Bernard Beer Blog

This one is at the number 10 spot for many reasons, but the most prominent reason is, perhaps, my bias towards it. I visited this road the night before I wrote this list and it was definitely a strange place to be. I saw nothing clear, so I dare not say it’s haunted (of course, I am almost entirely a skeptic). The road has an S curve with a bridge over a very fast moving creek. This is far and away the creepiest bridge I have ever set foot on! But, that’s my paranoia talking again, I suppose. Anyway, many cars met a foul end when taking the unexpected S curve too fast, and many ghosts are said to roam the area. On my visit, I saw strange movements and my friend heard whispering. Fellow Ohioans, I would recommend a trip to Ghormley next time you want to be spooked. Unfortunately, there are no good photos of the road or bridge so I have had to use a stock image.

I’m uncertain if cops patrol this highway because, according to legend, your car will break down if you travel the thoroughfare with pork in your possession. But, I will leave this inquiry up to greater minds than mine. However, if you dare to travel the highway, do not bring pork, unless you want the angry and hungry spirits to break down your car. Or it could be Pele, but who’s keeping track? And while you are in the area, look up Old Pali Road so you can say “hey” to the ghost girl with half of her face missing. Ah, paradise!

Ok, calm down. Two Ohio roads, Ian? Really? Well, yes, really. And that’s all, I promise. We’ve all heard of the movie The Shawshank Redemption, filmed at the Mansfield Reformatory, in Mansfield, Ohio (pictured above). But the building can’t hog ALL the attention. Phoebe Wise was an eccentric hermit. She lived alone, was unmarried and was just generally odd. As the youngest of 8 children, she inherited the house after her parents died, along with a few thousand dollars (a pretty good sum, if not filthy stinking rich). She also sold some land, for undisclosed amounts of money. Long story short, rumors spread of a hidden fortune. Some men broke in, tied her up, tortured her for her loot, and got very little to show for it (turns out, no treasure). They threatened to kill her if she left her house, and then booked it. She had a hard time dragging herself out to telegraph the police, considering the burglars had scorched her feet with a torch.

Phoebe survived and continued to live alone, until 1933. Now, she is said to walk the road, patrolling to keep an eye out for unwary burglars trying to ransack her home for lost treasure.

Landocommando would smack me if I didn’t include this and, fortunately, it actually turned out to be interesting! Mary Angela Road is a lonely, backwoods road that leads to the source of it’s legends: Voodoo Village. A small compound that is said to host many weird rituals and animal sacrifices, Voodoo Village is certainly an unsettling place to be. How haunted or evil this place is is disputed, and many rumors probably spawn from local residents’ ignorance, but between the weird, colorful paintings and the numerous, unexplainable statues, it isn’t hard to see why! The local inhabitants despise the name Voodoo Village, and will definitely get pissed off if you take pictures! Walsh Harris, founder of the establishment, used to belong to the Masonic Lodge, and much of the artwork there pertains to Masonic symbols and Scripture. A weird place for sure, and don’t expect be greeted with a smile. And don’t be too surprised if they block you in with a truck so you can’t leave…

This road is notorious for numerous accidents, along with its ghosts! Many a sleepy driver has met an untimely end on the road, but many of its ghost stories aren’t even related to the accidents. A “time warp” of sorts is said to occur on the road, accounting for many reports of “lost time” (a phenomena detailed elsewhere on this very website), strange lights illuminate the sky, and men in Old West garb and a stagecoach make the occasional appearance. And, if that wasn’t enough, the San Luis Reservoir is said to host a mysterious light beneath the water. Side effects of driving on the road may include: Overwhelming feelings of dread/impending doom, inexplicable sadness, extreme apprehension or diarrhea. One of those is a joke, try to guess which.

Listverse’s many Filipino visitors were quite upset at the exclusion of their beloved Balete Drive. I did some research, and now I see why they were! According to legend, Balete trees (which are numerous along the road) attract ghosts and other paranormal entities. You would be wise to keep your eyes up front. A glance in your rear-view mirror may make your stomach turn with a truly disturbing surprise. A lady in a white dress will have hitched a ride, with long, flowing hair, and… No face. The last thing you want to do is check for cars behind you and be greeted with the silent likes of THAT. And if No-Face gives you the pass, you can still admire the road’s three haunted mansions. The previous owners were simply too attached to let them go.

The woods surrounding this road, and the road itself, are rumored to be quite heavily haunted. A few pictures from the local ghost hunters have turned up some very odd images. It isn’t hard to see why! Three teenagers, who were apparently in some kind of bad way in their lives, decided to end their lives by hanging themselves from the overpass. Some say you can still see their bodies swaying in the breeze on a cool, dark night. Mary, a nurse from the nearby hospital, wanders the road, perhaps to try and resuscitate the deceased teenagers. And if that isn’t all bad enough, don’t get pulled over. No, not because you were doing anything illegal (were you?), but because he who routinely patrols the area isn’t exactly… alive. The good news is that he won’t write you a citation, he’ll just silently stare at you with blood running down his shoulders. After he feels you get the point, he’ll turn around, exposing the gaping exit wound in the back off his head, where the fatal bullet exited his skull.

Despite the name, this road has a slim chance of making you LOL (think about it…). More likely, it may make you PYP (Pee Your Pants). In fact, why don’t we just refer to it by it’s far more popular nickname, Zombie Road. This incredibly narrow road carves a lonely path through two miles of woods, only to dead end at what used to be a rock quarry. The road soon became all but abandoned, and the road sign has been replaced by a chained gate. Among the resident freaks are: A young boy who plummeted to his death from the nearby bluffs, and man struck and killed by a train, a crazy old lady who yells at you from her house at the end of the road, Native American spirits roaming the woods and plenty of Satan worshipers. Boy, do those Satanists love themselves some urban legends! The name of the road, however, wasn’t derived from these weirdos. Credit for the spooky nickname goes to a mysterious killer known as The Zombie. He would wait in his old shack for lovers and party goers to show up, and would attack them. Perhaps he isn’t gone… Reports of visitors disappearing aren’t uncommon.

