1920x1080 Beautiful Village Street After The Ra... \/\/TOP\\\\

Photographer Amos Chapple returns to our site once once again, bringing amazing images from the state of Meghalaya, India, reportedly the rainiest spot on Earth. The village of Mawsynram in Meghalaya receives 467 inches of rain per year. Laborers who work outdoors often wear full-body umbrellas made from bamboo and banana leaf. One of the most fascinating and beautiful features in the region are the "living bridges" spanning rain-soaked valleys. For centuries, locals have been training the roots of rubber trees to grow into natural bridges, far outlasting man-made wooden structures that rot in just a few years. The bridges are self-strengthening, becoming more substantial over time, as the root systems grow. Chapple has previously showed us St. Petersburg From Above, a view of Stalin's Rope Roads, and took us on a trip to Turkmenistan.

1920x1080 Beautiful Village Street after the Ra...

Tucked away in a particularly mountainous kink at the eastern end of the Italian Riviera, the villages of the Cinque Terre (pronounced chin-kwe ter-re, with a rolled "r" sound) were shaped by their profound isolation. Set amid some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the planet, these beautiful, colorful towns can bolster the most jaded of spirits. Sinuous paths traverse seemingly impregnable cliff sides, and a 19th-century railway line that's cut through a series of coastal tunnels moves people from village to village. Cars have been banned within the villages for more than a decade.

Bequeathed with more grapevines than any other Cinque Terre village, Manarola is famous for its sweet Sciacchetrà wine. It's also awash with priceless medieval relics, supporting claims that it is the oldest village of the five. The bustling main street and waterfront promenade are still lined with fishing boats and other such reminders of everyday village life. Punta Bonfiglio, a short uphill hike, has fabulous views and a playground with a bar (or a bar with a playground, depending on your priorities).

Corniglia is the "quiet" middle village that sits atop a 330ft-high rocky promontory surrounded by vineyards. It is the only Cinque Terre settlement with no direct sea access, although steep steps lead down to a rocky cove. Narrow alleys and colorfully painted four-story houses characterize the ancient core, a timeless streetscape that was namechecked in Boccaccio's Decameron. Its tranquil, tangled streets lead to a broad and breezy sea-facing terrace, the only vantage point from where you can see (and photograph) all five villages at once. To reach the village proper from the railway station, you must first tackle the Lardarina, a 377-step brick stairway, or jump on a shuttle bus.

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