TRAVEL: Anne Frank Exhibits, Memorials In And Around Amsterdam

Anne Frank is a familiar story to just about every person alive. However, with the popular book and movie The Fault in Our Stars, the interest in Anne Frank has skyrocketed among our young readers.

For those who are lucky enough to visit Amsterdam with an interest in Anne Frank, these are some of the timeless sites to see that help tell the inspiring story of Anne Frank.

First, the Anne Frank House, Anne Frankhuis as the fine folks of Amsterdam know it. The Anne Frank House museum is home to the famed secret annex that housed the Frank family and others during World War II when the Nazi regime were searching out Jewish citizens to move to concentration camps to await death. Many view the Anne Frank House as inspirational, awe inspiring, and historic. Visitors experience how Anne Frank and others lived for two years during World War II. Visitors can expect to move through the entire museum in about an hour, and spend much more time than that waiting in line. The Anne Frank House, obviously, is a must visit while in Amsterdam.

About 20 minutes outside of Amsterdam’s center lies the town of Rivierenbuurt, which is the site of Anne Frank’s childhood home. The tourists are non-existent. The line, gone. The story of how Anne Frank and her family spent their lives before the horror of the Holocaust, beautifully restored. The home serves as a safe haven for writers who are not able to speak or write freely in their country. Thus, the inside of the home is not open to the public. The only way the public knows that Anne Frank spent her childhood in the town is simply by a bronze statue and a sign that reads “ANNE FRANK 1929-1945″

A few streets away from Anne Frank’s childhood home is her Montessori school that she attended from age 5 through 12. The school still holds students captive with standard teachings and life lessons, therefore it is not open to the public either. However, the side of the school is painted with quotes from Anne Frank’s famous diary. While you visit Rivierenbuurt, another stop you can choose to make is that of a bookstore, where the clerks tell a story of how Anne Frank’s father bought the 13-year-old a birthday present — an autograph book — which she used as her diary while hiding from Nazi German soldiers during World War II.

So thank The Fault in Our Stars for bringing the inspiring, courageous story of Anne Frank back to the forefront of our children. Stories like this provide life lessons that they may not otherwise receive.

Benjamin Ekpenyong

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TRAVEL: These 10 Treehouses Will Make You Want To Live In The Forest

As kids, most of us dreamed about having a treehouse of our own, where we could form a secret club, stay up late, or just hide from mom and dad. Some of us were lucky enough to have one. A few among us, however, have been even luckier, making a treehouse an integral part of their adult life, and the results have been nothing short of stunning. Actor Heath Ledger was one of those individuals, as The Inquisitr previously reported, and his arboreal domicile now belongs to no less than Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson.

As these examples from io9 and boredpanda show, the treehouse has proven to be fertile ground for the imagination of modern architects. Many are Eco-friendly by design, and incorporate innovative support methods and technologies. Since the 1990s, an explosion of growth has taken place in recreational treehouse building, and according to wikipedia, there are now over 30 companies in the U.S and Europe alone that specialize in treehouse construction. Whether recreational or a fully functional dwelling, these treehouses are among the most unique structures on the planet. Let us know which one is your favorite in the comments.

10. Teahouse Tetsu (Japan)

Looking like something out of a fairy tale, this treehouse is located in Yamanashi, Japan

9. Free Spirit Sphere Treehouses (Canada)

The Free Spirit Sphere treehouses hang suspended from the surrounding forest by a web of ropes, making them largely non-invasive.

The spheres are handcrafted from wood and fiberglass.

8. Three-Story Treehouse (British Columbia, Canada)

Said to be the tallest treehouse in British Columbia, this example can be found somewhere near Revelstoke.

7. The HemLoft Treehouse (Whistler, Canada)

Built by 26-year-old retired software developer Joel Allen, the HelmLoft treehouse has been featured in international design magazines.

6. Yellow Treehouse Restaurant (Auckland, New Zealand)

The Yellow Treehouse is built on a redwood tree that stands over 130 feet tall.

The restaurant is able to seat up to 18 guests at once.

5. The Bird’s Nest (Sweden)

Looking like the nest of a gigantic bird, this treehouse is a part of the Tree Hotel, a collection of unique treehouses located in the Swedish countryside.

Inside, the Bird’s Nest is thoroughly modern.

4. E’terra Samara (Bruce Peninsula, Canada)

A very unique design, the E’terra is constructed in three pieces and suspended by cables around the tree. Held in place by a simple shoulder and cable system, this treehouse is completely non-invasive.

3. The Hotel Costa Verde (Costa Rica)

Fashioned from an old 727, this treehouse is actually a luxury hotel. It stands on a 50-foot pedestal in the Costa Rican jungle.

The interior of the plane features hand-carved furniture, and even a jacuzzi in the cockpit.

2. UFO Treehouse (Sweden)

If the truth is out there, you may just find it in Sweden. Belonging to the same Tree Hotel complex as the Bird’s Nest, the UFO treehouse looks frightfully out of this world.

1. The Mirrorcube Treehouse (Sweden)

Stunning in every way, the Mirrorcube, located in Sweden’s Tree Hotel, is a head-turning and totally modern interpretation of what a treehouse can be.

The 13x13x13 foot Mirrorcube is nearly invisible under the right conditions, making this treehouse the ultimate childhood hiding spot.

[Images via io9, Boredpanda, and Gizmodo]

Benjamin Ekpenyong

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TRAVELLING NEWS: Google Street View Goes To ‘The Most Desolate Place On Earth,’ Hashima Island

Ever consider a vacation to somewhere incredibly depressing? I may know just the spot, but you have to go there on Google Street View.

The Google Street View team went to the Hashima Island off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan. The island is described as “the most desolate place on Earth” because of its haunting abandoned concrete apartments and thick sea wall.

Hashima Island was originally a coal mining facility from 1887 until its closing in 1974. As the Street View shows, it retains the structures from that period in a state of decay.

It has another colorful nickname “Battle Ship Island,” directly translated from the JapaneseGunkanjima. The nickname comes from the island’s giant sea walls that creates a resemblance to Tosa, a Japanese battleship.

Tetanus and the smell of fungus linger on as ghosts of Japan’s rapid industrialization, making it a fascinating tourist spot, even if just virtually on Google.

Girl standing on Battle Ship Island

But despite the obvious appeal, visitors were not allowed on the island until 2005 when journalists were permitted to take the first pictures.

In 2009, it was opened for tourists. Nevertheless, the imminent threat of a building collapsing on someone’s head continues to be an obstacle to opening the entire island to visitors. Through Google Street View you can explore free from catastrophic injury.

Tourists visiting the most desolate place on Earth

A dark history for a dark location.

Before considering your Google Street View vacation, be warned this place’s dreadful appearance hides an even more appalling past.

In 2008, Battleship island applied to get a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage register; however, a full history would require remembering its part in World War 2. At that time, as many as 800 forced laborers from Korea were sent to work in the island’s mines.

The pits reach a depth of 1000 meters, where sea water regularly seeps in, exposing workers to constant skin infections.

Survivors report the conditions were horrific, with toxic gases and cave-ins maintaining an unsightly fatality rate.

Those caught trying to escape were subjected to extreme torture.

Aerial View

This place maintains its evil image, even in the films.

Google Street View isn’t the first glimpse of Battle Island for avid movie goers.

This strange location was the inspiration for the hideout of James Bond villain Silva (Javier Bardem) in the movie Skyfall. Although filming could not take place there, the scenery was recreated for the movie.

Google Street View, also home to many other World War 2 sites, may be the only safe way to travel to much of this eerie place.
Benjamin Ekpenyong

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