Paul RYKEN's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Hiroshima, Japan
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Places visited in Trinidad, Cuba
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Osaka, Japan

Dotonbori Hotel Front Pillars

Surreal giant face-pillars welcome visitors from across the globe to this hotel.
Nara, Japan

Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.
Kyoto, Japan

Kimono Forest

An LED art installation composed of 600 poles wrapped in kimono fabric.
Kyoto, Japan

Rokuon-ji Temple

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.
Shirakawa-mura, Japan

Shirakawa-go

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.
Hiroshima, Japan

Human Shadow Etched in Stone

An eerie reminder to the horrors of World War II.
Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima Peace Memorial

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima's Hypocenter

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.
Naha, Japan

Shuri Castle

The seat of the lost Ryukyu Kingdom has survived numerous fires and wars over the centuries.
Okinawa, Japan

Hacksaw Ridge

A World War II battle site made famous by one man's heroic actions.
Tomigusuku, Japan

Naval Underground Headquarters

Elaborate series of tunnels where traces of mass suicide are still visible.
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Stari Most

Bridge that died in war and was resurected.
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar Sniper Tower

A former bank seized as a sniper vantage point during the Bosnian War is now a secret graffiti art gallery.
Kotor, Montenegro

Fortifications of Kotor

These historic defenses ensured the city within would survive hundreds of years of occupations, sieges, and invasions.
Zadar, Croatia

Pillar of Shame

Now harmless, this looming post struck fear into the heart of medieval troublemakers.
Zadar, Croatia

Sea Organ

A musical instrument played by the sea.
Plitvička Jezera, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes

A chain of 16 wondrous lakes formed as a result of the gradual dissolution of soluble layers of bedrock.
Lisbon, Portugal

Rhinoceros of Belem Tower

A king's pet, a pope's gift, an artist's inspiration, and a tragic shipwreck.
Sintra, Portugal

Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors)

An ancient and majestic fortress that played an integral role in Portugal's road to independence.
Sintra, Portugal

Pena National Palace

This unreal Portuguese palace looks as though it's made from a pile of different castles.
Sintra, Portugal

Quinta da Regaleira

This eccentrically decorated palace is replete with grottoes, fountains, tunnels, and caves.
Trinidad, Cuba

Discoteca Ayala

This subterranean disco dance club in a Cuban cave comes with bright lights and a dark legend.
Santa Clara, Cuba

Che Guevara Mausoleum

This imposing memorial contains the remains of Che Guevara — and 29 other guerrillas who died with him in Bolivia.
Trinidad, Cuba

The Manaca Iznaga Tower

An old slave lookout in Cuba's historic sugar cane fields.