The only road on this list where its ghosts take a backseat to the road itself! And yes, the name translates to “The Road of Death.” Appropriate. The road is an incredibly dangerous winding highway that cuts through the mountains of Bolivia. Think 900 meter drop off with no guardrail, passing buses and trucks, despite the road being littered with debris and rock from the hillside. It has its fair share of ghosts, but if I were you, I’d be keeping my eyes on the road ahead, rather than scanning for spirits.

If this list was solely based on names, Shades of Death would surely still be number one. Shades of Death can’t be too bad, it runs right by… Ghost Lake? Seriously? Somebody was just demanding this place be haunted! And haunted it is, according to most. Between a murderer (or murderers?), a violent gang of criminals, and a mysterious plague, this road has been no stranger to death. Some say that at times, the population of Malaria-carrying insects was so large, that victims would have to be laid out on the roadside in the hopes a traveling doctor would happen by and cure them. Ghost Lake, home to mysterious columns of mist and a haunted cabin, is the most popular stop on the drive. If you are lucky (or unlucky) enough, you may just catch a faint glimpse of a murder victim out for a stroll in the fog. Yes, New Jersey wins it again, I know. But Bolivia wasn’t in it to win it because it wasn’t so much the scary ghosts as much as the scary road planning! And let’s be honest, between the stories, the lake, the name and the history, Shades of Death was a worthy contender.

This home of French kings and queens offers a glimpse of French history, art and magnificent architecture. 

“Don’t forget to go to Château de Fontainebleau. It’s a must-see,” my French-trained fashion designer friend Priyo Oktaviano said on learning of my plans to travel to France. Château de Fontainebleau — literally Fontainebleau castle situated around 70 kilometers southeast of Paris, is a palace of kings and emperors from François Ier (Francis I) to Napoléon III. 

The imperial Château has more than 1,500 rooms and sits on a 130-acre plot of land that has been continuously inhabited for seven centuries. Members of French ruling dynasties including the Capétiens, Valois, Bourbons, Bonaparte and Orléans families used to live within these palace walls. 

Based on Priyo’s suggestion and some research I did on the Internet, without hesitation I included the spot in my European tour itinerary. 

Jardin de Diane, an English-style formal garden which was ornamented with a statue of goddess Diana. JP/Triwik Kurniasari

It was a bright, sunny yet chilly day in Paris when I first arrived at the city’s Gare du Nord train station. I had decided that Château de Fontainebleau would be my first destination on my three-day visit to France. 

“Château de Fontainebleau was closed yesterday because of bad weather. I’m not sure if it’s already reopened. Please wait a minute. Let me check,” a man at the tourist information booth said in fluent English, picking up a phone to call the management of the castle. 

Around two days prior to my arrival in France, heavy snowfalls hit the capital and had forced the closure of Charles de Gaulle International Airport as well as several tourist destinations including the Eiffel Tower. A few minutes later, the man got back to me. “You’re in luck. Château de Fontainebleau is open. But Château de Versailles is still closed.” 

After buying train ticket and getting a few hints from the “information guy”, I was ready to set off for Fontainebleau. I was instructed to head to Gare de Lyon to take a train to Fontainebleau, but the station was so confusing that I found it difficult to find the platform. 

A view of the heart of Fontainebleau. JP/Triwik Kurniasari 

Fortunately, I met a local college girl who happened to be taking the same train as me. She led me to the train heading to Montereau, and we sat together in the carriage. Since I spoke only a little French, and she did not speak English, we hardly spoke during the journey. Apparently her station was before mine and just before she got off, she reminded me to take the bus A from Fontainebleau-Avon station. A few minutes later, I arrived at the station and took the A bus to Les Lilas, before getting off at the Château.

The grandeur of the castle is evident even before you go in the front gate, where you can see the castle’s horseshoe-shaped staircases that date back to the reign of Louis XIII in the 17th century. 

After depositing my belongings and paying an admission fee, ¤8, I finally began my castle adventure. Along the corridor heading toward the sovereign Grand Apartements on the first floor are several white statues of former emperors including Philippe de France and Charles IV le Bel. 

At the front of the Grand Apartements are a myriad beautiful paintings from past centuries. Then comes la Galerie des Assiettes (Plate Gallery) where painted plates are displayed on the wall. It is said that in the 19th century, King Louis-Philippe had 128 plates in Sèvres porcelain fitted into the woodwork, the Historical Service of Fontainebleau, which represents Fontainebleau, the Château, the forest and other royal houses, as well as other sites he visited. The cabinet, also in Sèvres porcelain, illustrates the marriage of his son in Fontainebleau in 1837. 

The front part of the château where we can see the horseshoe-shaped staircase dated back from the reign of Louis XIII in the 17th century. JP/Triwik Kurniasari

Later I came to the vestibule of the chapel, which is one of the principle entrances to the castle. The entrance has fine doors of sculpted oak surrounded by a rich encasement of stones. The furniture, also from oak, was made during the Second Empire. 

I later entered the Francis I Gallery, and as walked through it in my black boots, I felt as if I had just got out of a time machine and had traveled back to the time when emperors and empresses ruled France. 

The gallery was developed by Francis I in the 16th century to link the royal apartment to the chapel of the Trinity. Attracted by the Italian renaissance, during his reign, the king called upon Italian artists trained in the latest fashions, including Rosso Florentino (a disciple of Michelangelo) and Francesco Primaticcio (a painter at the court of Mantua). The “F” letter of Francis I, his emblem (the salamander) and the royal coat of arms can be seen here. 

Then there is the guard room, the first of the king’s apartments, which used to be occupied by the soldiers of the guard. Next is the ballroom, the construction of which started under Francis I and finished during the reign of his son, Henri II. The paneled ceiling and the monumental fireplace are the work of Philibert Delorme, while the rostrum above the entrance was intended for musicians. 

There is also the Louis XIII salon where the king was born in 1601, which has paintings, chandeliers, wooden chairs, sofas and china. Another gallery is la Galerie de Diane or Diana Gallery, which is an 80-meter-long and 7-meter wide, happens to be the longest room in the castle. 

