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  • 6
    days
    ago

    Giant rubber ducky's not-so-lucky ending

    Vincent Yu / AP

    A worker stands on a deflated rubber duck created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor Wednesday, May 15. The 16.5-meter (54-foot)-tall inflatable rubber duck which attracted visitors to the harbor, has been deflated since Tuesday evening.

    Tyrone Siu / Reuters

    A deflated Rubber Duck by Dutch conceptual artist Florentijn Hofman floats on Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, with the island skyline looming at the background, May 14. The 16.5-meter-high inflatable sculpture, which made its first public appearance in the territory on May 2, will be shown at the Ocean Terminal for a month. The Rubber Duck was deflated after some of its parts broke.

    Bobby Yip / Reuters

    Students watch as Rubber Duck by Dutch conceptual artist Florentijn Hofman floats near Ocean Terminal at Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour on May 2. The 16.5-meter-high inflatable sculpture, which made its first public appearance in the territory on Thursday, will be shown at the Ocean Terminal for a month.

    A six-story-tall duck is floating in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor to "bring a message of peace and harmony." NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

     From AP:  Hong Kong- A worker stands on a deflated rubber duck created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor Wednesday, May 15. The 16.5-meter (54-foot)-tall inflatable rubber duck which attracted visitors to the harbor, has been deflated since Tuesday evening.

    See more pictures of the giant, rubber duck on PhotoBlog

    Comment

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  • 7
    days
    ago

    Chile celebrates centenary of remarkable railway

    Claudio Santana / Pool via EPA

    An aerial picture shows part of the route of the Arica-La Paz railway during its centennial commemoration, in Chile on May 13, 2013.

    One of the world's most remarkable railway lines celebrated its centenary on Monday. The 273-mile track traverses desert and mountain landscapes as it rises from sea-level in the Chilean port of Arica to a height of 13,800 feet en route to the Bolivian city of La Paz.

    Claudio Santana / AFP - Getty Images

    Inaugurated on May 13, 1913, the line has a colorful history and remains a source of controversy, according to a report by BBC News:

    The railway was built by Chile to compensate Bolivia for its loss of land during the 1879-1883 War of the Pacific.

    Chile won the war and annexed a swathe of Bolivian land roughly the size of Greece, leaving Bolivia landlocked.

    The idea behind the railway was to give Bolivia access to the sea for its exports. It cost Chile £2.75m to build - around £195m ($300m) in today's money.

    The Bolivians still demand sovereignty over at least a part of their former Pacific coastline, and last month took their case to the International Court in The Hague.

    Claudio Santana / Pool via EPA

    A conductor waits for passengers in Arica on May 13, 2013. Passenger services stopped running on the line in 1996, according to the BBC, but a special train ran to mark the railway's centenary.

    Claudio Santana / Pool via EPA

    Passengers ride on the Arica-La Paz railway during its centennial commemoration on May 13, 2013.

    Claudio Santana / Pool via EPA

    Passengers wait to board a train in Arica on May 13, 2013.

    Claudio Santana / Pool via EPA

    Follow @NBCNewsPictures

    2 comments

    Yes, it would be an interesting ride, and very scenic. However, adequate rail service requires political will, which seems to be missing in Bolivia today. They prefer polluting busses and trucks, and busses often fall off the mountains, killing many.

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    Explore related topics: travel, bolivia, americas, train, chile, railway, world-news, transport
  • 8
    May
    2013
    9:48am, EDT

    Former front line and military base now a tourist spot

    Pichi Chuang / Reuters

    Tourists on traditional boats sail in the Beihai military water tunnels on the island of Nangan in the Matsu archipelago, off northern Taiwan, May 8.

    Pichi Chuang / Reuters

    The Beigan airport is seen from the Mt. Bi on the island of Beigan in the Matsu archipelago, off northern Taiwan, May 8. The Matsu archipelago, which was a front line against China, is now a military tourist spot.

    Pichi Chuang / Reuters

    Soldiers prepare to operate a U.S.-made 240 mm Howitzer M1 during a military drill on Nangan in the Matsu archipelago, off northern Taiwan, May 8.

    Pichi Chuang / Reuters

    A soldier prepares to operate a U.S.-made 240mm Howitzer M1 during a military drill on Nangan in the Matsu archipelago, off northern Taiwan, May 8.

     

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  • 6
    Apr
    2013
    12:59pm, EDT

    Tourists return to Sri Lanka for whale watching

    David Loh / Reuters

    A snorkeler swims towards sperm whales diving into the sea off the coast of Mirissa, Sri Lanka, March 29.

    The southern tip of Sri Lanka, where the waters of the continental shelf are close to shore, is one of the few locations in the world to see dolphins, sperm whales and other creatures of the deep up close. Tourists have been returning to the island since the civil war ended there in 2009 to enjoy its natural beauty and catch a rare glimpse of the elusive whales.

    David Loh / Reuters

    Tourist boats, carrying whale watchers, surround a pod of resting sperm whales in the Indian ocean off the coast of southern Sri Lanka.

