socotra (Republic of Yemen) Amazing

Socotra has been described as one of the most alien-looking place on Earth, and it’s not hard to see why. It is very isolated with a harsh, dry climate and as a result a third of its plant-life is found nowhere else, including the famous Dragon’s Blood Tree, a very-unnatural looking umbrella-shaped tree which produces red sap. There are also a large number of birds, spiders and other animals native to the island, and coral reefs around it which similarly have a large number of endemic (i.e. only found there) species. Socotra is considered the most biodiverse place in the Arabian sea, and is a World Heritage Site.

The Great Dune of Pyla (France)

Since Europe has no deserts, you’d think the title of “Europe’s largest sand dune” would go to something that wasn’t particularly impressive. But you’d be wrong. The Great Dune of Pyla is 3km long, 500m wide and 100m high, and for reasons I will probably never understand, it seems to have formed in a forest. The dune is very steep on the side facing the forest and is famous for being a paragliding site. At the top it also provides spectacular views out to sea and over the forest (since the dune is far higher than any of the trees surrounding it).

Meteor Crater (USA) Amazing

Mount Roraima is a pretty remarkable place. It is a tabletop mountain with sheer 400-metre high cliffs on all sides. There is only one ‘easy’ way up, on a natural staircase-like ramp on the Venezuelan side – to get up any other way takes and experienced rock climber. On the top of the mountain it rains almost every day, washing away most of the nutrients for plants to grow and creating a unique landscape on the bare sandstone surface. This also creates some of the highest waterfalls in the world over the sides (Angel falls is located on a similar tabletop mountain some 130 miles away). Though there are only a few marshes on the mountain where vegetation can grow properly, these contain many species unique to the mountain, including a species of carnivorous pitcher plant.

The Door To Hell (Turkmenistan)

The Door to Hell, as local residents at the nearby town of Darvaza have dubbed it, is a 70 meter wide crater in Turkmenistan that has been burning continuously for 35 years. In 1971, geologists drilling for gas deposits uncovered a huge underground cavern, which caused the ground over it to collapse, taking down all their equipment and their camp with it. Since the cavern was filled poisonous gas, they dared not go down to retrieve their equipment, and to prevent the gas escaping they ignited it, hoping it would burn itself out in a couple of days. Unfortunately, there was a slight miscalculation as to the amount of gas that was trapped, and the crater continues to burn to this day.

World Most Beautiful Waterfalls Top 10

Waterfalls are one of the most majestic and awe-inspiring sights in this beautiful planet. The best thing about waterfalls is that every one of them is unique in their special ways. With so much breath-taking waterfalls, it is undeniably hard to identify which among them can be considered to be in top ten lists. In addition to this, appreciating beauty is definitely subjective and the definition of beauty can be different from one person to another. As this might be the case, this list is made meticulously with much research to know which of the waterfalls in the world are considered to be the most beautiful.

10. Langfoss Waterfall

Located in Norway, near Oslo, Langfoss Waterfall is very unique because it does not fall straight below but instead it just slips gracefully down the cliff. The striking view of Langfoss Waterfall is made prominent by the contrast color of the white water of the falls and the black to grayish rocks. In addition to this beauty, the background of the falls turns into bright green because of the vegetation that flourishes during summer.

9. Angel Falls

Venezuelan people take pride of their Angel Falls as the tallest waterfall in the world standing at around 3,211 feet. The interesting part of Angel Falls is that because of its great height, not all the water reaches the bottom because it evaporates along the way. The falls is fed by rainwater from tropical clouds.

8. Gullfoss Falls

This falls is located on the southwest coast of Iceland. Gullfoss Falls is actually made of two waterfalls. The first fall originates from the right hitting a cliff then turning to the left again and forming the second falls. The combined sight of the two falls makes it very beautiful to behold.

7. Sutherland Falls

This falls is part of the Fiordland National Park, New Zealand which is very abundant of rain waters all year around. This makes the place conducive for waterfalls to form. While there are other waterfalls in the place, the Sutherland Falls is the most gorgeous. It has three distinct sections that forms together one of the most awesome waterfalls.

6. Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is a massive waterfall that has a length of about a mile and a height twice as high as Niagara Falls. The animals around the falls add to the beauty of Victoria Falls which include monkeys, elephants, and hippopotamus.