Built by Henri IV, its decorations recount the story of the goddess Diana. By the 18th century, the room was dilapidated and then restored under Napoleon I and Louis XVIII, before it was later converted into a library under Napoléon III. The big globe at one end of the room was made for Napoléon I. 

The Château also features the marvelous chambers of kings and queens. The empress’ chamber, for example, was used by all the queens of France from queen Marie de Médicis (wife of Henri IV) to Empress Eugénie de Montijo. The silk hanging on its walls and covering the furniture was rewoven in Lyon, based on the original models of the 18th century. 

Also not to be missed are the two Marie Antoinette’s boudoirs, Turkish-style dressing rooms that were gifts from Louis XVI to his wife. While admiring the opulent décor and enchanting furniture, it seemed like I was watching the empresses spending their time in the room, sitting on cozy chairs, combing their hair and dressing themselves in beautiful royal gowns. 

The bright light of the gift shop’s lamps at the end of my long trip around the castle “awoke” me from the historical journey. I stopped there for a while to buy some postcards with lovely paintings of Fontainebleau on them.

When you visit the Château, don’t forget to take a stroll around its four main courtyards and three gardens. Among the gardens is the Cour de la Fontaine, which overlooks the Carp Lake. From the side of the courtyard, we can see the flying birds and swimming swans. Also drop by at the Grand Parterre, the largest formal garden in Europe, which was created between 1660 and 1664 by André Le Nôtre and Louis Le Vau. 

Not far from the entrance gate is the Jardin de Diane, an English-style formal garden, built during the reign of Henry IV, which contains a statue of goddess Diana. Here are plants including ginkgo biloba, bluebeard, and sweet gum. Several birds, including pigeons and peacock-like creatures, were also in the gardens that day. 

The sun was beginning to set and it was beginning to get cold as I left the Jardin de Diane. It seemed like one day was not enough to tour the whole castle and see its gardens. As I walked through the streets of Fontainebleau to the nearest bus shelter, I told myself I wanted to visit this town again some day in the future during spring or summer. 

Travel tips

•You can reach Fontainebleau simply by train. From Gare de Lyon station, take a train heading to either Montargis Sens or Montereau, get off at Fontainebleau-Avon station then take the “Ligne A” bus destined for Les Lilas and get off at the Château stop.

•If you are eager for adventure, you could also reach the castle on foot, which takes around 30 minutes from the Fontainebleau-Avon train station.

•If you plan to travel around the outskirts of Paris, including to Fontainebleau, you can buy a 1-6 zone pass which is also valid for airport links and travel to Disneyland Resort Paris and Versailles. With this Paris Visite pass, you can also get a discount on the entrance fee to several travel spots. 

•If you don’t have a 1-6 zone pass, you can buy a regular ticket directly from the ticket counter. Also, bring some small change to pay for bus tickets while on board. 

•The Château also provides an audio guide for paying visitors.

Over the years, Japan has become one of the most interesting countries in the world. Its unique culture, great food and technological edge has fascinated and inspired the rest of the world.

However, some of Japan’s customs and tastes have been widely misunderstood, and have even baffled some. Nonetheless, these 20 interesting facts have given the world a chance to see Japan as it is: An intriguing, culturally rich and economically sturdy super-power.

So, without further ado, here are 20 interesting facts about Japan (in no particular order). Please note, that while some of these facts are negative, they do not reflect any racist opinions held by me, or Listverse:

20. Raw horse meat is a popular entree in Japan. Sliced thinly and eaten raw it is called basashi – it is pictured above.

19. Over 70% of Japan consists of mountains. The country also has over 200 volcanoes.

18. A musk melon (similar to a cantaloupe) can sell for over 31,473 yen ($300.00).

17. The literacy rate in Japan is almost 100%.

16. There are vending machines in Japan that dispense beer!

15. Japanese people have an average life-expectancy that is 4 years longer than Americans. Maybe American’s should eat more basashi!

14. Some men in Japan shave their heads as a form of apology.

13. Japan has the second lowest homicide rate in the world, but is also home to the extremely spooky suicide forest, aokigahara. One occupant of the forest is pictured above.

12. Japan has produced 15 Nobel laureates (in chemistry, medicine and physics), 3 Fields medalists and one Gauss Prize laureate.

11. Younger sumo-wrestlers are traditionally required to clean and bathe the veteran sumo-wrestlers at their wrestling “stables”…including all the hard-to-reach places.

9. Japan consists of over 6,800 islands.

8. “Tetsuo: Iron Man” (no relation to the comic book, or Robert Downey, Jr. film), a relatively popular, extreme, “Cyberpunk” film (a “cyberpunk” film is a science fiction film that involves technology – and the abuse thereof – and social unrest), was based on a play the director Shinya Tsukamoto wrote and directed in college. It is an excellent film and you can buy it here. The trailer is above.

7. A Paleolithic culture from about 30,000 BC is the first known inhabitants of Japan.

6. Prolific Japanese film-maker Takahi Miike made up to 50 films in a decade during the peak of his career.

5. Animated Japanese films and television shows (.i.e.: Anime) account for 60% of the world’s animation-based entertainment. So successful is animation in Japan, that there are almost 130 voice-acting schools in the country.

4. 21% of the Japanese population is elderly, the highest proportion in the world.

3. In the past, the Japanese court system has had a conviction rate as high as 99%!

2. Japanese prisons (as of 2003) operated at an average of 117% capacity.

1. Raised floors help indicate when to take off slippers or shoes. At the entrance to a home in Japan, the floor will usually be raised about 6 inches (15.24 cm.) indicating you should take off your shoes and put on slippers. If the house has a tatami mat room, its floor may be raised 1-2 inches (2.54-5.08 cm.) indicating you should take off your slippers.

I was critical the first time I visited Vung Tau a few years ago. Why build a 32-meter statue of Christ on a hill more than 170 meters tall in a city 125 kilometers from Saigon?

