Naica Crystal Cave, Mexico. By Paul Williams.Read about my time in the cave: www.ironammonite.com/2009/12/surviving-cueva-de-los-crist...
We intrepidly stepped forwards – to say that the heat hit us like a wall, would be an understatement. My glasses steamed up and their metal frames started to burn my skin - I had to leave them at the entrance. A slightly fuzzy view did not perturb my sense of awe. I was dumbstruck. A torrent of sweat streamed from my head, my energy was being sucked away, and my breathing became heavy. The view was enthralling, my eyes led me forwards but my body wanted to retreat. I was dwarfed by a forest of giant gypsum crystals, some up to 12 metres long - the largest crystals ever discovered, some estimated to weigh as much as 55 tonnes. It was something that had to be seen to be believed and I was doing just that... #BBC #EarthOnLocation #Cave #Naica #Crystals #Alien #Mexico #Selenite #Geology #Mineral #Crystal
I was filming in the ancient Mauretanian town of Chinguetti, at the heart of the Sahara. 1,000 years ago this was a major outpost on the trade routes across North Africa. It prospered from the exchange of goods, culture and knowledge, but in the 15th century its fortunes were changed. Christopher Columbus's discovery of the circular patterns of the atmosphere and the reliability of particular winds, fuelled the rise of ocean trade routes. Chinguetti was eclipsed as the wealth moved to the coast and ports easily reached by Europeans. Today only a few hardy nomads continue to use Chinguetti as a place to rest, and it is slowly being swallowed by the shifting sands of the Sahara. #Chinguetti #Sahara #BBCEarth #BBC #EarthOnLocation #Camel #Desert #Mauretania #History