5. Yosemite Falls

The Yosemite Falls is a great three-tiered fall that has a height of over 2,400 feet. The waterfall is so majestic but what made the Yosemite Falls even more stunning are the Giant Sequoia trees and granite cliffs that are studded at the background.

4. Hanakapi’ai Falls

This is one of the most famous sites of the movie Jurassic Park. With its ancient and prehistoric look, Hanakapi’ai Falls will bring you back to the ancient time. The trail that leads to the falls itself is truly wonderful as it leads you to the climax of the travel.

3. Iguazu Falls

It is made of 275 falls that stretches in about two miles. The force of water falling from the top is so powerful that the water bounces off 20 miles away. The most famous section of Iguazu is the Devil’s throat which is also the largest section of the falls. You can trek by yourself but it is better to explore the falls with an expert guide.

2. Niagara Falls

This falls is set in the international border of United States and Canada. You maybe are familiar with this famous falls because of its massive and outstretching waterfalls. While most people might debate which country has the better view, people will agree that the greatest view is in the water itself.

1. Plitvice Lakes

The water of Plitvice Lakes is very unique. It has a bluish-turquoise color because of the combination of minerals and microorganisms found in the lake. The Plitvice National Park Service promotes and manages the site. You can avail of their service when touring around the falls but sometimes it is better to roam around at your own pace.

World Most Beautiful Cities Top 10 -2

Yes, we all heard it; the most beautiful cities are found in Europe. You could hardly find someone who will deny Europe is the home for some of the most beautiful cities in the world. For this reason, the cities listed here are not found in Europe but rather in other continents of the world. Join us now as we explore the top ten most beautiful cities outside of Europe.

10. San Francisco

You might remember San Francisco because of its Golden Gate Bridge but there is much more to San Francisco than that. There are many parks filled in San Francisco such as the Golden Gate Park. The city is considered as one of the most livable cities in the United States, thus there are millions of other nationalities that flock in the city.

9. Cairo

As the capital of Egypt, Cairo is filled with national treasures and Islamic architectures. Cairo has been a centre of political and cultural aspects of Egypt. Visitors will enjoy going to Cairo because of its proximity to the world famous ancient cities such as Fustat, Giza, and Memphis in which the Great Sphinx and pyramids of Giza are located.

8. Tokyo

Tokyo is the most populous city in Japan but this does not mean that its beauty is spoiled by the crowd. The city is the cultural centre of Japan which has most of the country’s universities, museums, theaters, national buildings, and many other buildings created with superb architectural designs. When you are in the area, try to visit the parks, outlying islands, and tourist attractions to taste the life there.

7. NewYork City

NewYork is the most populous city of the United States. People gather around the Big Apple for many reasons and not just because it is the financial center of the country. There are many reasons this city is counted as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. When in the city, visit the Times Square, Broadway theater district, and the Statue of Liberty.

6. Chicago

When you look Chicago from afar, you will be awestruck by its great skyline, be it day or night. Chicago is rich in culture as it encourages its residents to be engaged in movies, plays, songs, arts, literature, and many others. People in the area take pride of its tall and dense skycrapers and other landmarks.

5. Hong Kong

Because of the British influence, Hong Kong became one of the most prosperous cities. The city has over 1,200 skycrapers which puts Hong Kong to a world record. Because of the limited space, there is a great demand for modern architectural buildings.

4. Vancouver

Being a coastal seaport, Vancouver is typically a stop-over area for many travelers. Due to its magnificent enforcement of law, Vancouver is held highly as one of the most livable cities in the world. Incorporated with beautiful parks, buildings, and natural landscapes, Vancouver deserves to be at the number 4 spot for sure.

3. Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city of Australia. Because of its beauty, Many popular international events such as the summer Olympics are hosted. The most famous landmark of Sydney is the Opera house which greets most ships that dock in the Sydney harbor.

2. Honolulu

As the capital city of Hawaii, Honolulu is one of the greatest blending of mother earth and human civilization. There is no place you can ever find a city that is splendid enough to have first-class beach resorts, surfing areas, delicious foods, and friendly people.

1. Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro tops our list because of many reasons. First of all, the people here are beautiful both inside and outside. With the welcoming people during their festivals, more and more people are lured to visit the city. While you are in the city, you can go view the entire Rio City by going up to Corcovado.

There you go! Now that you have read our list of top ten, you might rethink your view that the best cities are only found in Europe. This will give you more choice on which city you want to spend your next vacation on.