Was Rio de Janeiro’s statue of Christ the Redeemer, 2 meters smaller but standing on a pedestal 3 meters higher, not enough? How could the makers know what Jesus looked like? Was the ferroconcrete statue meant to satisfy religious megalomaniacs? Wouldn’t it be better to use the money for the poor? 

I climbed about 1,000 steps to reach the statue, built in 1974, after a hearty breakfast at Palace Hotel. I was a tourist enthralled by vistas framed by heights from different angles, the full extent of which was not always possible to capture with my camera. 

The second time I saw the statue, in my recent trip to the petroleum city of around 170,000 inhabitants, I found it spiritually uplifting although this time I had only limited time. 

Arriving at 3 p.m., I had to leave at 5:15 p.m. So, I decided to go up to the top as quickly as possible to enjoy a bird’s eye view, take photos and return back to the hotel. That plan didn’t work, however. Along the way to the top, I stopped quite often to observe white statues of happy children and angles suggestive of purity as well as scenes from the Bible. 

A bird eye view of the seaside resort city of Vung Tau.

Old, sorrowful-looking Abraham was depicted walking with his naïve, unsuspecting son Isaac to the place where Abraham intended to sacrifice him — a powerful reminder of faith at work in God the Provider. 

Moses was seen smiling, holding in his hands the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments inscribed with, strangely, Roman numerals from 1 to 10 — in gross contradiction of the fact that the Torah, and by extension, the Bible, is a Jewish, not a Roman book, and that the God of Moses is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) before He was “embraced” by Romans, and by extension, Europeans, as their God and introduced to other nations.

The whiteness of these scenes contrasted to their earthy surroundings and made them appear otherworldly. For me, the most profound scenes were of Jesus Christ, first with an adulterous woman dragged by a crowd who wanted to stone her to death, then of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well — exposing both her sexual thirst and her thirst for acceptance and finally of Jesus de-livering the Sermon on the Mount . 

Pieta statue with the Christ of Vung Tau statue is seen in the background.

Upon seeing the scene, Jesus’ words echoed in my ears: “Let those of you who are without sin cast the first stone.” Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” 

Near the pedestal of the statue, I found a relief of the Last Supper which prompted me to think about the last meals of some elderly people dear to me. Illness and death were ruthless, depriving them of any food on the last day of their life, sending them empty-stomached and in often great agony to the afterlife. 

Then I got inside the statue, climbing 133 narrow and winding stairs until I arrived at the top, at the openings on the left and right shoulders of the statue where I had a 360-degree view of the city below. Everything worldly and material below looked insignificant above. 

Finding myself like a Lilliputian on Christ’s shoulders enabled me to see God’s big picture and lofty perspective of the world. 

Suddenly I realized I could no longer see the Jesus statue as a whole because I was inside it. Only part of Jesus’ face and his outstretched arms were visible. 

A dry loudspeaker voice said the door to the statue would soon be closed. I scaled down the stairs feeling refreshed and recharged spiritually and physically. At some vantage points, there were panoramas reminiscent of Bali. 

After taking a bath and having dinner at the hotel, I felt as fit as a fiddle and went sightseeing. 

Vung Tau has a vibrant nightlife. Bars and massage parlors with provocatively titled signs such as Hot Lips beckon passers-by. Pretty, sexually inviting Vietnamese girls riding on motorcycles insistently approached me offering massage services. 

Suddenly, however, I was reminded of what Jesus said in the book of Matthew: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” I went back straight to the hotel, checked emails, watched TV and slept.

— Photos by Arif Suryobuwono-jakartapost

Maimun Palace, sometimes called as also Green Princess Palace, is palace highness of Deli Empire. This palace is predominated by yellow colour, colour highness of empire of Malay. Palace development completing at 25 August 1888 M, in power of Sultan Strong And Heroic Makmun al-Rasyid Alamsyah. Makmun Sultan is son eldest child Mahmud Perkasa Alam Sultan, founder Field town.

Since the year 1946, This palace dwelt in by the heirs Deli Sultanate. In certain time, in this palace be often performed [a] show of traditional music of Malay. Usualy, the show dihelat for the agenda of toning up wedding ceremony and activity of other happiness. Besides, twice in one year, Deli Sultan usualy performs [a] event of visit between palace big family. At every Thursday night, the sultan families performs [a] event of rawatib custom ( a kind of wiridan family).

To all visitor coming by to palace, they able to look around collection who exhibit by in meeting room, like photograph sultan family, ancient Dutch article of furniture, and various types arm. Here, also there is broken cannon owning separate legend. People Of Field calls this cannon with the title fag-end cannon.

Story of this fag-end cannon has bearing with Green Princess. Told, in Great East Empire, life a pretty princess, so called Putri Hijau. He called as that way, because its body transmits green colour. He has two brother, that is Unreal Yasid Bogey and Bogey. At one time, come Acheh King proposes marriage to Putri Hijau, but, this proposal to marry refused by second its brothers and sisters. Acheh King becomes angry, then groan Great East Empire. Acheh King successfully gives in Yasid Bogey. When Acheh army want to enter palace kidnaps Putri Hijau, sudden happened miracle, Cataclysmic unreal Bogey to become cannon and shoots at random without desisting. Because continuous to shoot off bullet towards Acheh army, then this cannon is broken by two. Its(the frontage is found by in Surbakti area, in Karo plateau, near by Kabanjahe. While backside is thrown by to Labuhan Deli, then moved to yard Maimun Palace.

Every day, This palace open generically, except if there are management of special ceremony.

A plan to go diving was already in my mind when I took a flight from Jakarta to Bali. As soon as I arrived on the island, I immediately set off for Sanur and crossed the Badung Strait by public speedboat.

I was heading for Nusa Lembongan, an island that lies next to Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan off of Bali’s south-east coast.

The island is well-known for its numerous dive spots. There are at least seven dive spots around the island, home to a variety of attractive aquatic creatures and a wonderful underwater landscape.

One of those spots is Manta Point, which lies off of the southern shore of Nusa Penida, a world-class diving site famed for its gigantic manta rays.

And if you come during the right season, from May to September, it is highly likely that you will bump into the famously unique sunfish, also known as the mola-mola.

