By Hema Vaishnavi:
It’s of common notion that every place on planet earth is a haven for humans, where mother earth welcomes you with open arms. The following places wrong this very notion, as they are not just unwelcome to any human presence but some might also prove fatal to your existence. While we hear everyone talk about the places one must visit, here we take a look at those places that one should never visit
The Bigelow Ranch:
Situated in Uintah Basin of Utah, the United States, it is also known as the ‘Skinwalker’ ranch. The word skinwalker comes from the name of the creatures that are known to have disturbed the sanctity of this place and now hold this place hostage. The once owners of this place, Terry and Gwen Sherman tell the world of the gruesome experiences that were they went through and tell us why one should never visit this place. In a very strange sighting a team of researchers, saw a bright door that opened out of nowhere as a large humanoid creature crept out of the portal only to quickly vanish from the spot. In another such strange sight, a dog vanished after chasing a ball of light and circular burn mark was found on the ground where the dog was last seen. Several animals are known to have been mutilated, obliterated or simply disappeared. In other unearthly experiences, some of the visitors were accosted by a roaring but invisible creature, and some of the researchers claim that they were taken over by some kind of intelligence that asked them to leave the place. UFO’s are a common sight in this place, as the tribes claim they have seen aliens crawl out of sprawling spaceships. The local tribes say the skinwalkers are powerful spirits that haunt this place because of the curse put on them generations ago. Now, this sure seems like one place that you definitely wouldn’t want to visit, unless you want to evoke the wrath of the skinwalkers.
Dallol volcanoes of Ethiopia
The name, Dallol, in the local language of the Afar people, literally means disintegrated. This place holds the highest average temperature of 34° C, irradiates the colours white, yellow, green, and red ocher, which is due to the strong presence of sulphur, iron oxide, and other mineral salts. Surrounding this volcano are acidic hot springs, mountains of sulphur, pillars of salt, small geysers and pools of acid isolated by salt bridges. What is described as a ghost town, the town Dallol does not claim any population and no means of transportation whatsoever. Only people go on camel caravans to salt from the place. Making it the weirdest place on earth, one doesn’t really see point in visiting such a place unless one wants to die by some chemical asphyxiation.
Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
The most infamous, the most dangerous and the dirtiest slum in the world, these are the titles earned by the slum known as ‘Cite Soleil’ in the capital city of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. The city known as the ‘Sun City’ is far from being one, as it lacks even basic amenities for its people, with virtually no sewers and electricity. The United Nations Peacekeeping forces tried in to access the area, but all in vain. They were met by gunfire. Such is the state of this forsaken place, where murder, rape, molestation and such outright lynches are commonplace, with armed gangs roaming in the streets of the slum. It is known that many dangerous gang members and prisoners escaped prison during the earthquake of 2010 and have returned to this slum. Now, would you really want to visit this place that virtually speaks of life in peril?
Aokigahara Forest, Japan
This mountain located at the bottom of Mt. Fuji, is known for the number of suicides that this place has witnessed. Hundreds of Japanese people have hanged themselves from the numerous trees of Aokigahara. This place, has its bizarre connection with the Japanese mythological demons is believed to be haunted by the spirits of those people who have lost their lives in this forest. While some others believe that the sins of those spirits have permeated into the land and have generated paranormal activity, some of unsuspecting visitors tell the stories of ghastly spirits and eerie white, shifting forms gliding past the trees. By the looks and the thought of it, this place surely doesn’t seem like a spot that will ensure you a gala time, so better strike it off your bucket list.
The Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic
The most unusual Catholic Church that man has ever seen, the walls of which are adorned with around 70,000 human skeletons. It was in the year 1870 when a high priest had come to a realisation that the Sedlec graveyard kept growing and came up with a solution. It was then that human bones were first used to artistically design and adorn the walls of this Church. A massive skull coat of arms adorns the entrance and a chandelier that is practically made out of every bone of the human body aren’t the only things that have overwhelmed its visitors in the past, ghost photos, unusual sightings and strange feelings are often reported by visitors. Despite attempts at keeping the creepiness away, the place still bags the title of being one of most haunted places and continues scare off its visitors.
The Death Road, Bolivia
Also known as the Road of Fate, the North Yungas road has a reputation of being the most dangerous road in the world. The road which runs 61 kilometres from La Paz to Coroico in Bolivia is known to claim around 300 deaths every year. With numerous potholes and cracks in the road, the Yungas road is merely 3 meters wide and is a treasure of all kinds of hazards like extreme drop-offs, constant fog, tropical downpours, landslides, loose rocks and limited visibility. The uncanny thing about this place is the fact that its infamous reputation for being dangerous has made it a popular tourist destination, but many often say that such a risky vacation often comes with a price.
Ilha De Queimada Grande, Brazil
The Snake Island of Brazil, home to the most venomous snakes on the planet is considered the deadliest place on earth with almost no evidence of human presence. The presence of venomous snakes such as the Golden Lancehead and Pit Viper has made this almost unreachable. The golden lanceheads that occupy Snake Island grow to well over half a meter long, and they possess a powerful fast-acting poison that melts the flesh around their bites. The venom that these snakes inject can kill the person almost at once. It is estimated that there are about five snakes for every square metre of land. Well, not really a point to visit when death lurks at about every feet from you, don’t you think?
Catacombs, France
A very ironical existence; the presence of a place known to be haunted, in the city of love. The Catacombs of France is yet another ossuary that houses the dead along the walls of the city’s underground passageways. It is often said that the dead have their way of letting the world know of their disappointments, and the Catacombs of Paris seems to have witnessed the wrath of the dead as many tourists and visitors report of being grabbed or have felt a ghost touching them. Some of them are even said to be overcome by the experience and passed out from the fear of the unknown presence. Many paranormal sightings, ghostly orbs, ecto mists and shadow spectres out of nowhere are known to appear.
Alnwick Poison garden, England
A one-of-a-kind garden that is entirely devoted to the growing of plants that can kill. This Poison garden can boast of some of the deadliest plants in the world, from the poisonous Atropa belladonna (also known as deadly nightshade) to the Giant Pitcher Plant, this place has it all. Although the Poison Garden is a recent addition, the history of the Alnwick Gardens goes back to 1750, following centuries’ old tradition of botanical interest in poisonous and toxic plants. The place is known to have been inspired by the Garden in Padua, Italy which was once used by the Medici’s to find better ways to kill their enemies.
The Bermuda Triangle
While many consider this region as non-existential, the corners of this region are formed by the island of Bermuda, Puerto Rico and the south-eastern coast of Florida. What make this place mysterious and dangerous are the happenings associated with it. It is said that more than 50 ships and 20 planes are known to have disappeared while trying to traverse this region. Such strange happenings, unusual sightings, the rumoured activity of UFOs and extraterrestrial beings have given rise to speculations which try to solve the mystery that surrounds this unearthly place.