    David Loh / Reuters

    The fluke of a sperm whale sticks out of the sea as it dives among other resting whales off the coast of Mirissa, Sri Lanka.

     

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  • 5
    Apr
    2013
    4:07am, EDT

    Nowhere over the rainbow for Sydney gay crossing

    David Gray / Reuters

    A pedestrian walks across a rainbow pedestrian crossing painted on Sydney's Oxford Street, the city's main gay district, on April 4, 2013.

    By Michael Sin, Reuters

    Officials have ordered the removal of a rainbow pedestrian crossing painted on a street in Sydney's main gay district, setting off fierce debate in a city known for its annual Mardi Gras gay pride event, one of Australia's main tourist draws.

    Tracey Nearmy / EPA, file

    New South Wales police officers take part in the 35th Sydney Mardi Gras parade on March 2, 2013. The annual LGBT pride parade and festival carries on from the gay rights marches held annually since 1978 after numerous participants had been contentiously arrested by New South Wales State Police.

    Controversy over the crossing, painted in February to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the annual gay festival, is pitting those proud of Sydney's reputation for tolerance, such as gay former tennis star Martina Navratilova, against government officials who say it is a safety hazard.

    The colorful stripes on Oxford Street were originally intended to remain for a month after the Mardi Gras in March, but the crossing has become something of a magnet for tourists, prompting calls to maintain it as a celebration of gay pride. Read the full story.

    Tracey Nearmy / EPA, file

    Revellers take part in the 35th Sydney Mardi Gras parade on March 2, 2013.

    Follow @NBCNewsPictures

    A rainbow-colored pedestrian crossing in Sydney has been removed, angering the gay community. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

    Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

    56 comments

    Sad that they use the beautiful colors of the rainbow to represent something so devious and dispicable....truly sad.

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  • 29
    Mar
    2013
    10:20am, EDT

    Darth Vader, Alien among revelers at Holy Week celebrations in Peru

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A boy poses for a picture with people wearing costumes of famous sci-fi movie characters during the Canaan fair, which is part of the Holy Week events in Ayacucho, Peru, on March 28, 2013. Catholics around the world commemorate Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday before celebrating his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    An indigenous woman walks at the Canaan fair.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Living statues perform in front of a church as part of the Holy Week celebrations in Ayacucho.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A dog rides a carousel during the Canaan fair.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A boy rests during the Canaan fair.

    Read more about Semana Santa in Ayacucho at about.com and see more of Rodrigo Abd's work on PhotoBlog:

    Divided by class, Peruvians united in love of beach

    Follow @NBCNewsPictures

    Actors gather at the shores of the Rimac River in Lima, Peru, to re-enact the baptism of Jesus Christ for Holy Week celebrations. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

    1 comment

    Why not ? Catholics in Peru are Catholics too ! Oh holy mixed metaphors and fractured fairy tales, it's all as," clear as mud but it covers the ground and the confusion spreads all around."

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    Explore related topics: travel, peru, americas, fair, world-news, easter, holy-week, ayacucho
  • 26
    Mar
    2013
    6:04pm, EDT

    Stars in the sand at annual sculpture festival

    Matt Cardy / Getty Images

    Matt Cardy / Getty Images

    Sand sculptor Radavan Zivny works on a sculpture of Gollum.

    A sand sculptor works on a "Harry Potter"-themed sculpture as pieces are prepared for this year's Hollywood-themed annual Weston Sand Sculpture Festival on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in Weston-super-Mare, England.

    Twenty award-winning sand sculptors from around the globe are working to create sand sculptures including Harry Potter, Marilyn Monroe and characters from the "Star Wars" films as part of the town's movie-themed festival on the beach, which is due to open on Good Friday.

    Video: The sculptors at work during the 2010 World Championship of Sand Sculpting

    Matt Cardy / Getty Images

    A sand sculptor works on a "Jurassic Park"-themed sculpture.

    Follow @NBCNewsPictures

     

    1 comment

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  • Updated
    22
    Mar
    2013
    5:02am, EDT

    Divided by class, Peruvians united in love of beach

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A man is silhouetted in a wading pool as he cleans it out in the ocean waters off Agua Dulce beach in Lima, Peru.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Beach goers wade on the shoreline of Agua Dulce beach, in Lima, Peru during summertime in the southern hemisphere.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Karina Alvarado and David Enriquez pose for a picture with their daughter at Agua Dulce beach. For five Peruvian soles or about two U.S. dollars beach goers can pose for a photo in front of backdrops of their choice that include forest landscapes, exotic beach scenes or atop horses.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Lifeguards attend to Belen Godinez on"Agua Dulce" beach after she was saved from drowning in the ocean in Lima, Peru.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A woman snacks on mango fruit as her grandson plays nearby on Agua Dulce beach in Lima, Peru.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    Adela Cabrera, 19, poses for a picture on a horse at Agua Dulce beach in Lima, Peru. For five Peruvian soles or about two U.S. dollars beach goers can pose for a photo to record their day at the beach.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A man opens a can of peaches on Agua Dulce beach in Lima, Peru.