Diving lesson is given in the pool before taking the real plunge in the sea. JP/Vyara Wurjanta

But it had been four years since my last dive and I had virtually forgotten everything I had learned. Therefore, a preliminary refresh lesson in a swimming pool was a must.

A little bit nervous, I reluctantly fought the anxious feeling when I practiced the skill of controlling my buoyancy and clearing my mask. Everything went well in the pool, but who knew what would happen in the sea?

The next morning, along with a bunch of other divers on the boat with Lembongan Dive Adventure, we headed to Toya Pakeh, a dive spot located between Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida.

“The water is crystal clear,” said Annastinna, a 40-year-old Canadian, inspecting the water from the boat. She was right. Clusters of coral and anemones hazily swayed through the surging water beneath us — a moody window into another world.

Before we jumped into the water, Emo the dive master briefed us about the dive, including the signals we would need to use to communicate underwater.

Sunset in Nusa Lembongan, Bali. JP/Vyara Wurjanta

Feeling both excited and edgy, I took my turn to perform my back-roll entrance. Feeling thrilled, for I could hardly wait to embrace the under-water experience again, and a little bit nervous that my diving equipment could malfunction, and that I might forgot the important skills I had rushed through earlier in the pool, I fell.

But the uneasy feeling left the moment that I began sinking into the cold salty water, and took in the view around me. Down under the water’s surface it was clear, astonishing and wonderful!

Vast slope of various kinds of coral lay below. A couple of majestic table corals sat amid a sea of pale purple cabbage corals.

I gaped in awe as a school of colorful fish whizzed here and there, while anemones danced in a rhythmic motion. I caught a glimpse of three clarks anemone fish (Amphirion clarkii) — the star of the Finding Nemo animated movie. So many of them — probably his relatives — hovered among the tentacles of those peachy anemones.

And I quickly found the whole gang — a Dori-like blue surgeonfish and a flock of moorish idol fishes (Zanclus cornutus) — one of Nemo’s tank inhabitants — scurring among the coral. A blue starfish hung droopily on the corals. Fortunately, there were no hungry sharks masquerading as herbivores in sight.

And then a school of funny black-and-white-and-yellow stripped Oriental Sweetlips swung in an arrow formation. A big titan triggerfish with its glaringly colorful skin – it looked like it was wearing make-up – swayed nonchalantly, confident enough to move alone.

The scenery was so full, yet so quiet. The only sound I heard was the bubbling breathing from my second stage mouthpiece. This was indeed an idyllic paradise.

The second dive took me to a place in Mangrove Point, a spot just to the right of a mangrove forest in the north-eastern part of Nusa Lembongan.

The current was stronger here. Since even our most intense efforts at beating the current by kicking in the opposite direction proved pointless, we gave ourselves over to the stream, floating in the miracle sea once again.

A triplefins poses with wavy corals. JP/Isao Soga

But the time did fly. The 40-minute dive felt like only 5 minutes, and the 200 bars of fresh air in our tanks had already reached the caution zone. It was time to go up!

“It’s amazing. I should come back again one day,” said Eva, a 28 years old Czeh Republican national who along with her Jamaican husband was on her last day in Indonesia.

“It turned out that three weeks of traveling around Indonesia isn’t enough. I should have extended my vacation to three months!” she exclaimed.

She had a point. My two-week vacation on this very island alone felt like the blink of an eye. I swear I’ll be back here soon, to hunt down the famous mola-mola, and of course, the gigantic manta ray.

How to get there

• Take a public boat or speedboat from Sanur Beach. The public boat departs to Nusa Lembongan every day at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and the speedboat departs at 9 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily.

There are three departures to Sanur on Nusa Lembongan’s jetty at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. everyday. Of course, the schedule depends on the weather.

•If you want to dive, there are several dive operators on Nusa Lembongan. Pick one that best suits you. And there are at least seven dive spots around Nusa Lembongan. Here they are, along with the underwater creatures recently spotted there:

•Crystal Bay: Mola-mola, manta ray, worty frog fish, turtle, eagle ray.

•Manta Point: Manta ray, turtle, blue spotted stingray, nudibranch, sea snake, nurse shark.

•SD: Breaching mola-mola, turtle, clouded moray, triggerfish, lionfish, yellow edge moray, tuna, barracuda.

•Toya Pakeh: Giant trevally, batfish, nudibranch, mantis shrimp, ribbon eels.

•Mangrove Point: Puffer, angelfish, reef shark, moray eel, barracuda, triggerfish.

•Pontoon: Lionfish, crocodile fish, rigid shrimp fish.

•Blue Corner: Marble ray, eagle ray, barracuda, turtle, nudis, angelfish, batfish, sea snake, eel, reef shark.

The year is 1824, and a row of showers has been converted into a majestic hotel, known as the Shelbourne. The Shelbourne has featured prominently in Ireland’s history, in that the country’s constitution was drafted there in 1922, and, throughout the years, it was favorite of many celebrities passing through Dublin. Room 526 was where a medium supposedly made contact with the hotel’s permanent resident, Mary. Mary was a little girl who lived in the houses that were converted into the hotel, until her death in 1791 from cholera.

In Victorian times, this was the place to be when you bit the dust. This necropolis was highly fashionable in its time, but sadly, since then, it has crumbled and deteriorated since its neglect due to World War II. The cemetery became a creepy, desolate place, complete with dead trees and twisting ivy. Many stories cropped up during this creepy and dark time in the cemetery’s history. Perhaps this is due to the fact that unsavory and unnatural characters love places such as this. Many ghosts and apparitions call this burial ground home, along with a vampire, a man in a top hat, a cloaked figured and a gray, haggard old woman. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to hear the bells ringing in the disused chapel. Thankfully, an organization known as The Friends of Highgate Cemetery is making progress with repairs and restoration of the historic location.

