fact or fiction
Is it a fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores travel myths to help you avoid making that wrong turn.
Wandering through the cold
It’s a freezing negative fifteen degrees and Sal, a healthy twenty five year old, is finding his way back from a long hike. He notices a bridge near by and a sign next to it covered in snow. He thinks to himself if he should read it, just in case there’s anything important. Inevitably he doesn’t and walks across the bridge to try and find his way back. After he crosses he looks around at the snow glistening in the sun, and he hears the faint sound of water rushing behind him. The sound of a raven cawing also passes by. Five minutes pass and Sals legs have started to feel warm and ache horribly, his hands have started to go numb too. He looks up at the sky and notices the sun beginning to set in the distance. A beautiful mixture of pinks, yellows, and oranges cascading across while soft clouds float by. Seeing this causes him to panic, he runs further into the woods following what looks like his footprints and something that looks like ski tracks next to it. Sals heavy breathing mixed with the cold temperatures makes his chest hurt. While running he trips and looses his balance for a second, then tumbles onto a piece of metal protruding from the ground. In a panic, he rips off a piece of cloth from his shirt and ties off the wound to keep it from bleeding out. He then finds another small piece of cloth in his coat pocket. After thinking to himself why he didn’t use it, Sal tries to cover his mouth with this musty smelling handkerchief to make things easier but it doesn’t help much. As he’s wandering deeper into the wooded area he grows more delirious and anxious. Checking his phone he has one bar left for signal and very little battery life left. He calls for help, but his words are jumbled and speech in general is slurred. The deeper he goes, the more it feels like his body is fighting against him. He’s gone entirely numb, his vision goes blank, and not so soon after he has fallen unconscious. The cloth tied around his leg has gone undone, and he’s now bleeding profusely. It’s started snowing, huge flakes of crystallized water slowly start to burry Sals limp but still living body. His breathing has slowed significantly, and it looks like nobody came for him. Then at what seems like the last second, someone finds him laying there and rushes over to his side. They check for a pulse, and once they find out he’s still alive they pick him up. They don’t know if there’s any hope for him, but they carry him out to their truck and call for help. They tie off his wound again to attempt to stop the bleeding and starts his truck to get him warm. As the engine rumbles and their gloves are soaked in a red metallic smelling liquid, they look at down at Sal, still unsure if he’ll make it out okay.
By NotCreativeToby6 years ago in Wander
Missed Connections
A stiffly uniformed employee offered a shrug to the harried young woman on the other side of the desk. “I’m sorry, but we only have one flight to Heathrow each day. You missed today’s, so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the next one.” The airline counter agent turned her gaze away from Kara and motioned for the next delayed passenger in line to come to her desk.
By Jessica Lippe6 years ago in Wander
Over-Tourism: An irreparable damage to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu was built around 1450 and the magnificence of its location nestled among the slopes of the Andes-Jungle of Peru, made it listed among the 7 wonders of the world (Brodersen, 2016). After its rediscovered in 1911, for many years it preserved the natural and authentic infrastructures: no ladders, no signs, no repaired roofs and completely pathless. It remained authentic and magnificent until UNESCO declared Machu Picchu a World Heritage Site in 1983, capturing the attention of international and local stakeholders (UNESCO, 2012).
By Maria Paz Universe6 years ago in Wander
The Plane Trip
Our classroom was the 3rd one to be called up to go through the metal detector and get our luggage checked by security. I breathed in and slowly breathed out; just the thought of leaving the solid ground in a plane made me slightly queasy. Two lines down I heard BEEP BEEP BEEP, one of the alarms must have gone off. A few people including me covered our ears with our hands to block out the loud noise the machine made. There was no serious reason the detector went off, it was just a kid that was not with us trying to sneak his phone with him, I’m guessing his parents got mad at him and told him he lost his phone privileges or something around that topic.
By Lillian Hiers6 years ago in Wander
Santiago de Compostela - The History Of The Lighthouse of Spirituality
Millions of people from across the globe have walked the legendary path that is the Camino de Santiago, and ended their journey at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Let's take a look at how the city of Santiago de Compostela, the lighthouse of spirituality, was founded.
By Samantha Wilson6 years ago in Wander
The Ocean's Call
The ocean breeze swept through the curtains hanging over the door that lead outside, washing the scent of saltwater throughout the room and over my sleeping form. The cool air stirred me and I opened my eyes slowly, a small smile gracing my face. This place was… beautiful. A paradise I never wanted to leave. The sound of the waves crashing against the sand bringing a sense of peacefulness.
By Bryce Plastridge7 years ago in Wander
Top 7 Interesting Facts that Will Make You Want to Travel
Travelling is the best thing one will ever do in life, as it comes with a set of teachings on how to be free in the comprehensive sense of the world. It brings out exceptional experience in various fields hence the best investment. Basically, travelling is mainly connected with building social relationships, prospects to study and grow, as well as commitment.
By Rebecca Siggers7 years ago in Wander
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders in the world, located in Agra, India. It was build by emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in childbirth. Taj Mahal took approximately 20-22 years and 20,000 workers to complete. It was totally complete in 1653, so it is also one of the oldest buildings in the world. It is covered by pure white marble and the walls of the "Taj Mahal" were decorated by expensive diamonds and gems. It is believed that all the precious things such as expensive stones and diamonds were stolen from Taj Mahal by Britishers. When Britishers took the power over India, then Taj Mahal went through some damages and Britishers stole most of the precious stones from its walls.
By Being Human8 years ago in Wander
