Both are cool, but one is NOT a photograph of ice

These two photos are of ice and not ice.

The icy spot in the top photo is turquoise ice on Lake Baikal in Russia.

Lake Baikal is the largest and oldest freshwater lake in the world. In the winter, the lake freezes, but the water is so clear that you can see 130 feet below the ice. In March, frost and sun cause cracks in the ice crust, which results in the turquoise ice shards at the surface.

Paula and I have seen examples in our travels, particularly in Alaska, where, if the ice is so thick and deep that it traps the light in it, the ice looks a deep blue.

As for the cool lower photo, that is Pamukkale Hot Springs in Turkey.

What looks like ice is a coating of white limestone.

Over millions of years, the hot springs in Pamukkale have transformed the landscape. Although it may look like these terraces are made of ice and snow, Pamukkale has bikini weather every day of the year, which explains people in swimsuits and shorts sticking their feet into the water.

There are dozens of other examples of nature’s spectacular handiwork. You can see them by clicking on http://themetapicture.com/unbelievable-places-to-visit-before-you-die/

Blackwater Falls is pretty awesome, too. And all over West Virginia you can experience spectacular autumn colors when the leaves turn. Actually, the bright colors are always there in the leaves. The green just fades in the fall and the gold and orange move front and center. 

Enjoy!