This historic theater is located just blocks away from the White House, and was founded in 1835 by William Corcoran, and many other prominent city residents. It has had many famous performers, including Sir Ian McKellan, James Earl Jones, Kevin Spacey, Sting and Tim Curry. Winston Churchill had even spoken there once. However, Tim Curry and Winston Churchill aren’t what make this place terrifying. The actor John McCullough was very prominent and popular in the 1800s, and was touring with a troupe who stopped in at the National. Under the stage was a raceway through which the Tiber Creek flowed freely until the 1950s, when it was enclosed in a storm sewer. The actors found this running water beneath the stage to be a perfect place to wash their clothes. McCullough and another actor (of lesser stature) began arguing. Some say it was over a beauty of an actress the two both had a thing for, or perhaps it was over a role that both men desperately wanted. The reason is irrelevant, really. Shots were fired, and John McCullough lay dead beneath the stage of the National Theater. His remains were reportedly interred in the dirt floor beneath the stage where he died. As you undoubtedly expected to hear, his apparition has been seen numerous times since.

In 1854, the historic Princess Theatre was erected by George Coppin, an actor and manager who was busy running and renovating many nearby theaters in Melbourne. However, this particular theatre was center stage for a tragedy that occurred on March 3rd, 1888. Frederick Baker, known as Federici, was playing the part of Mephistopheles in the opera Faust. A powerful scene of the opera was when Mephistopheles was to dramatically descend into Hell – via the Princess’ trapdoor. Federici’s performance that night must have been extra taxing, because he suffered a heart attack and died by the time he had reached the theater’s basement. The company of actors was gathered afterwards so the bad news could be shared. When they asked when it had happened, confusion set in. The other performers explained that that was impossible, as he had just been seen onstage taking his final bows. To this day a mysterious figure is often sighted onstage, and it even made an appearance for a set photographer during the filming of a documentary there.

This fortification in Scotland has existed, in one incarnation or another, since the 12th century. The castle saw many battles, and, in 1337, it was destroyed by the Scots to prevent its use by the English. By the end of the 14th century, however, Bishop Walter Trail ordered the castle rebuilt. The castle has had a long history, and many historic figures have been in and out for many reasons. But this isn’t a list for them. This castle is home to several apparitions: The White Lady, who walks the castle perimeter or the nearby shoreline. The spirit of Patrick Hamilton haunts one of the towers, where he has a good view of the spot on which he was burned alive. You can also see the ghost of Cardinal Beaton, who was murdered and hung naked from the castle battlements, or you can just look for the woman in the grey veil, who carries a prayer book and vanishes into thin air. Your best bet to witness these supernatural residents is to visit during the twilight hours of October and November.

This lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida, was built in the 1600s by Spanish settlers. By 1824, it was an official US lighthouse, and was later replaced by the current lighthouse, located about a quarter mile away. The original suffered a tragedy when Mr. Andreu, the lighthouse keeper, fell to his death while painting the tower. When the lighthouse was being built there was a dispute over property and one of the parties involved, Dr. Ballard, is now rumored to haunt the place, along with the ghost of poor Mr. Andreu. Three girls are said to have drowned when the handcart they were playing in fell off the tramway, and now their spirits roam the grounds. The parade of lost souls doesn’t end there, however. When the Keeper’s House was being rented out for apartments, many tenants reported strange noises and seeing a young girl walking around. A keeper in the 1950’s even refused to live in the house, trading his living quarters to a Coast Guardsman stationed on-site. There is the mysterious Man In Blue who haunts the basement, and employees of a gift shop located in the house attributed objects being moved and noises being made to local poltergeist, Andrew. And the tower, itself, is rife with footsteps and disembodied voices. Be wary when you visit this lighthouse. Perhaps you will be its next tragedy!

Some people would gladly tell you that New Zealand’s capital hosts one of the most haunted theaters in the world. The current building was erected in 1912, and if you are given the opportunity to see a performance there, you might meet Yuri. Legend holds that Yuri was a Russian performer who was unfortunate enough to fall to his death from above the stage. Or perhaps he was murdered? Some believe that a fellow Russian performer pushed him. Regardless of the identity of the ghost or its reason for sticking around, plenty of people will attest to its existence. Yuri loves to mess around with the lights, his favorite thing to do being turning all of the lights back on after the theater has been locked up for the night. But Yuri is among friends at the theater. The aptly named Wailing Woman also calls St. James her stomping ground, and cries and moans and, you guessed it, wails throughout the theater. In life, she was poorly received during a performance, which she took to heart, and proceeded to off herself in the dressing room. A boys choir is also at home in the theater – they played their last show at the St. James Theater before setting sail for a tour before the Second World War. Their ship was never seen again. With all the tragic events that have allegedly plagued the theater, it isn’t much of stretch to see why stories of haunting persist to this day.

Sometimes, the legends of the ghosts and spirits haunting a location must take a backseat to the horrifying facts. At 8:50 a.m., February 1st, 1974, an air conditioning unit overheated, and started a fire in the high rise. The building was one giant fire hazard, from the desks, to the chairs, to the curtains, even the ceiling. All made from flammable materials. There was only one stairwell and the building lacked fire alarms, emergency lights and exits and a sprinkler system. There were 756 people inside.

The fire made the stairwell impassable above the 11th floor, and despite typical fire protocol, firefighters began evacuating the occupants using the elevators. About 170 people made their way to the roof, in hopes of being picked up by helicopter, but there was no place to land, and the smoke was keeping aerial rescues out of the picture anyway. Of the 170 on the roof, 80 hid under the floor tiles. Only these people were found alive on the roof after the fire was put out. Another 40 people jumped, or fell, to their deaths. The fire burned itself out by 10:30 a.m., allowing police and firefighters to tally the death toll: 179 souls perished in the fire. The building underwent four years of rebuilding, and was renamed Praca de Bandeira after the square it faces. The current building is rumored to be heavily haunted by those consumed by the flames.