    While Lima's elite spend their summer weekends in gated beach enclaves south of the Peruvian capital, the working class jams by the thousands on a single municipal beach of grayish-brown sands and gentle waves.

    Until the mid-20th century, Lima's lower classes couldn't afford beach-going, said Juan Pacheco, a historian of the city. Road-building to the coast solved that, and the rich began to largely abandon Lima's beaches to the poorer set.

    Now, the only barrier to entry to Agua Dulce beach is two dollars, the price of bus fare to get there and home.

    On some weekends during the Southern Hemisphere summer, which runs from December until March, as many as 40,000 people a day visit the half-mile-long strip of beach. They arrive in groups of 20-30, hauling enormous pots of fragrant chicken and rice.
    – Associated Press

    Editor’s Note: The images for this blog post were shot from January to March, but made available to NBC News today.

    Rodrigo Abd / AP

    A man walks along the shoreline next to a message in the sand that reads in Spanish "I love you Alfonzo,

    Follow @NBCNewsPictures

    This story was originally published on Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:29 PM EDT

    4 comments

    The beach looks filthy, look at all the trash.....With that many people in the water and on the beach I would never go into that water. Image all the germs floating around from them relieving themselves in the water. I would hate to have to clean up after this bunch left.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: travel, weather, peru, americas, beach, world-news, featured, beaches, summer, lima, updated
  • 12
    Mar
    2013
    1:06pm, EDT

    Feeding of whale sharks attracts tourists, criticism

    David Loh / Reuters

    A juvenile whale shark approaches a feeder on a paddleboat off the beach of Tan-awan, Oslob, in the southern Philippines island of Cebu February 28.

    David Loh / Reuters

    Whale sharks looking for food approach paddleboats off the beach of Tan-awan, Oslob, in the southern Philippines island of Cebu, March 1.

    David Loh / Reuters

    A whale shark approaches a feeder boat off the beach of Tan-awan, Oslob, in the southern Philippines island of Cebu March 1.

    David Loh / Reuters

    Snorkelers swim next to a whale shark as it approaches a feeder boat off the beach of Tan-awan, Oslob, in the southern Philippines island of Cebu March 1. Tan-awan, in the southern Philippines island of Cebu, used to be a sleepy village that never saw tourists unless they were lost or in transit. Yet now they flock there by the hundreds - to swim with whale sharks, the world's largest fish. Whale sharks are lured to the Tan-awan coastline of the Oslob district by fishermen who hand feed them small shrimp, drawing divers and snorkelers to see the highly sought-after animals, known as gentle giants of the sea. But the practice has sparked fierce debate on the internet and among biologists, who decry it as unnatural.

    By David Loh, Reuters

    Tan-awan, in the southern Philippines island of Cebu, used to be a sleepy village that never saw tourists unless they were lost or in transit. Yet now they flock there by the hundreds - to swim with whale sharks, the world's largest fish.

    Whale sharks are lured to the Tan-awan coastline of the Oslob district by fishermen who hand feed them small shrimp, drawing divers and snorkelers to see the highly sought-after animals, known as gentle giants of the sea.But the practice has sparked fierce debate on the internet and among biologists, who decry it as unnatural.

    "Some people are asking that we stop feeding, but if we stop feeding, what is our livelihood?" said Ramonito Lagahid, vice chairman of the Tan-awan Oslob Sea Warden and Fishermen Association (TOSWFA). "We have to go back to fishing." Continue reading.

    Follow @NBCNewsPictures

    8 comments

    I'm glad that biologists are concerned, but it seems they are overreacting before any investigation.

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  • 8
    Mar
    2013
    12:55am, EST

    Rowing on the Yarra River

    Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

    Rowers are seen on the water during an afternoon training session on the Yarra River, March 6, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia.

    Comment

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  • 22
    Feb
    2013
    11:30pm, EST

    650m of awesomeness: World's longest waterslide in Auckland

    Phil Walter / Getty Images

    People enjoy the muddy thrills and spills on a waterslide dug into a hillside in Waimauku on Feb. 23, 2013 in Auckland, New Zealand. Only 2000 people will have the honor of riding the water slides, with one measuring 650 meters long built by New Zealanders Jimi Hunt and Dan Drupstee, of the "Live more Awesome" charity this weekend. The world's longest slide will be open for only two days to  raise funds and awareness of depression.

    Phil Walter / Getty Images

    People enjoy the muddy thrills and spills.

    Phil Walter / Getty Images

    People enjoy the muddy thrills and spills on a waterslide dug into a hillside in Waimauku.

    2 comments

    Looks like Italy's version of Duck Dynasty!! Where's Si, Phil and Willie when you need them. Red Gravy for Red Necks

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    Explore related topics: travel, new-zealand, auckland, waterslide
  • 18
    Feb
    2013
    10:28pm, EST

    Spectacular view of Singapore skyline by night

    Stephen Morrison / EPA

    A view of the Singapore skyline from a bar on the top floor of the Marina Bay Sand in Singapore, Monday, Feb. 18, 2013.

     

    • Other Singapore photoblog posts

     

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