House Prices Compared: What USD $500,000 Buys Worldwide

The international housing market has practically stalled over the past year and in some countries prices have fallen through the floor. With a considerable drop in prices, now is the ideal time to buy that new home or holiday house. Lets imagine you are upwardly mobile and have around US$500,000 (AU$770,000) to invest. It may not stretch as far as it used to, but you can still get some stunning properties in exotic locations.








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Epic Abandoned Substations and Power Plants

The way some power plants and substations look, you'd think they fell out of some crack in the sky and materialized in our world - only to haunt and disturb normal citizens. Their incessant humming, occasional insectoid twittering and subliminal noise can be plenty annoying, but when they get abandoned, the tangle of cables, machinery and crumbling towers (combined with deep silence) makes it visually much, much worse..

In a cold, cold bunker... lurks a dark, dark power (Sweden)

White River Falls Power Station (Oregon)

BC Hydro in Vancouver

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Venice from Above

The “City of Water” is located in northeast Italy, spanning 118 islands in the Venetian Lagoon. Buildings in Venice were constructed on wood piles driven into the mud, sand and clay layers under the lagoon. Many of the buildings in Venice still sit on these piles driven more than a thousand years ago.

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Fancy an 'icy' outdoor bath?

At Alpha Resort-Tomamu's ice village in Shimukappu town, you can stay in a hotel where dining room, bedroom and bathroom are all made out of ice. Even dinner is served on an ice plate.
Room charges are at 80,000 yen (S$1,340) for two per night and the hotel is open until Feb 15, 2009. Temperatures in Shimukappu range between -1 to -10 degrees celsius during this period.

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Jumbo Hostel

Now you will be able to sleep at the airport in the plane! A Swedish entrepreneur had bought and redesigned a Boeing 747 to a brand new hotel! There will be 25 rooms with wifi and flat scream tv!

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5 Insanely Small And Inhabited Private Islands

Most people dream of owning their own island, a piece of tranquil heaven to truly call their own. For the majority of people however, this will always remain just that: a dream. On the flipside, there is a definite island-buying trend growing amongst those lucky enough to be able to afford such a residence, from movie stars through to politicians, which will one day result in all such people living offshore… or maybe not..

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25 Most Colorful Lakes on Earth

Color is how the human eye perceives the reflection of different spectrums of light. We perceive color just as we perceive taste: sublime, exquisite, horrible and delicious. It provokes us, it enchants us and our whole world revolves around it. Everything from the clothes we wear, to the foods we eat are determined by color.
It’s only fitting then, that we explore some of Mother Nature’s most colorful works. The kaleidoscope of colors presented in this series of spectacular lake images, encapsulate the incredible natural beauty of enclosed expanses of water.

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Interesting bus stop designs

Sometimes, waiting for buses can be fun....

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60 Incredible Aerial Photos You Must See

A compilation of 60 incredible aerial pictures, all taken by photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand.

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10 Most Expensive Hotel Suites

If you thought booking the honeymoon suite at your dream hotel just had to be the most expensive hotel suite ever, we've got news for you -- it wasn't, unless you dropped almost $30,000(for one night, that is). From beachfront bliss to big city splendor, the ten most expensive hotel rooms in the world have a few things in common -- they're all over-the-top fabulous, and none of the nightly room rates includes tax, so be prepared to add another 10 - 17% to your bill at check-out.

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15 Best Places On Earth To Visit In Your Lifetime!

Have you ever dreamed of visiting any of your favorite places? Most often, you will hear these words from your friends, family members or any others. Every one of us desire to visit our favorite places in the lifetime. It is the dream of every human being.

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