It takes something special to be billed as Australia’s most haunted house, and boy, is this place special. The year 1885 saw the construction of the house by Mr. Christopher William Crawley. The house remained occupied by the family until 1948, and stood vacant until 1963. It is now a museum and tourist attraction where visitors can stop in to witness one of the mansion’s seven alleged spirits. Mrs. Crawley herself is said to roam the chapel where she spent many hours of her life after Mr. Crawley died. A woman in period clothes calls the verandah home. Perhaps she is the maid who was unfortunate enough to fall to her death from the balcony. If you look at the stairs below, you can see the discoloration from where her bloodstains were bleached off. At least three deaths are associated with the second story alone. Two of these deaths include Mr. Crawley’s fatal blood poisoning and a woman who died during childbirth. The place is lousy with disembodied footsteps stomping around on hardwood floors, which is made eerier by the fact that the entire house is now carpeted. Objects move by themselves, and faces are seen peering through second story windows, with no balcony or supports outside. A young stable boy was asleep in his quarters in the stable, and was too ill to get up for work one day. His boss didn’t believe him, and in an act of pure stupidity, set fire to the boy’s bed to rouse him from his ‘illness’. Turns out the boy was telling the truth, and was burnt to a crisp. A mentally challenged man was kept shackled for forty years, until he was found curled up near his mother’s dead body, and was sent away to an insane asylum. And since the Victorian era isn’t the only one ripe for creating ghosts, it would be best to mention that, in 1961, a young man, inspired by the recently released movie Psycho, murdered one of the caretakers (living on the grounds) and carved “DIE JACK HA HA” into the door. The inscription remains to this day.

We have all heard stories about ghostly hitchhikers. But have you heard of the most famous one? I’m speaking about Resurrection Mary. In 1934, sixteen-year-old Mary was a regular at the O’Henry Ballroom, which still stands today (although it is now the Willow-brook). She got into an argument with her boyfriend on the dance floor, and left the ballroom. She was walking home along Archer Avenue, and right about the time she was passing Resurrection Cemetery, a car swerved out of control, and struck and killed her. Her family was heartbroken and had her buried in the cemetery she lost her life in front of, still in her dancing gown and shoes. And that is how this story ends. Until five years later, at least….

It was now 1939, and Jerry Palus was yet another regular at the O’Henry. He spotted a beautiful blonde girl across the room, and asked her to dance. They danced the entire night, with the young lady barely uttering a word. He offered her a ride home when the night was through, and she accepted. When they were passing Resurrection Cemetery, she quickly told him to stop and let her out there, instead of taking her to the address she had given him. She disappeared at the gates. The next night, Jerry went to the address that was supposed to be her final destination. The woman said there was no girl that lived there, and he was mistaken. He spotted a picture on the mantlepiece of the young lady he had danced with the entire night. The woman explained that she was her daughter, and that she had been dead for five years. To this day, people see the girl walking along the road. They give her rides, only for her to disappear from the vehicle. Some say they have danced with her, others claim to have even kissed her. On one memorable event, in 1977, somebody even claims to have seen a girl behind the cemetery gate, grasping the bars in what can only be described as a death grip, and screaming in pure terror. The man who witnessed this traveled to a police station. When the authorities arrived, there was no sign of anybody. But the two metal bars she had appeared to be gripping were bent and twisted, with what seemed to be finger marks embedded in them. The bars were removed, and it was determined that such distortion could only be achieved through extreme heat and pressure. They eventually reformed and replaced the bars, but they consistently revert back to the charred and mangled state.

Breathtakingly perched 2,500 feet high in the Vosges Mountains of France, the Mont Sainte-Odile monastery dates back to the 7th century A.D. Its library has, for centuries, housed many rare and ancient books, but in 2003 something peculiar began happening. Many of these books began to seemingly vanish. Since the room was soundly locked and off limits to the public, it was a complete mystery as to where these books were disappearing. After police were called in, they eventually found that a section of bookcase swung back to reveal a hidden passageway. With a security camera then set up, a local teacher, Stanislas Gosse, was arrested soon thereafter. Apparently, he had stumbled upon a map to the secret passage in the city archives and decided to embark on his own adventure. In order to steal the books, he climbed over the exterior walls of the monastery then accessed hidden stairways that snaked toward a centuries-old, long-forgotten medieval passageway which led directly to the swinging bookcase in the library. It is believed that the passage was originally built to allow senior monks to eavesdrop on the younger monks’ conversations, being held in the library. As for Gosse, he commented that he stole the books because he felt they had been “abandoned” and he also wanted a “thrill.” 1,000 of the monastery’s books were found safely in his small apartment.

In Prohibition-era New York City in the 1920s, many speakeasies sprung up across the city to offer thirsty citizens illegal alcohol and good times. But one of them, the 21 Club, may have been the most clever of them all. The owners also owned the building next door, and used this as a means to hide their vast liquor supply in its cellar. This secret storage room was concealed by an enormous door that was designed to appear as a simple, cement wall. The door weighed a massive two-and-a-half tons, and could only be opened by inserting an 18-inch length of wire into one of the various cracks in the cement. With some muscle, the door would swing open into the basement next door, which housed hundreds of bottles of booze. Thanks to this secret room, and a system of levers used to tip shelves and drop bottles into the sewers below, neither the owners nor patrons were ever caught, even though the 21 Club was raided by police several times. During Prohibition, many celebrities and important political figures were known to imbibe in the secret cellar – including the mayor of NYC.

On the picturesque British island of Jersey, in the English Channel, the disturbing secrets of the Haut de la Garenne children’s home were made public, in 2008. After reports of abuse, rumors of exceedingly grim findings followed. An underground network of four, underground chambers were unearthed after an extensive police investigation, and what was discovered inside of them shocked not only the island, but the whole world as well. There were reports of shackles, juvenile bone and teeth remains, and shallow baths with traces of blood. It was down in these subterranean rooms where the children of the home were “punished”. It was stated that such abuse and murder took place from the 1940s to the 1980s, with the bulk of it occurring in the 60s. From various interviews and research, it was determined that “bad behavior” was met with floggings, druggings, sexual assault and solitary confinement in these terrible rooms. As if that wasn’t enough, notorious serial sex attacker, Edward Paisnel, also known as the “Beast of Jersey”, was also said to make visits to Haut de la Garenne to carry out his nefarious crimes. The accounts of abuse and murder now make up a long list, since many victims have come forward years later. The only positive effect to result from these horrors is that the island of Jersey has now taken legal steps to ensure that atrocities like this never occur again even though many of the initial horror stories have since been found to be exaggerations or completely untrue.

