Merit: A Night at Deadvlei. The night before returning to Windhoek, we spent several hours at Deadveli. The moon was bright enough to illuminate the sand dunes in the distance, but the skies were still dark enough to clearly see the milky way and magellanic clouds. Deadveli means “dead marsh. The camelthorn trees are believed to be about 900 years old, but have not decomposed because the environment is so dry. (Photo and caption by Beth McCarley/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

In one of the planet’s most desolate and harsh terrains, the Altai Mountains which run from Siberia in Russia down to Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, hunting with eagles is currently only practiced by a handful of Kyrgyz and Kazakhs. This form of falconry, the practice of hunting with the aid of birds of prey, can be traced back as far as 4,000 years in Central Asia. Here: after a successful hunt, a proud hunter rewards his eagle by feeding it the lungs of the prey, which is considered the most highly prized part of the animal. (Photo by Tariq Zaidi/The Washington Post)

Indonesian women sit on a hill as the Suralaya coal power plant looms in the background in Cilegon, Indonesia, on January 8, 2023. A plan for how Indonesia will spend $20 billion to transition to cleaner energy was submitted Wednesday, Aug. 16, to the government and its financing partners, the planners said. (Photo by Dita Alangkara/AP Photo)

Circus artists perform at the International Circus Show started in Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis, Tunisia on June 23, 2022. (Photo by Yassine Gaidi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The Dinagyang is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines held on the fourth Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog In Cebu and the Ati-Atihan in Aklan. It is held both to honor the Santo Niño and to celebrate the arrival on Panay of Malay settlers and the subsequent selling of the island to them by the Atis. wiki

Paolo Guerrero of Brazil's Internacional reacts after missing an opportunity to score during a Copa Libertadores soccer match against Chile's Palestino in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Tuesday, April 9, 2019. (Photo by Diego Vara/Reuters)

Mud Day Queen Riley Tulgetske, left, embraces Mud Day King Phoenix Crowder during Mud Day at the Nankin Mills Park, Tuesday, July 9, 2019, in Westland, Mich. The annual day is for kids 12 years old and younger. While parents might be welcome, this isn't an event meant for teens or adults. It's all about the kids having some good, unclean fun during their summer break and is sponsored by the Wayne County Parks. (Photo by Carlos Osorio/AP Photo)

Bahamas' Shaunae Miller-Uibo celebrates winning the women's 200 meters final at the Diamond League Birmingham Grand Prix in Birmingham, Britain on August 18, 2019. (Photo by Jason Cairnduff/Action Images via Reuters)