A nix is a water creature of Scandinavian folklore which can transform into many shapes.
It’s often depicted as an aquatic monster that takes the shape of a gray, horse-like creature with inverted hoofs.
The Nykur often appears on the lakeshore, with half its body in the water, and looks to be quite tame to its unsuspecting victims. It tries to lure them into the water.
I passed by on the road on a dark, rainy, windy day — surprised to see the horse in the water.
In the lake of Sørvágsvatn/Leitisvatn, this statue was unveiled November 2017.
Local sculptor and artist Pól Skarðenni built it.
Of course this is only one of many myths of Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, is widely known as the “City of Statues” for hundreds of monumental sculptures.
In order to attract tourists to this little known city, in 2014 the city spent a LOT of money they didn’t have to revamp the city centre building historically inaccurate neoclassical buildings and monuments.
Locals argued that money should have gone to schools, hospitals, or infrastructure. And trash removal !
Many contracts were awarded without public tenders or open competition, leading to widespread accusations of corruption and money laundering.
In any case, all these huge statues are weird and wonderful for the tourist.
In 1963, an earthquake destroyed roughly 80% of the city. Spearheaded by a United Nations-backed master plan from Japanese architect Kenzō Tange, the city was rebuilt using raw concrete (béton brut). Designed to withstand the next earthquake — and reflect the (boring) socialist aesthetic.
I do like these immersive audio video attractions.
Arte Museum is a South Korean immersive art franchise.
… self-guided exhibits spread across thousands of square feet. They use projection mapping, multi-image control, and sensor-based interaction technology …
I wandered the many rooms for about an hour.
When I visited their Las Vegas location in 2026, the current exhibit was partnering with the band BTS.
One room feature a 15-minute montage of some of the boy band hits. Visuals great. I wasn’t much impressed by the music, however.
As of September 2025, Arte Museum had received over 10 million visitors globally.
More interesting than both, for me, is this quirky candy / ice cream shop called Miyahara. A historic building transformed into a luxurious dessert and souvenir store with a Harry Potter-esque interior.
Though an urban sprawl, here and there are some interesting architectural treats.
Train station, for example.
SOME green space. Not as much as I would like.
There are some interesting attractions outside the city, but I found public transportation not nearly as convenient as in Taipei.
With the main prasada tower soaring up to 47 metres high, a vast walled temple complex consists of 240 structures is today mostly in ruins. Only a few of those have been restored.
One big difference from Borobudur is that you can enter some of the temples here.
Very few tourists leave the main temple area. The rest I had almost to myself.
Somehow the jumble of original stone suits the confusing Hindu storylines of this vast site.
The temples were mysteriously abandoned near the half of the 10th century.
In 1918, the Dutch colonial government began the reconstruction of the compound; however, proper restoration only commenced in 1930.
I’m quite certain it will never be completely restored.
For 30 years I’ve been trying to get to Indonesia to see impressive Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world.
I’d rank Borobudur alongside the Pyramids of Egypt, Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, Bagan in Myanmar, Petra, and the Pyramids of Mexico & Central America.
Running out of time on my 30 day visa to the nation, I splurged on a 13 hour private guided tour which included this highlight.
My guide got me #1 in line to visit Borobudur! I finally finished 1st in something! 😀
If alone, I could have rushed up to the top like a winner.
HOWEVER, everyone is guided in groups here. My guide was excellent.
Everyone must wear gifted sandals. They seriously do not work for people with bunions.
The site has been vastly improved in recent years. There’s some lovely landscaping, including many lotus flowers, a symbol in Buddhism.
There are 2 kinds of tickets: structure and ground. The ground tickets only allow wandering outside the Temple. Structure ticket holders get to climb the temple. Numbers are limited each day.
Of course everyone is keen to get the tour over with so they can scramble for photos. Me included. 😀
Though much of the stone had been vandalized and looted over the decades, there are still many impressive carved stories.
Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth.
Jodipan Colorful Village is often called by tourists the Rainbow Village.
This was a slum area in the city of Malang, Indonesia, ready to be demolished. All residents relocated.
However, a group of students from a university in Malang came up with the idea to give the area a fresh and remarkable splash of paint in the hope of attracting the attention of tourists.
In June 2016, the Air Force troopspainted the entire village (named Jodipan), and directly after it became a major tourist attraction.
Rick McCharles 