During WWII, a number of British and French soldiers were held as POWs in Germany’s Colditz Castle. It was in the attic of this castle where a notably impressive escape was planned and crafted. Led by British Lieutenant, Tony Rolt, and pilots, Bill Goldfinch and Jack Best, the small team of prisoners constructed a false wall and ceiling out of wooden shutters and mud, which created a hidden room in the attic. It was here that work on a secret glider commenced. Amazingly, their German captors did not even notice this newly-build room whenever they entered the space. Painstakingly, a flyable glider was built from no more than scraps of materials they found around the portion of the castle in which they were held. Able to get onto the roof with their creation, named the Colditz Cock, the escape launch was scheduled for the spring of 1945. However, the POW camp was liberated by American forces just before the planned date of escape.

Although the name of this edifice sounds malevolent, it actually was a source of hope about 150-160 years ago. Located in Fountain City, Indiana, this was a small, brick home owned by Quaker, and abolitionist, Levi Coffin. The home contained many secret spaces, including a small, hidden room off the bedroom. Although the structure itself was nothing profound, what occurred there certainly was. It was in this diminutive room where Coffin successfully hid 2,000 escaped slaves who were following the path of the Underground Railroad, before the start of the American Civil War. Over the course of 20 years, these fugitive slaves would hole up in the room for, possibly, weeks as they prepared for the next leg of their journey to freedom. One slave’s experience in particular, known only as Eliza, was included in the classic novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Because every slave Levi Coffin assisted eventually made their way to freedom, he became known as the “President of the Underground Railroad”.

Dating back to 1277, the Passetto di Borgo was a secret passageway, approximately 800 meters long, atop the old Vatican wall linking Vatican City to the Castel Sant’Angelo, or Mausoleum of Hadrian, in Rome. Commissioned by Pope Nicholas III, it provided a crucial escape route for a number of subsequent popes. In 1494, Pope Alexander VI used it to escape an invasion by Charles VIII (It is also rumored that he used it to surreptitiously visit some of his lovers), and Pope Clement VII fled through it in 1527, during the Sack of Rome. Readers of author Dan Brown may also remember that the passageway played a part in his novel “Angels & Demons”. Today, the Passetto di Borgo is not so much of a secret, and is open to tourists. Legend has it that if a man runs 77 times up and down the passageway, he will get his lost virility back.

Discovered in November of 2010, this elaborate passageway spans 2,200 feet long and is equipped with a small rail system, ventilation and fluorescent lighting. It connects the kitchen of a home in Tijuana, Mexico, to two warehouses in an industrial district in San Diego, California. Believed to be the work of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, which is headed by the country’s most-wanted drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the passage was used to transport massive amounts of marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States. Located off the passage is a hidden staircase leading to a room 50 feet underground which housed an enormous amount of marijuana. Overall, more than 20 tons of marijuana was seized by U.S. and Mexican law enforcement. Many clandestine passages along the two countries’ border have been found since the early 90s, but this recently uncovered one is, by far, the most complex and complete.

Built in 1913, Grand Central Terminal, in New York City, is the largest train station in the world, in terms of number of platforms. Therefore, it’s only natural that there be various hidden nooks, corners and spaces, such as the network of underground tracks, storage areas and tunnels. Weaved amidst them all is an unlisted train platform, known as Track 61, with a secret entrance and passageway leading to an elevator going straight up to the world-famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel. This furtive passage was what President Franklin D. Roosevelt used as his private entrance into Manhattan. It was a way of avoiding the pesky questions and flashbulbs of reporters and of going straight from his train to his hotel. In addition, it shielded the public from witnessing, in plain view, his polio affliction. Today, the entrance to this long-forgotten passage is welded shut, as millions of people per year scramble just feet away all around it.

Another very recent discovery (November, 2010), this hidden chamber lies in the Indian National Library, housed in the Belvedere House, in Calcutta. As the building was undergoing restoration this year, the Archaeology Survey of India discovered the location of a mysterious large room, around 1,000 square feet in size. What makes it so mysterious is that they cannot find an entrance to the room, even after searching every square inch of the ceiling and walls that make up the enclosure. What was found was an arch on one side that was walled up at some point. Since the Belvedere House was home to British Governors then Lt. Governors during British colonial rule, there are some interesting theories as to what may be behind the chamber’s walls. Apparently, it was common practice among the British at the time to “wall up” offenders in “death chambers”, and that’s one speculation, since some sources say the room seems to have the same dimensions that such a chamber would have had. Others say that it may contain hidden treasures since the British of that time were also known to hide their riches in so called “blind chambers”. A colonial Governor or Lieutenant Governor definitely would have been a wealthy man, so it’s a valid hypothesis. Since a wall cannot be demolished due to the historic importance of the building, archaeologists are currently waiting on permission from India’s Ministry of Culture before they bore a hole through the wall to peer inside with a searchlight.

He is known as America’s first serial killer. Born Herman Webster Mudgett, H.H. Holmes was an abject degenerate of a human being. Using dirty money he attained from unscrupulous activities, such as insurance fraud and the occasional murder-for-hire, he constructed a large building in Chicago and ran it as a hotel/hostel, in 1893. In addition, he ran a drug store on the same street which helped him become a respected member of the community. However, his ostensible integrity hid a sinister monster. It turns out that, for years, his building was the site of grisly and gruesome murders carried out at his hands. After his ultimate arrest, it was discovered that “The Murder Castle”, as it became known, contained many architectural oddities such as hidden staircases and trap doors, allowing Holmes to enter guests’ rooms. The most macabre hidden area, however, was the dissection room and crematorium, located in the basement into which victims’ bodies were thrown via a chute from upper floors. This room was a “laboratory” of torture devices, tombs and surgical devices and became publicly known as the “Chamber of Horrors”. It is believed that no fewer than 50 women were slaughtered in unimaginable ways there.