“Sokolica”. Sokolica, Poland. (Photo and caption by Marcin Kęsek/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

ATTENTION! All pictures are presented in high resolution. To see Hi-Res images – just TWICE click on any picture. In other words, click small picture – opens the BIG picture. Click BIG picture – opens VERY BIG picture.

“Say cheese”. Cheetahs jumped on the vehicle of tourists in Masai Mara national park, Kenya. (Photo and caption by Yanai Bonneh/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

ATTENTION! All pictures are presented in high resolution. To see Hi-Res images – just TWICE click on any picture. In other words, click small picture – opens the BIG picture. Click BIG picture – opens VERY BIG picture.

“Cub”. In the colony of penguins in South Georgia. (Photo and caption by Ondrej Zaruba/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

ATTENTION! All pictures are presented in high resolution. To see Hi-Res images – just TWICE click on any picture. In other words, click small picture – opens the BIG picture. Click BIG picture – opens VERY BIG picture.

As you look at the set of pictures created by Tom Kondrat during his travels in Iceland, the first thing that comes to mind is the word “loneliness.” These pictures lead you to believe that Iceland is a desolate expanse of icy wasteland. You can almost imagine the strong wind howling in your ears, as it chills you straight to the bone. And as you’re walking down so beaten path, you’re all alone, with not a human soul for miles in any direction. This may prove unbearable for some, yet others find comfort in such places. With no one there to bother them and distract them from their thoughts, they can finally be at peace. (Photo by Tom Kondrat)

If you ever wanted to wear houses on your finger, now’s your chance (though it’s hard to imagine that any sane person would have such a desire)! Clive Roddy offers you an opportunity to fulfill your dream of having a ring that features houses, waves, mountains, or trees. In order to create these rings, first the metal is cut using a laser, and then the whole thing is hand painted using colored enamel. Though these rings are very pretty, it is hard to imagine someone wearing such a ring on everyday basis. These types of rings should probably be reserved for special occasions or festivals, rather than for everyday use. (Photo by Clive Roddy)

Detail of a sand sculpture of Pirates of the Caribbean is seen as pieces are prepared as part of this year's Hollywood themed annual Weston-super-Mare Sand Sculpture festival on March 26, 2013 in Weston-Super-Mare, England. Due to open on Good Friday, currently twenty award winning sand sculptors from across the globe are working to create sand sculptures including Harry Potter, Marilyn Monroe and characters from the Star Wars films as part of the town's very own movie themed festival on the beach. (Photo by Matt Cardy)

“Exactly one year before the long awaited Sochi Olympics, Vladimir Putin went to Sochi personally to see how the construction is going. After receiving a report saying the ski jumps that were supposed to be ready in 2011, are not completed still, while their price has sky-rocketed from 1.2 billion to 8 billion roubles, he commented, “Good for you. Good job”, and then fired the vice president of the Olympic committee. Russian artist Vasily Slonov painted his view of the upcoming games, giving a new interpretation to the adored Russian mascot Cheburashka, and combining officially endorsed stereotypes of Russia with grimmer and less accepted ones”. – Ruskie.info. (Photo by Vasily Slonov)

Claire Robertson from Scottish Ballet, poses dressed as the Good Snow Flake inside a life size snow globe on Buchanan Street during a promotion for Scottish Ballet’s festive production of The Nutcracker on November 20, 2012 in Glasgow, Scotland. The Nutcracker opens at the Theatre Royal on December the 8th, the production delves deep into the darker reaches of Hoffmann’s original tale in a fresh and vivid retelling of the famous Christmas story. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell)